Run for Life 5K Race

To say that I hadn't trained well for this race would be an understatement. I've run once in the past week and that was a 4-miler in the Mile High City where I struggled to get enough oxygen in my lungs. I also made poor food choices on my trip to Denver. I've got enough grease in me to keep my insides slippery for a month! So, I intended to go out slow and just take it at a 9'00" pace or slower. 

I loved the fact that my registration fee would go to a great cause - a local ministry that helps women make the right choice in regard to their "unwanted" pregnancies and provides great care, resources and counseling for the men and women involved. The men and women who serve at Life House Pregnancy Center are the best!

My race bib # was 97! I love that number!
It's the year I married Kim!

I had the honor of offering up the prayer before the race began. After saying "Amen," I joined the runners in the middle of the pack as we prepared to begin. I wanted to start the race around folks who wouldn't go out too quickly.

My plan didn't work. The race began and I felt the urge to push it. I wasn't going 'all out' but I was running much faster than I had planned. The hills on the first mile quickly took their toll. I noticed that I was gradually slowing down (and had to take a couple of 3-5 second walking breaks).

It was an 'out and back' course so the hills were waiting on us again at the end of the race. I was so glad that this was only a 3.1 mile race (I checked with another runner and it seems that this course was slightly short - my gps watch measured 3.01 and his measured 3.04). Anyway, close enough.

The race route

Here are the stats:

Official finish time: 25:36
Average pace: 8'14"

Placed 20th out of 144 runners (click link for info)
Placed 13th out of 53 male runners
Placed 2nd out of 15 male runners age 40+

Praying to avert God's judgment

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a principle that exposes every human heart. This reflection can be 'positive' but only if we allow God's Word to show us what our hearts are really like so that we are motivated and empowered to make the necessary adjustments.

Second Kings 20 begins with the prophetic word that King Hezekiah was going to die. Upon hearing this news, the king wept and prayed. In response, the Lord added 15 more years to his life.

Sometime later, an envoy from Babylon (not yet recognized as a threatening powerhouse by Israel) came to visit Hezekiah. He showed them everything he had. Based upon the prophet Isaiah's response, they were spies who were gaining information.

Listen to Isaiah's prophecy:

2 Kings 20:16-18 (New Living Translation)

"Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD: The time is coming when everything in your palace - all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now - will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.'"

So, essentially, in this one chapter Hezekiah has been told of two horrible tragedies - his own death and the death of Israel's present way of life. Their wealth and many of there people (including his own children!) were going to be taken off into captivity.

In response to the prophecy about his death, we read in 2 Kings 20:2-3 that Hezekiah prayed passionately that he would not die. But, unfortunately, Hezekiah had no such reaction when he heard that his own children would go into captivity.

Listen to how he responded:

2 Kings 20:19 (New Living Translation)

"Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'This message you have given me from the LORD is good.' For the king was thinking, 'At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.'"

He wasn't moved to pray for the people of his kingdom (his own children!) who had such a calamitous future. Why? Because it wouldn't affect him. He wouldn't experience any discomfort so he didn't care what happened to others.

How insanely self-centered!

Yet (and this isn't going to be a warm and fuzzy application), when we look at the state of our churches (most of them are plateaued or dying) and the state of our country (the moral, financial, social, etc. decline is obvious), where are the people who are praying? Where are the followers of Jesus who see the obvious direction we are taking and crying out to God to spare us?

Is it because we, like Hezekiah, pray passionately about only those things that affect us? Is it because we are unmoved by the tragedy that others will experience so long as we are left untouched? Is it because we think things will eventually fall apart but not on our watch? Is that why we are not motivated to cry out to the Lord?

Lord help us if we are that self-centered. May we recognize this tendency before it is too late and join together to pray for our churches and country ... and world!

"There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer." - A.T. Pierson

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New Living Translation)

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

#OncCry

Matt & Kim's 17th Wedding Anniversary

I can't believe that Kim and I have been married for 17 years! I found a video of our wedding on May 10, 1997 and watched a portion of it. As I looked at those 20-somethings, I couldn't help but shake my head and say, "Wow, if only they knew what was ahead of them!"

Much of what lie ahead of us has been incredible! In a couple of years, God would bless us with our first son, Zach. Then, two years later, God sent our son, Sean. Finally, four years later, God gave us Joseph. As those three boys have grown older, Kim and I continue to realize just how God wonderfully blessed us when He gave each of them to us. They make us, as parents, look better than we really are. 

God has also blessed Kim and I with Himself. As we look back to our earlier years of marriage, we often realize just how spiritually immature we were. Yet, through our marriage, God has blessed us with some really bad times. Yes, you heard that right. I used the word "blessed" and "bad times" in the same sentence because God used them to draw us to Himself. Our relationship with the Lord is so much stronger and sweeter now than it was when we married. Yes, we've still got so far to go, so much more to enjoy but we've come so far in the last 17 years.

I am also overwhelmed by God's grace by giving Kim to me. I could not have imagined back in 1997 just how much I would be positively impacted by the special lady He was giving to me. I am not being cliche when I say that I am a much better man for having married Kim. I have gone much farther than I would have if God had not used her to help shape me into a vessel that is much more usable to the Lord.

God has also blessed us immensely as He has brought some incredible people into our lives. In truth, every single person we've met has been a personal masterpiece by our great Creator. Yet, some folks have stepped in and left their fingerprints all over our lives. Many of those extra special people were sent just as the right time.

If friendships make someone rich, then we are unimaginably wealthy. After our wedding, God continues to bless us with relationships. We have developed some incredibly deep and rich relationships in the churches that I have served in. It has always been a very hard thing to leave for the next assignment because we had developed such a family kind of love for the folks we served. We cannot adequately express how wonderful it is to continue to enjoy friendships in Lexington, Georgetown, Princeton, Brooksville, Murray and many other places along the way.

Life with Kim has absolutely been an adventure! And, if I had it to do all over again, I'd do it all over again ... as long as I'm with Kim!

But, hey, it's not over. The adventure continues. Who knows what God has yet in store for us as we walk into the future together! I'm just so excited that I get to walk that journey with my best friend, my Sweetheart, Kim!

_______________

Here is a video clip from our wedding on May 10, 1997. I surprised Kim by adding a song to the wedding. I picked out a song by Steven Curtis Chapman that talks about my commitment to stay with and love her throughout the good and bad times. So, here's me singing a love song to Kim. After listening to me sing, you'll understand why she kept crying. lol

Entertaining angels

Did you know that as you go through this day you may be surrounded by angels? You can't see them but they will be there.

And forget much of what you think about angels. Unfortunately, too many folks don't get their information from Scripture and are therefore horribly misinformed. This is true of angels. Often, when the topic of angels is discussed, people are thinking about dainty beings that look more like children that happen to have wings on their backs.

Not!

If that was true, why in the world do we read in Scripture that when angels showed up, the men and women who saw them fell to the ground in fear and the angels had to say, "Do not be afraid."?

When the Bible calls God the "Lord of hosts," it's saying that He is the ruler of Heaven's army (the angels are the fierce warriors in that army). They aren't to be trifled with. They are impressive beings that are capable of doing anything the Lord desires for them to do.

In my Bible reading today, I came across the story of Elisha when an army came to take him captive. That morning, Elisha's servant woke up and went out to casually view the hillside. He saw the army! He was filled with fear! And he told Elisha!

Listen to Elisha's response. He wasn't afraid at all. Why?

2 Kings 6:16-17 (New Living Translation)

"'Don’t be afraid!' Elisha told him. 'For there are more on our side than on theirs!' Then Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!' The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire."

Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a powerful, unspeakably impressive angelic army. It was invisible to the naked eye but it was there, nonetheless, to protect them.

Now, we may be tempted to wish that we could experience something like that. After all, wouldn't it be neat to be able to see an angel, one of God's powerful soldiers?

Well, you probably already have. Maybe even today you will meet one. Be hospitable...

Hebrews 13:2 (New Living Translation)

"Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"

"The God of the OT" vs "The God of the NT"

There are some folks who think "the God of the Old Testament" is different than "the God of the New Testament." They think that in the New Testament, God appears loving and compassionate while in the Old, He appears angry and vengeful.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth! God is the same in both. He has always been angry at sin but has also always been compassionate and willing to forgive an offense.

One such instance is found in the Old Testament book of Jonah. God told that reluctant prophet to go to Nineveh and warn the people in that city of the divine consequences of their sin.

After God made it clear that Jonah's only response would be obedience, Jonah went. Yet, Jonah hoped that the citizens of Nineveh would not repent. He didn't want them to experience God's mercy. He wanted God to destroy them!

Why? Probably because he predicted that God would use those people to bring consequences upon his own rebellious people ... the Israelites.

So, when Jonah warned the citizens of Nineveh of God's impending judgment they repented, as Jonah feared. And, as Jonah expected, God compassionately relented of what He had threatened to do to them and did not bring devastating, divine consequences (Jonah 3:6-10).

How did Jonah respond? Was he overjoyed at a people who turned back to God? Was he as compassionate as "the God of the Old Testament"?

Jonah 4:1-3 (New Living Translation)

"This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it: 'Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.'"

Anyone who thinks that "the God of the Old Testament" was a mean tyrant with a hard heart has obviously never read the Bible! God is infinitely more compassionate and forgiving than we are. Just look at the Cross!

Can getting fit be an act of worship?

One of the many joys of being saved is realizing that Jesus didn't just claim the allegiance of our spirit. He claimed our bodies, too!

Romans 12:1 (New Living Translation)

"And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him."

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New Living Translation)

"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

How is this a joy?

Because we realize that nothing in our life needs to be outside the realm of worship. When we exercise or eat or try to lose some weight, that can be an act of worship, an act that proceeds out of our heart of love for the Lord.

Because we love the Lord, we want to give Him our best. So, we take care of the body that belongs to Him that He has temporarily entrusted to us.

It's not just a body, though. God dwells inside it as His temple. When we truly come to understand that principle, we will be even more motivated to give Him a place to dwell that is worthy of His presence.

Why is this important? Well, one of the reasons is because our culture is so infatuated with epithelial tissue (a.k.a. 'skin'). Even Christians can succumb to getting their bodies slim and trim so that they can merit the attention of others. They don't mind getting their bodies into shape so that they can impress others with how they appear. Their motive is wrong and they are stepping dangerously close to the line of temptation that has claimed so many lives (and marriages).

Take care of God's temple today. If it needs a 'spring cleaning,' begin today.

But, don't do it because you care what others will think when they see your body. Instead, do it because your body belongs to the Lord. He lives inside your body and you want to provide Him with a temple worthy of His presence.

What does it mean to love God wholeheartedly?

The greatest, most important commandment is the love our God with all of our being (Matthew 22:36-38).

The fact that it is the greatest, most important commandment means two things:

- We'd better obey it.

- To disobey it is the greatest sin imaginable.

But, what does it mean to love our God with all of our being? Does that mean that we are to have the "feelings" of love in our heart for Him? Is it simply an emotional response that God is calling for?

The answer is a resounding "No!" While there will often be an emotional aspect to our love for God, the feelings of love are not what is commanded. After all, how can God command us to feel certain ways? Our emotions are so unpredictable at best.

There are many aspects to what it means to love God with our whole being. But, the Bible tells us more than a few times what that love looks like.

It tells us that if we truly love God, there is something we will do to show it. This action step is the natural response to someone who truly loves the Lord.

John 14:15 (New Living Translation)

Jesus: "If you love me, obey my commandments."

John 14:21 (New Living Translation)

Jesus: "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me..."

1 John 5:3 (New Living Translation)

"Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome."

Do not misunderstand these verses:

These verses are NOT saying that to love God, we simply do what He says.

These verses are saying that if we love God, we'll show it by doing what He says.

So, will you spend time in God's Word today to see what He has said so that you can obey it? Doing so is not the act of love. But, it powerfully shows that love for God exists in your heart.