How to Prepare a Turkey

Preparation is probably the most underappreciated yet invaluable part of a great Thanksgiving celebration.  If you’ve ever been a part of a home anticipating a crowd, especially a crowd expecting a feast, football, and a place to fall asleep, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

What I have observed lately, though, is a couple of instances of how to prepare a "turkey" of another sort – that is, a failure or a person that is inept.

Example #1 – My favorite football team, the Denver Broncos, are preparing some of their key players to live in fear.  Rather than trust players like Montee Ball and Trindon Holliday to bounce back, hold on to the ball, and do what they’ve been trained and gifted to do, the coaches decide to go another route.  Rather, because they had fumbled earlier in the game (and, admittedly, have had issues in the past) they put in people with less experience (CJ Anderson) or different roles (Wes Welker).  The result is two-fold – you get less reward on the front end because those aren’t the best at their position AND you put fear as the main motivation for Ball and Holliday.  I believe last night’s game was lost because of an inexperienced Welker NOT calling his teammates off in time.  He wasn’t as much a part of punting practice, he has other roles that he’s concerned about, and he has his former home crowd to deal with as well.  Now, Ball and Holliday are prepared to play in fear of the “one more fumble” that could cost them their job, rather than playing out of a love for the game and a confidence that they are capable of doing their job and doing it well.

Example #2 – One didn’t need to watch the American Music Awards to know that sex would be a theme and outlandishness would be the norm.  When the news programs the next morning use words like “gyrating” and “cybercat” you know the kind of feast our current generation is feeding on.  Current trends of living together, friends with benefits, and the acceptance of “soft porn” into the mainstream is exactly what we have been preparing for the last 40 years or so.  The results are obvious . . . the question is relevant – when will we stop feeding on impulse and start speaking to the heart?  According to history, we won’t, until the results get beyond our control.  Now, we are living in a world where we don’t know how to listen to things that matter or pursue things that are true because we’ve been fed falsities for far too long.

Yesterday, in our little town of 3500, a group of us pastors gathered the community for a Thanksgiving Prayer and Praise Service.  All but one of the churches was involved and an Evangelical pastor (me) was able to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ in a Catholic church building.  About 100 people gathered from the different congregations as we tried to prepare them for a Thanksgiving with purpose.  Outside of the reality that Jesus is the only way for us to get to God (see I Timothy 2:5-6), Thanksgiving becomes a time where we just end up eating lots, thanking each other (or no one in particular), and never acknowledging the YOU that we are supposed to be saying THANK YOU to.

Today, we are each preparing for what's next by what we choose to focus on:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2

Have a GREAT Grateful Thanksgiving!

What Incites You?

Does anything incite you?
Does nothing incite you?
Something incites you!

After reading some comments and articles on the Los Angeles Dodgers' division-winning celebration in the pool at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, I found myself becoming very opinionated and a little peeved.  As with many sports-related issues that I love to read about, write about, and talk with others about, this one can be permanently filed away in the "It doesn't really matter in the long run" file.  We know this, but we still get emotional about many such matters, whether it's sports, politics, morality, or religion.

Since this is my first post since LAST football season, I'll be brief.

Before getting into what truly incites me, allow me to list three rock-solid truths that we must remember:
1.  Life will not go the way you plan.  We can't even predict what will happen in the next hour, let alone planning the rest of our lives.  Is planning good?  Of course . . . count the cost . . . plan ahead . . . live with purpose.  Yet, this truth will help each of us deal with surprises with much less surprise.
2.  Sin is a problem of epidemic proportions.  Not only will things not go as planned, but BAD things will happen through you, to you, and without your help.  Until Jesus returns and rescues those who are His own, we must all be prepared for the worst.
3.  Nobody is better than anybody else.  Ultimately, we are all in the same boat.  We all need rescuing.  Nobody has a right to say, "I deserve eternal life."

Second, let me share what incites me, most of all.  No, not what gets me excited each Sunday afternoon or when I read political articles.  This is something that, ANYTIME I start thinking about it, I feel overwhelmed and want to simply snap my fingers hoping it'll all change.  What incites me most of all is our continued belief and practice that God can be ignored and that we're OK on our own.

"Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will exalt you."  James 4:10

• God's plan will win out.
• Our sin is paid for by God's only son, Jesus Christ.
• Each of us need Jesus in order to be saved and live a full life.

Not just for eternity, but in the here and now, learning about, loving, and following Jesus is the only way to deal with whatever incites you.  He will give you perspective and, more importantly, He will give you life that is truly life.

Using what you've got

As I ponder what happened to my beloved Denver Broncos (fan since the mid '70's), the name of my blog came to mind:

The Broncos, at least 3 times, left something on the field.  

At the end of each half they left timeouts and more than 30 seconds on the clock.  This was more than enough time for the Atlanta Falcons, the next day, to drive 41 yards (in 11 seconds, by the way) for their game-winning field goal.  Now, work with me here, we've got Peyton Manning (better than Matt Ryan), trying to set up Matt Prater (longer kicker than Matt Bryant) in mile-high altitude with at least two timeouts left.  Then, with a 7 point lead late in the 4th quarter, we had 3rd down and 7 yards to go, we left the 18 million dollar man that can throw 7 yard strikes with his eyes closed to hand off to Jacob Hester "just to be safe."  Yes, Dan Dierdorf, there was somebody else out their scratching his head (and throwing his hat and making a scene).

When it comes to "Leaving it on the field," you've got to use what you've got.  At the end of each game, at the end of each day, and at the end of THE Day, I must be able to say that I've put to use what God has given me for the purposes He's given me.

I get in a funk when I start complaining about all the things I DON'T have - a certain kind of talent or personality, enough time, enough money . . . you get the idea.  Even legitimate complaints (which very few of them are) should not be entertained because it's in God's very capable hands.

The fact remains that God has given each of us a task to do that is much bigger than ourselves.  In order to grab ahold of this task, get the tools to do it, and have a purpose each day of your life, you must trust God's only way to having a relationship with Him - Jesus Christ.  Check out, from Ephesians 1:3,4, what happens to those who trust Him and Him alone:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before Him.

Now, work with me here, are you (and I) willing to leave all of this great stuff from the Creator of the universe "on the field"?  First, accept Him right now by trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior (see Ephesians 1:7-10 for more info on that).  Then, you can start discovering how to use your God-given talents, personality, even material possessions for Him so that you leave nothing on the field.

If you watched the Denver/Baltimore game on January 12, 2013 the play that will get played over and over again is Denver safety, Rahim Moore, misjudging the flight of the ball and being out of position for the game-tying touchdown near the end of regulation.  Even though he clearly could have done a better job, at least he jumped his highest and seemingly gave it all - more than can be said for whoever decides when and how they should use two timeouts and their greatest tool - Peyton Manning.

What is honest sexuality?

Ever since Madonna some 25 years ago, there seems to be a pervading mentality amongst Americans that if your honest about your sexual feelings then you're going down the right road.  This road, as it's communicated to us, is the best road because we're no longer hiding and we can really be ourselves.

This mindset has contributed to us glorifying the "American Pie" movies as successful movie-making.  It has made celebrities out of people who simply choose to flaunt their sexuality on what we've chosen to call "reality TV."  It has forced young, talented singers like Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and maybe even Justin Bieber to "turn up the heat" on their lyrics and stage presence in order to keep selling records.  Recently, it has made a villain out of new-Christian Angus T. Jones because he spoke out against the content of the show he's on, "Two and a Half Men," calling it "filth."

Yes, we have come to a place where a person can feel convicted by something he's been doing, want to become a better person, and be publicly lambasted for it.  Yet, at the same time, Fiat, Direct TV, and a European beer company use Charlie Sheen (the former star of the same show) and his bad boy image to sell their products.

Truly honest sexuality is when a person comes to grips with who invented sex (God), who is trying to reinvent sex (Satan - God's enemy), and how the original cannot be reinvented.  A person does not have to do very much research to see the devastating effects of living life based on the lie of Satan that sex can and should be had when we want and how we want it.  It produces all kinds of abuse, unwanted pregnancies, dehumanizing of females through pornography, and the defining of a person based on their sexual preference.

Each of every person on the face of this earth is a creation of God Almighty (Colossians 1:16).  Not only that, but each and every person is created in God's image (Genesis 1:26), which means that He put His heart and soul into who we are and why we're here (see Psalm 139:14).  As a result, we have no choice but to search with our whole hearts WHO our Creator is, WHY He created us, and WHAT we are to do about it.  I guarantee you that if you seek Him and His Word based on this premise, you will find TRUE sexuality, placed in its right context, and end up with life that is truly life.  This world cannot offer such a guarantee with its shallow, lust-based, selfish version of the original.

"God bless America"?

Early Wednesday morning (late night of Election 2012), both candidates ended their speeches with the phrase "God bless America."

I shuddered.

After the long road of declaring your knowledge of everything and your opponent's stupidity in all things . . .
After pointing out that you are RIGHT and that the other person is wrong. . .
After making the motivation of your campaign, in essence, what people want to hear. . .
After lying to yourself and others about what you will do. . .

. . . do we really expect God to bless what goes on from here on out?

If there's an acknowledgement of God at the end of a campaign, what kind of acknowledgment was there during the campaign?  I don't mean blanket statements or addressing praying breakfasts and religious activist groups.  No, I mean acknowledging with humility and bent knee that God is who He reveals Himself to be and that we, in start contrast to Him, are under His sovereignty and lack ability to do anything on our own.

Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  Ecclesiastes 12:13

We want the blessings of an all-powerful, loving, merciful God, right?  Yet we, many times, refuse to come to any sort of conclusion that He is in charge and, therefore, has every right to withhold blessing and even pronounce curse.  What?  Curse?  No, not the God I believe in.  He would never do anything to allow anybody to get hurt . . . right?

Without getting too much into how God's control of matters interacts with our free will, the key subject at hand hear is our willingness (and ability) to PLACE OURSELVES UNDER God's ultimate authority.  Think about it:  if He allowed is own Son (Jesus Christ) to suffer at the hands of sinful, mortal man for our sake, why wouldn't He allow suffering for the sake of our eventual benefit and His glory?

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Corinthians 5:21


If we truly want to be blessed by the Almighty Creator of the universe, then we better humble ourselves under His mighty right hand.  Then, AND ONLY THEN, will we know Him and understand what it truly means to be right(eous)!

Strugglin'

• Where do you turn when, for no particular reason, you're just having a hard time "getting going" or making sense of things?
• What do you do when you have feelings of self-doubt, can't see the glass as half full, and can only remember recent failures instead of successes?
• To whom do you go to when you think you know exactly what people will say in response to your struggle?
• Finally, what happens when the sermon you just preach, though ringing true for you all the previous week, is falling on your deaf ears the day after?

Well, it's time to turn to the One who is ALWAYS present, ALWAYS hears my feeble prayers, ALWAYS can empathize with what I'm going through, and can ALWAYS be depended on 100%.  It's time to take God at His word as He says to me, "Trust Me."  Two simple words which tests, more than anything else, the ability of the person to TRUST, rather than the ability of God to be trusted.

Let's take the God-given truths of JOY and PEACE and receive them as gifts.  Let's do that straight from His Word and truly take Him at His word:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.                        - Philippians 4:4-7 (New Living Translation)

Why can I be full of joy in the midst of even the strugglin'?  By recognizing the nearness of His return, which puts things in perspective, and motivates me to be considerate, gentle, and understanding to those around me.

How can I obtain peace when things are not peaceful?  Instead of worrying, or being anxious, I need to pray about everything.  In thankfulness for all He's done and all He is, I simply lay it all out to Him.  THEN, Scripture says, "you will experience God's peace." Not after you've solved all your "issues."  Not after learning how to ignore the bad stuff.  Not after getting over it.  Rather, learning to literally place it all in the hands of God and trusting that, because of the work of Jesus Christ, He's truly got your back.

"Trust Me," God says to you and me.  Stop and hear Him say that to you today.  He's literally across the breakfast table from you or sitting next to you on your couch or sitting in a chair beside your bed looking at you in the eyes and saying, "Trust Me."  What does that look like?  What does it motivate you to do, or not do, or say, or not say?

Thank Him for His trustworthiness, His power, and His intense love for you.

World, what will I do with you?

From tyrannical leaders in Africa and an 11-year old getting the death sentence in Pakistan to Americans turning a deaf ear to more deaths in Afghanistan while dealing with needless deaths of young people seemingly every day.  Nothing makes real sense any more.  What about the fact that solid, sensical, biblical standards are being treated like garage sale clothes ("they don't fit" or "they're out of style")?

Is there any hope any more?  What do we do with all of this disturbing news and trying issues?  The way I see it from my limited perspective, it seems that we have one of four responses:

• Ignore it and live in our own little world.
• Escape it through pursuing pleasures.
• Combat it by using all our resources to make it better.
• Embrace it by submitting to the Higher Authority.

However you choose to live your life in this world, it'd be best to know how you will deal with all the crud that goes on.  If you choose to live in your own world, you can claim ignorance, be happy in it, and hope for the best.  Can we really live in a bubble, though?  Can we CHOOSE to not be affected by what's going on around us?  Good luck with that.

The second option is similar to the first, but instead of choosing ignorance, your choosing numbness.  Overloading your world with so much busyness, pleasure, and/or addictions that there's no time or energy to think about what's going on.  Are you ready to ignore your most important relationships?  Are you ready to accept the consequences of putting all your eggs in the "what the world has to offer" basket?  Please don't trust the world with all that.

Third, you could get into politics, social movements, or devote yourself to philanthropic adventures with the noble intentions of making the world better.  Though this sounds like a great option, certainly more satisfying than the first two, it is dependent on a wishy washy element - YOU!  Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly a wishy washy element as well - we all are.  Plus, WHEN we fall short, how do you get up again and put your whole heart into another effort.

Finally, I suggest that we each realize that all of this crud is part of the package that comes with living in this world, on this side of heaven.  Again, we're not giving up or helplessly fighting it, but we are submitting to God Almighty, doing His bidding, and leaving the results to Him.  Rather than fixing the whole system, we're giving hope to those broken by the system.  This hope is that the love of Christ came into the world, rescued us from the world's crud, and is still alive and well inside all followers of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.  The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.  2 Peter 3:9,10

Take Heart!  This world is not all there is - something much better is coming.  In the meantime, join the One who has all the answers and give your life to Jesus Christ.