A Game, A Broadcaster and a Homophobic Remark.

By now, probably most people have heard of what a broadcaster for the Cincinnati Reds baseball team said live on air. He made an anti gay remark after coming back from a commercial break and didn't realize that his microphone was live. He was promptly removed from the broadcast booth and subsequently suspended by the Reds. This broadcaster also calls games for the NFL for Fox Sports. He has since been removed from their broadcasting lineup for this year.

I understand the backlash against this guy. What he said was definitely inappropriate and wrong, but let's remember, he is not perfect. In fact, none of us are. There isn't a person who walks this earth that is perfect in everything that they do. No matter what it is. Speech, actions, lifestyle, etc. etc. We all fall short.

Romans 3:23 New Living Translation

²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

 

This verse says that "all" fall short. Not just this guy who did this or that guy who said that. We all fall short. Let's be honest. If we all had a 'hot' mic in our cars or in our houses, how many of us would get fired for things that we said that weren't appropriate? More than likely, most of us. Everyone is quick to point out his sin, but how many of us have done the same thing?

 

Matthew 7:3-5 The Message

7 ^1-5 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

 

To be transparent here. I used to be the king of that kind of talk. I've said things to people and about people that I am not proud of. That was in my BC (before Christ) days. When I accepted Jesus, one of the first things that He worked on was my corrupt speech and bad language. Not going to lie here. When I get heated I may still utter a curse word or two. I still get angry and irritated, but I'm also still a work in progress.

 

Colossians 3:8 The Message

^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

 

So maybe we cut this broadcaster a little slack. Let him serve his punishment and face what he has done, but give him a second chance. The God that I serve is a God of second chances. Look what happened to Peter after he denied even knowing Jesus three times. God used him to build His church upon. That's quite the second chance in my book. Then take a look at our own lives. God pulled us out of the muck and the mire that we were living in and set us on firm foundation, which is Christ.

 

Ephesians 4:32 New International Version

³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Amen!

 

 

 

Water Bottle!

The water bottle pictured was a gift from a woman as a thank you for serving her and her family every week. She comes through a food distribution site once a week to get groceries for her family. We have team of 5 people that serve her (and many others) every week. I am humbled and honored to be a part of this team. I am trying to show Jesus to her and her family.

 

Matthew 25:35 New Living Translation

³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.

 

Matthew 25:40 New Living Translation

⁴⁰“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

 

Now, I'm not saying that she is the least of anything. She is just in a difficult season right now and needs a little help, which we are happy to provide.

 

God calls us to serve, so that is what we are doing for our community.

 

Hebrews 13:16 The Message

¹⁶ Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of “sacrifice”—that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets.

 

 

 





 

 

Now back to the gift. The water bottle. To you it may seem like a simple water bottle, but to me it means so much more. You see, our friend thought enough to seek out our names. Not only did she learn my name, she even spelled it correctly. Then on top of that, she even did it in my favorite color. How she knew, I do not know. Let's not forget that she only comes in once a week and we see her for maybe about 5-10  minutes. 

 

So you see, it's more than just a water bottle. It is a gift of appreciation for taking the time to be kind, love on someone and their family. To let them know that someone cares about them. Talk with her, have some fun with her kids.

 

John 13:34-35 The Message

^34-35 “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

 

Amen! Go out and love on someone and serve someone!



The National Anthem. Stand? Kneel?

To stand or kneel for our national anthem seems to be the hot button topic for both the NBA and MLB  (I'm not sure about the NHL). With the death of George Floyd on May 25th, a lot of the players from these professional teams have decided to kneel during the national anthem at the start of a game. They are kneeling to protest police brutality and the social injustice that has been happening to people of color. What I don't understand is, why? Why the national anthem? The anthem isn't just for police departments and it's officers. It's for every American. It's for the American Flag whom so many have fought for and died for, so these people could even play a sport. So to me, by taking a knee during the anthem is disrespecting the flag, our country and the men and women who have bravely fought for it.

 Of course the NFL has already had kneeling going on for a few years now. Tim Tebow started it with kneeling to honor and thank God, for something good that had happened during the game. Then Colin Kapernick started kneeling to protest police brutality and social injustices towards African Americans.

In my personal opinion, both of these players were run out of the league because they both took a stance and kneeled for something that they believed in. Tebow for his belief in God and Kapernick for his belief of injustices against African Americans.

 So opening day of baseball, there was a game between the  L.A. Dodgers and the San Francisco Giants. Both teams knelt during the national anthem. Except for one player. Pitcher Sam Coonrod. The reason that Sam did not kneel is because he is a Christian. He feels the only time to bow or kneel is before God.

 Joshua 23:16 Amplified Bible

16 When you transgress (violate) the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you [to follow], and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”

 This whole scenario reminds me of the story in the book of Daniel. Daniel and two of his friends were told to bow down to a golden statue that the king had made of himself. They refused to do that and that made the king very angry. You can read the entire story in Daniel, chapter 3.

 Daniel 3:16-18 New Living Translation

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

 So Sam did not kneel during the anthem, because that meant that he would be kneeling for something other than God. He made a bold statement about his faith and belief in God that day. May we all be so bold.

 Matthew 10:33 The Message

32-33 “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?

 There might not have been a fiery furnace that Sam was going to get thrown into for not kneeling during the anthem, but there is the court of public opinion. And you can get roasted pretty good there. If I remember correctly, he took some heat for his stance (literally) during the anthem.

 I don't know where y'all stand on this issue, but for me I am going to stand for the flag! I'm going to stand for the anthem! I'm going to kneel at the feet of Jesus!

This Shirt.

This shirt. What can I say about this shirt? Well I'll tell you one thing, it is definitely a conversation starter. No matter when or where I wear it, someone always asks about it or inquires about what it means. Whether I'm out walking, at work or even at Aldi (a woman at Aldi actually stopped my wife and I and proceeded to tell us that the shirt was not Biblically accurate). Someone always has something to say about it. Just to give you a little back ground on this shirt. Every year We Care Pregnancy Clinic has a 'Walk For Life'. This shirt is from one of those walks. I have several in my wardrobe as I have been partaking for several years now. But this one. This one seems to always get the comments and questions. I don't know why. It just does.

I always enjoy telling people about where it comes from in The Bible. You know me, I love to talk about God's word!

Psalm 139:13-14 English Standard Version

¹³ For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.

 

I tell them, that before they were even born, God knew them. He knew what they would look like. How tall they would be, what color eyes and hair that they would have. Read all of Psalm 139 to get the complete picture of God's love for us. People keep saying "you are wonderfully made." I tell them, "we are all wonderfully made." In God's image.

 

Genesis 1:27 New Living Translation

²⁷ So God created human beings in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

 So, that is the story of this shirt. Much conversed about every time I wear it. And that my friends, is one of the reasons that I still wear it.

 

The Trip!

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I took a 10 day road trip out west. We just had to get out of Illinois for a little bit. I think that this virus and everything that is associated with it was getting to us. So we decided to head out and explore God's creation.

Psalm 24:1(NIV) ¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;

Our first stop was at the Badlands in South Dakota. We had been there a few years ago, but decided to see it again. This time from the air. We took a helicopter tour over them. What an amazing site let me tell you.

The next leg of the trip we went to see Devils Tower (mans name for it, God's creation) in Wyoming. We parked and got out and hiked around it for about an hour. This was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. What an incredible thing to see and witness in person.

From there we went to the Big Horn mountains. To see them forming in the distance as you drive towards them. Felt like I was in a movie. The trees on the sides. The snow caps. The mountain itself. Gods glory on full display. A visual I will never forget.

We spent a couple of days in Yellowstone National Park. We got to see a lot of wild animals roaming around. Some so close that you could almost reach out and pet them (which is frowned upon by the way). We saw bison, elk, moose, fox, deer, prairie dogs, goats. The one animal that we didn't see that I really wanted to was a bear.

Revelation 4:11New Living Translation

You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased

To see all these animals in the wild, just roaming around. I loved it. Every minute of it. I could just imagine God saying, "we need one of those, a couple of them", and He just kept creating and creating, till He was pleased.

We stayed two nights at a hotel in Montana. After dinner we would go out and just look at the sky. With no light pollution around, we were able to see the stars and constellations with ease.

Psalm 19:1 New Living Translation

¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.

 

The only "bad" part about driving through Yellowstone, were the roads. Steep inclines and declines. Sharp, and I mean sharp curves. We did the drive at night our first night. Let me just say that was a bit harrowing!

 

We made our way down to see 'Old Faithful'. That was really cool to see. I still can't believe that it erupts on a time schedule. But when it does, it is a site to behold. Another one of Gods awesome creations on display.

 

The final leg of sight seeing was going to see the Grand Tetons. Another majestic site. I was amazed to say the least. Being from Illinois and never really seeing anything other than corn fields. Then since we were so close, we had to drive into Idaho. We found this little restaurant, and had one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.

 

Then finally we started our trek towards home. This was definitely a trip of a lifetime. I have always wanted to go out west, and I was not disappointed. The shear beauty of it all. I had no idea. I mean I had seen pictures and movies. But to see it in person, much different story.

 

We drove well over 3,000 miles and covered 8 different states. The memories made were worth every mile. Time spent with my beautiful wife enjoying this trip together, priceless!

 
Thank You Lord for it all!

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

Psalm 19:1 New Living Translation

¹ The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship.

 

When Should We Pray?

Prayer. It should be our first response, not our last resort. We should pray before, during and after things arise. A decision we need to make. A difficult spot we find ourselves in. Any and every situation can be covered by prayer.

The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁷ Never stop praying.

God wants us to come to Him with our prayers and petitions.

Philippians 4:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
⁶ Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.

God wants us to come to Him in times of trouble. That we do not lose faith, or become an unbeliever.

Psalm 50:15 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁵ Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory.”

 

Pray when we are prosperous. That we do not become boastful or proud.

 

Deuteronomy 8:18 The Message (MSG)

^17-18 If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today.

 

Pray when we are facing danger, so we don't become afraid or doubt God's protection.

 

Isaiah 41:10 Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁰ 
‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you;
I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand.

 

Pray when we are feeling secure. That we have everything under control. Pray that we do not become self sufficient and have no need for God.

 

2 Corinthians 3:5 Amplified Bible (AMP)⁵ Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God.

See. We are to pray in all circumstances. The good & the bad. If we pray believing that God will answer, He will hear us. The answer may not be the one that we wanted, but God knows what we need. His will be done, not mine!
Amen!

 

 

 

 

The Wall

Imagine a wall standing before you. Not a physical wall, but maybe an emotional one. A spiritual one. A wall that you think that you have no idea on how to get around it, over it or through it. In the flesh, you think that this wall is immovable. Insurmountable. There is no way that you are going to get to the other side of the wall. So you feel like giving up. Throwing in the towel.

I've got good news for you. There is a way.

Psalm 18:29 Amplified Bible (AMP) ²⁹ And by my God I can leap over a wall.

That's right. With God, He will get you over that wall. He will have you leap right over it and the next thing you know, you'll be on the other side. Wondering how in the world did that happen. See when you look at things from your human perspective, it looks impossible, but with God, it is possible!

Matthew 19:26 The Message (MSG)²⁶ Jesus looked hard at them and said, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

You put your trust in Jesus, and everything is possible. He can do things that we can't even understand with our limited, human thinking.

Luke 1:37 Amplified Bible (AMP)³⁷ For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.”

So what walls stand before you today? Is it a habit that you can not break? Emotion that defeats you? A bad attitude about certain situations? A heart full of doubt, discouragement or fear?

Every time we try and conquer these walls on our own, we fall short. Far short. Repeatedly, over and over again.

But, with God's help, we can leap over these walls, barriers, obstacles. Whatever you want to call them, that keep us from moving forward to what God has for us.

A great reminder,

Philippians 4:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

 

It is Christ's strength that sustains us. That carries us through. Not our own.

 

Thank You LORD!!