A True No-Hitter

Sports may seem like, ok, may very well be a waste of time! But for some of us, we are drawn to the original reality television that is sports! There is no script, the ending is not known, and sometimes you can see amazing things happen in the world of sports. In baseball, one of the biggest dramas is when a pitcher is the process of throwing a no-hitter, a game in which none of the opposing players get a hit for the whole game. Last night, I turned on the TV to see Johan Santana of the New York Mets was starting the 9th inning and was throwing a no-hitter. As he struck out the last batter, his teammates mobbed him on the field to celebrate his accomplishment. While they were jumping, hugging, etc., with each other, I noticed two security guards pull one of the players away from the group and tackle him to the ground. It was then that I realized, this was just a fan in a Mets jersey, not one of the players. Looking at the replay, it becomes more obvious: his jersey did not match the players, he was wearing shorts, and he did not have a hat. It is funny to see some of the players' expressions as they hugged this man only to realize he did not belong there and to see his eyes looking to see when security would find him. As I laughed about this, it got me thinking about what God tells us about genuine faith in Him. There will be many on the last day who assume they are going to heaven. Their jersey and other externals look strikingly close to what they are supposed to look like, but they don't have what it takes on the inside. They may go to church, read their Bible, help others in need, and even walked an aisle at church. But if they are not genuine followers of Christ inside, it will not matter if they have the right jersey on; they will not be permitted to the celebration. We may fool some people, but God looks at the heart. Is our heart right with God? While we should not ignore the externals of church attendance, bible study, prayer, etc., it won't be worth anything if we are not genuinely part of His family. The fan that ran on the field was smart enough to wear the right team's jersey and knew where to run and even where to hide (in the middle of the pack). But, in the end, he was found to be a fan and not a true Mets player. Is your heart right with God or are you just wearing the jersey of externals?

Together For The Gospel

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the T4G conference, where with 10,000 (rough estimate) others, I had the joy of praising my God and Savior in song, in preaching, and in fellowship with friends past and present. Perhaps, it was a small view of what heaven will be like when we sing with the choirs of angels! Everyone should have the opportunity to sing with a group that large!

One of the "perks" of going to this conference is the large stack of free books they give to all who attend! In the past, they would have a crew place the books on the chairs before the next session would begin, but with a new venue, this was not possible. The creative alternative was to create what they called "The Zero Dollar Bookstore," where each attender was given a card to take and redeem at each station for that free book (19 free books in all). As I got to think about it, this is just like our salvation, offered as a free gift to all who will believe. Romans 6:23 tells us "The wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Salvation, like those books, is a free gift, but it is only free if it is accepted. As the conference neared a close, I noticed stacks of books still available at the Zero Dollar Bookstore and wondered how many attendees did not know they were free and how many heard but did not respond. God's gift of salvation is free and available to those who believe. Is there someone we need to tell? Do we need to stop and thank God once again for His free gift? Books are a great gift, especially for a pastor, but they are nothing when compared to the greatest gift of all!

Just another tool

I am not a writer, nor am I a reader! I wish I was both, as they seem to be somewhat important when you are a pastor! I have learned to read books and am learning to write sermons, but to write a blog seems to be a step beyond my comfort zone. In part, it seems prideful to think that anyone would care about the thoughts of an ordinary pastor, and even to write this may look to some that I am fishing for the "Oh, no, we like what you write" kind of encouragement! It is truly with a profound sense of humility and a proper amount of that familiar overwhelmed feeling, that I seek to begin this blog to share what I am learning, how God is teaching me, stretching me, and further humbling me. Simply put, this is just another tool that perhaps God can use in the life of someone who reads, or quite frankly, in the life of the writer. I cannot promise how often new posts will be written or whether they will prove helpful to you. I can say that it is my prayer that God will use this blog for the growth and development of those who will read as well as the writer, himself! May God be glorified in everything we do!