When Everything Stops: Lessons from a "Modern Day Drifter" - Lesson 1

What happens when the ever changing lifestyle you've become accustomed to comes to a halt? What happens when your routine of shifting timezones and places comes to a screeching stop, and the adventure that you called life has now come to a standstill?

You see, in the last four years, I've made three trips to China (including living there for a summer), three extended trips to Hawaii (2 for semester long stints, and 1 for a summer), I finished my college degree, and I moved to Texas to start my seminary training exactly one year ago today.

But now, having stayed in a single place for an entire year straight, I feel like I'm at a crossroads in my life. If it's alright with you, I'd like to be a little transparent with you tonight. I'm not going to lie to you, I don't really like it that much. There aren't too many days that go by when I don't want to trade in my shoes for my favorite pair of slippers (flip-flops for all of my fellow haoles out there), and head back to my island home of Maui.

But you know, we must all be shaped and formed within the rigors of life if we are to be capable to contend with what it dishes out to us. The Marines have a system that they call the crucible that every Marine recruit must complete before they are allowed to graduate basic training. And the more specialized job assignment that they have, the more training they must go through.

And as I was contemplating this analogy in my own life, I see that the Lord has had me all over the world doing various things. Whether it be teaching English in China to kids anywhere from 3-14 y/o; to helping start a college ministry in Maui; to being a marine naturalist working with the public on the Pacific Ocean, my life has been truly blessed beyond anything that I could put into words.

And I've also seen that just as a Marine who has graduated basic training may have to go "back to school", if you will, to become more efficient at his/her particular job, so have I. Often times, a Marine will be with his unit serving, and then be called back to get more specialized training so that when he rejoins his unit, he can be a better Marine and help serve his unit to get their job done. And that's exactly how I feel sometimes.

I feel as though I've been pulled from my unit, specifically in Hawaii, and am now back at boot camp once again in Texas. And let me tell you, I long to get back on the front lines.

But here's the deal, sometimes we get reassigned...

I'm now the college pastor at a local church in Grand Prairie, and who knows where I'll be going from there. Hear my heart though, I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. I have been blessed with a wonderful Church home here in Texas (more about that later).

Look at what Jeremiah says:

Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! (18:3-6)

and Romans says:

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? (9:20-21)

Now before you bust my chops for taking scriptures out of context, let me just say that I know what I've done. I understand that God is speaking to the nation of Israel in Jeremiah about the exaltation, humbling, and destruction of nations at his will, and that Paul is speaking of God's right to perform his plan of salvation however He chooses to, but go with me on this for a second.

Both of these passages have everything to do with the sovereignty of God. Now, if God is sovereign, then we find that those of us in His service do as He says, when He says, and how He says to do it. We are the clay in the hands of the potter. As He shapes us and molds us, we don't look back at him and ask, "Yo God, why am I in Texas and not in Hawaii. That's not cool God!" Instead we ask, "Alright God, why have you moved me from Hawaii, aka the nearest thing to heaven on Earth, to Texas? What are you trying to teach me, and how am I to be used during this time?" You see, it is a condition of the heart.

What I'm talking about is not a blind subservient faith. No! It's ok to ask questions! What I'm talking about is submitting to the will of God in our lives so that we can have the maximum impact on those around us for the cause of the Kingdom of God. Just because I don't like something, doesn't mean that I can't submit. If you think for one second that Jesus was thrilled about the prospects of going to the cross, you're ignorant and have clearly never read the gospel accounts. (sorry, truth hurts sometimes) Just because I don't feel like doing something, doesn't mean that I can't do it. You see, feelings and emotions are controlled by the flesh. However, we are not to be controlled by the flesh, but instead, we live by the Spirit of God. When we love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30), we see that our will controls our emotions and/or feelings, and thus we can follow through with whatever God has set for us to do despite what our feelings say.

There is so much more that I want to say about what I've been learning lately, but this blog is already much too long (as usual). Therefore, I'm going to write a few more on the things that I've learned as I've traveled in the service of the Lord in the very near future.

But before I let you go, do this one thing for me. As you go about your day, ask the Lord, "Lord, what are you trying to teach me by having me where I'm at in my life?" You'll be surprised what happens when you ask God the right questions with the right heart attitude.

Goodbye for now,
Jeff

Olympics, Commercials, and Fulfillment

So I’ve been watching the Olympics fairly religiously for the last couple of nights. In fact, even while I was two-stepping last night, I found myself glued to the TVs at Billy Bob’s watching Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson go 1-2 in the women’s all-around gymnastics competition (congratulations ladies).

But much like the Super Bowl, the commercials have been quite entertaining. The one that really caught my attention though was one for United Airlines (I think).

It opened with a woman and a man (cartoon) embraced in a hug, and as the woman breaks away, she removes her heart and slips it into his jacket pocket as they once again embrace before she leaves on her trip across the ocean.

Throughout the rest of the commercial, she’s gives a business presentation, goes sight seeing in what looks to be someplace like Italy, and even runs into a curious little bird who flies right through the hole where her heart once was. Throughout the entire commercial, she has this hole from her heart, and no matter what she’s doing, it just can’t be filled until she gets back home to Mr. Right who hands it back to heart. Now that she is with him once again, she is whole.

Now, being the hopeless romantic that I am, I was thinking to myself, “Awww, that’s nice.” And would even like to be that guy who is the only one in the whole world with her heart, and the only one who can give it back to her and fill that hole in her life (how bout we keep this between us though, I’ve got a reputation to uphold).

But then it hit me.

We as people do this all the time. Young men and women alike give their hearts away to whoever their boyfriend/girlfriend is at the moment, and very rarely protect themselves by guarding their heart.

But their flame doesn’t always have to be a person either. How about the Olympic athletes? Would it be safe to say that many of them have given their heart to their respective sports? I don’t think that would be a far cry at all. What happens when their career is over? Or when injuries happen? Or when they fall off their apparatus, or foul out, or when they don’t do anything wrong but because of someone else’s folly, they’re eliminated?

And what about those who have given their hearts, like the young woman in the commercial, to another person? How many times have we all consoled a friend who has been hurt by someone, even when it was unintentional by the offending party? What happens when that person who we’ve put so much time and energy into walks away and leaves us devastated in the wake of an emotional breakup?

You see my friends, we were all created to give our hearts away in some form or fashion. The question is, to whom or to what will you give it to? When we give it to people, or objects, or expectations, we are inevitably let down. Why? Because no one and nothing on this earth is perfect.

However, there is hope. You see, we were created by someone to give Him our heart. It is by no accident that we have within us a desire to give ourselves away to something. It is because there is an Almighty, perfect, loving God who has shaped us in our mother’s womb (Ps 139:12-14), and knows everything about us (Ps 139:1), and still loves us enough to adopt us as sons and daughters (1 John 3:1). And here is the love that has been poured out on us, while we were still in sin, Christ died for us, the just for the unjust. (Rom 5:8, 1 Pe 3:18)

But the question remains… Who or what have you given your heart to? You should feel free to try whatever you like, but please know this, if it is anything but Jesus, you will never be satisfied. The simplicity of salvation is what makes it so incredibly beautiful. While it is nothing that we have done for ourselves (Eph 2:8-9), Christ has done everything for us (Rom 5:6). And instead of it being some esoteric journey to find inner-enlightenment within our own wicked hearts (Jer 17:9-10), God has set his plan of salvation in motion so that all we would have to do is confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead, then we shall be saved! (Rom 10:9-10)

Won’t you consider that today my friend? Would you look at the Son of God who gave himself for you and say yes to his invitation to new life? Would you say yes to his grace and love that was poured out for you on Calvary? Would you accept the forgiveness that he freely gives? Would you accept him as Lord? I can not put into words how much I deeply wish that you would.

And for you fellow Christian, would you begin to find your contentment once again in the one who has given you life? Would you move to leave behind the comforts of this world that you and I put our hope and trust in, and instead, rely on Christ to show us how to live by the Spirit of God? I would encourage you to do just that. May we truly walk in the Spirit so as not to fulfill the desires of the flesh.

-Jeff

Dang Skippy I'm a Fundamentalist.... I guess

What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Fundamentalist You are a fundamentalist. You take the Bible as the foundation of your faith and read it very literally, and it shapes your worldview. Non-fundamentalist Christians have watered-down the Gospel in your view, and academic study of the Bible stops us from 'taking God at his word.' Science is opposed to faith, as it contradicts basic biblical truths. Fundamentalist 89% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 82% Reformed Evangelical 75% Emergent/Postmodern 61% Neo orthodox 57% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Classical Liberal 36% Modern Liberal 11% Roman Catholic 11%

Ok, Hold up, hold up. I'd just like to clear some stuff up here...
1. "Non-fundamentalist Christians have watered-down the Gospel." Ok, I'm not afraid to admit that I have some pretty strong opinions on pretty much everything, and yes, sometimes this is one of them. However, let it be know that I know that I don't have a corner on the market when it comes to all things spiritual. I know the one who does, and try to draw closer to Him (no not Jerry Falwell or Paige Patterson... "Him" would be Jesus) , but other than that.... Let's just say that I'm not one of the guys who thinks that I can't at least learn something from other Christians who may not hold every doctrinal viewpoint that I do.

2. "Academic study stops us from 'taking God at his word". Why in the world would I be in seminary if academic study stopped me from taking God at his word? Heck, I'd save myself a whole lot of time and energy if I thought that way. And, secular academic study of the Bible doesn't scare me either. Truth is like a lion. There's no need to defend it. Let it loose and it'll defend itself.

3. "Science is opposed to faith, as it contradicts basic biblical truths." Um, for all those of you who think that science is evil, you may feel free to go ahead and hop on the next plane to the middle of nowhere and proceed to lead your life like a cave man. Actually, scratch that, you can't fly there because science brought us the airplane, so you've got to swim your merry way to whatever deserted island that you're headed to. Science is a wonderful thing! And who were the innovators of the arts, including science, during the renaissance? The Christians. So here's what bugs me... why is it that we've gotten so scared of the magnificent field of science to withdraw from it, and instead allow some yahoos who only have their expertise in the physical world go on and on and on about the existence, or lack thereof, of a creator/god/higher being; when they have no clue or training about metaphysical things? Seems like we've allowed microscope wielding, pocket-protector toting, bullies get the better of us because we are convinced that just because science doesn't always fit into our idea and worldview, that we should dismiss it completely. How ridiculous!

Ok, there's my hot sports opinion for the night. I told myself that I was going to bed early tonight, but thanks to the Urban Squirrels, that didn't have a chance.
-Jeff

p.s. I have no idea why the text-sizer-thing-a-majig isn't working on the last 2 paragraphs.

Thank you Dahda...

This is an excerpt from my personal journal from 2006. It's about my grandmother, and her influence on my life during quite a turbulent time in my life. My grandfather had passed away that summer, and it was weighing heavily on me at the time. I was serving as a missionary in Maui at the time, 5000 miles away from home, and was pretty homesick. As I remember, this was about 2 1/2 - 3 months after Papa went on to be with the Lord, and it was really the first time that I was able to sit down and have a good cry about it. There are a few people who leave a lasting impact on your life, and she has done that in mine. So, this is just one way that I can say thank you to her...

"…I miss Papa, and his death still stings like a knife through the flesh of my heart, but He (God) is faithful. I am enamored by Dahda. She defies my understanding of love. If there is any women who I would pray that my wife is like, it is her. My unrelinquished tears are no longer able to be held back, as I must take a minute to clear my eyes. I can not imagine the pain and the loneliness that she endures. Papa was gone a long time ago with the Parkinson's, but Dahda never wavered. Steadfast, she stood by his side, even when there was no reward for her. There was nothing that awaited her everyday at that hospital except for pain and agony. And yet, through the only kind of love that matures from school children's playground infatuation to 60+ years of faithfulness and devotion, she was able to endure. And I sat there. I sat there as the time drew to an end, when that race that Papa had run came to a finish. I was there when she took his hand and put her head by his and whispered, "I love you. I love you." I was there in the room as she continued to remain faithful to Papa as he went to be with our Lord. As he drew his last and stepped over the river onto the banks of the other side of eternity. And as I pause to wipe the tears from my eyes, I wonder, "How many tears have fallen from the eyes of this angel? How many nights has she cried herself to sleep?" If there has been anyone who has taught me the meaning of love, it has been her. If I have but one desire and one request, it is that God would grant me this one thing. That my wife will be half the woman that she is, and I will be all of the man that she deserves. Thank you Dahda, for your witness to me. Because of it, I have seen the love of Christ made flesh in you."

-Jeff

The Christian's Haircut...

Original date of writing: Satuday, Nov 4, 2006 - Maui, HI
Revised/reposted: Monday, Aug 4, 2008 - Ft Worth, TX

Have you ever been faced with something that you know that you need to do, but you just didn't want to/didn't have to the time to do it? Take me for example. I need desperately to cut my hair. Have I? No. Am I before I get home? Of course not. But why? Well, I'm in Maui, where it doesn't really matter what my hair looks like. I've got nobody to impress out here. Would it look better shorter than it is in its ballistic, out-of-control state that it presently resides? Sure it would. But I just don't have the time, or the inclination to do so at the present.

Sometimes I wonder if that's the case with our spiritual walks. Is it that we are in a place of comfort/apathy that says, "It doesn't matter what it looks like?" Or even worse, "It doesn't look the best, but it sure does look better than his/hers, therefore, its ok. Don't worry about it." Is the apathy of our culture deafening the outcry of the Cross? Are we in a place when we say, "I'll do it later"? Have we come to the marketplace of ideas trying to pawn off our sacred, absolute truth for some other trinket of far lesser value (if it holds any at all)? I think that a lot of us have. Including myself. Shall we heed the battle cry of the Cross demanding us forward inch by inch into all of the world, making disciples of all men? OR, will we instead sit on our blessed assurance waiting for someone else to charge into the fray? There are absolute truths in this world, and we have the greatest of them all. Jesus loves you, died for you, and wants to take your soul and renew you with His righteousness. And yet we feel that we must incorporate other thoughts and ideas in order to be "Culturally relevant."

I say that we stand on the firm foundation of Calvary (1 Cor 3:11), realizing that the blood laid down that day on a cursed tree (Gal 3:13), has given us the right to stand up in love and to proclaim the truths of the Word of God. There is but one name by which all men shall be saved (Acts 4:12), the name of JESUS CHRIST(John 14:6). And it is by that name that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that HE is Lord (Rom 14:11). There is only one way to get to heaven, and that is not of our own doing, but instead by the undeniably single greatest act of love in the history of world (Eph 2:8-9). That the creator would reconcile the creation to Himself by sending His Son on the cross to die for our putrid souls (Rom 8:1-4), and upon the acknowledgement of His lordship leave His Spirit to dwell inside of us earthen vessels (Rom 10:9-10).

If we should long to find truth (John 3:16-18), If we should yearn to have understanding of the things not of this world (1 Cor 1:26-30; Is 55:9), If we should desire to make our lives count for something far greater than just a "good life" (1 Cor 15:12-19), we must acknowledge the one who created it all and seek His face (2 Chr 7:14). That is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He has never failed me yet, nor shall he ever. To Him be all praise, honor, and glory forever, Amen.

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; or close the wall up with our English dead. In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility: but when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger... I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, straining upon the start. The game's afoot: follow your spirit, and upon this charge cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!"
-William Shakespeare
King Henry V, 1599

I'm Hunting A Princess...

I DON’T DATE UGLY WOMEN AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU!!!

Ok, now that I’ve got your attention… Let me go ahead and clarify what I mean by that before I get hate mail flooding my inbox for being a sexist pig.

What do I mean by “ugly women”. Well, here’s what I don’t mean: a woman’s physicallity & sexual appeal to a man. I’m not talking about how good a woman looks at all. In fact, the very title, “Hunting a Princess”, is probably quite a quandary to a lot of folks. I was telling a married couple whom I’m good friends with about this blog that I’ve been wanting to write for some time now, and the wife's initial reaction was, “Hunting a princess? You don’t hunt a princess.” And the husband’s immediate response was, “Oh, yes you do.”

But back to my opening statement, I don't date ugly women. Now, that's not to say that I haven't in the past. And this is not supposed to be a slam on anyone in particular, but if I'm not talking about a girl's physical attractiveness, what am I trying to get at?

I've been on plenty of dates with girls who are by all means, very physically attractive. I'm pretty sure that some of them had to be blind because, physically, they were way out of my league. But when it came right down to it, they were merely girls. They weren't women who garnered respect. They tried to demand it, but as we all know respect is not something that is achieved by demanding it. Respect is earned; it is given. It is never taken. A woman does not need to require it from you because her character instead makes you want to freely give it. Physicality is what makes a woman hot. And even the hottest stars in the sky burn out. It’s her character, her attitude that makes a woman beautiful.

And while we're on the topic of clearing things up, let me go ahead and dismiss something. I want to clarify this notion of "Hunting a princess". First of all, if you think that by hunting I mean that I am sneaking around trying to find someone whom I can club over the head and beat my chest at saying, "Me man, you woman. Me say, you do.", you are sadly mistaken. You see, if you are thinking that a princess is someone to be conquered, then all I can say is, "Help you!" You obviously don't understand the character of a princess.

Also, if you think that princess is someone who is all frills and can't get down and dirty, well you need to check yourself and rethink your criterions for a princess.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

1. A princess is not someone who is to be conquered: A woman who is worthy of my time and effort, is not a woman who is willing to be overrun by any man who comes along that looks good enough and has a big enough bank account to supply her overzealous shopping habits. (Disclaimer: When it comes to shopping, I really can't say anything. Let's just say that working at Express has not helped my current financial situation.)

No, no, no. A princess is destined to become a Queen. In fact, I’m not going to even be looking at any particular princess unless I think that she's capable of being MY Queen. (Don't kid yourself though; I'm definitely not in any kind of rush whatsoever.) That would just be a waste of my time, energy, and money (remember, there's not much of that one to go around).

And what exactly does a Queen do? She is the main helper and confidant of the King. She is his life’s partner; his missing variable that solves the equation of his purpose in life. The King cannot do what he is called to do without her. She is not a lowly caricature of a figure-head, but is instead a vital support which the King must lean on in troubled times. She is a strong woman who can rule over and take care of her responsibilities with honor, prestige, and grace. For the portrait of an insanely amazing woman, go check out Proverbs 31.

Now, don't be goin and putting words in my mouth either. I am not saying that a woman should be equal in responsibility to a man in a relationship. A Queen must be submissive to the King as outlined in scripture. But don't think for a moment that Biblical submission is in any way an oppressed state of subservient indenturedness.

It's interesting to me that the word for submissive in Eph 5 is a Greek military term used for the voluntary ranking of oneself under another. Biblical submission is not about value, it’s all about order. A man must exercise headship because the buck stops at him. (Who was blamed for the fall? ADAM!!!) He is ultimately responsible for the family, and will give an account for his leadership. But if there are two people in the house who are always jockeying for position of headship, how will there be peace in that home? (Proverbs 25:24) Anything with two heads is a monster: you either kill it, or put it behind glass and stare at it. (Thank you Voddie. If you haven't heard anything like this before, check out Voddie Baucham's sermon series on relationships that he gave at 722 in Atlanta a few years back. This whole paragraph was pretty much lifted off of his 4 part series. It will rock your world.)

I think that Freddie King put it best in one of his songs when he said, "I need a strong woman who knows how to be weak."

2. A princess is all frills: Ok, I don’t know if you’ve taken a look at Proverbs 31 like I told you to, but the woman pictured there is anything but all frills. (Doesn't mean that she ain't F-I-N-E though.) And I don’t know if you’ve taken a close look at what it takes to be a mother, but it’s a heck of a lot of work. My mom is a great mother, and is an even better grandmother. What’s great is that I’ve been able to see all of the time and energy and effort it takes just to be a good grandmother, and that’s when the kids go home at the end of the day.

A princess is someone who can multitask with the best of them. She knows how to balance a career, a ministry, and still keep her family as her top priority. That my friends, is no easy task. And it goes back to my point about earning respect. Why in the world would I ever want to spend my time with someone who is not able to win over my respect as a single young woman? How much more important is it for me to understand her character as being the potential mother of my children?

I can’t even begin to describe how badly I want to be a good father. It aches deep down in my bones to have a son to teach how to hit a baseball and how to drive a stick shift. And to have a daughter to train up in righteousness so that when some bum of a 14 year old kid comes up to her, he won’t have a chance unless he matches up to the godly gentleman that she deserves. (Not to mention that I'm already planning to be oh so covieniantly cleaning my shot gun collection when her first date comes to pick her up. The very collection that will begin the day she's born.) And to gird both of them (or more) with the understanding of the Gospel and Christ’s love for us, and then catapult them into the world with one purpose in mind: The Glory of God.

Fellas, listen up. We have to realize that we are to be the men of God whom he has made us to be, and that we are to be the leaders of our households. But not only that: If there is any way that we are to accomplish the ministries that our Lord has given us, then we cannot do it alone.

Ladies, this one’s for you. Please don’t give into the lies of the world that are so rampant in our culture. You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God! And let me tell you, he doesn’t screw stuff up. If you will begin to set your standards higher than, "Oh, he was baptized once and says that he knows Jesus so he must be a Christian", and move towards seeking someone who is not only a Christian, but a young (or not so young) man who is capable of being able to lead and disciple you and your future (or present) children in love, then you’ll stop falling for the losers who always leave you disappointed and hurt.

I’m hunting my princess: not only for myself per se, but for the Kingdom of God and what he has in store for both of our lives. I don't know if I even know her name yet, but rest assured, I will find her.

Gen 2:23-24 "The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

The Throws of Battle (part 2, finally)...

Well my friends, its been a long time since my last blog, in fact, much too long. So I’m sorry to be so far behind, but c’est la vie.

In my last post, I wanted to write something that would put you into my head during a regular martial arts training session. That’s even me in the picture. But what in the world would that have to do with anything of any importance? What kind of implications could a short-story about a sparring match have in the grand scheme of things? Well my friends, if you name the name of Christ, then it has oh so much to do with our daily lives.

Let’s look at some various scriptures that really get me going… because when it comes right down to it, the Bible is covered from front to back with this sort of thing. But what sort of thing, pray tell, are we talking about…

Well, what I recounted in my little story there was a fairly typical (albeit slightly embellished) account of a sparring session between two black belts. The key to it is that at the end, the two stop from seriously hurting each other… and will probably go out afterwards and get some wings or pizza or whatever and relive their most recent foray. But the purpose of our scrimmages is to prepare ourselves for an altercation in the streets. In real life there’s no stopping, no rules, only a winner and a loser. And we don’t want to be the one on the losing side. So we beat our bodies, training our minds to endure all sorts of pain and to ignore it until we’re out of danger’s way. (Trust me though, after we’re out of harms way, the pain comes rushing back and we hurt just as bad as anyone else)

"Ok Jeff, but what's the thing you're trying to get at?" I'm glad you asked:

Self-Discipline in a Christian’s spiritual life: I would have never made it to the rank of a 3^rd degree black belt without some self-discipline. No one likes to hold a sitting stance (aka horse stance) for 10 minutes straight, but it helps to teach you to endure great amounts of pain and discomfort when your legs begin to ache and quiver and you feel like you won’t be able to make it another second but you push through anyway. (Try it at home... spread your feet out to the right and left side of your body about twice as wide as your shoulders with all ten toes pointed forward and sit your butt down to where your legs are at roughly an 80 degree bend with your back perfectly straight. Now time yourself and see how far you get.)

So let’s take a gander (now that’s a great southern word right there) at those verses shall we?...

Ezra 7:10 “Now Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” – Ezra had made it his life’s focus to study the law of God AND TO PRACTICE IT. Listen, I can sit and memorize as many scripture verses as I can possibly cram into my brain, but if I’m not practicing them…. well that doesn’t do me a dang bit of good, now does it?

1 Corinthians 9:25-27 “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 run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” – Hey fellas, are you struggling with pornography (Yeah, I said the “p” word. I ain’t scared… neither was Paul; see 1 Thess 4:3-5; 1 Cor 6:18-20; Rom 13:13)? Ladies, are you a malicious gossip (1 Tim 3:11; Titus 2:3)? These are physical problems that we must confront and beat our body into submission so that we not only continue to deny our flesh, but we begin to walk in the Spirit. And when that happens, we don’t fulfill the sinful desires of our flesh. (Gal 5:16)

Colossians 2:5 “For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.” – Discipline goes hand in hand with the stability of our faith. Ask any athlete what happens when you get out of your normal training routine? You get weak, and your fundamentals get shaky. And what happens when your fundamentals get shaky…. very bad things. You often times lose.

1 Tim 4:7-8 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” – What’s the purpose of our discipline? The purpose of godliness, which in turn glorifies the Lord more than anything else we can do. (this, btw, is the very reason for our existence)

2 Tim 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” – Ok, check it out. If God has given us the spirit of discipline, guess what… That means that we can actually do it! Could you imagine if God had just said, “Ok, live a disciplined lifestyle Ready, GO!” Well then, I don’t think that many people, if any, could really do it. But here’s the deal… because he’s given us the spirit of discipline, the same spirit that allowed Jesus to endure the cross, we CAN have our daily quiet times (preaching to myself on that one there folks), we CAN praise him in the middle of the crappiest moments of our lives, we CAN run the race marked out for us. {I freaking love 1^st & 2^nd Timothy}

There’s so much more that could be pulled from this analogy, but I want you to divide the scriptures for yourselves. See how the Lord is applying this to your own life. Take on the mindset of Ezra and make it your purpose and mission to study the Word of God and practice it. That my friend is stout.

I’ll leave you with this, every believer can find themselves in one of two categories.

(1) Someone who's going through a struggle in their life…

(2) Someone who has come out of a struggle and is on their way to another one.

Number 2 seems like a pretty bleak outlook, but it really isn’t. Struggles in life are not bad things. In fact, they are most often times good things. When does your faith grow the most? At the mountain top where there’s nothing opposing you? Or is it when you are clawing and scraping up the side of that mountain and the rocks are seemingly falling from the sky on top of you? You really learn to trust and rely on that rope of yours that’s anchoring you to the face of the rock you’re climbing. That rope, that lifeline, that’s your Lord making sure that you are secure on your ascent up the rocky crag of life. And when you look back at the past walls that you’ve scaled, you realize that they seem to get steeper and harder, but that the one inside of you, the Holy Spirit, is constantly strengthening you more and more. And guess what, your muscles are getting stronger, and those seemingly insurmountable problems that you thought would end your life seem like child’s play now.

Run your race in such a way as to win it, and don’t you dare step into the ring of life not ready to knock out whatever comes your way. You’ve got the best team in your corner that anyone could ever ask for: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. If things get out of hand, they’ll take care of it. (Ps 35; Deut 32:39-43).

-Jeff