The Bible on TV...what do you think about that? I was pretty excited about the History Channel televising its five Sunday series the Bible. Back in January, I put the March 3rd date on my calendar. Did you see the first installment Sunday night? So, what did you think? Have you had any conversations about what you saw? Jon, Dave, Doug, and I sent numerous texts to each other during the showing Sunday. Here are a few things we "talked" about.

• In the Sodom and Gomorrah section and the part about the spies over the wall in Jericho, we decided that the angels have some serious Ninja warrior skills with their swords. We agreed that God's Word talks about angels with swords and angels who fight, but in neither of these accounts. It is certainly possible that their portrayal is spot on, but more than likely it is more for a good story and better Nielson ratings.
• I thought is was clever how they told the creation story with Noah recounting it to his family in the ark.
• I wish there was more on the fall in the Garden of Eden since that is the reason for all the rest that follows in the Bible - God's redemptive love through Jesus' life and sacrifice.
• The Red Sea scene with no pillar of fire and no 600 chariots not quite in line with the text. I really wanted to see the pillar of fire.

I have heard some comments, including my own, where person's wished they gave more time to this aspect or that part of the story, but hey they only have ten hours to get through the entire Bible.

There were two things that were said by characters in this first week that I thought were statements that the Holy Spirit could use to begin the Gospel to people's hearts. In the scene where Moses speaks to the elders about what God intends to do (Let my people go), he asks the question - "Who is your creator Pharaoh or God?" Now there lies the crux of the matter for many who are not believers. The other statement I found significant was when the Nile River was turned into blood. On the bank across from Pharaoh and his entourage, Joshua says to Moses - "I will never be a slave again." Isn't that true for all of us who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord. I am free and recreated not to be a slave to sin again.

So what did you see and hear? What do you think about The Bible presented by the History Channel? How do you intend to start a conversation about it? Comment and let's have a conversation.

Richard

Going to get a hairscut. Have you ever noticed words or phrases we use that we know what they mean, but they really don't "say" it correctly. For instance, let's examine haircut. I do realize that the grouping of hairs on the top of our head is referred to as our hair and therefore haircut is the term we use when we go to the barber (OK, I go to a barber if you wish you can call yours a stylist), but in all reality we have hairs cut and depending on the particular area of the head they are cut at differing lengths.To me "hairscut" is a much better term for describing what you get when you go to the barber or stylist.

Do you take care of your teeth on a daily basis? Brushing is essential to keeping Mr. Tooth decay away and as my dentist used to day - "Floss only the teeth you want to keep." Did you use a toothbrush today? Which tooth did you use it on? No, wait a minute, you can't use a toothbrush on anything more than one tooth. It is called a toothbrush. Can you imagine the crying and gnashing of teeth this question of which tooth to brush would cause across the nation? Kids would not get to school on time. Dad's would miss their commuter train. Mom's would be late to their aerobic class. All because of trying to make a rational choice on which tooth to brush today. I however have a very simple solution. Let me introduce to you the teethbrush. Problem solved.

"Once saved always saved" is a statement used as a simplification of the doctrine known as the "security of the the believer." I believe wholeheartedly in that doctrine which is based, in part, on two main scriptures: Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast"; and John 10: 28-29 - "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand." The bottom line is: if we have been saved and regenerated by the Holy Spirit through God's grace, which was manifested in the blood of Jesus shed for all sinners, then we will be saved forever. Since we didn't do anything to earn it, we can't do anything to lose it. True believers are secure in their salvation past, present, and future.

Just like the terms "haircut" and "toothbrush" expounded on earlier, I think "once saved always saved" has, for many, given us the wrong picture of the impact and influence The Gospel (The Good News of Jesus) should have on our daily lives. Hang on...I'm getting there. Where "haircut" doesn't take into account all of the hairs and "toothbrush" doesn't take into account all of the teeth, "once saved...." doesn't take into account the impact God's marvelous act of grace should have on each of us every moment of every day. Because of that short phraseology many who have had a true salvation experience in the past have "left" that life-changing encounter with God and closed the chapter on their salvation. "Been there done that." "Fire insurance policy signed sealed and delivered." That by no means is what God intended with this free gift. It was instead given for building a growing, maturing relationship with the one and only Holy God. It was to draw us to Him on a daily basis. It was intended that we might adore Him, exalt HIm, and cherish Him.

So, what do we do? Milton Vincent says we should "preach The Gospel to ourselves daily. We need to remind ourselves, relive that day, expand our grasp fo the truth, meditate on the riches of the Gospel every day. In doing that, we grow to love God with all our heart, mind, sould and strength. We begin to treasure Jesus more than anything else in this life. We live in a constant state of thankfulness and gratetude for what God has done for us. "Once saved always saved" becomes not a one time event but an all-the-time awareness.

Richard

Falling on my rear-end 20,000 times. I was reading some research on world-class figure skaters. Why I was doing that I have no idea, but there was a great principle to be gleaned from the statistics. Shizuka Arakawa won the gold medal in figure skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. She was twenty-four and had been skating since she was age five. She won primarily because she was able to execute a "layback Ina Bauer" - which is bending backward almost double with her feet facing in opposite directions (ouch!) - leading into a three-jump combination. Ta da!! For a extremely difficult move like that to be perfected, it takes hours upon hours of practice which usually results in her sitting on her rear end in the middle of the ice. Falling is a predictable result of ice skating and even more so for those who practice the most difficult of maneuvers. For me, I prefer the "ice snail" approach. Cling to the sides with great tenacity and dare anyone to pry my cold, frozen hands from the rail. Anyway, falling is a very real part of really trying. Falling only happens when you are trying something that is beyond your skill level at the time. Falling will occur if you are actually trying to get better, to achieve a worthy goal (or gold...medal that is), or attempt something someone else hasn't like a "layback Ina Bauer."

How many times have you fallen on your rear-end? Yes I guess ice skating counts, but I was kinda thinking about something a little more substantive, but certainly becoming a better athlete, performer, or artist are worthy goals also. How many times have you fallen on your rear-end in your relationship with Jesus? Oh I hit a sore spot that time didn't I? Well, I didn't really hit you on that spot because I know that I shouldn't have physical contact like that, but you know what I mean...that question got you in the heart (ohhh, that sore spot!) didn't it?

When it comes to falling on my derriere in my relationship with Jesus, 20,000 times doesn't even come close. If I were receiving a grade on "relationship with Jesus" like from a school teacher, zero would not be low enough. There wouldn't be enough extra credit to make up the difference. My grade would still be "F" but (no not the other but_, but it does present an excellent heterograph (words with different spelling, different meanings but same pronunciation)) for the grace of God! If I have a place in my life where my ineptness towards Jesus just buries me, it is in my "performance" for him. I am all the time on my rear, sitting on the cold hard ice, looking up and saying "Yet again Lord."

As our church is led by Pastor Paul to have a better understanding of the Gospel and what we should understand about the fullness of God's love toward us, I am drawn to two verses in the Word. Romans 5:1 - " Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:20 - "...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." In short, here is what I see and how it applies to my 20,000 (and counting) falls. This peace with God is something we have all of our life beyond our initial salvation experience. Look at the verse again - "...we have peace" not we had peace back then but we have it now because of what took placed back then. Also, in 5:20, there is grace for fall #20,001 and 20,002. The more falling I do the more grace is poured out. Hey I don't have to be able to grasp a love like that, but it encourages me to attempt a spiritual "layback Ina Bauer" again and again.

"Out of the mouths of babes..." I got an e-mail the other day from Joy, my daughter. It was a brief snippet of a conversation she had with my soon-to-be five year old granddaughter, Lauren. Joy had finished telling the biblical account of David bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:12-ff).You know...where David dances before the Lord and his wife gets mad with him for doing so. Or if you don't remember it that way, you surely will remember it in the movie,"Footloose", where Wren, the outspoken high school student (Kevin Bacon's role) stands before the city council pleading for the town to reverse its law prohibiting school dances and makes an emphatic plea by saying King "David danced before the Lord!...He danced!" That Ark story! After telling the story Joy asked the kids what was special about the Ark? Lauren's answers - "to keep the animals out of the crazy heavy rain!"

I had always thought the ark in Genesis not 2 Samuel was to keep them from drowning and had not considered keeping them dry. How about you? Don't tell me you had the same perspective as Lauren. Nope I won't hear it. The point of the story in Genesis is that God saved Noah, his family, and the animals. Keeping them dry was not part of the story. Yes the ark had a roof. Yes, it did indeed (have I every used that word before?) keep them dry, but......

Are you like I, that most of the time once I have established perspective on something or someone, that is the truth and I take no time to consider other perspectives or truths. Many times I think we do that with God's Word. You hear the story of the rich, young ruler (did you know that those three words to describe him come from three separate gospels? Sure nuf. In none of them is he described as all three. Only one word in each gospel) and you have the account and the truth of the story down forever. No need to hear it again. You have it tucked away in you mind with no further thought needed. Or what about John 19 which describes the crucifixion of Jesus. Once you've heard it and read it, you got it.

Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart." Living and active. Living and active. If The Word is living and active then shouldn't it give us a different perspective each time we read it? Our circumstances are different from the last time we read a passage. We have matured in our faith (hopefully) since we last read that same passage. And best of all God is working to help us conform to Him and his holiness every moment of the day through the Holy Spirit.

Will you allow God to change your perspective so you can learn another of his marvelous truths? Read the Word and look at it through a child's innocent, wonder-filled eyes, then you too may see that the Ark was to keep the animals out of the rain. Duh.

Richard

Talent is overrated!
Let me tell you that the aforementioned (I love that word) statement is the title to Geoff Colvin's book which has freed me to realize that I'm okay even though I have no talent for anything. Yea!! The premise of the book is that world-class performers in anything from music to golf to business aren't born with talent. They aren't endowed with some inalienable right to talent that you and I, okay I, don't have. Mr. Colvin has looked at extensive research and come to the conclusion that God just doesn't hand a "world-class" talent to someone and let others go lacking. He believes strongly that people get really good at what they do by what he calls "deliberate practice."

Deliberate practice is what Tiger Woods (PGA golf), Jerry Rice (pro football Hall of Fame), Warren Buffett (business and investment guru), and Mozart (world-renowned music composer) all have in common. It is hours and hours of practice on their "trade." But its how they practice that makes the difference. Here are a few of their secrets:

• They practice alone. Doing this allows them to think about what they are doing. It forces them to do it with no distractions (like other people) that would take them off their practice task(s) for that session.
• They practice the things they don't do well. They analyze the way they do things and decide which parts of their game or business they don't do well and work on them. They don't continue to hit a nine iron from 150 yards on flat ground if they already do that well.
• They practice the things they may only use once or twice over a long period of time. Tiger Woods would practice on buried lies in a bunker. Knowing he may only encounter this problem on one shot of one four day tournament, he still would spend a whole practice session hitting only those shots.
• They practice over and over again. We all have heard that "practice makes perfect" and research seems to prove that out. There is a cumulative effect that is beneficial. Your brain remembers hitting the ball correctly over a period of times and helps you "groove" your swing. Your muscles develop a muscle memory that makes repetitive actions "second nature." Your past business successes and failures gives you a bulk of knowledge on which to build new concepts.
• They do the things that aren't fun. It would be a whole lot more fun to go and play a round of golf than go to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls concentrating on hitting the five iron only. It would be a lot more fun to play a piano piece that has been mastered than it would to play thirty minutes of scales concentrating specifically on an E flat major scale over and over again.

We started track practice yesterday. I am Coach Tigue's assistant distance coach. We coach cross country in the fall and the middle distances (800 meters, 1600 meters, and 3200 meters) during track season. Distance runners are not born. Certainly they may have a unique combination of fast twitch and slow twitch muscles in their make-up, but primarily distance runners are made through disciplined, dedicated practice. We rely a lot of our runners logging the miles. Miles that are many times run alone, day after day, in the heat of the summer and cold of the winter. Alone...over and over again...when its not fun.

Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "...run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us." A distance race is a race of speed to a degree, but more so it is a race of endurance. Of staying on the course to finish the race, a very long race. In John 15:5 (KJV) Jesus tells us that he  is the vine and we are the branches and if we will abide (Greek meaning: abide, remain, dwell or enduring) we will bear much fruit. In light of our earlier discussion look again at those two verses and notice that perseverance and abide both require the deliberate practice and all the elements that make it up.Don't see the correlation? Well, to treasure Jesus daily we need to be willing to go it alone. There must be a quiet time with only Him. To persevere in loving and following Jesus we must "practice" His presence and meditate on the Gospel when things aren't going well. Our abiding is a moment by moment, day by day, month by month practice that we do over and over. Finally, we have to admit that before we can get to the point where we treasure Jesus more than anything else there are times when that pursuit is just not fun but we continue to work on it everyday.

Hey! Didn't you here that whistle? It's time for practice. Let's get after it!

Is anything real? (Part 2)
So I finished "Is anything real?" yesterday, posted it and thought that would take care of it and lo and behold the story about the hoax involving Manti Te'o the All-American linebacker from Notre Dame hit the news late Wednesday afternoon. I immediately had to reask the question- "Is anything real?"

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail, but for a point of reference in the middle of the college football season a ESPN and other news organizations reported that Manti's grandmother had died and six hours later his girlfriend who was battling leukemia died too!! Wow! What a horrific circumstance for this college senior to deal with. A short time passes and he plays the game of his life against a Big Ten school. Yesterday, the reports began to fly around that Manti found out his girlfriend was a terrible hoax. A joke played on him that is becoming common called "catfishing." In catfishing, someone takes on the identity of a person who becomes romantically attracted to the person being "punked." "Punked"- another term for bad April Fool's joke, or tasteless, cruel prank played on a very unsuspecting person. Know for my generation it is way beyond anything "Candid Camera" ever imagined. "Candid Camera"with Alan Funk? You know- "Smile, you're on Candid Camera!" Black and white TV? I must really be getting old. Anyway...the story will probably go on for days for many questions remain like: Did he really have a relationship with someone he never met but only communicated with through email and phone call? Wasn't he suspicious that this may not be real? Was this girl for real or a real figment his imagination? If it is a hoax, who are the real people behind it? Is Notre Dame real sure they won't to put the entire school's credibility on the line standing with this student athlete? Will the real Manti Te'o please stand up? Do you remember another TV show - "I've Got a Secret?" Three contests come into the studio and each identify themselves as the same person like - "My name is Richard King." The second contestant would say the same thing - "My name is Richard King." The third would say the same. The game was for the panel members to try and determine through a series of questions who the real "Richard King" was. Back to my question - will the real Manti Te'o please stand up? Or will the real (or unreal therefore fictitious) girlfriend please come forward?

Betsy and I really enjoy watching "You've Got Mail" with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. We will watch it every time it is replayed because I like it when the boy gets the girl and there are  "they lived happily ever after" endings. In the movie the two of them have a platonic, email-only, relationship, but along the way Hanks finds out who she is and strikes up a friendship with her without telling her he is her email friend. I have to admit I don't understand the game. A relationship by email and not meeting face-to-face (See "Let's bring back face to face" I wrote on December 11, 2012) to me is know relationship, Its not real.

Yes, you know that there is a point. Yes, I take my time getting there, but you need to understand this is how my brain works. These writings are in the exact order the thoughts come to me. The point: Radiant Relationships as God intended are face-to -ace, honest, engaging, challenging, and REAL. To close, there are two scriptures that show us how God related with Moses. Further, we know how "radiant" that relationship was becuase Moses would come away with a face that glowed so much he had to wear a veil. I have no doubt that the way God related to Moses is a pattern that you and I should follow to have lasting, Christ-honoring, radiant relationships with others. Look closely at every aspect of the friendship and communication level God and Moses had in these two scriptures. Exodus 33:11 - " The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend." Numbers 12:8 - (God speaking)"With him (Moses) I speak face to face clearly and with no riddles; he sees the form of the Lord." Look, look, look at the last passage. Face to face, no facade, no games, no hiding behind computer screens or smart phones, no gags, AND Moses can see God's form (which is a big deal)...he could see him...they met face to face not Facebook to Facebook. No "catfishing." No guessing if this person is being real with you. Don't you long for real, radiant relationships in your life? Is anything real? Relationships can be.

Richard

Is anything real?...Lance, Falcons, "Duck Dynasty"?
That is the question that TV personality, Al Troutwig, asks following some of the information coming out of Oprah Winfrey's conversation with Lance Armstrong. Immediately many will jump to either side of the argument - "I am", "My marriage is", "The Falcons aren't", "Honey Boo Boo is", "Duck Dynasty isn't", "The physical world is", "The spiritual world isn't." On and on the list could go based on your experiences and your perspective. Here a couple of mine.

I read Lance's first book, "It's not about the bike", around that same time that I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Being an avid runner at the time and a cross country coach, his grit and determination to overcome a very serious cancer of his own and to compete at the highest level of cycling was very encouraging to me. He had a very tough life growing up in Texas but nothing deterred him from his passion...competing...at anything. I even purchased a "Live Strong" t-shirt (which I still have) and one of those familiar yellow wrist bands. For me in that moment, Lance Armstrong was as real as it gets. I light of his admission to doping is he less real now?

I am an Atlanta Falcons fan mainly because I love football; I live in metro-Atlanta; and my friend, Michael Palmer, plays for Coach Smith and gets paid by Mr. Blank. I have watched just about every minute or every game this year and even went to the last game of the season on a ticket from Michael. Even though the Falcons had the best record in the regular season, won the NFC South Championship, got the #1 seed in the NFC, and now are in the final four hosting the NFC Championship this Sunday after a thrilling comeback victory over Seattle, many of the pro football pundits (that's the "talking heads" on ESPN, FOX, etc.) say these Falcons are not real. Really? Are you kidding me? What do they have to do to prove themselves?

Now to "Duck Dynasty." Folks you have got to watch this show on A&E. The Robertson Family led by Phil and "Miss" Kay along with their boys Jace, Willie, and Jeb and their wives make for a great view every week. These guys love to hunt ducks, make a lot of money putting together duck calls and best of all enjoy everything from making their own "redneck" water park, to blowing up beaver dams,  to teaching Sadie, Willie's daughter, how to drive by weaving through piles of duck decoys. For me and other guys the draw has got to be the wish or hope that we could live and act like them. That we could be free to be ourselves, make a living, and have plenty of goofball fun. But, is it real? I seriously doubt that they have a multi-million dollar company that rests solely on Uncle Si, Jace and three others making duck calls in between all of their hi jinks. I'm not sure they even show up to the office except to film the show. So, is any of it real? I want to believe that their love for family and their faith in God is real. The rest of it may or may not be, but it is a lot of fun to watch and even more fun to fantasize about doing and living out parts of their lives myself. 

So back to Mr. Troutwig's question - "Is anything real?" Let me tell you a few things you can take to the bank that are real and hopefully they will free you up to understand that as long as you know the truth of these realities whether or not anything else is real doesn't really matter. The Gospel that proclaims God's love, grace, and patience towards you is real. The creation by God is real. The sovereignty of Almighty, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, and Omniscient God is real. Jesus death, burial, resurrection and return to the right hand of the throne of God is real. The power of Jesus shed blood to cleanse you of your sin is real. To that point, and don't kid yourself, your sin is real. This list could go on for hours, but suffice it to say that anything contained in the Word of God, The Bible, is real.

This has gotten real long so I'm out.

Richard