Thursday, December 30, 2010

Timing, Prayer, Moses.

whats up.

Today I wanted to talk about timing and how way off we always seem to be. Nobody like to be reminded of God's perfect timing when they are smack in the middle of waiting for it take place on a halo bomb. In our day and age, newspapers are becoming obsolete because they can't get our information to us fast enough. Wait a whole day to find out the Knicks score?? NO chance, get me my iPad, now.
The best example of patience and prayer is, of course, Moses in the desert for 40 years. 40 years of people doubting him, and wandering around a desert. I can't imagine sitting in my own cushy life and waiting on a prayer to hit for 40 years. Another good example is Daniel in chapter 10. He kept praying for the understanding to a complex vision. He prayed and fasted and meditated, got dust. God sent the messenger right away to answer his prayer, but Satan delayed the messenger and God had to bring in the Mo Rivera angel aka Michael to help the message get to Daniel.
I like the aspects of the Daniel example. Maybe we pray for something and God is planning on getting it taken care of right away, but then the Devil gets in the way. Maybe we let that trace of doubt creep in our head about how the prayer won't really help or this takes forever, and the Devil uses that as momentum to delay it long enough for us to give up on it and miss the message.

I guess, my point here is I believe that waiting on God's timing is going to be a growing challenge for us. With our society getting faster and faster, the virtue of patience on God's timing is going to sneak up your list needs pretty quick. Just a reminder to keep this at the top of your minds and hoooooooooooooooooooooooold on to those prayers.

On a positive note, some of you might have been praying for me since I missed my day to post. Then you woke up this morning and see that I rolled out of bed and got it done! yes, it was technically late, but we got it. Thanks for the prayers

ONE

Ty

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Money and Worry

Gents,

hope everyone is enjoying bowl season. Boise State looks flat so far... anyways lets get going.

before we reorganized here, I replied to Jules on an email and had some things sitting on my chest like an elephant. Biggest topic was money, and how it was occupying my mind. To sum up for those who have missed it, I was just saying how the main things on my brain have been "get money, then get more money". All of this felt from the pressure of a new addition to our family and busting out of our house at the seams. We just had our second daughter, Harper, and actually she is a really good baby. Only problem is the manly desire I have to provide or make things better for my family.
We have been over the money issue before, but it always comes back up as a problem in my life. It is mentioned over and over in the bible as something to be mindful of. I have been in talks with Nolan on this and his point is a good one. It is a HEART issue as well as a money issue (Nolan, feel free to elaborate on a reply). Your heart is in the wrong direction when money is at the top of your list. And, I agree with that for the most part. I have another direction that weighs on me with the issue of money and that is WORRY.
I told Terry this conversation that I was having with a friend of ours, who actually got me my first real job in sales after pro ball. This guy has done very well in sales and is making tons of money. He is also working late every night and stressed out Boiler Room styles. Anyways, I was talking to this friend at lunch the other week, and I was going on and on about how I want a promotion. I deserve it! Im sick of this! I need more money! I got a 13 yr old car, my house is to small. I want out of this ghetto neighborhood, blah blah blah. His reply to this was very helpful. it is an old lesson, but it bears repeating. He simply said, "well, I have a huge house. I have two brand new cars, very high paying job and I hate my life" Folks, the grass is always always always greener.
So, to bring us home on the Worry factor of money. I am always worried about bills and cars breaking down and house payments and Christmas presents being good enough. Does this convo sound familiar ("Well, we spent $50 on your mom and only $45 on my mom, we are going to have to go find something else for my mom". haha what a joke). I like these verses from Matthew about worry and how useless it is:

Matthew 6:25- Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about y our body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the b ody more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
-little PETA slam there as well. Humans ARE more important than birds, go figure

We all see the point here with this verse. Stop worrying, it helps nothing and changes nothing. Be proactive, get out and make your own worry disappear with work. The birds dont have barns and yet God still provides them with food everyday, but they have to work for it.

ONE

Ty

Theology topic

I'm in the middle of a text exchange with a Jehovah's witness. He just threw at me I don't celebrate Christmas because in scripture it doesn't say Christ was born on Dec. 25th? Thoughts?

December Points To Jesus

My pastor last Sunday spoke on the birth of Christ and how it is another revelation that points us to the Savior and our need to be redeemed. It hit me really hard and brought me back to a familiar place where I thought about all the non-believers and the people who claim Christian just because it sounds sophisticated. My heart is broken for them and I wanted to spend this time to remind us all that we need to pray for them with a diligent pursuit. I really believe that is the worst place a person can be in, being that of ignorance (not knowing they need a savior because they don't feel lost). For by all of God's revelations we (all of us) will be without an excuse as to why we didn't believe in him and accept His truth.

Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so they are without excuse."

As much as there is a need to pray for the nonbelievers there also is a need for us to press in so we will have the foundation and faith muscle to stand firm in the face of the enemies attacks. Let's all take a minute and throw up a prayer for the group, the non believers, and ourselves.

Monday, December 20, 2010

A Sheath With No Sword


I wanted to let you guys in on something I started almost 2 weeks ago. I had a conversation with a friend of mine where we were talking about life, the bible, etc. and at one point of the conversation I wanted to make a point using a specific quote from scripture to validate what I was trying to say. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quote the scripture and to make it worse, I didn’t even know what book of the Bible it was in…I just “knew” it was in the Bible somewhere. I left that conversation very frustrated with myself. So I began to think about the whole thing and play it back in my head and tried to think of all the scriptures that I knew by memory. The list of memorized verses was frighteningly short. At the next moment, by God’s providence, I began to recall everything that I knew, basically, by heart. I was very convicted by what I knew by heart in comparison to what I didn’t know. I could recall whole movies (Dumb and Dumber, Anchorman, etc.), whole songs (most of these should remain nameless), complete MLB lineups (past and present), and telephone numbers from my childhood, but no scripture!!

Here’s where God really grabbed my attention…The few verses I did know were all rooted in MY benefit. I knew what the Bible had to say when it came to MY salvation, but knew almost nothing outside of things that “pertained to ME’. Why do I care so much about MY salvation and don’t really pay much attention to the other parts of scripture?? It’s because I’m self-centered at the core and more concerned with ME rather than God and HIS glory. How hypocritical it is to say I love the God of my salvation, but not really care about what He’s said about Himself or any other part of scripture enough to know some of it by heart?? I know that “all scripture is God breathed and profitable…”, So I’m not knocking on the verses that I and many of you know, but we miss so much when all we know is John 3:16 and a verse or two out of Philippians.

How are we supposed to “meditate on His law day and night…” unless it’s known by heart?? There are lots of times where I don’t have my Bible handy. How am I supposed to fend off the devil with out a sword to fight with?? Satan is millions of times more powerful than we are…our only hope is when God’s word abides in us.

So what I have started is nothing fancy…I’ve simply started trying to memorize scripture. I started with Psalm 1 and 51…and for the first time in my life I have meditated on God’s word using memorized scripture. It is AMAZING the difference!! For those of you who do this already you understand…for those of you who don’t, TRY IT. God really does something supernatural through this…I can’t explain it. All I do is pray and seek God’s help with the memory and pray that He would help me delight in it’s truths…

So it’s my prayer that those of you who aren’t doing this that you would give it a shot…and for those who already do it, be encouraged!! Let’s be a people who craves knowing and understanding scripture…

- Nolan Gottlieb

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Prayer Agenda

"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:7-8 ESV

I find myself often feeling guilty about my prayer time. So at times I'll rush up some prayers and find myself after it feeling even worse. I guess I just get lazy, and that's convicting to even admit because when we pray God is right there. He doesn't sit prayers out! He already knows my needs so why am I so pressed to tell him right away? I gotta line up prayers with God's word. From finances to sex, what doesn't the Bible tell us!? It blows my mind how true and relevant it is. So here we go:

1. Confess Sins (pour it out)
2. Holy Spirit takes over (can't happen without #1... get the flesh to shut up)
3. Petitions of Praise
       -what God has done for me, and others
       -remind him to remind yourself all he's done for you (so many blessings we take for granite)
4. Petition of Needs
       -your last! Matt 6:7


Let's try to hold each other accountable on our prayer life. Prayer Warriors!!! Let's take it serious and "pray so much we need some knee pads." - Andre 3000 

Monday, November 1, 2010

E-Outreach

Spiritual Maturity

"For you know when your faith is being tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." -James 1:3-4

I just recently finished a commentary on the book of James. It was an easy read and was very informative to me and a good buddy of mine. The main theme throughout the book was maturity. Whether it be in relationships, prayer, trials, or the general church itself, James is a great "how to" guide in becoming spiritually mature. Good thing I read it because I have a long way to go!!! Praise God for that!!! I want to keep this email short today and hit you guys with 12 questions that the author asks you in the last chapter... Try and take some time to really think about each one.

1) Am I becoming more and more patient in the testings of life?
2) Do I play with temptation or resist it from the start?
3) Do I find joy in obeying the Word of God, or do I merely study it and learn it?
4) Are there any prejudices that shackle me?
5) Am I able to control my tongue?
6) Am I a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker? Do people come to me for spiritual wisdom?
7) Am i a friend of God or a friend of the world?
8) Do I make plans without considering the will of God?
9) Am I selfish when it comes to money? Am I unfaithful in paying my bills?
10) Do I naturally depend on prayer when I find myself in some kind of trouble?
11) Am I the kind of person others seek for prayer support?
12) What is my attitude toward the wandering brother? Do I criticize and gossip, or do I seek to restore him in love?

Pretty strong questions, and some pretty strong No's getting checked on my end. Thanks for your time.


Be Blessed,

Blake Hawksworth

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Lets Make A Deal

I graduated from high school and entered into community college with everything in my life seeming to be heading on track for the story that I had written out for myself. I was going to be a Major League Baseball player and this community college thing was the next step towards achieving that dream. Education was secondary, and I was heading to college solely to pursue a degree in baseball. Middle Georgia College had a high reputation as a junior college baseball powerhouse and had sent many players on to bigger and better places. I wasn’t attending school for any other reason but to pursue my dream which just happened to be outside of any classroom. But why? Education is extremely important and beneficial, and yet, I cared so little about what was going on in the classroom. Why was I so set on being a Major League Baseball player that everything else didn’t seem to matter? What was my motivation? Sure, being a great professional athlete is every little boy’s dream, but I was no longer a little boy so there had to be more motivating me than just childhood fantasy. At the time, I never even considered to stop and ask myself this question but now, older and wiser, and with the gift of hindsight, I can better examine my intentions and motives, and I have discovered a most unpopular answer. You see, the more you allow God into your life, the more He brings to light what is hidden in darkness and exposes the true motives of your heart. Sure, I loved the game of baseball and therefore, I wanted to be successful at the very thing that I had dedicated so much of my time and energy towards, but I would be lying if I established the love of the game as my sole driving force. Truth is, I wanted GLORY. I wanted to be rich and famous and revered by everyone around me. I wanted to be exalted and have others look up to me in awe of my greatness, and I knew that playing in the big leagues could provide this high esteem. Now, real quick, before you start accusing me of over exaggerating or over analyzing here, allow me to try and explain myself. I am not saying that everyone who desires to be successful in life is guilty of this kind of self-seekingness. We are called to strive for greatness and to do great things with the different abilities that God has so graciously alloted to each and everyone one of us. Aspiring to be successful wasn’t my error. My error could be found in my motivation for gaining such success. I’m not speaking for anyone other than myself on this issue. God gave me a special ability, and I wanted to use that ability to promote myself rather than promoting the greatness of God. I know this to be true because of the way in which I pursued the emptiness of popularity and the applause of spectators.


I was no dummy, or perhaps, I was actually a full blown idiot depending on the way in which you look at it, but either way, I was aware of the greatness of God and His sovereignty and knew that He could help me pursue my dream. So what did I do? I attempted to make a deal with God. “Ok, here’s the deal God, if You will grant me success and get me to the big leagues then I can use my platform as a great professional athlete to proclaim Your name.” I knew God could help me, after all, ask and you shall receive, right? It sounded like a brilliant transaction at first that seemed to benefit both parties involved, but this was only because I couldn’t see the absolute wretchedness of this kind of thinking. How extremely arrogant and selfish to even conceive such a plot! Completely blinded by my own pride, I was in no way seeking God’s glory but rather my own. I was attempting to use God for selfish gain. I had exalted myself to a position that I was never intended to have and was attempting to snatch the pen out of God’s holy hand and write my own life story. I had forgotten or perhaps never understood who I really was in Christ.


REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE


In Paul’s letter to the Ephesian believers, he tells the Gentiles there to remember who you were before Christ saved you. Remember that you were looked down upon by the Jewish nation and considered unclean. Remember that you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Remember that you were the mutts with no pedigree, but now by the grace of God through Jesus the Christ, you who once were far away have been given citizenship in God’s kingdom. This idea of remembering who we were before God saved us keeps us humble and halts the advancement of ourselves. Often times, we need to be put in our place and know our role. We need to remember that we are the creation and He is the Creator. We are the lump of clay and He is the Potter. If you think of yourself more highly than this then you are guilty of exalting yourself. And if we rise up against God then we are most certainly going to fall. This was that first great sin in the garden and ask yourself how that one has turned out. Now you may be quick to retort, “but we are the special creation made in the image of God”? Yes, I agree with you but remember, we were also made from dirt. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought. Too often we get this crazy notion that we have some wisdom to offer God and can better help Him write His story. This is foolishness! God is the great Author of life and we are merely the characters in the play. We can no more change God’s plans and purposes than an actor can alter the writings of Shakespeare. We can give a bad performance but never alter the story.


- Terry

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Praying On The Basis Of His Word

Let us continue our study of Psalm 119 and see what God has to teach us about praying on the basis of His word.
“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.” Vs. 147
Consider a businessman facing a crisis in the business. Perhaps it is a cash flow crisis. (Have you ever had one?) Perhaps a key customer has gone elsewhere. Perhaps a key employee has left, or the bank has called the note. (Any of these sound familiar?) This passage tells us to first rise before dawn to cry for help. Why before dawn? How do we communicate to God that the issue is serious, and we desperately need His assistance and rescue? By focusing on Him and sacrificing the thing most important to us – our time. At dawn, there are no interruptions. Dawn is well before the business activities get underway (in most businesses). By meeting God at dawn, we are giving Him the best time of the day, and making our time with Him the foundation for the rest of the day.What is the basis for our cry for help? We cry because we have put our hope in God, through His word. It is not the Scriptures that save us. It is God working through His Scriptures. So we place our hope in His Word, because our hope is in Him. Our cry for help is a means for expressing our faith and trust in Him. If we trust Him, we will cry out for help. If we do not trust Him, but rather trust ourselves, then we will not pray and not cry out to Him. And He has no obligation to help us.
”Hear my voice in accordance with your love; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your laws.” Vs. 149
We remind Him of His incredible love for us, and ask Him to listen to us on the basis of that love. We claim His promises (such as Matt. 6.33 and James 1.5) and base our prayer for rescue on those promises. It is according to His laws (His Scriptures) that we are asking Him to preserve our lives. We need to know what His Scriptures promise, so we can claim those promises in our requests.So when trouble and difficulties strike (and they will), rise at dawn, before anything else gets underway. Have read His word, and know some promises -this know them well. Place your hope in them. Believe them to be true. Prepare for the meeting with God, as you would for any other important meeting. Put your hope in God through His word. Then cry out to Him. Ask Him to rescue you. Trust Him to do as He has said. Trust Him to hear you, in accordance with His incredible love for you. Cry out to Him. Expect (trust) Him to preserve you according to (consistent with) His word. Then meet Him the next day, and the next day, and the next. Make it a lifestyle, and come to know Him by experience in ways you never would have otherwise. Watch Him rescue you, and praise Him for it.

Monday, September 13, 2010

If I were the devil by Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey talking about the state of the world today

http://tinyurl.com/32kc3rb

Laminin (like sheep's wool?)

God's inside joke. You have probably seen this, but I came across it today. Not life altering, just thought it was a good example of God's humor

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

D.A. Carson "For Love Of God"

"People do not/ will not drift towards holiness apart from grace driven effort. People do not just gravitate towards prayer and obedience to scripture. Instead we drift towards disobedience and call it freedom, we drift toward superstition and call it faith, we cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation, we slouch into prayerlessness and delude ourselves with thinking we have escaped legalism, we slide away from Godliness and convince ourselves we're liberated."
D. A. Carson

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Warship Turns To Worship

John 4:24 "God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and truth." -NKJ-

Psalm 34:9 "O fear the Lord, you His saints! For there is no want to those who truly revere and worship Him with godly fear." -Amplified Bible from biblegateway.com-

A year or 2 ago I shared my 1st worship experience that I had ever had with the King (Jesus). It had taken me years to warm up to the idea of actually enjoying the 30 minutes of songs and worship before my pastor would get into the message for the day. I often wondered why people were so weird (raising their hands and crying, etc...) at church. Years later I was at church during spring training and before we got to our seats Blake had warned me about a teammate who was there with us by saying "Jules, this dude lets loose during worship so be prepared." I knew this guy pretty well and had played with him and he had all of our respect regardless of what he did off the field. We were all believers who were sold out for Jesus in our own minds but when I saw this guy sing and cut it loose during worship I was very uncomfortable but it was a different type. I was feeling small, I felt like I had more to give and get (I was holding back) and that day it started to burn in me. Fast forward 2 years, I'm on a men's retreat crying because God had revealed to me that my sinful pride has been in the way from allowing me to experience another level of God's goodness. I cried my face off and shouted (in worship) at the top of my lungs out to God, hands to the sky"He (God) is mighty to save!". I felt God's presence like never before, the Holy Spirit running through my veins filling me up with such an intense sense of life, I'll never forget it. My relationship with the Lord would never be the same and I knew it, I was so pumped to have this gift.

Now, I get a smaller version of the Holy Spirit running through my veins in church, one that isn't as intense as the way I had been moved in those mountains (Sierra Nevada - Lake Arrowhead) that weekend. I occasionally wonder why and this morning it hit me, it hit me real hard. The reason I don't experience the Lord like I did that weekend on the retreat is because of my sin. I continue to make the choice not to press in on Sundays, I just go half way (give or take a few). I don't cut it loose, and it's my sinful pride or maybe laziness that keeps me at a distance when God is calling out to me with arms wide open "come closer my son, I have more for you"! I have been allowing myself to believe this lie that I can only dive deep when I'm in the mountains on a men's retreat and that is a ridiculous lie. It makes me wonder what other limiting beliefs I have in my life that need to be squashed. Bottom line is that's it's time we cut it loose in church and fight the war over worship. Our pride (or whatever it is for you) and God are at ends here and this battle is going on inside of us and we have the final say as to who wins this war. Are you willing to fight this battle are you strong enough to wage another war against sin and death? What limiting beliefs is the enemy telling you to keep you in the back of the bus and off the frontline? No more, no more....

Thanks for your time.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Quest For Character

We're all chasing something. No question about it, if we unpack our desire and motivation it comes right down to a quest for some feeling we want to experience. John MacArthur wrote a small book "The Quest For Character", in which he references 2 Peter 1:5-8, the character of an effective disciple/saint.

2 Peter 1:5-8 "... make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you posses these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

If we make our primary goal to obtain all these characteristics, we'd be pretty well off in the peace, purpose, and fulfillment department. Reality is that we don't and I'm as guilty as any. It's hard, life happens and in a world where distraction is a battle every minute, how can we win? Think about how distracted we are, we will have in person conversations and check in coming text messages at the same time likes it's no big deal. How rude is that, how rude am I? What I want to challenge all of us on today is to stop at the end of each day (on the ride home or wherever) and ask yourself if you added or built any of these characteristics today. Make it a priority to grow in these areas and see what happens to your life and walk.

"Love is not a separate quality distinct from other virtues. ...it's the perfect expression of them combined."
Johnny Mac "The Quest For Character"

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

For you Waino

Lecrae, Flame, Tedashii, Thi'sl at Legacy Conference 2010 from Rapzilla.com on Vimeo.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Foreman Grill

Psalms 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."

I probably speak for many of us when I say that the Foreman Grill has been worth it's weight in gold. In my career as a consumer of cheap meats, frozen in a package, I have watched this device turn mud into magic. I love to watch the fat drip off the meat guaranteeing that my mouth will only experience the leanest of portions. Up until my recent meat smoking trials on the barby, the Foreman Grill was tough to beat, it was highly efficient. This morning my pal and I were in the Word and we both got hit with this picture of our lives (in Faith) being like a slab of meat on a Foreman Grill. We come to the grill (Jesus), take a leap to experience the heat (the Spirit or what everyone is talking about, "this Jesus thing"), and watch as the fat (sin) drips off and we become a more pure and enjoyable piece of meat (human being). Our desires change, our dependence on worldly recognition disappears, being stressed out by the things of the world fade away. We become more ready to meet the King.

I say all this in relation to the above verse because we have to take the step/leap or even chance on Jesus. Give God a try, taste a little bit of Jesus, pick up your dusty Bible and put your nose in it, smell it, feel it, hear it, but first of all like an infant who puts everything in it's mouth, taste it. Taste and see that the Lord is good! He is all we need, try it out one time.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Why Do We Do What We Do?

"We try to manage behavior in the hope that it will change alienation (being apart from God) but the scriptures teach that alienation is handled (Christ's sacrifice) so that takes care of our evil deeds (sin)"
Matt Chandler

This really hit me today and reminded me of how my foundational instincts (which are sinful by nature) are to manage my behavior in order to draw closer to God or to reap blessings. It's crazy because I know better than to do this but yet the battle is still heavy. I keep trying to earn his love and blessings and it leads me to being depressed because my mind condemns me. But I know better because of Romans 8.

Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

We aleady have the victory so let's draw closer by not being strangers to His Word (reading, podcasts, church, fellowship, etc...)

I would love to hear some stories or other methods how people draw closer to the Lord.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

For Freedom Has Come

Fellas on the day we celebrate our independence and freedom as a nation I can't help but think of also celebrating our freedom in Christ. Here is a short video of a benediction or poem by Jimmy Needham. It always hits home with me. Enjoy.

trying to die to myself,
-tmart

Monday, June 21, 2010

Fathers Day

FATHERS DAY ....

Let me start by saying Happy Fathers Day to all you dads that have little ones. Today, while listening to our team chaplain talk about father's day I was really convicted on the importance of our role as fathers. Now, I know some of you don't have children but I still think there are some good thoughts here so hang with me for a few minutes. It has been said that the most important person in a kids life is their father. You can also make a case that the most troubled kids often times had to grow up without a dad in the house. We as fathers have an ENORMOUS role in our household. We ARE the spiritual leaders of our household. Our chaplain had some key thoughts that really hit home for me so I want to share them with you. First, our children are around us constantly so it's a natural thing for them to pick up on little things we do, faces we make, etc. They copy certain sayings we say (I know this because one of my daughters says "That's what I'm talkin' 'bout" and she's 3 years old). They watch us constantly. They watch how we treat our spouses, and how we punish them or show humility when we are wrong. Basically, as fathers, we are laying down the foundation for how our kids will parent their kids. How many times can you look back and say "Well, my mom/dad did it like that and I think that's exactly how I'm gunna do it." Our Chaplain was saying if he handles something poorly with his wife or even one of his kids the first thing he does is go to the child and tell them he handled the situation wrong and that he's sorry. That way his kids see humility. I'll tell you what I love. My wife sometimes remembers getting up early for school and always seeing her dad having his quiet time reading his Bible. I think that's awesome. A few years ago, I stayed with my friend Steve in Orlando for 6 weeks. Steve has 4 boys who any parent would be proud of. Every morning around 5:30 a.m. he grabbed his Bible and started his day off right. Like a child I watched him and studied him because he was different. His boys and his wife respected him as the spiritual leader he was. I want that to be me one day but I haven't grasped the whole 5:30 thing yet. My friend Mickey in Chicago has daughters that have that awesome Godly glow from being taught at an early age what Jesus' love is all about. All my spiritual mentors that have families are leading by example. No, they're leading by Christ's example and it is inspiring. Here's what I'm getting at. Our spiritual walk not only affects our lives and our kids lives. It has the potential to affect our grandkids and great grandkids lives, and on and on. But, here's the kicker. We'll only have that kind of impact if we live our own lives in a way that reflects the glory and greatness of God. If they just see us then maybe we haven't gotten the point....if they see God in us then that's when we're really parenting. Thanks for reading

-waino

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Tuesday Scripture

Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgements, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Check out these two Old Testament scrips to help drive home the idea of God's depth and greatness. Why do we constantly try to put God and His works in a box? Yep you guessed it, because we want control. Give it up son! Somethings we just won't understand till we touch down in Heaven, enjoy the bliss of the unknown!

Psalm 92:5 "How great are your works O Lord, how profound your thoughts!

Job 11:7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?"

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

This Can't Be Life?

Have you ever asked this question "This can't be life?". For you English majors out there I know that it's not postured as a question as written but if you know me and hear the way it falls off my tongue you'd know that indeed it is a question. So the question here is wrapped around thoughts that are triggered by life's circumstances that beg the question "how can this be?"

To explain better, we pursue a dream or an activity (could be anything we see that has value) and do all we know to prepare for success only to see it not work out. Unfortunately most of the time we see a bump in the road as the end of the world when it really ends up being a small obstacle that prepares us better for the climax.

I mention all this to expand on the topic of Freedom. Freedom from being defined by this world. Why do we continue to identify our self worth with our accomplishments such as making it to the MLB, being an All-Star, HOF, closing big deals, owning a business, etc...? Listen to what Paul says here in Galatians

Galatians 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Can you relate, have you felt burdened by a dream, or a failure? Ask yourself why? It's more often than not because we are defining ourselves by what we do not who we are IN Christ. I've done this so many times and I really believe that is why I couldn't handle failure as a player. It drove me into depression so many times, a crippling depression that nobody (friends and family)could shake me out of, it made be literally ill. Let's no longer live in slavery to our worldly dreams let's be alive in our identity in Christ.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Listen Up

James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

When was the last time you actually listened to what somebody was saying objectively without putting your own spin on it? When was the last time you really heard someone all the way out instead of preparing what you were going to counter with before they ended their thought? Challenge! I hearby pronounce myself guilty on both charges.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Serving the Creature or the Creator?

Romans 1:24-25 - "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves who exchanged the Truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator..."


The greek term used here for "gave them up" is a judicial term used for handing over a prisoner to his sentence. When men consistently abandon God, He will abandon them. He does this sometimes directly by specific acts of divine judgement and punishment (flood, Sodom, etc.). And He sometimes does this indirectly by removing His restraint and allowing their sin to run its inevitable course. Here, Paul is speaking of God indirectly giving men up to uncleanness of sexual immorality. The Greek word used for "uncleanness" is a general term often used when speaking of decaying matter. God abandons those spoken of here and allows their sin of sexual immorality to run its course which begins in the heart and moves outward to shame the body decaying the soul.


Men who deny the existence of the Almighty God of the Bible worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator. Most men (without admitting it) worship and serve themselves because of this popularity within our culture to establish that truth is whatever one personally believes to be true. John MacArthur speaks of this in his book, The Truth War....


"Postmodernism in general is marked by a tendency to dismiss the possibility of any sure and settled knowledge of the truth...... Nothing is certain, and the thoughtful person will never speak with too much conviction about anything. Strong convictions about any point of truth are judged supremely arrogant and hopelessly naive. Everyone is entitled to his own truth."


This can be clearly examined through general conversation. You hear people all the time making comments such as.... "Well, I don't think God is exactly like that". I would then follow by asking what this particular person bases their beliefs about God on. You might hear something such as.... "Well, its just what I believe". So their beliefs about God are based on their own personal thoughts and opinions. They have become their own personal god and established their own false truth that fits their pleasure. I'll end with this.....


When asked by someone which of the religions of the world gives to its followers the greatest happiness, CS Lewis responded.... "While it lasts the religion of worshipping oneself is best..... If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly do not recommend Christianity."


- Terry

Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Grace You Must Know!

Sup e-fellas! I'm going a day early because I just felt like sending this out today. Hope y’all are doing great! I’m continuing from last week, speaking some grace. Like I said before grace is given, it is free. We don’t obligate God by our obedience or our sacrificial service. Even if we were perfectly obedient in all our Christian duties, we would still be forced to say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty” (Luke 17:10). In a somewhat loose way of relating it, it is like always going the speed limit, stopping at stop signs, and obeying every traffic rule. Do you receive any reward from the state or even expect it? No, because that is what you are supposed to do.

Grace can be completely misunderstood at times, and I admit, I do it often. But, grace relieves us from the performance treadmill. “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” (Romans 6:1). No way dude, this and other passages in the Bible recognize the possibility that the Bible’s teaching that grace alone is the basis for God’s blessing can be misconstrued as an excuse for indulgent, slothful living. So what are you compelled by then to obey?

The solution to the problem is not to add legalism to grace. Rather the solution is to be so gripped by the magnificence and boundless generosity of God’s grace that we respond out of gratitude rather than out of a sense of duty. Our "motivation" for commitment, discipline, and obedience is as important, if not more important, to God than our "performance". God searches our hearts fellas, and He understands every motive. To be acceptable to Him, our motives must spring from a love for Him and a desire to glorify Him. Obedience to God performed from a legalistic motive – that is, a fear of consequences or to gain favor with God – is not pleasing to Him. So, our good works are not truly good unless they are motivated by a love for God and a desire to glorify Him.

Only when we are thoroughly convinced that the Christian life is entirely of grace are we able to serve God out of a grateful heart. See, it’s not about inclination or feeling. We are not to wait till we “feel like” having a quiet time to have one, the same goes with obeying God’s commands. Motive has nothing to do with feelings or inclination; rather, it refers to the “reason” why we do, or don’t do, something. For the person living by grace, that reason should be a loving response to the abundant grace of God already manifested in Christ.

I’ve struggled in this area all my life and continue to do so, feeling like I just abuse grace. Like you have heard numerous times before, hearing and reading it is one thing, actually doing or living it is another. And if you are like me in this area, know this, God is worthy of our loving obedience because of who He is, not because of what He does. But when we truly understand the grace of God in Christ, we will not abuse that grace.


trying to die to myself,

-tmart



Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Attributes of Spiritual Leaders

Paul was a spiritual giant! The guy had it right and he was passionate to the point where he was infectious with the Spirit. God used him for major work and we see that in the scriptures. Paul wasn't God he was definitely human and he fell short on occassion but he never fell off as he stayed in touch with God constantly. Other mighty men in the new testament were Petey, Johnny Bap, Timbo, and even "The Train" James. They had their epic fall offs but got right back up and learned from their mistakes, going on to have meaty ministries that had 1 major thing in common. They all got people to follow Jesus not them.
Let's think about leadership failures in history Hitler, Napolean, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite (heavens gate mass suicide), Jim Jones (cool-aid/synide mass suicide), L Ron Hubbard (Scientology), and the list goes on. These men all ran into a similar issue, they got people to follow but what were they following? They all ended badly because the cause was man-made. Following a man will always end in disappointment because all of us (humans) fall short of perfection. We can't deliver on the expectations that God has woven in our hearts because it was designed to be followed out by Him not us.
We need to be serious about who we are leading and where we are leading them. Some of us are leading a spouse, others a family, and even some a group. Don't get it twisted were all leading somebody. What are we doing to prepare our sphere of influence (1-1000's) to see Christ in us? What are we doing to lead people to get onto God's agenda? We need to get on that prayer tip and pray that God would help us to lead people to follow Him not our own ways. How much more peace do we have in our circumstances when we trust that our life is God's agenda?

I'll close with this scriputre that lays it out best.

1 Corinthians 3:4-6 "For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another "I follow Apollos." are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

Monday, May 17, 2010

Pre-Game David Swagg

"I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1-2 NLT

"In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. God's way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection." Psalm 18:29-30 NLT

"God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:32 NLT

"You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me, your help has made me great." Psalm 18:35 NLT

Just wanted to take some time and throw out some motivation to all my brothers and sisters. In or out of baseball, we face times of doubts or unbelief. Spiritual warfare is real and Satan wants you to doubt yourself and crumble like a cookie. Business meeting, school test, presentation, or 3-1 count and the bases loaded.... God is right there with you! Don't be fearful. Step your game up and know that God has armed you with the strength to do whatever it is your heart desires. Believe, trust and fight! God did not make you to be weak or fearful. He didn't create you to worry and panic. He wants you to smile and be at peace because he's got your back. He's your strength, trust Him.

Love ya'll.

Blake "Needed a pep talk" Hawksworth


Saturday, May 15, 2010

Get in the Game

As a boy, I grew up going to church every Sunday. In my mind I didn't go to learn. Church was just something you did when you were from where I was from. When my friends asked me what "religion" I was (cuz that's how you talk when your a kid) I would tell them Presbyterian. Most of my friends were from all different denominations. I just couldn't figure out why there were so many different types of Christians. Why did it matter? That confused me, and to be honest I still think it's silly. I'll be so proud when everyone just claims to be a Christian rather than some sect of Christianity. Anyway, I was probably about 17 when I really started to question if there truly was a God. I had read the Bible some, been told all the major stories, and been to vacation bible school. I had all the qualifications for being a Christian right? Wrong, I didn't have Jesus in my heart. None of my friends and I ever talked about God... it just wasn't cool back then to me. I was too worried about getting hits or my girlfriend to worry about God. So, like many people do, with the absence of God in my life I began to try and be my own God. If someone did something I didn't agree with... I judged them. It's like I was the referee and I was blowing the whistle and calling a foul anytime someone messed up. I never took time to look in the mirror and realize I was pretty jacked up too. Then, around my late teens I started playing the "i don't want to be a hypocrite" line. It was my excuse to not get involved with anything spiritual because I didn't want to be like those people who go to church and keep on sinning. No sir, I just wanted to live my life and do my so-called sinning and carry on to the next day. I would, in my own head, scowl at people who I thought fell into the hypocrite category. Well, here is what I know now. We ALL fall short of the Glory of God. We will, without fail, continue to sin.... it's just how we're programmed. And, scripture tells us that if we put our faith in men we will eventually get let down. There is only one man that walked this earth that should be the model for our lives....Jesus. He's the only Guy that didn't mess up. I wish I woulda realized that all those people who I felt were hypocrites weren't so bad...they just weren't God. We aren't hypocrites for going to Church after we sin.... we're just humans and we need help, and definitely forgiveness. Being Christian does not make us Christ. It just means we love Him. There's only one God, He has done some amazing things and He deserves to be worshiped for all of it.
So, here are a few questions. Do your friends know what you believe? Are we doing enough to be bold for Christ like it calls us to in Phillippians 1? Is our lifestyle one that reflects what we believe? Can you do more in your church.... in your home... in your workplace..... in your heart? All of that stuff is playing the game of following Christ. Let's put down our whistles and get in the game. Thanks for reading

-waino

Friday, May 14, 2010

Grace Me Please

Egh, sorry e-fellas, I've been on the e-fellowship DL here lately....my bad, my bad. But here we go.

Just like most Christians I tend to base my personal relationship with God on performance rather than grace. So much of this world is performance based, but once I sit down and think about it, I realize that God is not keeping score. He is not giving me or keeping me from blessings based on my performance. The score has already been settled.

I will be pulling some of this from a book by Jerry Bridges entitled "Transforming Grace". It is so easy to get caught up in believing that God's grace only makes up what our good works lack. I mean, God's blessings are at least partially earned by obedience right? We know we are saved by grace but we have to live by spiritual sweat so to speak? I need a constant reminder that my demerits do not compel God to withdraw His grace, but rather, He treats me without regard to them. And honestly, I'd rather stake my hope of His blessing on His infinite goodness than on my good works. Bridges says, "To the extent you are clinging to any vestiges of self-righteousness or are putting any confidence in your own spiritual attainments, to that degree you are not living by the grace of God in your life." That's heavy, I had to read it a couple times.

Psalm 103:12 states, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." This may be elementary to some but have you ever wondered how far the east was from the west. I mean, you can go north all you want until you reach the north pole, then you are heading south. But if you start heading west, you will always be heading west. East and west never meet. So God is metaphorically saying that he removes our transgressions and infinite distance from us. He saying that forgiveness is total, complete, and unconditional. So no score keeping? "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10). Yea, God actually says that! Almost seems too good to be true because that is so foreign to our innate concepts of reward and punishment.

Just as you cannot earn salvation but must receive it as a gift, so you cannot earn the blessings of God but must receive them also as gifts given through Christ. I mean, grace would no longer be grace if God is compelled to withdraw it in the presence of our faults.

I know I am leaving much of this open ended, but I will continue with this topic in the weeks ahead, but I'll finish this week with this. Theologian R.C. Sproul wrote, "Perhaps the most difficult task for us to perform is to rely on God's grace and God's grace alone for our salvation. It is difficult for our pride to rest of grace. Grace is for other people - for beggars. We don't want to live by a heavenly welfare system. We want to earn our way and atone for our own sins. We like to think that we will go to heaven because we deserve to be there." Although Dr. Sproul was writing on the subject of the grace of God in salvation, the problem of pride he described is applicable to living the Christian life. Not only do we think we must pay our own way, at least to some degree, we subtly insist on paying our own way. That's me, is it you?


trying to die to myself,
-tmart

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Try Again Young Apprentice

Luke 5:4-7
4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down[a] the nets for a catch."
5Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."
6When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.


I look at this text a little different today than I have previously. We see that Peter had tried something and failed to accomplish it. Not only was this (fishing) Peter's means of professional affiliation but he happened to be pretty knowledgable in the area too. Jesus, a carpenter, asks him to drop his nets down again, basically saying "okay you've just blasted your chest (muslces)in the gym, well let's go back in and do some more push ups because I got a feeling it's going to take you to the next level of buffness". "But wait, Lord...? I don't think you're hearing me. have you seen the results, and, dude I just don't have anything left to give." Sound familiar? Peter had to have been questioning this decision and we've probably heard this before, I sure have! Here's my new glance at this. Could have Jesus/God been making a point here as to say "the work of your (us) hands isn't what I (God) want to show you, I want you to experience the work of my hands through you so I get the glory." Could that be what He was showing Petey and the other disciples? Could that be something that plays out in our lives?

Is there anything in your life that God is asking you to do/try again but this time He's asking you to let Him take care of the results. Is God asking you to step out in faith with something that you have failed at previously? Is there something in our lifes that we keep trying to control and do on our own stength when we could/should turn it over to the Lord?

I think God askes us to try again on things after we failed at it before because we would have received all the glory had we been successful (because our sinful nature is constantly trying to take credit) with the results. God is in control of EVERYTHING and he want's us to lean, trust, and confide in Him for everything.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

All Are Accountable!

Romans 1:19-21 - "What may be known of God is manifest in men, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that men are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."


The Truth of God can be clearly observed from conscience (2:14-15), creation, and God's Word and although this evidence is irrefutable, men still choose to resist and oppose God's truth by holding on to their sin. Now, I want to talk about the conscience real quick....


God has sovereignly planted evidence of His existence in the very nature of man by reason and moral law. Paul explains that Gentiles who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law.... they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also testifies, and between themselves their thoughts accuse or excuse them (2:14-15). CS Lewis explains this moral law in his book Mere Christianity.... "Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it........ Men find themselves under a moral law, which they did not make, and cannot quite forget even when they try, and which they know they ought to obey...... Something which appears in me as a law urging me to do right and making me feel responsible and uncomfortable when I do wrong."


God holds all men responsible for their refusal to acknowledge what He has shown them of Himself in His creation. Even those who have never had an opportunity to hear the gospel have received a clear witness about the existence and character of God - and have suppressed it. CS Lewis again speaking on conscience says, "You find out more about God from the Moral Law than from the universe in general just as you find out more about a man by listening to his conversation than by looking at a house he has built". If a person will respond to the revelation he has, even if it is solely natural revelation, God will provide some means for that person to hear the gospel. Man is conscious of God's existence, power, and divine nature through general revelation. Those who know of God but do not glorify Him as the God of the universe and seek Him out will harden their hearts. When man rejects the Truth, the darkness of spiritual falsehood replaces it (John 3:19-20).


This may help explain somewhat the answer to the concern for the small tribe in Africa who hasn't heard the Good News of a risen Savior.


- Terry

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Parenting

Parenting
I was blessed October 22nd with a healthy baby giraffe (girl who will be very tall), she is unbelievably precious. I use the word precious because that’s the best word available to describe a harmless, helpless baby who is just a peach to look at. When I saw her and held her for the first time I cried and I’m not ashamed to admit it, actually I’m kind of proud to say it, I cried! However Gwen has already frustrated me on occasion and it just exposes my lack of patience. I mean, how can an infant frustrate me, she doesn’t even know what is going on. I’m embarrassed how little patience I have for this wonderful, sweet child of mine. Back to the crying thing; weeks ago I was at Christy’s parents house and I was sitting in a chair next to Gwen (my daughter) who was on the couch. I was having a conversation with Christy’s father when I saw out of the corner of my eye, Gwen launch herself off the couch. She smashed her face on the coffee table on her way to the ground. I gasped and snatched her up off the ground and into my arms, bringing her close to my chest. I was scared to look at the damage but I braced myself to do so and to my horror she had a huge dent above her eye. Gwen was whaling and it all hit me so hard I started crying. I couldn’t believe I let this happen to her, I was sitting right there. 15 minutes later she had a bruise and 30 minutes later it had almost completely gone away (kids are resilient). She was going to be okay, disaster avoided. I couldn’t help but think about the future and how I can’t prevent her from doing anything, I can only teach and hope she listens and obeys.
I say all this to bring it back to our relationship with God, He is like the parent and we are the kids. He loves us so much and teaches us so many good lessons in life that we think stink due to the pain we experience. However we never take into consideration the huge pain that we might be avoiding by handling the little stuff today. I’m sure God cries a lot over the choices that I make and even the pain that He allows into my life but He is sure that it is for a better purpose and a better me. Without pain we can never experience real joy, there is a balance like everything else in this world. It blows my mind how patient God is in comparison to me. I get mad at Gwen when I try to feed her and she tries to grab the spoon and spills food all over herself, then she will put her hand in her mouth take some food out and wipe her face. Come on Gwen, you’re better than that Gigi! But wait she is only 6 months old, where is my patience? Correlate that to God’s patience with new believers and the battle of the “Old Man” v.s. the “New Man”. How many times do we judge new believers for their struggle against old habits like “man, this guy didn’t except Jesus, look at him over there falling off”? Yeah! Pretty shameful huh, I’m guilty as any. How does God feel when we continue to damage or body and mind with the stuff we feed it (television, movies, music, food, drinks, etc…). He gives us a hangover to remind us of the consequences of too much drink or a stomach ache to remind us of too much food. But what if we keep doing it then what? As a parent what do you do with your kid who won’t change? Unfortunately I think we have to give them away to their sin and I think that is what God does sometimes too.
To sum this up I think it can be beneficial to be reminded of how amazing God is (patient, loving, gracious, merciful, omnipresent, forgiving, etc…). I really think He has designed this life to reflect Himself in many ways and parenting is just one of those parallels. I hope you all can experience Him in your parenting whether it is with your own kids or some kids you’ve been blessed with taking care of for the weekend. Let’s all be thankful for how much we’ve been given and how many warnings God gives us that we really don’t deserve. He is amazing!

Monday, May 3, 2010

e-Fellowship Mission Statement (retro)

I came across this post and I felt like now is a good time to throw it back up on here:


I got some things on my mind that I feel led to release into the wild. I want to throw down what I feel the church really is and what fellowship really looks like. First, lets define the church and its purpose. Christ’s church is not a bunch of buildings where people go sit, sing, listen and leave. We as christians are the church. The book of Ephesians states that we are the body and Christ is the Head. As the body, we each have our own specific purpose. Ephesians 4:11-16 says,


"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ - from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."


Fellowship is not sitting in a pew on sunday morning listening to the pastor teach and hoping in your car and heading home. Fellowship contains interaction. The early church that we read about in the book of Acts wasn’t some building where people would go and listen to a pastor. The early church was groups of people meeting in houses and around bonfires to tell stories about Jesus and the impact that He had in their lives. Can you imagine chillin with the disciples around a bonfire and discussing their stories of Jesus Christ? They didn’t have the New Testament or a worship band. They would just meet up, break some bread, and share what Jesus had done in their lives. Their message was simple. Their message was Jesus. Today we continue to lose the oneness and the harmony that the church is called to have because of divisions within the church. Correct me if I’m wrong but denominations are destroying the harmony of the church. That is why fellowship is so important. Through love we need to enlighten and uplift each other and come to a unity of faith and knowledge. That is why e-Fellowship is here. That is the reason we have this site and the daily bread flowing through email. We need to get back to our roots and engage in true church fellowship. Keep this thing rollin because this is true fellowship. I look forward to sitting around that campfire on the New Earth laid back sharing stories with the e-Fellowship congregation. I love you all. Thank you Christ my King!


- Terry


*** That being said, I miss you guys. I miss the power felt when e-Fellowship is living out its mission statement. I've been absent from this fellowship lately but am here today declaring that e-Fellowship has once again moved back up on my priority list. You can expect more from me going forward. I love you guys!


Tuesday, April 27, 2010

E-Fellowship Rally

Proverbs 25:2 "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings."

Hopefully some of you read the post below that Sam wrote, surely you did. My heart is grieved and I feel like this is a call to action. This group is big, real big and I think we ALL need to take a leap of faith here and help this family out. I've been trying to convince myself to not send a check for the last 48 hours but I can't convince myself to not take any action. My proposal is that we all throw a check in the mail (regardless of the amount, 1 dollar will do). Let's see what happens, don't get caught up in any thoughts other than the idea that some action/money is better than none. By doing this we will give God a chance to blow our minds with what He can do. Let's help put this family under a roof. To Sam's credit he is too shy to ask for any help from us because he probably doesn't want to be seen as a burden but I don't have an issue with asking. I really think this is a call to action from the Lord. Once again, don't talk yourself out of this or sell your contribution short, just do it in faith, $1 will be a great contribution. Please send any contributions to the below address. If you haven't read what this is for please read the post under this one on the home page. Blessings.

P.S. The above scripture I believe is saying that we need to act in faith and not always figure things out before we act. Trust what the Holy Spirit tells you.

Sam Marsonek
21226 Preservation Dr.
Land O Lakes, Fl 34638

Friday, April 23, 2010

Comin' Outta Retirement

Fellas,
I've been on the shelf a long time now, but I've continued to read and stay challenged by everyone's emails. So I thank you guys for staying committed. A lot has happened in my life over the past six months.... The Plant Panthers won our second straight championship this past Dec, while 12-15 of the players continue to come to a weekly bible study/homeless outreach. A few days after the quake in Haitii, myself and former teammate Brian Reith headed down to lend a hand......not enough time to write all that God did. My baseball team, the Cambridge Christian Lancers are dominating fools(remember the name Peter Miller) as we make our way to the state playoffs but more importantly am seeing young men's faith grow daily. Oh yeah, lil Mason James(or Makenna Ruth) Marsonek is in the womb right now gettin lose. Kristens about five months pregnant and we are all jacked up on Mountain Dew!
The real reason I decided to write was to share something that happened to me and a few of my football guys from Plant last night. As we were in downtown Tampa, takin Subway orders from some homeless folks, we came across a young woman. After talking to her awhile she professed to be a believer and in a short time, began reciting scripture. Then a young boy, about 16 yo 6'3" 230lb, came strollin up to us. Come to find out, it was her son..... We spent the next 2 hours hangin out with this mom and her son. We learned that Maria worked the lunch shift from 11-3, while Jacob attended Middleton HS, where hes tryin out for the football team. Well, I ended up giving them a ride back to where they are stayin, a storage unit about a mile from downtown.....Can you imagine trying to attend HS, let alone play football livin like that???? They didnt actually sleep in the unit, its only 5x8, they slept outside of it on the concrete. Needless to say my heart was crushed, as were the three other guys who came with me. But before we left that night, we made some vows..... One of the guys was going to meet Jacob twice a week to help tutor, another is responsible for gathering clothes and shoes, and the other is now raising money for food. My end of the bargain is to find them a place to live.... I would just like to ask that you guys pray for guidance and assistance while we try and provide physical needs for Maria and Jacob. Thanks!
Competing for His Heart,
Sam

Friday, April 16, 2010

Designated to Triple-A

As I was sitting in my hotel room on Wednesday night, I came across some articles online with quotes from me earlier that day explaining my reaction to being designated back to Triple-A. The quotes (some misquoted) seemed lacking of any real substance and gave no definition whatsoever to how I was feeling at that moment. Perhaps, I am to blame for the way I apparently came off but often times a reporter is simply looking to get a quick story from someone rather than getting someone's story. I, myself, am more interested in people's stories rather than simple stories about people. That being said, here is the real answer to how I felt upon hearing about my designation. I'm sharing because I find it worth sharing.


To simply say that I was disappointed would be a pretty significant understatement. I held back tears the best that I could as I explained what had just happened to two of my teammates waiting for me as I returned to my locker to pack my things. I was discouraged at the thought of calling my wife and informing her of our upcoming descent on this roller-coaster ride of professional baseball. I hated and feared the sadness that might be felt by my friends and family back home who were so proud to see me in that big league uniform. This was supposed to be my year. I felt like a failure. From sitting in that office hearing the news, to packing my things in the clubhouse, to laying in bed that night in my hotel room, I had so many questions that I wanted an answer to and so many thoughts streaming through my mind. However, for some reason, and to my surprise, all of these thoughts and questions seemed to be faint echoes buried deep in the back of my mind. I could barely hear them on account of a much bigger Voice making its presence known. A Voice telling me that "everything is going to be alright", "I've got plans for you, and you are going right where I want you". I knew who it was and I was so grateful to feel God's presence. Immediately, I felt the peace of God which transcends all understanding guarding my heart and mind. I felt strength that I didn't know I had and that is why I felt the truth should be heard.


Praise God my Father in heaven for moments of adversity because it is in these moments in which I get to tap into that extra strength that only God can provide. God's grace is sufficient for me and His power is made known through times of weakness. That is why the apostle Paul claimed that he delighted in times of weakness because when he was weak, he felt a strength that only God could provide. Praise God for days like Wednesday because it is on days such as these that I get to fly my flag of faith which glorifies my God in heaven which is my purpose here on earth anyway. So I stand today comforted by a God in heaven who cares for me and loves me unconditionally. A love that was clearly displayed through the sacrifice of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on that cross to save me from sin and death and lead me onto righteousness and life. Baseball promotions and demotions don't define me. So whether it be from the tallest mountain or the deepest valley, I will continue to shout praises to my King.


May God be glorified,


- Terry

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Bow Down!

Romans 14:10b-11 "For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11 It is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God." NIV

Philippians 2:10 "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord." NIV

There is a lack of responsibility these days and we all fall into the trap of living life to shed ourselves of responsibility. Think about it. You push to graduate so you don't have to go to school ever again, you work to retire so you never have to labor again. We reply to questions using vague terms so we're not held accountable, we ride the fence on issues because we don't want to be offensive. Have you ever noticed that we say "responsible for" and not "responsible to"? Here is my point: we have been called into existence, we have been called into responsibility, stand up and be accounted for. We can't hide any longer, we never could anyway, God has been watching. Let's live our lives always being accountable and not hiding behind the curtain in the dark. Live with integrity knowing that daily these efforts will continue to transform us. Yes these little daily efforts weigh heavy on the state of our Spirit. Live this way because every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is God! Be certain of your own salvation and get on the train of sanctification that cleanses us daily. We've made the right choice, like Baj (Jeff) said "He's coming back", the Word is clear on that. Living a life with a healthy fear of your Daddy keeps you from indulging in sin that can kill you so why not live a life responsible to God so that we may have life. Oh did I mention that the life I speak of will be eternal? Whoopsy!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Godly humility

What's up y'all? One of the attributes of Jesus that we have been discussing is that of humility. Humility, or the act of being humble, is found all over the Bible. Mainly with Jesus. We all know the story. Jesus humbles himself by agreeing to step down into the ranks of a fallen and sinful world so that He can die for our sins. Jesus knew the horrible death that he would have to endure and He knew he would be betrayed by Judas. He could have stopped it at any time, but He didn't. He could have called forth an army of angels to stop the soldiers from crucifying Him, but He didn't. Jesus knew that a perfect sacrifice had to be made to cleanse us of our sins. He knew that a lambs blood was no longer sufficient for a mans sin. The sacrifice had to be perfect, and it had to be human.... it had to be Jesus. Jesus signed himself up for that. An almost unbelievable act of humility.
What about us though? God has given us talents. All of us have things we do well no matter how small. When I was growing up I thought being humble was telling people I wasn't good at something when I knew I was. Here's what I know now. God has blessed us with talents, and I think He's proud of what He's created. I bet you that when He gives us talents He wants to be glorified with them. God wants us to realize that He is the strength behind our success. When we do well, we should realize that He is the reason for it. We should not be ashamed of the things God has blessed us with. God is our strength. By having a Godly view of humility we are pronouncing to the world that even through our success we are a creation of God. Thankyou God for Your continuous blessings on my life. Help me to remember that it is Your strength that propels me, and not my own. Help me to realize that when times are tough it is You that can bring me through it, not myself.

-waino

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Let Me Pray About It

"Ya, I hear ya but let me pray about it." -unknown-
"I've been really convicted of making an adjustment in this area but I need to continue to pray about it, God will make it clear and then I'll move forward." -unknown-

Have you heard this before? Are you the author of lines like these? I've been guilty of this before and today I heard a man in my bible study lay this out. Mind you that this is when God led Moses down to the Red Sea with all the Jews. They were sitting there like "yo what do we do now, were trapped, dang Moses, you're a terrible leader." Moses was saying "have faith and pray." Here is what God said.

Exodus 14:15-16 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground." NIV

Exodus 14:15 "Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stop praying and go." LTV

Have you ever put off doing what you're pretty sure God wants you to do because you're too scared or too comfortable in your sin? I really don't think God makes the decision clear for us all the time. Many times it requires our obedience to step forward in faith and after a step or two we start to see that God's will was in it. All too often Christians can use the "I need to pray on it some more" as a cop out, we have to be careful of this. I'm not saying it's bad to "be still" or to "pray for an answer", we just need to know when to move. Here is some wisdom from my tee-ball coach, "you can't steal second with your foot on first." How's that for knowledge? We have to be bold sometimes to step out in faith and flex our muscle.
Be blessed my friends, He is risen and is coming back.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

For God So Loved the World...

When tough things like the loss of a loved one or something bad happens we naturally ask ourselves why things like that happen. I think we've covered this topic several times before but I wanted to point out one more thing. And, tomorrow is Easter Sunday, the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ rising from the tomb. Resurrection Day as you might hear it said. So the next time someone asks why did God allow this or that...remember that our LOVING AND MERCIFUL God sent His OWN son to die for our sins on the cross. Being a father of two beautiful girls this hits me extra hard. I cannot, for the life of me, imagine sending one of my babies to die for such a motley crew like us. Our God loves us and our Savior is ALIVE. Tomorrow we should remember the amazing sacrifice that freed us from our sins. I love Easter eggs and all that but lets make sure we keep our eye on the ball to what Easter is all about. Easter is about Jesus. It's about Jesus who suffered to make payment for all our sins. It's about Jesus conquering death on the third day just like it was predicted in prophecy. When that tomb opened and Jesus folded the napkin He told us he wasn't done yet (thanks Jules), and He continues to work in us every day. Happy Easter guys. Just remember how special a day it actually is.

-waino

He gave His only begotten son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life

Friday, April 2, 2010

Do you pray for more faith?

Sup fellas, let's rock! Luke 17:5 says, "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith!" Ya'll ever pray prayers like that? I'll be the first to say I know I have. I mean, these are Jesus's dudes who were with Him for over three years, watching Jesus heal people, cast out demons, and raise the dead, but yet they still asked for more faith....really?? But Jesus was telling His disciples that they didn't need any more faith, and that just a small amount will move mountains. The little that they had could do much, but they were not using it.

To me, it's almost like when you pray for faith, you are praying to believe. And, I don't think you can pray to believe. Either you believe or you don't believe. Such a prayer is almost based more on unbelief than it is belief, and therefore would not be answered. Instead, faith grows as the Word is taken into our lives and acted upon. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Faith comes and increases as we hear and believe the Word and put it into practice.

It is not the size of your faith that counts, it is the size of your God. If you believe, you activate heaven. So, if you wanna increase your faith, increase the intake of the Word of God. What you know of the Word becomes the limit of your faith because you can believe only what you know. So, this is where church, Bible studies, e-fellowship, etc. plays its crucial role; covering all aspects of the Christian life in order to understand how God operates in every area of life because we want to have faith in all those areas.


trying to die to myself,
-tmart

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Why Did Jesus Fold The Napkin

I got this from Blakes Pops and it rocked me, I've never heard this before.

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?
Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?
I never noticed this..... The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple out ran Peter and got there first. He stopped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side. Was that important? Absolutely! Is it really significant? Yes! In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.. Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.. The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished.." But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"

AND SO HE SHALL.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Treasures In The Sand

Matthew 6:19-20 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

I remember as a kid digging a big hole and burying my favorite truck in it. I stood over the ground where the hole was, after just filling it in, and felt so accomplished. The next day I tried to dig up my truck and to my horror I couldn't find it. I was heartbroken, "man, my favorite truck is gone", what was I to do. The next day I was playing with some new toy, resurrected from the pile of misfit toys that I had abandoned for new ones over my brief couple years as a toy aficionado. I say that to bring to our attentions the fact that possessions never seem to be as big of deal as we think, they all wear out. Funny how things can seem so important but once they're gone we can easily live without them.

How about our reputations? Can that be seen as an earthly treasure? I loved being a professional athlete and there were times when I feared life after the game because my reputation and status wouldn't be as important after it. I also was guilty of fearing the idea that I might not make it to the big leagues and be seen as a failure to my family and friends. Now that I've made it to the other side I can honestly say life is good and all those fears were a lie. Life after the game can be awesome with family, good friends, and especially kids. Worldly reputations are fleeting, the relationships that have been continuing on after my playing days have been with believers who impacted my life for eternity.

This might seem a little scattered but the important question is, where is our treasure? Where is our reward? The answer is that our treasure is Jesus and He is our reward. Were all called to step up.