Did Jesus Get Drafted into the NFL?

Okay, let's start by getting this out of the way: I do not think God cares about sports. However, I do believe He cares about the people who play them, officiate them, coach them and watch them. He also cares for those who don't care for sports at all. So, that's pretty much all of us.

But I noticed something this past weekend during the NFL draft broadcasts. Jesus may have just entered the league in a way He never has before. The #1 overall pick was Oklahoma star quarterback Sam Bradford. The Cleveland Browns selected Texas QB Colt McCoy in the 3rd round. These guys are college legends. And they're sold out to Christ. Check out their stories at http://iamsecond.com/.

Then there's Florida QB Tim Tebow, who was taken at #25 by Denver. We all know Tebow's story of growing up with missionary parents and his Mom's decision to NOT abort him, even though it was medically dangerous for her to complete the pregnancy. He is outspoken about his love for Jesus. All three of these young men are playing for God, and so are many other new football professionals selected over the weekend.

So I've got a request for you: Pray for football. More specifically, pray for these young men and the other Christ-followers in the NFL. They have a huge platform to proclaim the good news to their teammates and fans. Pray that they will use their celebrity wisely. Pray for solid discernment for them.

God probably doesn't care who wins the Super Bowl. But He cares for all those involved in trying to get a team to that ultimate goal. And it will be my prayer that one of these young men leads his team to that prize, so they can share the reason for their careers, their victories, their life.

Leaders Wanted

In response to the awakening that happens in my heart every time I watch a guy movie, I've started reading the book, "Wild at Heart" by John Eldridge. It talks about men finding their heart again, being fierce again, being... MEN again. It's been quite a revelation for me in learning about the man God created me to be, and about some of the reasons I've been afraid to be that man at times.

I'm not through the entire book yet, but I just got through a chapter that talks about men giving up the beauty they've pursued. This does not mean husbands leaving their wives, but it does mean the husband leaving behind his tame, domesticated existence and reclaiming his right position as leader of the household and being valiant, dangerous (in a good way), adventurous and strong. That idea is the reason for this blog.

First, let me say that the leader-type men I'm about to reference here are understood to have a growing relationship with Jesus. No leadership or family is complete without that foundation.

There are countless men who have been ruled by their wives for far too long. They have been reduced to being the "nice guy," rather than the strong, willful leader they should be; the kind of man their wife really wants them to be. But Eldridge warns that this reclaiming of a man's heart may cause some tension in the marriage relationship, and may even anger and disappoint his wife. But if it is not done, the man will forever underachieve as a husband, father, worker, etc. Men were not called to be ruled over.

So... what do you think? Is that possible fallout worth a husband regaining his true Biblical role as his family's leader, fierce protector, provider and decision-maker? Or in the name of peace in the household should he remain domesticated and defeated?

Maybe you think these ideas are completely chauvinistic and offensive. Maybe you long for these kind of men to being showing their faces again and leading families, loving their wives with passion, and serving in their churches and community with conviction and purpose. Maybe you've never noticed this struggle exists at all. Regardless, where do you fall in the discussion?

The Red Apple Challenge is ON!

All through the month of April, we at WVMC FM are encouraging you (more than normal) to share the love of God with those around you. Specifically, with those you know are READY to hear it.

Hence, the Red Apple analogy.

Red, ripe apples are those ready to be picked, harvested. If you try to pick an apple before it's ready, the pull can damage the apple, and even the tree. Plus, the apple is useless if it's not ripe. But picking a ripe apple is easy and the fruit is good for many uses. It's the same way with people. We are called to preach the gospel everywhere we go. Jesus last command on Earth was to go and make disciples of all nations.

Christ also said the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. Putting those commands together, we're calling you out to make a difference in the lives of the Red Apples you have around you. Who do you know that's ripe to hear about God's love. It may be for the first time ever, or for the hundredth time. But if they're ripe to hear it at all, we must be willing to tell them the wonderful story of Jesus.

I have at least one Red Apple in mind right now. If you can't put your finger on one in your life right away, ask God to make it obvious. We all have them. And we all have the responsibility to reach them. God's Spirit is the ONLY one who can change a heart, and if your Red Apple rejects you, remember that they're really rejecting Jesus. We must be bold, courageous and caring enough to spread the word. His Word.

Leave your Red Apple story in the comments below, and we'll give you a new Bible for your Red Apple. Thanks for taking the challenge.

Whatever Happed to Having "Faith Like a Child?"

Not only is this Holy Week for all Bible-believing Christians, but for Jews this is the week of the Passover celebration. Passover is the remembrance of Israel's exodus from Egypt and slavery, and the beginning of their journey to freedom and the Promised Land.

For centuries people have debated as to whether or not the Biblical account of the plagues in Egypt were actual events, just stories, or even real events that could be explained by scientific means. Here is one researcher's view on how and why the plagues happened in Egypt, from Slate.com:

Before he parted whatever sea it was he parted, the Bible describes Moses and his brother Aaron delivering 10 plagues on the people of Egypt. The Nile turns to blood, all the fish die, frogs are brought forth abundantly, and so on. Drawing on theology, Egyptology, and biology, epidemiologist John Marr developed a "domino theory" to explain each of the 10 plagues in order. Marr believes the plagues were a series of natural disasters and diseases triggered by a bloom of water-borne organisms called dinoflagellates. The dinoflagellates turned the Nile red and killed the frog-eating fish, which in turn caused a population explosion among frogs. The tainted water eventually killed the frogs, causing lice and flies to run rampant, which lead to a number of animal diseases (including African horse sickness) and an outbreak of boils (fancy glanders). This reign of disaster and disease continued through hail, locusts (Schistocerca gregaria, to be precise), and sandstorms until the death of the firstborn sons, which Marr thinks was caused by grain infected with mycotoxins. Others, building on Marr's domino theory, argue that the plagues were triggered by the eruption of the Greek island of Santorini, causing a string of disasters such as those that occurred at Lake Nyos, Cameroon, in 1986.

While all of that is fine and good in terms of research and theory, my question is simple: "Whatever happened to having faith like a child?" Jesus brought a little child into the midst of he, his disciples and other adults listening to his teaching. And he said that we have to become humble like a little child in order to gain the Kingdom of God.

Children, at least for a while, will believe anything they are told. I think this means there are some things we simply must accept BY FAITH. Scientific research and theories are not bad. But trying to explain away the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and even the very existence of Christ points to a heart issue. Rather than accepting the Biblical accounts we are not being humble like a child at all. Instead we are saying that we think we're being duped, and that we can figure out the "real reasons" for these things happening, or prove that the Bible is fictitious.

I'm all for being an adult. But in this area, may God always bless me with the humility and faith of a little child. He is our Father, and we must believe what he says to us.

He Knows the Number of Our Days

Job 14:5 "You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer."

I was talking with a friend today about this very thing. The conversation started off innocent enough, but quickly turned to a read discussion about the length of our lives. The Bible says that God has numbered our days. He has planned our days, and the works for us to do. But... I can't help wondering if we, somehow, get a say in that final number.

Think about the person who takes their own life. Aren't they taking that decision away from God and making it themselves? Surely we can't believe that they had reached their assigned number of days from God and this was how He chose their days to end. Our decisions have a bearing on our lives today and on our future, don't they? I say yes. And then...

Think about the person who eats terribly unhealthy food, smokes, drinks excessively, and lives to 95. Then recall the person we've all heard about who tried to be as healthy as possible, and was taken by cancer in their 30's. What does this say about our days? What does it say about God?

What if Billy Graham was a beer-guzzling adulterer who cursed like a sailor and spent his days at the top of the illegal drug market. Would he still be here, living the final days of his life? One would assume that the more foolish chances we take, the more likely we are to pay for them - with our lives.

Our discussion eventually centered around Moses and the fact that he didn't enter the Promised Land, as originally intended. Here's Deuteronomy 32:50-52 "There on the mountain that you have climbed you will die and be gathered to your people, just as your brother Aaron died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people. This is because both of you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel."

The italics above are mine, so you would see that it appears God changed his original plan. Perhaps Moses would have crossed over earlier with the Israelites and still died on the same day. Maybe God shortened his days because of Moses' disobedience. We really don't know.

I don't have the answer to this question, and it kinda disturbs me. I mean, if a person is trying to live their life to glorify God, why wouldn't He extend their days for the benefit of His kingdom? Why would God allow a person who intentionally hurts others to live well into their golden years? And in the case of Moses, why would God allow one mistake to change how long Moses was going to live?

Maybe we have no say, and we have a certain number of days regardless of our choices. But maybe our choices "help" God, in his omnipotence and sovreignty, determine those days before any of them ever begin. After all, He has ALL days numbered, and sees the whole of time from beginning to end in one glimpse. Our days are just a pinpoint in the tapestry he's painted. But I'm glad my short days matter to Him.

I Want to be Legendary

This is starting to get bad. It happens to me each time I watch a new movie or read a new book. My films of choice? Sci-fi, fantasy, action-adventure. And in those films we follow a main character who overcomes, perseveres, overpowers and conquers the day against immeasurable odds. And I want to do it too.

My latest adventure? AVATAR. It was truly epic, sci-fi, action-adventure, fantasy all rolled into one. There were clear lines of good and evil, and I was openly rooting against the humans. I wanted to be there, to experience the planet of Pandora. I wanted to take part in the struggle. To overcome, persevere and conquer. But I think it was all for the wrong reasons.

God has created me, really, men in general, to have a deep desire to protect his family and provide for them. He's given all of his children the deep desire to protect the innocent, speak up for the voiceless, help the helpless. We all are to take a stand for the broken, forgotten, unborn and unloved. But His way of doing it is so NOT Hollywood.

Christ says we must serve if we want to lead. If we want to be the greatest we must become the least. We are to lay our lives down, take up our cross and follow Him into self-sacrifice. That doesn't jive at all with my inner desire for the legendary. I've been studying this part of myself for years now, and I think I know what's behind it. I am. It's the drive for ME to be great, so the world will see ME and admire ME and say all kinds of epic things about my amazingness... my legend. It must not be this way.

We are in a fight already. We've been told so in Ephesians. Our epic battle is raging today, and it began one fateful day in a utopian garden with a rule, a serpent, a fruit and a choice. We do have a part to play. I just can't look to Hollywood to define my role, because this isn't a battle like any we've ever seen portrayed.

EPHESIANS 6: 10-18 (NLT)

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

The tools are ours to use. We're being called to an epic battle. And to leave behind our desire for the legendary.

Scribble Me This, Scribble Me That...

My kids love to color. Abby is especially good at it, and she spends most of her days at the coloring table making pictures for my office wall, for her friends, for Mommy to put on the fridge, and for any sick people she may know about. (She just did about 5 or 6 for Jen's grandpa, who's in the hospital). Drew loves to color too, but most of the time he just dumps out all the crayons and breaks them into the smallest pieces possible. I think it's a boy thing.

But beyond coloring pictures on paper, they like to display their artwork in other, um, unsanctioned areas. Like our dining room walls, kitchen cabinets and on the walls in the hallway. If you come to dinner at our place you'll be surrounded by Abby and Drew originals.

I know the sentimental thing to say is that sooner than I care to believe, I'll wish my kids were still young enough to be writing on the walls with crayons instead of writing term papers in college. And I know that's true. But it's almost just as painful now to even think about that. They need to learn where they can and can't color, for sure. And we're teaching them as much as we can.

They're growing up fast. I weep inside when I realize it. And as much as I try to avoid the painful thoughts of them one day walking out our door as adults, times like this remind me it's going to happen. It's inevitable. It's God's plan.

I think we'll take some pictures of the walls before the Magic Eraser does its thing. So one day we can remember when.