Off the road and back in Charleston. On my trip home I purposed to keep quiet and listen. I can't stress enough how important a discipline this is for your spiritual development. No cell phone or radio, just the open road before me and time with my heavenly father. As I shared with you in a blog from the road, one of the focus points of my trip was to gain a greater sense in my heart of the Father's love for me. To know more deeply of my status as a beloved son. After an amazing 3 days of ministry opportunities that the Father brought my way it was great to get quiet and reflect. As I drove down I-40 toward Nashville I began to recall all the ways I saw God's hands all over my time in Memphis. A great sense of joy and favor came over me as I felt Him tell me how proud He was of me. That He was well pleased with me! The more I explored this idea, this is what I got- When we open ourselves up to the Spirits movings, and have a willing spirit, God will use our giftings for His glory and thus allowing our glory to come out. Jesus wants to live through our giftings. When this happens, living how we were intended to live- in the works we were created for, we are glorious! Reflecting whose image we were created in!
As you know, I went to Memphis to seek an audience with Tim's agent, Jimmy Sexton. This did not happen and from a human perspective the trip was a waste of time and money. Praise be to God that He has given me spiritual eyes!
Because, from where I stand in the Spirit, the trip was a smashing success! I went out of obedience, trusting God for His will to be done. On this wild journey I have learned to "go with the flow" and not set agendas for God. I could have been totally self absorbed with my agenda that I would have missed all the ministry opportunities that God brought my way. What an awesome privilege to be in the flow of God's work, being used of God to encourage those down the path of life. One of those people wrote the following in an email-
"It was a pleasure meeting you. We all need to stop and really take the time to listen to one another whether they be known to us or stranger to us. How intriguing your journey sounds!!! I, myself, am seeking out a purpose in life or rather God's purpose for me. Need to stop and listen to his directions at time
I admire your ability to talk to so many different people. I read some more of your blog and everywhere you go although you don't throw yourself upon people you take the opportunity to share with them when the occasion arises. Also, I noticed you seem to have to ability to put yourself in situations where you are very comfortable with strangers"
I believe I am experiencing more and more of what was intended for us. As Jesus perfectly lived out a relationship with the Father, abiding in perfect unity- the Fathers' will was done in and through Jesus' life. As a man walking on this earth, Jesus was glorious, I believe, due to His trusting and obeying.
In John 4 Jesus says 34-"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
And in John 5- 19-Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20-For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these.
John 7- 16-Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17-If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18-He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him"
John 8- 54-Jesus replied, "If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55-Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and keep his word. 56-Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad."
So, you see that Jesus was made glorious because He abided in the Father and did the works He was created to do. This is also true of us! When we walk with the Father and live out of trust and obedience, doing the works we were created for- we are glorious! His glory and image shine through our lives! As it was intended from the beginning!
This ties in with the quote I have mentioned over and over.
The Glory of God is man fully alive. St Irenaeus
When we are fully alive in Christ, IE: doing the works the Father has for us through a relationship of trust and obedience, His glory shines in and through us, thus reflecting the glory back to the Father.
Oh, what a wonderful mystery is this life in Christ! To be brought back from the dead to live as intended. How glorious!
I close with two quotes from the movie, Chariots of Fire.
Eric Liddell:
I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure
Eric Liddell:
You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, "Believe, have faith," in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me." If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race
I believe Mr. Liddell understood what it meant to be glorious.....
I pray that you too will know this and live a life of glory as it was intended from the begining!
Blessings, Jon
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Strength for the Weary- A message of Hope
Let's face it- we are living in a world with unparalleled pain, suffering, hopelessness and despair. It is vital for us who claim Christ as our Life to keep in mind that THIS is not what God intended for the "Apple of His Eye". He intended Paradise but we chose independence. And we are living with the dire results of our choice. But God, in His love, mercy and grace is calling us to recapture the life He intended for us through the New Life in Christ!
The Kingdom of God must come ALIVE in us for the world to be saved- set free from the results of sin. "I have come that they might have life to the full"- this was Jesus' message to the world and this must be our message as well. If we are truly following Christ- this message will flow from our hearts (Christ in us the Hope of Glory} to the world. We must stop focusing on our differences and must no longer try to "sell" someone on the benefits of becoming a Christian. People do not like to be pressured or sold! Throw aside the biblical sales pitch and live out loud a life of love, serving one another- BEING JESUS- NOT - SELLING JESUS!
As I have carried my "banner of hope and encouragement", I have been so blessed by the many who have been encouraged by 2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind.
In these trying times we all need encouragement! We need the Truth to combat the lies of the evil one! I have noticed over and again that people are also encouraged by my boldness and commitment- my willingness to take "my time" to share a message of hope. If we who believe need multiple daily reminders of the "Truth that sets us free", how much more a lost world? If the world has a hope of salvation it will be due to a Church that has come alive. A church living what it believes. Not a defeated and weary bunch who are just "biding their time" until Heaven. Jesus brought "heaven to earth"! He awoke in people what had been lost and buried- a deep desire to live abundantly in relationship with our Creator- How it was meant to be!
John 7
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as[c] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him
John 10:10
10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
What has the thief stole from you? What about your joy?, Peace? Hope? Courage? Heart?............... Have you allowed him to kill and destroy your dreams, relationships, purpose and vision?
Jesus has come to give it back to you! Right where you are! To reclaim, heal, and free you to live with Him a life of power, love and sound mind!-
The Glory of God is man fully Alive! - St. Irenaeus
Come as you are where you are!
In regards to my trip to Memphis... After the game, I still did not have a place to stay. The plans I had made fell through and I was asking God what His plan was. At this point in my journey I am past any concern that He is not in control. His peace was with me as I found a Starbucks to get on the Internet. After restarting a dead computer, I finally got on at 10:45 pm. Please allow me to explain the circumstances. I went outside in search of an outlet but it did not work, meanwhile my computer died. So I moved inside and began the restart process. While waiting, I saw a college student and the thought came to me to ask him if he knew of a Hostel. He quickly replyed that he did. "It's right around the corner", he said. So I called and thankfully got a live voice- Meagan, a college student working her way through a Spanish degree. She said, "you caught me just in time, a few more minutes and I would have been closed". God does not work on our time frame but He does always work. He know our needs before we need them, He wants us to bring them to Him and then Trust Him to provide.
After I got settled I walked down the street and listened to some live music at an Irish pub. Thankfully, it was outside and the evening was pleasant after a very hot day! When I returned to the Hostel I struck up a conversation with Roger from Seattle and Jim and Jenae from..... you guessed it... Denver! Note: My daughters name is Jennifer Danae! Immediately I felt the urge to share my story with them. We all sat around the kitchen and shared our stories. Great fun and fellowship! Interestingly, Roger is on an exciting journey of his own. He is riding a bicycle cross country with Asheville being his final destination. He is on a quest to find his calling and has had many "promptings" for Asheville along the way.
After helping in the hostel's kitchen for breakfast, I went for a nice jog in the Cooper Young area of Memphis- where the Hostel is by the way. After a shower, Meagan strongly suggested I go to Sweetgrass restaurant for lunch. Though warm, I chose to sit outside. After I ordered, two ladies, Heather Wynne and Ann Phillips, joined me on the terrace at the table next to mine. Note: Turns out that the Chef of Sweetgrass trained in Charleston and his menu is filled with Low Country inspired meals! http://www.sweetgrassmemphis.com/About.html
It turns out that Heather is good friends with Jimmy Sexton's first wife! - Jimmy is Tim's agent whom I am seeking to meet with tomorrow!
During the course of conversation we exchanged stories of faith and it turns out these ladies are members at the Church where the Hostel is. Ann also shared that Jimmy's dad was her dentist! She went on to tell me a wonderful story of how Dr. Sexton was treating her one day and noticed she was unusually stressed. He thoughtfully stopped the procedure and asked her what was bothering her and then lovingly prayed for her. She was so profoundly impacted by his kindness and care! She said, "I will never forget it!"
When Ann got up to pay her bill, Heather had the wisdom and insight to tell me that Jimmy would be blessed to hear the story about his dad! If this is not one of many Divine appointments that God has orchestrated in my life, then there are none!
After driving around downtown Memphis I headed to Starbucks to blog. While blogging, God had Loren Porter sit next to me. Lauren, a mother of three is working on her masters, raising three kids and helping her husband with his inner city church- All Saints Presbyterian. It sure sounds like All Saints is living the Kingdom of God here on earth. I was blessed to hear their story of faith and counter intuitive living for God. An interesting note; they have teamed up with Young Life to do ministry! What and awesome, God idea! http://www.allsaintspres.com/
During my trip I have been purposefully focusing on the truth that I am one of God's beloved son's in whom He is well pleased. This is something that I did not receive from my father nor did He from His. I am purposing to ask the Spirit to let this truth penetrate my heart- asking God to "father me" like my earthly father was not "free" to do. Recently, God moved me to make a special trip to see my Dad and convey that I know He loves me and did the best he knew how and that we "were good". I have put pressure on Him over the years to be to me what he was not equipped to be. I needed to free him from that burden of expectation and sense of failure. This has freed me up and hopefully my Dad too! I am free now to seek fathering from my Heavenly Father!
God is good all the time! Peace! Jon
Please cover me with your prayers and pray for Jimmy Sexton and those I will meet at Athletic Resource Management. To God be the Glory!
http://www.sextonsports.com/ssp/the_arm_team
The Kingdom of God must come ALIVE in us for the world to be saved- set free from the results of sin. "I have come that they might have life to the full"- this was Jesus' message to the world and this must be our message as well. If we are truly following Christ- this message will flow from our hearts (Christ in us the Hope of Glory} to the world. We must stop focusing on our differences and must no longer try to "sell" someone on the benefits of becoming a Christian. People do not like to be pressured or sold! Throw aside the biblical sales pitch and live out loud a life of love, serving one another- BEING JESUS- NOT - SELLING JESUS!
As I have carried my "banner of hope and encouragement", I have been so blessed by the many who have been encouraged by 2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear but a Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind.
In these trying times we all need encouragement! We need the Truth to combat the lies of the evil one! I have noticed over and again that people are also encouraged by my boldness and commitment- my willingness to take "my time" to share a message of hope. If we who believe need multiple daily reminders of the "Truth that sets us free", how much more a lost world? If the world has a hope of salvation it will be due to a Church that has come alive. A church living what it believes. Not a defeated and weary bunch who are just "biding their time" until Heaven. Jesus brought "heaven to earth"! He awoke in people what had been lost and buried- a deep desire to live abundantly in relationship with our Creator- How it was meant to be!
John 7
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as[c] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him
John 10:10
10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
What has the thief stole from you? What about your joy?, Peace? Hope? Courage? Heart?............... Have you allowed him to kill and destroy your dreams, relationships, purpose and vision?
Jesus has come to give it back to you! Right where you are! To reclaim, heal, and free you to live with Him a life of power, love and sound mind!-
The Glory of God is man fully Alive! - St. Irenaeus
Come as you are where you are!
In regards to my trip to Memphis... After the game, I still did not have a place to stay. The plans I had made fell through and I was asking God what His plan was. At this point in my journey I am past any concern that He is not in control. His peace was with me as I found a Starbucks to get on the Internet. After restarting a dead computer, I finally got on at 10:45 pm. Please allow me to explain the circumstances. I went outside in search of an outlet but it did not work, meanwhile my computer died. So I moved inside and began the restart process. While waiting, I saw a college student and the thought came to me to ask him if he knew of a Hostel. He quickly replyed that he did. "It's right around the corner", he said. So I called and thankfully got a live voice- Meagan, a college student working her way through a Spanish degree. She said, "you caught me just in time, a few more minutes and I would have been closed". God does not work on our time frame but He does always work. He know our needs before we need them, He wants us to bring them to Him and then Trust Him to provide.
After I got settled I walked down the street and listened to some live music at an Irish pub. Thankfully, it was outside and the evening was pleasant after a very hot day! When I returned to the Hostel I struck up a conversation with Roger from Seattle and Jim and Jenae from..... you guessed it... Denver! Note: My daughters name is Jennifer Danae! Immediately I felt the urge to share my story with them. We all sat around the kitchen and shared our stories. Great fun and fellowship! Interestingly, Roger is on an exciting journey of his own. He is riding a bicycle cross country with Asheville being his final destination. He is on a quest to find his calling and has had many "promptings" for Asheville along the way.
After helping in the hostel's kitchen for breakfast, I went for a nice jog in the Cooper Young area of Memphis- where the Hostel is by the way. After a shower, Meagan strongly suggested I go to Sweetgrass restaurant for lunch. Though warm, I chose to sit outside. After I ordered, two ladies, Heather Wynne and Ann Phillips, joined me on the terrace at the table next to mine. Note: Turns out that the Chef of Sweetgrass trained in Charleston and his menu is filled with Low Country inspired meals! http://www.sweetgrassmemphis.com/About.html
It turns out that Heather is good friends with Jimmy Sexton's first wife! - Jimmy is Tim's agent whom I am seeking to meet with tomorrow!
During the course of conversation we exchanged stories of faith and it turns out these ladies are members at the Church where the Hostel is. Ann also shared that Jimmy's dad was her dentist! She went on to tell me a wonderful story of how Dr. Sexton was treating her one day and noticed she was unusually stressed. He thoughtfully stopped the procedure and asked her what was bothering her and then lovingly prayed for her. She was so profoundly impacted by his kindness and care! She said, "I will never forget it!"
When Ann got up to pay her bill, Heather had the wisdom and insight to tell me that Jimmy would be blessed to hear the story about his dad! If this is not one of many Divine appointments that God has orchestrated in my life, then there are none!
After driving around downtown Memphis I headed to Starbucks to blog. While blogging, God had Loren Porter sit next to me. Lauren, a mother of three is working on her masters, raising three kids and helping her husband with his inner city church- All Saints Presbyterian. It sure sounds like All Saints is living the Kingdom of God here on earth. I was blessed to hear their story of faith and counter intuitive living for God. An interesting note; they have teamed up with Young Life to do ministry! What and awesome, God idea! http://www.allsaintspres.com/
During my trip I have been purposefully focusing on the truth that I am one of God's beloved son's in whom He is well pleased. This is something that I did not receive from my father nor did He from His. I am purposing to ask the Spirit to let this truth penetrate my heart- asking God to "father me" like my earthly father was not "free" to do. Recently, God moved me to make a special trip to see my Dad and convey that I know He loves me and did the best he knew how and that we "were good". I have put pressure on Him over the years to be to me what he was not equipped to be. I needed to free him from that burden of expectation and sense of failure. This has freed me up and hopefully my Dad too! I am free now to seek fathering from my Heavenly Father!
God is good all the time! Peace! Jon
Please cover me with your prayers and pray for Jimmy Sexton and those I will meet at Athletic Resource Management. To God be the Glory!
http://www.sextonsports.com/ssp/the_arm_team
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Nothing is Too Hard For My God
After being in the "blog zone" yesterday, I awoke to this devotional....Have you ever been in Church and you felt as if the preacher was speaking to You and You alone. Like he knew what you were going through and wrote today's message just for you!
After I shared my take from the heart yesterday on this whole Tim Tebow adventure God has me on, I read this........
Streams in the Desert - Sept. 14
Nothing is Too Hard
"Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?" (Gen. 18:14).
Here is God's loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life.
That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will (as a son to Abraham and Sarah was), God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of any one's supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him.
Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve. The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is too hard for Jehovah to do for them that trust Him --Messages for the Morning Watch
As I shared yesterday, I have had two specific desires in my heart pertaining to my life's work. One- to be back in ministry, utilizing my talents for the Lord. Two- to live in Colorado. These are very strong desires I have prayed about for several years now. As I have walked through the storms of life, I have often wondered if He would lift me up to a position of ministry that would truly utilize my God given talents for His Glory. That I would "come alive to the glory of God", walking in the works He created me for. I must admit, that after my years of waiting, I began to wonder if He would ever use me in a significant way. Note: this does not mean that I have sat in a prayer closet waiting for my big opportunity. I have continued to live life and make my self available to be used of the Lord to bless, challenge, encourage and love those He has put in my path. We, all who claim the lordship of Christ, are all ambassadors for God. Vessels of His love, power, grace, mercy, joy and peace. No matter what work I have done, I have always strived to live this out!
But, when God puts something in your heart, a desire that is in line with His will, it is our job to trust and obey. This is where I find myself. Now that I have been told what He has been preparing me for, I am diligently seeking what I am to do- my part in this "divine play".
Just this morning, I "ran into" a friend I have not seen for a while. He works in construction and has been traveling to where ever the work is. For some reason, during the course of our fellowship- He is a Christ follower, he mentioned that he had done a job in Memphis, TN. At the time I did not give it any consideration. But as I have "gotten quiet" today- desiring to hear from the Lord, the thought came to me- "Tim Tebow's agent is in Memphis!" "Lord, am I supposed to go to Memphis this week?" For some reason, this is a fear for me!
Now, I have grown up in sales, even went door to door selling for a while. So, why am I afraid to seek an audience with Tim's agent? Two things come to mind. One- a fear of rejection. Two- that I will fumble the ball and fail- that I don't have what it takes. Note: this is a big part of John Eldredge's message for men. That most of us fear that we do not have what it takes to be the men that God is calling us to be.
God is telling me that these are feelings that I must face head on! As the above devotional said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and do His will, and let Him do the impossible for us.
I think there are two key points for me to apply. 1- that I must move forward. 2- that I let Him do the impossible. It is not up to me to do the impossible. But, to focus on the One who is Lord of the impossible!
"Lord, help me to walk this out, and not shrink back. But, press onward and upward in Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith!"
I covet your prayers! Jon
After I shared my take from the heart yesterday on this whole Tim Tebow adventure God has me on, I read this........
Streams in the Desert - Sept. 14
Nothing is Too Hard
"Is there anything too hard for Jehovah?" (Gen. 18:14).
Here is God's loving challenge to you and to me today. He wants us to think of the deepest, highest, worthiest desire and longing of our hearts, something which perhaps was our desire for ourselves or for someone dear to us, yet which has been so long unfulfilled that we have looked upon it as only a lost desire, that which might have been but now cannot be, and so have given up hope of seeing it fulfilled in this life.
That thing, if it is in line with what we know to be His expressed will (as a son to Abraham and Sarah was), God intends to do for us, even if we know that it is of such utter impossibility that we only laugh at the absurdity of any one's supposing it could ever now come to pass. That thing God intends to do for us, if we will let Him.
Even Abraham and Sarah could have blocked God's plan if they had continued to disbelieve. The only thing too hard for Jehovah is deliberate, continued disbelief in His love and power, and our final rejection of His plans for us. Nothing is too hard for Jehovah to do for them that trust Him --Messages for the Morning Watch
As I shared yesterday, I have had two specific desires in my heart pertaining to my life's work. One- to be back in ministry, utilizing my talents for the Lord. Two- to live in Colorado. These are very strong desires I have prayed about for several years now. As I have walked through the storms of life, I have often wondered if He would lift me up to a position of ministry that would truly utilize my God given talents for His Glory. That I would "come alive to the glory of God", walking in the works He created me for. I must admit, that after my years of waiting, I began to wonder if He would ever use me in a significant way. Note: this does not mean that I have sat in a prayer closet waiting for my big opportunity. I have continued to live life and make my self available to be used of the Lord to bless, challenge, encourage and love those He has put in my path. We, all who claim the lordship of Christ, are all ambassadors for God. Vessels of His love, power, grace, mercy, joy and peace. No matter what work I have done, I have always strived to live this out!
But, when God puts something in your heart, a desire that is in line with His will, it is our job to trust and obey. This is where I find myself. Now that I have been told what He has been preparing me for, I am diligently seeking what I am to do- my part in this "divine play".
Just this morning, I "ran into" a friend I have not seen for a while. He works in construction and has been traveling to where ever the work is. For some reason, during the course of our fellowship- He is a Christ follower, he mentioned that he had done a job in Memphis, TN. At the time I did not give it any consideration. But as I have "gotten quiet" today- desiring to hear from the Lord, the thought came to me- "Tim Tebow's agent is in Memphis!" "Lord, am I supposed to go to Memphis this week?" For some reason, this is a fear for me!
Now, I have grown up in sales, even went door to door selling for a while. So, why am I afraid to seek an audience with Tim's agent? Two things come to mind. One- a fear of rejection. Two- that I will fumble the ball and fail- that I don't have what it takes. Note: this is a big part of John Eldredge's message for men. That most of us fear that we do not have what it takes to be the men that God is calling us to be.
God is telling me that these are feelings that I must face head on! As the above devotional said, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Not when we believe in Him enough to go forward and do His will, and let Him do the impossible for us.
I think there are two key points for me to apply. 1- that I must move forward. 2- that I let Him do the impossible. It is not up to me to do the impossible. But, to focus on the One who is Lord of the impossible!
"Lord, help me to walk this out, and not shrink back. But, press onward and upward in Christ Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith!"
I covet your prayers! Jon
Monday, September 13, 2010
Bannerman
I first want to thank all those who are praying for me! I can't say enough how important your prayers are! They are vital and I deeply appreciate you!
Long before Tim Tebow and his eye black bible verses, there lived the original bannerman. I don't know his real name but he became famous for going to televised games and sitting in the end zone with his John 3:16 banner.
Something you may not know about me... I started a coffee house with live music in college. After a tour with Campus Crusade's high school ministry I/we moved to Nashville so I could pursue a career in the Christian music industry. I ended up with Warner Alliance and one of the music artists I helped promote was Steve Taylor. Steve, a very creative and unique guy, took his signing bonus and traveled the more remote countries of the world and filmed videos for his songs. Bannerman is was one of those songs and it is a tribute to the Original Bannerman. Go to "show enclosure links" to watch the video.
I continued my banner ways at the broncos game yesterday. You may remember, I made a banner for the Broncos practice last month in Colorado. I went from the friendly and intimate setting of the Broncos practice field, to the larger platform of the the Jaguars stadium. In retrospect, I should have taken a picture of my 2 Timothy 1:7Banner. It turned out great thanks to the help of my bride. I was blessed to meet a young lady who was selling eye black bible stickers and added Philippians 4:13 under my eyes.
Philippians 4:13
13- I can do everything through him who gives me strength
I take this verse to mean, I can do everything He calls me to do, through Christ's power living in me. No, it does not mean that if I want to be the next American idol that God will give me the strength and talent to sing at that level. If He had given me that kind of talent then I could look to Him to give me the strength to perform my best for His glory.This verse fits right in with my banner verse-
7-For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
If God has truly called us to a task or wild adventure, He promises to give us what we need to live it out each day. Such is the case with my wild Goose adventure. If some of my friends and family think my adventure is rather far-fetched, how much more those who are protecting Tim Tebow from the crazies out there looking to glom onto his shining star.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked against me! But, just as Tim has many nay-sayers about his ability to play in the NFL as a quarterback, he and I both know that we have to work with what God has given us and trust Him with the rest. We must do our part and leave the rest up to God. He is in control and we can trust His goodness and love, knowing that He loves giving His kids good gifts. Remember my new favorite quote!- The Glory of God is man fully alive! St. Irenaeus
I can't tell you how much that speaks to me! When we are living how He intended, in relationship with Him, we come alive through Christ in us! This is the great mystery that Paul speaks of. Dead to self and alive in Christ! When we are alive in Christ, His power flows through our God given talents. We don't become robots, nor does God disregard the talents and abilities He has given us. Those who fear surrender, fear that God will call them to do things they don't want to do. It is true that He does call us to trust Him no matter what. Yes, He will ask us to do things that we had rather not do. But, with obedience comes blessing. He needs to know that He can trust us with the "little" things before we move into greater works.
We need to build our resume of faith and obedience! I don't know if I have ever explained my take on this whole deal. First of all, I think it important to note that I am not nor will I ever be star struck with anyone except Christ. I may admire someone from afar but would never impose myself on anyone. I respect peoples space and privacy. They are humans just like us and deserve the same level of privacy that we cherish.
Of course, being a gator since 1974, the year I came to Jesus, I love Tim for many of the same reasons that the masses do. My feelings just go deeper due to the trials I was going through when he was entrenched in the swamp at UF. Just like those he inspires at the hospitals he visits, he came into my "room" every weekend during football season for 3 years- in the midst of my suffering.
After he finished his college career, I like any fan was interested in where he would end up. How high he would go in the draft etc. As draft day moved closer I thought to myself, "I would love to be near where he plays pro ball". I had no idea who was considering drafting him. While I was working in VA, I started full-time end of January this year, I began "running into" people between VA and SC who had ties to CO. At first, I did not give it much thought but they continued until I could not ignore them. When I met my friends political advisor who had ties to Focus on the Family and to a lesser extent, John Eldredge, I thought that maybe God was opening a door for me to finally move to CO and back into ministry. Both deep desires of my heart. Tim Tebow was not on my radar screen for a job! When I finally asked God what was going on with all the CO happenings I did not hear what I was expecting to hear. My first response was... "What am I suppose to do with that God?" In my thinking, John Eldredge was the logical choice. After all, I love his ministry and God has used him in my life over the past few years more than anyone. But, I did not hear "Ransomed Heart Ministries" when I asked God the question. That would be a minor stretch but not a "God-sized" stretch of my faith, trust and obedience. Have I wrestled with God over this? Absolutely!!! After-all, Ransomed Heart has even branched out to England where my daughter, son-in-law and first grand baby live! But, I am ever reminded that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are way above mine! I trust that He knows what He is doing.. He IS GOD! I am not here to say, "What are you doing God, have you lost your mind?" "Do you know how this appears, God?" "This is not how you work.... is it?" Or is it? Last time I checked, God calls His people to big, bold steps of faith and obedience over and over again. My human nature wants little, easy steps of faith and obedience. After all, does not our culture want God to fit our image, desires, needs and plans? "You want me to do what? Let me get back to you on that!"
This is the culture we live in! The culture of convenience and situational ethics. "I want the fire insurance God but I want to keep doing___________!" "God, you don't really expect me to stay a virgin until I get married." You get the point!
During my trials the main verse God gave me was;
Ephesians 3:20
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
This was a promise I was holding onto and standing on when nothing looked promising. When door after door closed and through many nights of tears and heartache, I took God at His word! So, when I heard "Tim Tebow Foundation" it took me some time before I began to see this as my "Eph. 3:20" Once it sunk in and God began to fill in the blanks of how this was a "God fit" for me, I took it very seriously! After all, I have learned what NOT LISTENING to the still small voice will do to you. "No more whale bellies for me!"
I am accountable to God and God alone. I know that the faith and obedience I am walking in is of God. He has birthed it in me in the dark pit of pain, hopelessness and despair. Psalm 139 says it better than I can-
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
The more I have thought about working with Tim, the more I get excited about it! God has given me so many great ideas for ministry. My creative juices are flowing! I am alive with God possibilities! Am I the likely choice to work with Tim? No! Was shepherd boy, David, the likely choice to be King? He was not even in the picture, forgotten! Man looks at the seen but God the unseen!
All this is not my doing! If you think so- you give me way too much credit. I am a mere man willing to trust and obey no matter what! This kind of faith and obedience does not come from the easy route but via the trials and storms- the hard road we would never choose to travel if given the choice. In closing, what Satan meant for harm, God is using for good. After all.....Romans 8:28
More Than Conquerors
28-And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,[a] who[b] have been called according to His purpose.
In closing, my day in Jacksonville was great! God blessed in many ways. I even got to see the game! God gave me a ticket! Blessings, Jon
Long before Tim Tebow and his eye black bible verses, there lived the original bannerman. I don't know his real name but he became famous for going to televised games and sitting in the end zone with his John 3:16 banner.
Something you may not know about me... I started a coffee house with live music in college. After a tour with Campus Crusade's high school ministry I/we moved to Nashville so I could pursue a career in the Christian music industry. I ended up with Warner Alliance and one of the music artists I helped promote was Steve Taylor. Steve, a very creative and unique guy, took his signing bonus and traveled the more remote countries of the world and filmed videos for his songs. Bannerman is was one of those songs and it is a tribute to the Original Bannerman. Go to "show enclosure links" to watch the video.
I continued my banner ways at the broncos game yesterday. You may remember, I made a banner for the Broncos practice last month in Colorado. I went from the friendly and intimate setting of the Broncos practice field, to the larger platform of the the Jaguars stadium. In retrospect, I should have taken a picture of my 2 Timothy 1:7Banner. It turned out great thanks to the help of my bride. I was blessed to meet a young lady who was selling eye black bible stickers and added Philippians 4:13 under my eyes.
Philippians 4:13
13- I can do everything through him who gives me strength
I take this verse to mean, I can do everything He calls me to do, through Christ's power living in me. No, it does not mean that if I want to be the next American idol that God will give me the strength and talent to sing at that level. If He had given me that kind of talent then I could look to Him to give me the strength to perform my best for His glory.This verse fits right in with my banner verse-
7-For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
If God has truly called us to a task or wild adventure, He promises to give us what we need to live it out each day. Such is the case with my wild Goose adventure. If some of my friends and family think my adventure is rather far-fetched, how much more those who are protecting Tim Tebow from the crazies out there looking to glom onto his shining star.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked against me! But, just as Tim has many nay-sayers about his ability to play in the NFL as a quarterback, he and I both know that we have to work with what God has given us and trust Him with the rest. We must do our part and leave the rest up to God. He is in control and we can trust His goodness and love, knowing that He loves giving His kids good gifts. Remember my new favorite quote!- The Glory of God is man fully alive! St. Irenaeus
I can't tell you how much that speaks to me! When we are living how He intended, in relationship with Him, we come alive through Christ in us! This is the great mystery that Paul speaks of. Dead to self and alive in Christ! When we are alive in Christ, His power flows through our God given talents. We don't become robots, nor does God disregard the talents and abilities He has given us. Those who fear surrender, fear that God will call them to do things they don't want to do. It is true that He does call us to trust Him no matter what. Yes, He will ask us to do things that we had rather not do. But, with obedience comes blessing. He needs to know that He can trust us with the "little" things before we move into greater works.
We need to build our resume of faith and obedience! I don't know if I have ever explained my take on this whole deal. First of all, I think it important to note that I am not nor will I ever be star struck with anyone except Christ. I may admire someone from afar but would never impose myself on anyone. I respect peoples space and privacy. They are humans just like us and deserve the same level of privacy that we cherish.
Of course, being a gator since 1974, the year I came to Jesus, I love Tim for many of the same reasons that the masses do. My feelings just go deeper due to the trials I was going through when he was entrenched in the swamp at UF. Just like those he inspires at the hospitals he visits, he came into my "room" every weekend during football season for 3 years- in the midst of my suffering.
After he finished his college career, I like any fan was interested in where he would end up. How high he would go in the draft etc. As draft day moved closer I thought to myself, "I would love to be near where he plays pro ball". I had no idea who was considering drafting him. While I was working in VA, I started full-time end of January this year, I began "running into" people between VA and SC who had ties to CO. At first, I did not give it much thought but they continued until I could not ignore them. When I met my friends political advisor who had ties to Focus on the Family and to a lesser extent, John Eldredge, I thought that maybe God was opening a door for me to finally move to CO and back into ministry. Both deep desires of my heart. Tim Tebow was not on my radar screen for a job! When I finally asked God what was going on with all the CO happenings I did not hear what I was expecting to hear. My first response was... "What am I suppose to do with that God?" In my thinking, John Eldredge was the logical choice. After all, I love his ministry and God has used him in my life over the past few years more than anyone. But, I did not hear "Ransomed Heart Ministries" when I asked God the question. That would be a minor stretch but not a "God-sized" stretch of my faith, trust and obedience. Have I wrestled with God over this? Absolutely!!! After-all, Ransomed Heart has even branched out to England where my daughter, son-in-law and first grand baby live! But, I am ever reminded that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are way above mine! I trust that He knows what He is doing.. He IS GOD! I am not here to say, "What are you doing God, have you lost your mind?" "Do you know how this appears, God?" "This is not how you work.... is it?" Or is it? Last time I checked, God calls His people to big, bold steps of faith and obedience over and over again. My human nature wants little, easy steps of faith and obedience. After all, does not our culture want God to fit our image, desires, needs and plans? "You want me to do what? Let me get back to you on that!"
This is the culture we live in! The culture of convenience and situational ethics. "I want the fire insurance God but I want to keep doing___________!" "God, you don't really expect me to stay a virgin until I get married." You get the point!
During my trials the main verse God gave me was;
Ephesians 3:20
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
This was a promise I was holding onto and standing on when nothing looked promising. When door after door closed and through many nights of tears and heartache, I took God at His word! So, when I heard "Tim Tebow Foundation" it took me some time before I began to see this as my "Eph. 3:20" Once it sunk in and God began to fill in the blanks of how this was a "God fit" for me, I took it very seriously! After all, I have learned what NOT LISTENING to the still small voice will do to you. "No more whale bellies for me!"
I am accountable to God and God alone. I know that the faith and obedience I am walking in is of God. He has birthed it in me in the dark pit of pain, hopelessness and despair. Psalm 139 says it better than I can-
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
The more I have thought about working with Tim, the more I get excited about it! God has given me so many great ideas for ministry. My creative juices are flowing! I am alive with God possibilities! Am I the likely choice to work with Tim? No! Was shepherd boy, David, the likely choice to be King? He was not even in the picture, forgotten! Man looks at the seen but God the unseen!
All this is not my doing! If you think so- you give me way too much credit. I am a mere man willing to trust and obey no matter what! This kind of faith and obedience does not come from the easy route but via the trials and storms- the hard road we would never choose to travel if given the choice. In closing, what Satan meant for harm, God is using for good. After all.....Romans 8:28
More Than Conquerors
28-And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,[a] who[b] have been called according to His purpose.
In closing, my day in Jacksonville was great! God blessed in many ways. I even got to see the game! God gave me a ticket! Blessings, Jon
Where I'm From!
John Michael Caroll's song, Where I'm From, is a great lead in to what I will share today. I will start at the beginning, literally; Genesis 1.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Mr. Caroll's lyrics tie into a theme that has been prevalent in my readings of the past few months as I have journeyed with the Goose.
Where are we from? This is something that we ask people on a regular basis. "Where are you from?" is part of the world wide dialogue. We are all curious to know where someone is from. Why is that? Is it just part of our "small talk" like talking about the weather or ones occupation? Or is it something deeper in the human soul wanting, even yearning to connect on a deeper level? Where we are from tells a story about us and everyone loves a story! If someone says in response to your question, "I'm from Denver. Well, you immediately draw from any past experience regarding Denver or Colorado and begin to share mutual points of interest and experiences. If none exists, you probably ask questions as to what its like and what the person likes and dislikes about living there.
I think one of the biggest reasons the TV show Lost was so popular was for this very reason. The writers took us into each characters past, to where they were from. They masterfully told each characters story and wove it into the present.
I believe our souls have echos of the past, the way past- back to the beginning. The above creation story tells how we were created. Verse 27 tells of our past-
"So God created man in his own image". Regardless of your religious beliefs, deep in your soul, you know you were created for more than what you are experiencing in this life. Genesis chapter 2 depicts the "echos" of what was meant to be that are imprinted in our souls-
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [f] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [g] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam [h] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [i] and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [j] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [k] '
for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Sounds Awesome, does it not? And they felt no shame! This was what we were created for! To walk with God in a perfect place, an Eden. Here is the definition I found on the web;
E·den /ˈidn/ Show Spelled[eed-n] Show IPA
–noun
1. the place where Adam and Eve lived before the Fall. Gen. 2:8–24.
2. any delightful region or abode; paradise.
3. a state of perfect happiness or bliss.
4. a town in N North Carolina. 15,672.
Origin:
< Heb 'ēden delight, pleasure
If we are honest with ourselves, this is something we all long for is it not? Why do we long for something that we have never experienced? I believe this human longing is due to what we were created for. This was how it was meant to be... We were created for more than this, this existence we call our lives. Lives of pain, sorrow, brokeness, crying, longing, lonliness, suffering, doubt, fear, depression, lostness, hopelessness and despair.
It is no wonder the human soul looks for ways to experience what, we know in our hearts, we have lost. Something has gone terribly wrong and we don't know what to do about it. So we muddle along trying to make the best of this so called "life" Hoping to experience as much joy, peace and Eden as possible. We surround ourselves with nice things; homes, cars, boats, jewelry,entertainment of all varieties- all in a vain attempt to capture what was lost. Let me ask you a question. If this describes you to some degree- Well, how is that working for you? Do you have so many "things" that your heart is anesthetized from knowing its true desire? In case you have not noticed, you can seemingly "have it all" and still be miserable. Just one look at the celebrity news and one can see that "having it all" is not what its cracked up to be. Let's take a look at a more altruistic route that many take. After someone realizes that accumulation of things, fame and power do not bring happiness, if they have not killed themselves, they will follow the path of good works. Save the earth, whales, seals etc. You name it! Everyone is looking, longing for something more!
John 10 7-Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8-All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9-I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Matthew 11:28-30
28-"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29-Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30-For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1-"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2-In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3-And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4-You know the way to the place where I am going."
Jesus the Way to the Father
5-Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6-Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 7:37-39
37-On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39-By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The truth is that we are all thirsty for something more! It is because we were created for more! To the extent that we understand this- and that the only answer to our longing is found in a relationship with our Heavenly Father, our Creator- through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus- only then will we be able to recapture what we have lost.
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all
By His Wounds we are HEALED! Accept what Jesus has done for you, ask Him to give you the Living Water, His Spirit. Give Him full and complete control of your life. Stop holding on to what you have and trust Him to give you a life of abundance- walking with your Creator. How it was meant to be! ....On earth as it is in Heaven.
The Glory of God, is man fully Alive- St. Irenaeus
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Mr. Caroll's lyrics tie into a theme that has been prevalent in my readings of the past few months as I have journeyed with the Goose.
Where are we from? This is something that we ask people on a regular basis. "Where are you from?" is part of the world wide dialogue. We are all curious to know where someone is from. Why is that? Is it just part of our "small talk" like talking about the weather or ones occupation? Or is it something deeper in the human soul wanting, even yearning to connect on a deeper level? Where we are from tells a story about us and everyone loves a story! If someone says in response to your question, "I'm from Denver. Well, you immediately draw from any past experience regarding Denver or Colorado and begin to share mutual points of interest and experiences. If none exists, you probably ask questions as to what its like and what the person likes and dislikes about living there.
I think one of the biggest reasons the TV show Lost was so popular was for this very reason. The writers took us into each characters past, to where they were from. They masterfully told each characters story and wove it into the present.
I believe our souls have echos of the past, the way past- back to the beginning. The above creation story tells how we were created. Verse 27 tells of our past-
"So God created man in his own image". Regardless of your religious beliefs, deep in your soul, you know you were created for more than what you are experiencing in this life. Genesis chapter 2 depicts the "echos" of what was meant to be that are imprinted in our souls-
8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [f] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [g] 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam [h] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs [i] and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib [j] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [k] '
for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Sounds Awesome, does it not? And they felt no shame! This was what we were created for! To walk with God in a perfect place, an Eden. Here is the definition I found on the web;
E·den /ˈidn/ Show Spelled[eed-n] Show IPA
–noun
1. the place where Adam and Eve lived before the Fall. Gen. 2:8–24.
2. any delightful region or abode; paradise.
3. a state of perfect happiness or bliss.
4. a town in N North Carolina. 15,672.
Origin:
< Heb 'ēden delight, pleasure
If we are honest with ourselves, this is something we all long for is it not? Why do we long for something that we have never experienced? I believe this human longing is due to what we were created for. This was how it was meant to be... We were created for more than this, this existence we call our lives. Lives of pain, sorrow, brokeness, crying, longing, lonliness, suffering, doubt, fear, depression, lostness, hopelessness and despair.
It is no wonder the human soul looks for ways to experience what, we know in our hearts, we have lost. Something has gone terribly wrong and we don't know what to do about it. So we muddle along trying to make the best of this so called "life" Hoping to experience as much joy, peace and Eden as possible. We surround ourselves with nice things; homes, cars, boats, jewelry,entertainment of all varieties- all in a vain attempt to capture what was lost. Let me ask you a question. If this describes you to some degree- Well, how is that working for you? Do you have so many "things" that your heart is anesthetized from knowing its true desire? In case you have not noticed, you can seemingly "have it all" and still be miserable. Just one look at the celebrity news and one can see that "having it all" is not what its cracked up to be. Let's take a look at a more altruistic route that many take. After someone realizes that accumulation of things, fame and power do not bring happiness, if they have not killed themselves, they will follow the path of good works. Save the earth, whales, seals etc. You name it! Everyone is looking, longing for something more!
John 10 7-Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8-All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9-I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10-The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Matthew 11:28-30
28-"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29-Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30-For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
John 14
Jesus Comforts His Disciples
1-"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me. 2-In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3-And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4-You know the way to the place where I am going."
Jesus the Way to the Father
5-Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6-Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 7:37-39
37-On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as[a] the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." 39-By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The truth is that we are all thirsty for something more! It is because we were created for more! To the extent that we understand this- and that the only answer to our longing is found in a relationship with our Heavenly Father, our Creator- through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus- only then will we be able to recapture what we have lost.
Isaiah 53:4-6
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all
By His Wounds we are HEALED! Accept what Jesus has done for you, ask Him to give you the Living Water, His Spirit. Give Him full and complete control of your life. Stop holding on to what you have and trust Him to give you a life of abundance- walking with your Creator. How it was meant to be! ....On earth as it is in Heaven.
The Glory of God, is man fully Alive- St. Irenaeus
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
The Fruit of Faith- Certain for what we do not see!
I love this chapter- I call it the Faith Hall of Fame! As I have walked in faith on this journey I call "My Wild Goose Chase", The Lord has been stretching and refining my faith- asking me to trust in the unseen word He gave me on the trail in VA. There have been many "dangers, toils and snares" along this path and my resolve has been tested over and over again. But, God has been so gracious and faithful to encourage and strengthen me for each challenge I have faced. Many of those closest to me have "laughed" at the seeming "absurdity" of my path. But, you know, just as with Tim Tebow, I have found many friends, relatives and "strangers" who have been encouraged by my story of faith. Many of Tim's fans are not Christians but are still drawn to his "story" of faith and passion! Like the shepherd boy who stood up to Goliath, people respond to "crazy" acts of faith. Many jeer and sneer, laugh and rebuke but, secretly, I have to believe that they wish they had a faith like that. A courage to live from the heart against all odds. Like David, God calls each of us to live counter intuitively. To step out of our "little" stories and journey with the One who Created the Heavens and the Earth! To have the Faith that looks your "Goliath" in the eyes and says- "who or what are you compared to the mighty God I serve?" "I put the reputation of the Living God on the line and will live by faith, the kind that moves mountains".
It is my prayer that my faith would be found pleasing to my Lord and an encouragement to you my fellow faith traveler. Blessings to you on your journey! Love, Jon
Hebrews 11
By Faith
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned."[c] 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
23By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea[d] as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[e]
32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Tebow draws fans like no other in NFL
By Les Carpenter, Yahoo! Sports
Sep 7, 2:46 pm EDT
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – They arrived like pilgrims this summer, each looking for something different and yet ultimately searching for the same thing: a hero, an inspiration, somebody to believe. It was, as the woman, a nurse and mother of six said, they were tired of “the garbage” of “the gunfights and murders and dogfights.” She wanted someone her children could admire.
Josh McDaniels' faith in Tebow might be as strong as the quarterback’s growing fan base.
(Tony Tribble/AP Photo)
So it would be Tim Tebow(notes).
As the summer wore on and the Denver Broncos training camp stretched through August, the lines of cars inched along Arapahoe Road, winding around the office park and delivering fans to a hill beside the Broncos’ practice fields. And they came devoted, wearing his jersey, No. 15, despite the fact he was the team’s third-string quarterback.
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They shouted his name. They screamed for handshakes and hugs, autographs, anything to get close, to touch him, until no one around the team had seen anything like this before. Not for a player who had yet to do a thing in professional football.
Arguably, the biggest story in the NFL this summer was not in Minnesota and had nothing to do with the New York Jets. It wasn’t a holdout or the recalcitrant Albert Haynesworth(notes). It was here where the team’s store at training camp – a trailer in the parking lot – sold any number of different Tebow shirts in various sizes and nothing for Kyle Orton(notes), the starting quarterback and perhaps the Broncos’ most important player this season.
“It’s been an interesting summer,” several Denver players said shaking their heads.
[Photos: Latest images of Mr. Popular Tim Tebow]
And the story only continues this Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla., Tebow’s hometown, where serendipity has the Broncos playing the season’s first game just 1 ½ hours from Gainesville, where Tebow won a Heisman Trophy and the Florida Gators were the 2006 and 2008 national champions. Tebow might not even play. If he does it will be for only a few moments. And yet the game is all but sold out in a stadium that was sold out just once for an NFL game last season. Sports radio is filled with callers who wonder why the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t draft the quarterback who they are certain would have become the franchise’s savior in Northeast Florida.
There has really never been a player like this in the NFL. One whose every move appears to be so pure and without pretense that he is beloved by millions, many of whom wouldn’t call themselves sports fans. Yes, much of it is based on his Christian faith and his proud admission that as a star athlete he is still a virgin and also about the television commercial he filmed with his mother explaining why she did not abort him when it appeared that complications were life-threatening.
It was this devotion of his fans that led Tom Krattenmaker, the author of “Onward Christian Athletes,” a book about player’s expressions of religion, to say: “the way fans talk about him is almost idolatry.”
But Tebow’s fan base goes beyond those who share his faith. “I’m Catholic and he’s [evangelical] Christian. We couldn’t be farther apart,” said Don Tehan of Denver. “A lot of people believe he’s going to win. We think he’s going to take us to the Super Bowl.”
Tebow prays with teammates and Steelers in the preseason.
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Just days after the draft in late April, when he was taken in the first round by Denver, his Broncos jersey had become the No. 1 seller in the NFL. And this summer when Nike put a training shoe in his name on sale, it sold out in 15 minutes. Such things do not happen in sports. Not to players this young, with seemingly no redeeming talent to play professionally.
Yet every day, hundreds of No. 15s stared down at the Broncos practices.
Where has this happened before, especially for a player who is still deemed a project, about whom many NFL people still sit on the fence unsure if he has a chance at an average career and only a small few – including Broncos coach Josh McDaniels – believe to be a superstar in the making? It is unprecedented.
“I don’t know if I can put it into words,” said Debbie Hightower, the nurse, who is at Broncos practice wearing his jersey. She is originally from Orlando, Fla., and considers herself a Florida Gator fan but has lived in Denver for two years. “He’s a good player and a great person. I find myself drawn to those players.”
About 20 feet away stood Jon Cannon. A pleasant man, he smiled easily as he held a sign with the Bible verse 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.”
Cannon is from Charleston, S.C., he always admired Tebow’s devotion to his Christian faith, especially at a time when bad things were happening in his own life to make him question the strength of his belief. It was on those Saturday afternoons when Cannon watched college football on television and saw Tebow as “such a good witness of his faith.” This past summer he was hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia when he kept bumping into people from Colorado. He took this as a sign and stopped and prayed as to why he was meeting Coloradoans.
God, Cannon said, told him he is supposed to come to Denver to work for Tebow’s charitable foundation. So Cannon flew out. He wrote a letter explaining this to Tebow and handed it to safety David Bruton(notes), who happened to be the first player he could find and asked Bruton to hand it to Tebow. Two days later he wasn’t sure if Tebow had seen his letter. So he held his sign and hoped Tebow would notice.
Such is the lure of Tebow.
“People may not agree with his beliefs but they admire his conviction,” Cannon said. “People are looking for that hero. He’s living what he believes and he’s genuine.”
Tebow, who professes to have locked himself into studying the NFL, nonetheless notices the mania that surrounds him.
“I think it would be hard to miss,” said rookie wide receiver Eric Decker(notes), who was Tebow’s training camp roommate. It was Decker who watched the mail pile up, watched the fans clamor for attention, examined the player’s personal hyperbaric chamber in which everyone now knows Tebow sleeps, and he wondered how anyone could deal with such a mania.
“Yet at the same time, he has surrounded himself with the right people,” Decker said.
Tebow’s Friar Tuck haircut, a result of rookie hazing, was embraced by some Broncos fans.
(Ron Chenoy/US Presswire)
Maybe his new teammates would resent it, wondering why a quarterback whose NFL potential is still very much in question. But he has been charming, so unfailingly polite they couldn’t hate him. And like everyone else, they have melted.
“You can tell this is a kid who didn’t ask for any of this,” said Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd(notes).
And yet now that it has only grown, Tebow says he is unfazed.
“This is part of the platform you are on when you are the quarterback at the University of Florida and you are on a pedestal and then you do the things we have done, the attention comes,” he said pleasantly but flatly.
Then he brightened.
“It’s not all negative,” he said. “I do have the opportunity to go to hospitals.”
He said this with seriousness, not the phoniness of some athletes who use public events like hospital visits to buff their public image, but rather with joy as if it genuinely pleases him to see sick children. And it will probably be seen by thousands more who will find it as a sincere gesture in a sports world where athletes are so hard to trust.
The mania will continue to burgeon as it moves into the season, back to Florida, to his hometown and propel the Broncos toward a year like none a team has ever seen.
It is my prayer that my faith would be found pleasing to my Lord and an encouragement to you my fellow faith traveler. Blessings to you on your journey! Love, Jon
Hebrews 11
By Faith
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he[a]considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring[b] will be reckoned."[c] 19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.
23By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.
24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea[d] as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.
30By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.
31By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[e]
32And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37They were stoned[f]; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
39These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Tebow draws fans like no other in NFL
By Les Carpenter, Yahoo! Sports
Sep 7, 2:46 pm EDT
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. – They arrived like pilgrims this summer, each looking for something different and yet ultimately searching for the same thing: a hero, an inspiration, somebody to believe. It was, as the woman, a nurse and mother of six said, they were tired of “the garbage” of “the gunfights and murders and dogfights.” She wanted someone her children could admire.
Josh McDaniels' faith in Tebow might be as strong as the quarterback’s growing fan base.
(Tony Tribble/AP Photo)
So it would be Tim Tebow(notes).
As the summer wore on and the Denver Broncos training camp stretched through August, the lines of cars inched along Arapahoe Road, winding around the office park and delivering fans to a hill beside the Broncos’ practice fields. And they came devoted, wearing his jersey, No. 15, despite the fact he was the team’s third-string quarterback.
Related Video Picking award winners Picking award winners
Locks of Week 1
Favre's last stand
More NFL Videos Other Popular Sports StoriesWho deserves Reggie Bush's Heisman? NFL superstar says he feels unwanted More From Les CarpenterGarland's dream picks: Air Force pilot or Broncos Aug 26, 2010 AdChoices
They shouted his name. They screamed for handshakes and hugs, autographs, anything to get close, to touch him, until no one around the team had seen anything like this before. Not for a player who had yet to do a thing in professional football.
Arguably, the biggest story in the NFL this summer was not in Minnesota and had nothing to do with the New York Jets. It wasn’t a holdout or the recalcitrant Albert Haynesworth(notes). It was here where the team’s store at training camp – a trailer in the parking lot – sold any number of different Tebow shirts in various sizes and nothing for Kyle Orton(notes), the starting quarterback and perhaps the Broncos’ most important player this season.
“It’s been an interesting summer,” several Denver players said shaking their heads.
[Photos: Latest images of Mr. Popular Tim Tebow]
And the story only continues this Sunday in Jacksonville, Fla., Tebow’s hometown, where serendipity has the Broncos playing the season’s first game just 1 ½ hours from Gainesville, where Tebow won a Heisman Trophy and the Florida Gators were the 2006 and 2008 national champions. Tebow might not even play. If he does it will be for only a few moments. And yet the game is all but sold out in a stadium that was sold out just once for an NFL game last season. Sports radio is filled with callers who wonder why the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t draft the quarterback who they are certain would have become the franchise’s savior in Northeast Florida.
There has really never been a player like this in the NFL. One whose every move appears to be so pure and without pretense that he is beloved by millions, many of whom wouldn’t call themselves sports fans. Yes, much of it is based on his Christian faith and his proud admission that as a star athlete he is still a virgin and also about the television commercial he filmed with his mother explaining why she did not abort him when it appeared that complications were life-threatening.
It was this devotion of his fans that led Tom Krattenmaker, the author of “Onward Christian Athletes,” a book about player’s expressions of religion, to say: “the way fans talk about him is almost idolatry.”
But Tebow’s fan base goes beyond those who share his faith. “I’m Catholic and he’s [evangelical] Christian. We couldn’t be farther apart,” said Don Tehan of Denver. “A lot of people believe he’s going to win. We think he’s going to take us to the Super Bowl.”
Tebow prays with teammates and Steelers in the preseason.
(Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Just days after the draft in late April, when he was taken in the first round by Denver, his Broncos jersey had become the No. 1 seller in the NFL. And this summer when Nike put a training shoe in his name on sale, it sold out in 15 minutes. Such things do not happen in sports. Not to players this young, with seemingly no redeeming talent to play professionally.
Yet every day, hundreds of No. 15s stared down at the Broncos practices.
Where has this happened before, especially for a player who is still deemed a project, about whom many NFL people still sit on the fence unsure if he has a chance at an average career and only a small few – including Broncos coach Josh McDaniels – believe to be a superstar in the making? It is unprecedented.
“I don’t know if I can put it into words,” said Debbie Hightower, the nurse, who is at Broncos practice wearing his jersey. She is originally from Orlando, Fla., and considers herself a Florida Gator fan but has lived in Denver for two years. “He’s a good player and a great person. I find myself drawn to those players.”
About 20 feet away stood Jon Cannon. A pleasant man, he smiled easily as he held a sign with the Bible verse 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but spirit of power, of love and of self discipline.”
Cannon is from Charleston, S.C., he always admired Tebow’s devotion to his Christian faith, especially at a time when bad things were happening in his own life to make him question the strength of his belief. It was on those Saturday afternoons when Cannon watched college football on television and saw Tebow as “such a good witness of his faith.” This past summer he was hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia when he kept bumping into people from Colorado. He took this as a sign and stopped and prayed as to why he was meeting Coloradoans.
God, Cannon said, told him he is supposed to come to Denver to work for Tebow’s charitable foundation. So Cannon flew out. He wrote a letter explaining this to Tebow and handed it to safety David Bruton(notes), who happened to be the first player he could find and asked Bruton to hand it to Tebow. Two days later he wasn’t sure if Tebow had seen his letter. So he held his sign and hoped Tebow would notice.
Such is the lure of Tebow.
“People may not agree with his beliefs but they admire his conviction,” Cannon said. “People are looking for that hero. He’s living what he believes and he’s genuine.”
Tebow, who professes to have locked himself into studying the NFL, nonetheless notices the mania that surrounds him.
“I think it would be hard to miss,” said rookie wide receiver Eric Decker(notes), who was Tebow’s training camp roommate. It was Decker who watched the mail pile up, watched the fans clamor for attention, examined the player’s personal hyperbaric chamber in which everyone now knows Tebow sleeps, and he wondered how anyone could deal with such a mania.
“Yet at the same time, he has surrounded himself with the right people,” Decker said.
Tebow’s Friar Tuck haircut, a result of rookie hazing, was embraced by some Broncos fans.
(Ron Chenoy/US Presswire)
Maybe his new teammates would resent it, wondering why a quarterback whose NFL potential is still very much in question. But he has been charming, so unfailingly polite they couldn’t hate him. And like everyone else, they have melted.
“You can tell this is a kid who didn’t ask for any of this,” said Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd(notes).
And yet now that it has only grown, Tebow says he is unfazed.
“This is part of the platform you are on when you are the quarterback at the University of Florida and you are on a pedestal and then you do the things we have done, the attention comes,” he said pleasantly but flatly.
Then he brightened.
“It’s not all negative,” he said. “I do have the opportunity to go to hospitals.”
He said this with seriousness, not the phoniness of some athletes who use public events like hospital visits to buff their public image, but rather with joy as if it genuinely pleases him to see sick children. And it will probably be seen by thousands more who will find it as a sincere gesture in a sports world where athletes are so hard to trust.
The mania will continue to burgeon as it moves into the season, back to Florida, to his hometown and propel the Broncos toward a year like none a team has ever seen.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Thy Kingdom Come- "The Glory of God is man fully Alive"
The Glory of God is Man fully Alive- St. Irenaeus
Prayer- Lord, pull my thoughts together- direct my steps as I write from what is going on in my heart. In Jesus. Amen
It has been a long time since I last blogged. This is the first time since I started this blog that I have been "chewing" on what I was to say. Everything else to this point has just "flowed out of me".
I am currently reading "Waking the Dead"- by John Eldredge with Sue and Jordan- family devotions, and just finished "Surprised by Joy" by C.S. Lewis. Also, just started "The Way of The Wild Heart"- also by Eldredge
If you have been reading this blog you are well aware of what God has been doing in and through my life. I guess you could say I am experiencing a "revival of the heart". As I have purposed to know God in my desert trials- to diligently seek Him with all my heart- I have experienced what St. Irenaeus was talking about. For I know that God is glorified when I am living from my new heart. The one I received when Jesus entered my life 36 years ago. Now, let me clarify that this is not the first time I have experienced the life that Jesus spoke of when He promised us the abundant life. It's just different this time around- much different! God, in His glory, power, love and grace has utilized all my trials to bring me deeper- to accept His promises with child like faith and to know them in your heart are two completely different things. To reconcile pain and love is something the human condition struggles with. It is part of the "great lie" that Satan weaves in our lives- pierces us with deep in our hearts- he sows seeds of doubt about our Heavenly Fathers love and intentions toward us.
As time goes on I am increasingly aware of the struggle for my heart. Satan has won when we are going through the motions and he moves his focus to someone else. Now that I am living from my heart as God intended- the battles are fierce. I find myself sharpening and using my sword all the time! Praise Him for it is really true that- "For our God has not given us a Spirit of fear but a Spirit of Power and of Love and of Self- Discipline."- 2 Timothy 1:7
As you can tell, I have been a voracious reader over the last several months. As I read the Spirit has shown me a recurring theme expressed in the Gospels- His Kingdom on earth. I believe that the Kingdom Jesus speaks of here and in many other verses is in our HEARTS. It's not just when He comes in all His glory to usher us into eternity- Eternity is just that- Eternal- it just enters us when we are given a new heart.
Matthew 6
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
In light of my last post, I start with this thought...Jesus did not just come to pay for our sins and then high tail it back to glory! He came so that we may have life here on earth. He came to not only show us how to live.. how to walk with the Father-but to bring Heaven to earth. And for this to be made possible.. He gave us His Spirit- to take up residence where? Our Hearts! So, it makes sense- for us to come alive in the Spirit- Our new hearts must come alive! Memorizing scripture is great but our problem lies in the transfer process- from head to heart. It is our "red zone"! In football, the last 20 yards is referred to as the red zone. The fighting is fierce in this zone and championships are won or lost based on a teams offensive and defensive red zone success. It is just as true in the Spirit realm. If God's truth- (Jesus-"For I am the Way, the Truth and the Life- no man comes to the Father but through me"- John 14:6) does not make it through the red zone to our hearts- we will never experience the abundant life Jesus promised us. The more truth has victory in our red zone- the more we will experience Heaven on Earth- this abundant life that Jesus promised us.
John 7
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39-By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified
John 16 13-But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14-He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15-All that belongs to the Father is mine
Colossians 1:27
27) To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Where are you? Have you allowed Satan and his lies to sack Gods truth from healing your heart and bringing you fully alive? How is your red zone offense and defence. Are you diligently pushing the truth through Satan's defences into your heart? You must realize that the battle for your heart is fierce and the intensity is great. Just as football becomes increasingly violent in the red zone, so it is true when it comes to your heart.
Matthew 11:12
12-From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
This last verse, praise the Lord, pulls it all together for us. God answered my prayer. I was a jumble in my mind and not sure how to pull it together in a coherent fashion. I felt like the kid who has so much to say that it won't come out right. It is my prayer that the Spirit uses this to help you in your journey. He will meet you where ever you are- just come as you are! Blessings, Jon
PS. I don't think it a coincidence that the most crucial zone to success in football is referred to as the RED ZONE. For red refers to the heart.
Deuteronomy 31
6-Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I Peter 1
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7- These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
John 16
33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
BUT, TAKE HEART!
Prayer- Lord, pull my thoughts together- direct my steps as I write from what is going on in my heart. In Jesus. Amen
It has been a long time since I last blogged. This is the first time since I started this blog that I have been "chewing" on what I was to say. Everything else to this point has just "flowed out of me".
I am currently reading "Waking the Dead"- by John Eldredge with Sue and Jordan- family devotions, and just finished "Surprised by Joy" by C.S. Lewis. Also, just started "The Way of The Wild Heart"- also by Eldredge
If you have been reading this blog you are well aware of what God has been doing in and through my life. I guess you could say I am experiencing a "revival of the heart". As I have purposed to know God in my desert trials- to diligently seek Him with all my heart- I have experienced what St. Irenaeus was talking about. For I know that God is glorified when I am living from my new heart. The one I received when Jesus entered my life 36 years ago. Now, let me clarify that this is not the first time I have experienced the life that Jesus spoke of when He promised us the abundant life. It's just different this time around- much different! God, in His glory, power, love and grace has utilized all my trials to bring me deeper- to accept His promises with child like faith and to know them in your heart are two completely different things. To reconcile pain and love is something the human condition struggles with. It is part of the "great lie" that Satan weaves in our lives- pierces us with deep in our hearts- he sows seeds of doubt about our Heavenly Fathers love and intentions toward us.
As time goes on I am increasingly aware of the struggle for my heart. Satan has won when we are going through the motions and he moves his focus to someone else. Now that I am living from my heart as God intended- the battles are fierce. I find myself sharpening and using my sword all the time! Praise Him for it is really true that- "For our God has not given us a Spirit of fear but a Spirit of Power and of Love and of Self- Discipline."- 2 Timothy 1:7
As you can tell, I have been a voracious reader over the last several months. As I read the Spirit has shown me a recurring theme expressed in the Gospels- His Kingdom on earth. I believe that the Kingdom Jesus speaks of here and in many other verses is in our HEARTS. It's not just when He comes in all His glory to usher us into eternity- Eternity is just that- Eternal- it just enters us when we are given a new heart.
Matthew 6
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one
In light of my last post, I start with this thought...Jesus did not just come to pay for our sins and then high tail it back to glory! He came so that we may have life here on earth. He came to not only show us how to live.. how to walk with the Father-but to bring Heaven to earth. And for this to be made possible.. He gave us His Spirit- to take up residence where? Our Hearts! So, it makes sense- for us to come alive in the Spirit- Our new hearts must come alive! Memorizing scripture is great but our problem lies in the transfer process- from head to heart. It is our "red zone"! In football, the last 20 yards is referred to as the red zone. The fighting is fierce in this zone and championships are won or lost based on a teams offensive and defensive red zone success. It is just as true in the Spirit realm. If God's truth- (Jesus-"For I am the Way, the Truth and the Life- no man comes to the Father but through me"- John 14:6) does not make it through the red zone to our hearts- we will never experience the abundant life Jesus promised us. The more truth has victory in our red zone- the more we will experience Heaven on Earth- this abundant life that Jesus promised us.
John 7
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38-Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39-By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified
John 16 13-But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14-He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15-All that belongs to the Father is mine
Colossians 1:27
27) To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Where are you? Have you allowed Satan and his lies to sack Gods truth from healing your heart and bringing you fully alive? How is your red zone offense and defence. Are you diligently pushing the truth through Satan's defences into your heart? You must realize that the battle for your heart is fierce and the intensity is great. Just as football becomes increasingly violent in the red zone, so it is true when it comes to your heart.
Matthew 11:12
12-From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.
This last verse, praise the Lord, pulls it all together for us. God answered my prayer. I was a jumble in my mind and not sure how to pull it together in a coherent fashion. I felt like the kid who has so much to say that it won't come out right. It is my prayer that the Spirit uses this to help you in your journey. He will meet you where ever you are- just come as you are! Blessings, Jon
PS. I don't think it a coincidence that the most crucial zone to success in football is referred to as the RED ZONE. For red refers to the heart.
Deuteronomy 31
6-Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I Peter 1
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7- These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
John 16
33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
BUT, TAKE HEART!
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