Mothers-in-Law Rejoice!

If you have not yet checked out Lynn Autry's ministry website at www.mothersinlawrejoice.com you'll want to do that.  My wife has a passion for helping people negotiate sticky in-law relationships.  On the site you will find a link for ordering her ebook It's All about the Mother-in-Law based on a serious study of the biblical book of Ruth.  Information also appears on how to secure a workbook version for personal or group Bible study.  Her ministry will be exhibiting November 11-13 during the SBC of Virginia's Annual Homecoming at Liberty Baptist Church in Hampton, VA.  If you're in the area stop by and learn how this ministry may benefit you and those you care about.

Learn from Lance

 I awakened Monday morning to the news that cycling legend Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all seven Tour de France titles and banned from the sport for life.  It is one of the most stunning disciplines ever handed down by anybody in the world of sport.  Some, including Armstrong himself, may quibble with the allegations or the discipline meted out by the agency but the story is a powerful reminder to everyone that they must play by the rules.

The same principle may be found in the Word of God.  Paul was quite conspicuously a sports enthusiast and frequently wove sports metaphors into is writing.  This was particularly true in writing to the Corinthian church because the isthmus of Corinth was the scene of the famous Isthmian games.  The competition included horse, foot, and chariot-racing; wrestling, and boxing. The prize was a garland of pine leaves. Two sports images are played by Paul in First Corinthians 9 to stress the self discipline the Christian athlete must impose upon himself if he or she is to compete successfully in the spiritual arena of life.

The Apostle/Sportsman runs out with the language of thee runner to reinforce his point about competing appropriately.  “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly” (1 Corinthians 9: 24-26 NIV).

Paul takes a picture from the world of boxing and gets in a nice jab for the importance of self discipline in the Christian life.  “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9: 27 NIV).

Lance Armstrong is a warning to everyone competing in the race of life that no matter how successful you appear to be and what others feel you have accomplished there remain humiliating penalties for breaking the rules.  Armstrong drew a major following even among those who have no real interest in cycling because of the feel good story of his victory over cancer that started in his testicles and spread to his lungs and brain.  Nevertheless one cannot rely on past success to guarantee victory today or tomorrow.

Discipline and determination are vital parts of the discipleship process in all our lives.

This post originally appeared as a column in The Daily Press.

The Bottom of the Ninth

They called him “The Georgia Peach” but he was by no means soft, small and fuzzy.  Ty Cobb was one of the meanest hombres to ever take to a baseball diamond.  The native of Narrows, Georgia was the fiercest of competitors and his numbers belong to the record books:  Highest lifetime major-league batting average (.366), most career batting titles (12), most career steals of home (54), second in career hits (4,189 – first in AL), second in career runs scored (2,246 – first in AL), third in career steals (892 – first when retired). That’s not the half of it.  My Atlanta Braves could use his talent right now!

After his storied career, Cobb finally came to faith in Christ through the witness of another baseball legend, Bobby Richardson.  Lamenting his late-life conversion, the Hall of Famer said shortly before his death, “Tell the boys that I’m sorry I waited until the bottom of the ninth inning to get right with God. I wish now that I had done it in the top of the first.”

 His unusual deathbed observation underscores the wisdom of surrendering to Christ at the earliest possible age.  The only thing better than being saved at twenty is being saved at nineteen; the only thing better than being saved at nineteen is being saved at eighteen; the only thing better than being saved at eighteen is being saved at seventeen; the only thing better than being saved at seventeen is being saved at sixteen; the only thing better than being saved at sixteen is being saved at fifteen; the only thing better than being saved at fifteen is being saved at fourteen; the only thing better than being saved at fourteen is being saved at thirteen; the only thing better than being saved  at thirteen is being saved at twelve; and the only thing better…well, you get the point.

Ty Cobb is one of many reminders that it’s never too late until it’s too late.  God is willing to save those closer to death than birth just as He is ready to save those closer to birth than to death.  But those without much life left to live may find themselves wishing for a do over.  When one has so little time to live for Christ in this life it’s more than sad; it’s tragic.  So much witnessing that could have been done will never be done.  So many ministries will never be accomplished.  People who could have been influenced for God and good will never know those blessings.

A late arrived at faith is going to be full of regrets but it will not be marked by the greatest regret – going out into eternity without Christ.  That’s a regret no one in hell will manage to shake.  Whether you’re in the top of the first in life, the seventh inning stretch, the bottom of the ninth or somewhere in between, come to Christ and tell the Peach you met his Jesus on is advice.

This post originally appeared as a column in The Daily Press.

God is Passionate about People

God is passionate about people.  Though there are better than 7 billion of us on this planet right now, God has a personal interest in all of us.  When Jesus said, “For God so loved the world,” (John 3: 16) He wasn’t talking about the world of birds and bees and flowers and trees.  He was talking about the world of people.  While God is certainly not disinterested in this terrestrial ball we call Earth, He is most vitally interested in the people who breath its air, consume its food and drink its water. 

The Olympics have provided us a window on the world illustrating the kaleidoscope of cultures on the planet.  God is madly in love with people from every continent, country, color and culture.

 One of the surest proofs of God abiding interest in people is the amount of space He devotes in the Bible to the names of people.  In all 3,237 different people are named in the Bible.  Some share names with others.  There are 5 Johns, 13 Josephs and 31 Zechariahs in Scripture.  Some have symbolically suggestive names.  Jonah, for instance, means “dove.”  Ironically he was a real war hawk.  Some names describe physical characteristics like that of Esau whose name means “hairy” or Careah meaning “bald.”  Some got animal names like Deborah (“bee”) and Rachel (“ewe”).  Some got long, almost unpronounceable names like Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“Speeding to the Plunder, Hurrying to the Spoil”).  Can’t you just imagine the kidding you’d get on the playground with that one? 

 The first 9 chapters of 1 Chronicles is genealogy consisting of long lists of names.  Matthew (Matthew 1: 1-16) and Luke (Luke 3: 23-38) provide extensive genealogies of the Christ.  When Paul drew his magnum opus, the Book of Romans, to a close he named 35 different people who were special to him and the church in the imperial city (Romans 16: 1-23).

 The extensive naming of people in the Bible shows how “the Father from whom every family in heaven and earth is named” (Eph. 3: 14-15) cares intimately for each created man and woman.  Augustine observed centuries ago that God loves each of us as if there were no one else to love.

 God is immeasurably concerned with each of you reading this column.  He is also intensely concerned with those who will not read this column.  God is deeply concerned for those who cannot read this column.  God loves the big shot, the little shot and those who ought to be shot!  He loves you!

 The God who knows the fall of every tiny sparrow to the ground and numbers the hair on every single head on the planet (Matthew 10: 29-30) is interested in the minutia of your life today.  His love was unforgettably proven on the cross where His divine Son died to provide our salvation.

 Two questions demand an answer today: (1) God knows you but do you know Him? And (2) God loves you but do you love Him?

 

This post originally appeared as a column in The Daily Press