The Making of a Winner

Even though it was accomplished in a hostile environment, the convincing victory achieved by the Buckeyes was awesome. There still remains much work to be accomplished. Anthony Gonzalez, a wide-receiver put in perspective as he stated it was not a national championship game. There remain many obstacles between the Buckeyes and the title game.
However, if they had not been victorious in this game in Austin, Texas, their chances for playing in the national championship game would have suffered an irreparable blow. Ten games remain for the Buckeyes and while any of these teams have an outside chance to upset OSU, three stand-out as significant challenges. These games are Penn State, Iowa, and Michigan.
On many occasions teams have prepared for the key match-ups only to be impeded by one of the lesser opponents. To contend for a national championship, the Buckeyes will have to be prepared for each team. A blemish by any of the remaining seven teams on their schedule will derail their opportunity as quickly as a loss to any of the three teams which I have identified.
Any team that wins a championship trophy in has to have at least three things going for them. These are talent, preparation, and luck. Without the skilled athletes to perform on the field, teams can have successful seasons but they will fail to reach the championship. If these gifted athletes are unwilling to prepare, their ability will not propel them to the level that they would desire to achieve. Even luck enters the equation as there are certain actions that are beyond the control of any team.
An example of this is the two Texas and Ohio State games. In the 2005 game, if the Ohio State player would have held on to the ball as it was passed to him; it appears that the fate of Texas may have been doomed. That score may have demoralized the Longhorns to the extent that it would have been too large of a challenge to overcome.
In a similar fashion, if the Texas runner had not fumbled at about the two yard line in the 2006 game, but instead Texas would have scored or at least kicked a field goal, they would have gained momentum and the outcome may have been altered. Instead with the OSU recovery and then the return to mid-field, the Buckeyes gained confidence and Texas was crestfallen.
Our Christian lives are easily paralleled by the Ohio State experience. We may experience a significant victory in our walk only to realize, without ample opportunity to recover, we face another hindrance or complication. The challenge will not be lessened nor the hurdle reduced; we must rise up and represent the person of Jesus Christ at all times.
Like a championship team we have at least three items that must fall into place. Instead of talent, we must have grace. Grace enables us to accept ourselves as sinners in need of forgiveness. Without forgiveness we remain in the dreadful state as the remainder of humankind. Instead of preparation we must have obedience. It is scripturally imperative that we are obedient to Jesus Christ. We must love God, be witnesses, and make disciples. Instead of luck we have power from the Holy Spirit. We are empowered to live a victorious life and we are accepted as children of God.
One victory of temptation does not conclude our walk in this world. Each day we face new challenges in which we will need grace, obedience, and power to be light in the darkness that surrounds us. Our challenge is to faithfully walk in a manner worthy of the calling we have received.

Nothing New

When the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, “there is nothing new under the sun,” he focused on one of the dilemmas of being human. Even though since the time of this being written, by many accounts approximately 3,000 years ago, many inventions have increased productivity of humans and has made life much more comfortable for us.
However, most of these improvements have not changed the moral fiber of people but rather have given us additional time and resources to wallow in sin and self-destruction. The weapons of the time of this writing were deadly, however, these weapons, spears, arrows, daggers were designed to injure or kill one person.
As we have gained expertise over the years we developed bombs, missiles, nuclear weapons, and finally smart bombs. Rather than maiming or killing just one person, we now have the capability of destroying populations of more than 1,000,000 people with one nuclear device. Indeed there is nothing new in man’s vile destructive nature only the increased potential of the damage that humans can inflict.
Even though many persons adhering to a humanistic philosophy (which maintains that with sufficient education, training, and influence people will ultimately choose the higher road) over the period of recorded history we have proven the validity of the statement, “there is nothing new under the sun.” If we as humans remain dependent upon our own resources, we fall prey to the same vicious destructive cycle that seeks control over others. The inner quality of life has not improved with our best efforts at education and training.
Jeremiah defined the human heart as wicked. If one accepts this premise, then one can understand why humans have improved the weapons by which they seek domination and control. We live in fear knowing that the selfishness in which we exist is prevalent with other humans.
Rather than trusting the resources of mankind, we must acknowledge that we are inadequate to effect change in the human heart. This dilemma is solved in the person of Jesus Christ. In Christ we can experience a heart transformation that overcomes what education and training can not accomplish.

A Feverish Cup

The world is rocking with soccer matches having begun throughout Germany in the 2006 edition of the World Cup. I find it an enjoyable experience to watch the nationalism and enthusiasm of countries from around the world. It is not unlock our feverish addiction to college football.

We reduce our inhibitions as we cheer for our team, berate the officials, and sometimes make derogatory comments toward the opposing team. Sane individuals go to extremes to show support to their team from painting their faces the team colors to vans and motor homes also expressing this allegiance.

In watching games of the world cup, I am as fascinated with the crowds as am the games. From the first touch to the final second of the match, the crowds sing their countries praises. One can quickly discern which team one supports. This is equally true in World Cup soccer as it is in college football.

As Christians are we equally committed to the "cup" that Christ prepared for us to drink? Christ's cup offers us a victory that neither our national team nor our collegiate team can provide. In his cup we receive the benefits of a new covenant which is based on God's grace being extended to us. We as believers should be as feverish about this cup as the world is about its World Cup.

The Number "666"

We in the Christian world chase many rabbits. These tangents are not effective in communicating the truth of the Gospel message but seem to confuse those persons whom we would most like to see the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. One of those tangents is our fixation with the number sequence "666".

Why does this number receive the noteriety when the number "616" is also mentioned in several ancient manuscripts? Some of the translations even mention this number in footnote but we do not respond adversely to this number as we do "666".

I have heard numerous discussions pertaining to this date 06/ 06 /06 as a day to which we should give special attention. It is obvious to many that each century has this date configuration and this is simply the first of this millenium.

The more we attract attention to such nuances of the calendar, the more our credibilty is damaged in the public's view. In my opinion, it is time for the church to communicate the message of Jesus Christ focused in God's love for human beings, God's grace that reaches to us, and God's forgiveness that grants us of peace and confidence in this life and the life to come. If we emphasized these attributes and lived them, I believe we would see more people responding to our message than by constantly issuing warnings that create controversary and mistrust.

Visionary Mindset Looks Onward

If three people were to look down a long, winding path, each would potentially see something unique and challenging. The place where they now rest is not going to be comfortable for more than a night’s rest. A decision must be made about a sense of direction concerning the future. However, what will it take to gain a consensus as to how to work toward this future?

As the road climbs and winds out of sight, one might reflect on how arduous the trek has already been. What stands out to this person is that it is time to go back. Several miles back, there seems to have been a safe haven, even though at the time it did not have this appearance. For this person the best option is to go back. Even though this is less than ideal, one is aware of the dangers and nuances of what has been.

A second person looks away from the path. Is there a suitable area to build a shelter to either side of the path? Again it may not be ideal, but anything seems better than continuing this never ending march.

The third person looks ahead to the opportunities. This person reviews the past and concludes that the answers are not in what has been. That which is in the future affords one the chance to develop. That which is unknown also possesses the greatest risk. For this person the adventure is worth the risk.

Jesus challenged his followers to put their hands to the plow and then never look back. If we are committing to continue following Jesus then we must not look for a place of respite but rather continue the march to the prize which is our calling in Christ Jesus.

In Need of a New Investment Strategy

Churches across the United States and Europe have invested considerable time and resources into facilities. It is interesting that this is an area in which the Scriptures are silent.

The admonition is that we invest in people with Christlike love and mercy, however, somewhere over time we have altered this directive. If the church had available the resources which have been spent on facilities, maintenance, and other related costs, what is the impact which we could have made on our world?

Christ described his ministry to the disciples of John the Baptist as being focused on the poor. What could be the impact of a church with this same emphasis?

The High Price of Gasoline

My ears could not beleive the irony of the person complaining about the price of gasoline as it hit $2.89 per gallon. One can complain about the cost of gasoline but NOT when one is holding a $2.49 cup of coffee from a specialty coffee house. The 16 ounce cup of coffee would be $19.92 a gallon.

One may have the right to complain about the cost of gasoline but the inflation in the cup of coffee is significantly higher. Also the conversion cost for a gallon of gasoline is much greater than that of grinding coffee beans.

My last question to the one complaining, how far out of the way did you drive to get your specialty coffee?