Shoot the Ball

Ephesians 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.


This morning scripture tells us that we should redeem the time. This means take that shot. Take that opportunity for the glory of God. 


This summer my son Jacob was playing in a basketball camp. This is his first year playing basketball for the school. He has played park ball for a few years before this, but now he is playing at a higher level. He has a good team with some really good players. He is not a starter for the team during this summer camp, so he is patiently awaiting some playing time. Well once he gets in he is pumped!  I'm pumped! Mom is pumped!

He is so nervous and because of his nervousness, he will not shoot the ball at all. He plays his position and passes it to a person in a better position. This game passes and it's on to the next one. I asked him if he was nervous or afraid. He immediately said no, but I knew better. I encouraged him to play hard and look for an opening or open player. I told him to play as a team and give 100%. He said, "Yes sir."

The time for the next game was at hand. Wow, He was on the court as a starter. A little bit of relaxation was in his face now. He received the pass turned, looked and then drove to the goal!  I begin to feel the rush of excitement as he dribbled the ball closer and closer to the goal.  Then it came... He drove, stretched and shot the ball! It seemed like it went through the air for ten minutes (could have been this long as it rolled around the rim, hahaha). Then the ball fell in and down through the net. Immediately I begin to cheer!  I said, "There you go!"  All he needed was to take the shot.

Our scripture says to redeem the time. Take an account of the fact that we won't be here forever. The game of life, and the clock is ticking away. Second after second is coming off the clock. And besides this, we need to redeem the time because the days are becoming evil. You may be nervous about sharing the Gospel with someone today. You will never know what will happen if you don't take the opportunity.

Shoot the ball!  Drive to the goal, and shoot the ball!  Share the Gospel! Study the Word and share the Gospel! When Jacob scored this summer at a basketball camp. The emotions that I felt were overwhelming. I wonder how our Father feels when we share the Gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ?

Box Seats

Luke 11:43

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

When I read the word Pharisee in the Bible I always think of someone who can "fairly see". The Pharisees were religious leaders who depended more on keeping laws and not a relationship with God. Keeping laws are important, but a right relationship is most important. Keeping laws can be done without a relationship. The rich ruler said that he kept the law from his youth up but he lacked a relationship. Having a relationship with Christ will not be without keeping His laws after you have fallen in love with Him. His word tells us, "If we love Him, we will keep His commandments". 

These Pharisees tried to keep the law but could only "fairly see" the true things of God. Jesus, the Son of God, was standing in front of them and they still couldn't see Him. They thought by placing people under the bondage of law, that they were fulfilling the word of God. They were actually imposing burdens upon these people. While they were placing the noose around the necks of others, they were filling themselves with pride. 

You see, the more they imposed laws, that they were attempting to keep but really couldn't, they were measuring themselves by those who didn't uphold the law. This caused them to look at people with arrogance. How easy is it to become this "fairly seeing" Pharisee?  It had become such a problem that they wanted the box seats in the church, and even felt like they deserved it. Shaking hands with those who would benefit their cause or wallet. 

Religion can be a destroyer of relationship. It can ruin and spoi  the person trying to walk in a relationship with Christ. It makes them compare themselves to those they walk beside instead of the one who walked before us. If you think this morning your salvation and right standing with Christ is because of what you do or where you sit let me tell you that you're wrong. You can only "fairly see" Jesus for who He really is. 

Drop the pride and lay aside the arrogance this morning. Put away the lawish religion and walk in the liberty and righteousness of Jesus right now. Get up out of your box seats and fall on your knees in humility. You'll find a relationship that will last through all eternity. 

Tear Down This Wall

Ephesians 2:14-18

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall.  President Ronald Reagan gave this address:  

..."General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek 

prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek 

liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this 

gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'"

You know as I think about it, the American military could have broken down that wall. We could have used our power and guns to remove that wall and grind it into powder. But that would not have brought the peace needed. It had to be torn down by the very ones who put it there. 

God could have removed the wall of partition that was against us Gentiles from Heaven if He would have chosen to do so. He could have ground the wall into pieces that no man could have restored it. Our God that spoke the world into existence, could have spoken this wall down with one command. But he didn't choose to do it that way. He chose to send His only Son to die a sinners death on the cross in order to remove it. You see man had placed that wall there through sin, so man must remove the wall. But not an ordinary, sinful man. No, it had to be Christ, the sinless, spotless lamb of God. Sin placed it there, but the death for sin removed it. It brought access!  It brings peace! 

Today, if Christ has removed the wall that separated you from God then why do you attempt to rebuild it through your sin?  Tear down the walls this morning. He has given you total access to the throne. Thank you Lord for removing the wall of separation. Thank you for providing me with access and peace. Thank you Jesus for "tearing down this wall". 

My Best Possession

Proverbs 16:8

Better is a little with righteousness

than great revenues without right.

A movie called "Far and Away" had a line in it that says, "Without land a man is nothing". When I heard that phrase it really sums up the way many American people feel.  The thought of possessions making people who they are is very present in society. The theory is... You must have houses, cars and an image to be something. This is why people live in shacks but drive a Mercedes. Some can't afford the power bill but have a satellite receiver on the side of the house. Priorities are so messed up nowadays. 

While the "position of possessions" is at an all time high, the priority for holiness is at it's all time low. While we want the latest and greatest thing, we daily sacrifice our respect for God and His Word. While we uphold our image to society we trash our testimony of Christ regularly. 

The scripture this morning teaches us that it is better to have little with righteousness than to have it all in sin. Years ago I bought an old soulful gospel tape. It had a group on there called, "Mighty Clouds of Joy". They sang a song called, "I Got One Thing You Can't Take Away". Oh my goodness!  When I heard this song I began to shout. The words of this song lead to a recitation. In it he told a story of a woman being evicted from her home. While they were placing her things outside the home she was holding on to a picture of Jesus. She was saying, "I got Jesus and you can't take Him away". 

Do you think you are who you are because you have things?  Do you think you are a man because of land? Or because you have cars, boats or possessions? The Word of God says, "No". It's better to have Christ than possessions. When you have Christ you will realize that all those other things are of no glory. Thank you Lord for showing us this morning what's better.

Listen if you would like... http://youtu.be/ddCJUpOs_0w

Where Is That Stinking Light Switch?

1 John 2:9-11
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

The other night I was preparing for bed. You know the drill... Praying together as a family, going through the house turning off the lights, getting that last drink of water and that's when I saw it. I had left the flood lights on the corner of my house on. So I had to go outside on the porch and turn them off. Instead of turning on the kitchen light I convinced myself to just go and do it. I had been on the back porch a million times and I often go through the house in the dark at night. So I stepped onto the back porch, bare foot and all. One thing that I had forgotten about was that earlier in the day we cleaned up a little and moved some things around a bit. One of those things was a weight bench. Maybe we moved it two or three inches at the most. But no matter how much it was it was definitely enough to cause damage. I came around to find that light switch and BAM! My three littlest toes on my right foot felt like they fell off and were rolling around on the porch.

I didn't give this lesson much thought until this scripture came up in my studies. The Bible tells us that when we hate or build a wall of hatred toward another person that it is like stumbling in the darkness. We think we know the way, we think we know best, but the truth is that pain is just one more step away. Think about this...countless times I have been on that back porch in the dark. Making my way with ease through the obstacles that were on it. But this one time proved that I needed the kitchen light.

You may have lived with anger, bitterness or even hatred and have been able to stumble your way through the darkness. Eventually it will bring pain. This scripture tells us that we can't say we hate our brother and be in the light. But if we love others then "there is none occasion of stumbling in him." Isn't it funny that when we are in the dark we try to open our eyes wider thinking that this will help us see? Why not just turn on the light?

Untie That Donkey!

Luke 19:30-31
Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

No man had ever sat on this donkey. There is no telling what it would do right?  But Jesus needed it. Look at what He told those disciples again. He told them that they would find a colt tied up that no man ever sat on. Here is my favorite part... "Loose him". Jesus said when you see him tied up, untie him. I know you're thinking that it's just a donkey, but I see so much more. I see myself (no jokes needed here). I see a man bound up in his sins that no one had ever loosed before.

Did you know that we all were bound up in our sins? Just like Lazarus bound up in grave clothes, we were bound up with sins. The stench of death and rottenness was always in the air. The noose around our neck like the one holding the donkey in its place. Satan never wanting us to go anywhere. Never wanting us to be free. But Jesus! Jesus told them to untie him. Why?

Look at the last part... "And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, BECAUSE THE LORD HATH NEED OF HIM." Come on now that should call for some kind of shout! I know that God doesn't need me in order to be God. He doesn't need me to add anything unto Him or His mission of love. Some of you would be sad to find out that God doesn't actually need you, but you would miss the whole message. Jesus could have walked into town that day without this donkey. He could have left it tied up never to be saddled with clothes of the disciples. But because of His love and His desire for its use, He sent the disciples to get it.

Because of God's love and His desire for your usefulness, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you. He untied the chains of sin that were holding you down. He clothed you with His righteousness and uses you for His work. Not because He has to, but because He WANTS TO! Hallelujah! Untie that donkey!

Rub Some Dirt On It

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

"Get up and rub some dirt on it... Come on, toughen up". Have you ever heard some of those phrases before? Don't get me wrong today there are times in our lives that we need to toughen up. Don't you just love going to the doctor and they say, "This may sting a little"? Yeah right, it feels like your trying to push the thickest molasses through that syringe into my body. But we grit our teeth and toughen up.

Well this morning you may have something difficult that is before you. You are trying to be so strong and tough enough to get through it. You put on the smile. You lace up your shoes and tie them tight. Take that deep breath... and then fall to pieces. You keep telling yourself, "Don't cry, be tough, people need me to be strong". Who is going to be strong for you?

Sometimes, and in some things, we can't rely on our own strength alone. We need the strength of the Lord. The scripture today says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong IN THE LORD, and in the power of HIS might." Being strong in the Lord could mean that you are at your weakest in yourself. God's Word says that His strength is made perfect in weakness. Don't pretend that you have it all together today. Before you leave the house find the time to tell the Lord that you need His strength. Share with Him your heart and talk to Him as if He were your counselor, because He is.