Do It Afraid

"Do it afraid" was one of my moms favorite sayings.  Because fear dominated her life for so many years, this phrase helped my mom conquer many of the phobias that plagued her life.  Although she never experienced the total deliverance God had for her, she set each of her children on a path of faith that has helped us defeat our fears.  I don't want you to think this was an easy process.  As a teenager, I had an irrational fear of the dark.  It haunted me for over 2 years.  I use the word irrational because the Bible tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind.  This fear even followed me into adulthood.  In my early 20's I was a sales manager and yet I was afraid to make sales calls.  Again, this was an irrational fear.  Success with one customer failed to give me the confidence with others.  It seemed like fear was my constant companion.  For some reason fear seems to hitch a ride during the course of our lives.  There may be specific events that lead to this or we might possibly catch it from someone close to us.  Whatever the cause, Jesus Christ came to set us free from fear.  My mother's example gave me hope that progress can be made in this area of our lives.  My advantage was I started much earlier than my mom.  Two additional things helped me.  First, spending time praising God.  In praise, God becomes bigger and fears become smaller.  As we proclaim the power, glory and majesty of our God the spirit of fear disappears.  At first this is only temporary, but eventually it becomes more permanent.  Second, the Word of God convinced me that I did not have to live in fear.  I memorized the verse from Timothy that says God has not given us a spirit of fear and I have quoted it back to myself thousands of times.  That verse energized my faith and now acts like an immunization keeping fear away.  If you are interested in "Doing it afraid" we will be starting a new series on this subject in the fall at the Champion Center.

Mountain View Christian School

I believe one of the keys to raising children is to put them in a Christian School.  That is why the Champion Center of Las Vegas is the proud sponsor of Mountain View Christian Schools.  These schools consist of a preschool, elementary, middle school and high school.  The mission of MVCS is to graduate Christian leaders who by their commitment to academic excellence and spirituality vitality will transform the world for Jesus Christ.  Following this mission, MVCS is preparing the next generation to thrive in a world of chaos and to change the world for God's praise and glory.  I want every member of the Champion Center family to seriously consider how they can get their children enrolled at MVCS.  I guarantee you it will be worth any sacrifice you need to make.  If you do not feel you can afford the tuition, apply for one of the many scholarships that are available.  I believe God wants 100 new kids from the Champion Center enrolled at MVCS for this upcoming year.  What do you need to do?  First, pray about it.  Second, put together a budget.  Third, get the enrollment packet.  Fourth,  talk to a school representative.  Fifth, talk to your children about MVCS.  Sixth, take a tour of the school.  Finally, enroll.  If you have any questions, ask me.  I will help in any way I can.

Ed Block Courage Awards

I am sitting in my hotel room in Baltimore Maryland getting ready for The Ed Block Courage Awards.  These prestigious awards are given to one NFL player from each team who demonstrates courage, compassion, commitment and community.  What makes a person courageous?  The dictionary defines courage as the quality of mind or spirit that allows a person to face danger, difficulty or pain without fear.  However, can we really face these challenges without fear?  When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den was he without fear?  When you hear a report from the doctor that you have a terminal illness, does a courageous person face this crisis without fear?  I don't think so.  Nehemiah chapter two says "I was very much afraid, but I said to the king".  Courage is not the absence of fear.  It is the power to overcome fear.  Nehemiah spoke in spite of his fear.  Courage is the presence of mind to act in the face of paralyzing circumstances.  Nehemiah knew that the penalty for his act was death, so where did his courage come from?  I believe his courage arose from a conviction and a commitment.  A conviction that what he was doing was both right and necesarry, and a commitment to God.  He was convinced of the worthiness of his cause and the greatness of his God.  Therefore, true courage is not some arbitrary power that you can summon up any time you need it.  It is built upon the foundation of conviction, commitment and character.  And it is housed under the roof of a worthy cause.

Stop and Smell the Roses

In 1974, a singer by the name of Mac Davis, came out with a hit song entitled "Stop and Smell the Roses".  It's a song that challenges us to slow down and appreciate the things in life that really matter.  In the chorus we are encouraged to count our many blessings every day, and in the final verse it says you can almost hear the voice of God in the breeze.  Although this is a secular song it is filled with many spiritual truths.  These truths can be found in James 1:19 where it says everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  We need to slow down enough to hear God's voice.  Every day we should set time aside to pray and read our Bibles.  We need a place where we can meet with God.  A secret place.  A place away from the sounds of the media, the voices of people, and the interuptions of life.  The Bible calls this place your closet.  It can be your backyard, your bedroom, or even a walk in the park.  Remember, you are there to listen. 

When you do speak start by saying thank you.  Counting our blessings every day is a practice we all need to get into.  Purposely disengage from the speed of light pace of life and look around at what is good.  Each of us can find dozens of things every day for which we can give thanks.  Finally, we need to be slow to get angry.  Throughout the Bible God is described as being slow to anger.  This characteristic is described as long-suffering or patience in the New Testament.  It is a fruit of the spirit that God expects his people to possess.  Patience is really not something you need to pray for.  Our fast paced life is a perfect training ground for patience.  James tells us that the trying of our faith worketh patience.  A Christian who practices a life of prayer and praise will see the trials of life in a different light.  Over time they will be able to give thanks even in these situations and the Bible promises that patience will be developed.

The Storms of Life

Over the last few weeks I have been reading about two different guys who faced storms.  First, there was Paul.  In Acts chapter 27 Paul was on his way to Rome.  After more than two years of confinement he appeals to Caesar and is put on the next ship out of town.  Early on in the journey Paul perceives they are heading for trouble.  No one listens to Paul and they find themselves in the middle of a crisis.   A storm of huricane proportions is overwhelming the ship.  After a long struggle God comforts Paul with a word of deliverance.  Encouraged, Paul uses the storm as an opportunity to show his leadership skills and point people to Christ. 

Hundreds of years earlier another follower of God found himself in a storm.  His name was Jonah.  Unlike Paul, he seemed oblivious to everything around him.  While the storm was waging Jonah was asleep inside the ship.  Rather than bringing comfort Jonah was actually the cause of this crews problems. 

What should we learn from these two stories.  First, storms are a part of life.  In Jonah's life the storm was actually sent from God as a form of discipline.  In Paul's life it just happened to be storm season.  And sometimes the enemy of our soul will try and cause a storm to discourage us and get us off track.  Second, storms can wake us up.  They cause us to cry out to God and put our trust in him.  Our need for God is never more real than when we are in the middle of a crisis.  Finally, storms end.  For Jonah the key was obeying God's Word and for Paul the key was holding on to God's word.  God's word is our anchor in the storm.

Drift

Two years ago, I was with my family in Cancun.  My two younger boys and I decided we wanted to go swimming.  I remember wading out into the water about 25 or 30 feet.  After splashing around for a few minutes I noticed we had drifted more than 50 feet from where we originally started.  In order for us to maintain our postition we had to continually reaclimate ourselves to where my wife was sitting.  Drift is one of the biggest problems in the Christian life.  We start out with so much passion for the things of God, but we often get distracted by the things of this world and the worries of life.  Our intentions are not to move away from God, however that is exactly what happens.  The author of Hebrews warns us that we must pay more careful attention so that we do not drift away.  What is he talking about?  He is talking about the Gospel.  Our focus and our attention must continually be reoriented towards Gods' Word.  Because God's Word is alive and active it will continually nugde us and push us back into alignment with God.  This is why the Psalmist said "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path".

Our Compass in a Sea of Change

Baseball umpire Durwood Merrill tells of his rookie year of umpiring in the major leagues.  It was the first time he had called balls and strikes with the famous pitcher, Nolan Ryan.  The second pitch of the game was so fast that Miller never saw it.  He froze, unable to make the call.  Finally he yelled somewhat tentatively, “Strike!”  The batter backed out of the box and said, “Ump, don’t feel so bad, I didn’t see it either!”

This story is a good illustration of what is happening in the world today.  Change is occurring so fast that none of us can see it clearly.  Yet we have to make vital calls and daily decisions about very important things, all the time wondering if we are making the right ones.  There has never been a time when we have needed a standard more in our lives than we do today.  We need a fixed point, a true north, an unchanging standard on which we can base our decisions and not have to worry about changing them.  God has given us such a standard.  It is the Word of God, the Holy Bible.  It contains the rock-solid, never changing, and always-relevant truth.  Unbelievers might say the Bible is irrelevant and outdated.  Believers know that “…the word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

Christmas Communion

This morning we had what we call corporate communion at the Champion Center.  That is where all the employees get together at 7:30am for a time around the table of the Lord.  It was a unique time together because we contemplated both the birth and the death of Jesus Christ at the same time.  Christmas and communion together.  In the manger Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes, a bundle of joy for the shepherds to see.  In the grave he was wrapped in grave clothes, a man of sorrows for the world to see.   At his birth Mary pondered these things in her heart.  At communion we are exhorted to examine our own hearts.  After seeing Jesus the shepherds left praising and glorifying God.  At communion we are moved to praise and glorify God.  Christmas was the fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus coming to the world.  Communion is the hope of prophecy, until He comes again.

How’s your vision?

Over the last few years my vision has been getting worse.  I need readers in the evening, I am overly sensative to the sun, and my eyes are always dry.  I yearn for my old 20/20 vision.  But as my physical eyes dim, my spiritual eyes grow keener.  What I am talking about is the ability to see life from God’s perspective.   Most people view life through the inspection lens.  They see things the way they are.  These people might be described as realists.  They can be negative, cynical, and often depressed about their life.  Other people view life through the lens of imagination.  They see things how they could be.  They use their imagination to paint a picture of a preferred future.  This can lead to invention and innovation.  Although imagination is a great characteristic, I believe it still falls short of the ultimate vision which is inspiration.  The lens of inspiration allows you to see things the way God sees them.  In Isaiah 43:19  God says ”See, I am doing a new thing.”  Then he asks the all important question.  “Do you not perceive it?”  In other words do you see what God sees.  Inspiration comes as you fill your mind with thoughts of God.  Inspiration comes as you look to God’s word for wisdom and guidance.  Inspiration comes as you see God high and lifted up in regular praise and worship.