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| Napoli! |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C72KanzniYk&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL47AE142600DFF3D8 - Baseball makes me religious -
For the last several weeks, most of us have been focused on the Rangers. We rearrange our schedules so that we won't miss a single swing of a bat. Napoli, Beltre, Kensler, Hamilton, and I can't forget Michael Young, my grandson's favorite... Everywhere I go I hear their names being dropped as if they are our close friends. In reality,they are just the "flavor of the day". These players are experiencing their 5 minutes of fame. Yet we spend more time talking about these guys than we do talking about our Savior. And He deserves so much more of our attention than any sports star.
It's exciting to watch the Rangers do so well. It's fun to rally around a winner. The Rangers' victories becomes our victories. We celebrate each win as if we actually played on the field with the team. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's all in good fun. The Rangers winning season has given us something to get excited about. But what if I got as excited about what Jesus did for me?
This life is so short. In a couple years most of us won't remember who had the most home runs or which pitcher had the best series. We will have moved on to the next "flavor of the week". Dare I say it? Whether the Rangers win or lose won't matter in Eternity. What will matter is how each player used his fame to speak the name of Jesus.
Thank you, Josh Hamilton! Although his stats are good, they won't count for anything when he stands before God. After all, his athletic abilities were given to him by God. What will count is that he proclaims that Jesus is his Lord. He has pointed suffering people to the One who can save them. Every person who has been encouraged in their faith, every young kid who looks at Jesus in a little different way because Josh Hamilton is a believer, those are the things that will go with Mr. Hamilton into Eternity.
Josh Hamilton has not lived a perfect life. He's made many mistakes and will be the first one to admit that. But because he has put his trust in Jesus, his sins are forgiven. Because Josh turned to Christ, God has used his failures and struggles to accomplish good things. Because of his struggles, Josh Hamilton knows that he needs the Savior. He has learned the hard way. Now, he wants others to know what he knows. Jesus is what matters, even more than baseball. = )
http://youtu.be/0vdLi8h-xdI - Dependence - Jamie Slocum
This life is short; we need to make every moment count for eternity.
Max Lucado tells the story of a woman who was unhappy in her marriage.
"Seventeen years of his mistakes, her mistakes, his drinking, her impatience. And now, she wanted out. After all, her life was blitzing past. If she is going to live, she'd best get busy! Besides, who can assure her that the marriage will work? How does she know that she's not in for two more decade of tough times? She doesn't.
'All about me' counsel says: "Life is short - get out."
God's wisdom, however, says: "Life is short - stay in."
2 Corinthians 4:17
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,The brevity of life grants power to abide, not an excuse to bail. Fleeting days don't justify fleeing problems. Fleeting days strengthen us to endure problems. Will your problems pass? No guarantee they will. Will your pain cease? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But heaven gives this promise: "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".
ETERNITY
I can't wrap my brain around that concept. I'm ashamed to say I am definitely a "live for the moment" kinda girl. Instant gratification, right? I have trouble thinking about tomorrow when I all I can see is today, right now!
But God has planted eternity in my heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11
What if we could understand Eternity? What would really matter in this earthly life if we understood that our lives here are but a vapor?
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Paul got it. He understood that this life is here today and gone tomorrow. He had everything from an earthly perspective. Prestige, power, influence, money...
Philippians 3:7-11
2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
He walked away from it all for Christ. Paul suffered unbelievable attacks, both physical and mental. He didn't always have a warm bed to crawl into at night. He didn't always have food for the day or shelter from the storms. He didn't have a wife. Friends sometimes let him down.
2 Corinthians 11:23-27
"I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm."
I haven't suffered like Paul. Yet with all that he endured, he was able to rejoice in his sufferings. He considered it an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ. For him, saving one more person by proclaiming the Gospel was worth the risk and pain.
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
I'm not going to live forever. My life is so short, even if I live to be 100. When my earthly body dies, what will I be able to take with me into Eternity?
Matthew 6:19-21
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
What can I do today that will matter in Eternity?
Eternity is a really long, long time. I can't even begin to imagine time without end. If I could fully grasp "eternity", these few years on earth, no matter the struggle or pain I may face, wouldn't even be equal to a tiny speck in the Universe of time. What am I doing with the little time I have here on earth that will matter in Eternity? Am I laying up treasures in Heaven, or are my treasures things
I won't even be able to take with me to heaven?
Prayer
Holy God, You must grow so weary of my shallow, empty earthly desires, my fascination with meaningless things. Material things that seem so important right now, will mean nothing when I die. Please help me keep my eyes focused on Eternity, not the here and now. Help me to use my time wisely so that others may come to know Your Son because of my life. Help me to share with those who have less. Help me to come along side and bear the burdens of my friends and family, and even those people who may be strangers to me now. Father, help me to take the attention off myself and look to see what I can do to spread Your love to the people I meet. Help me see the opportunities You put before me to store up treasures for Heaven. Please forgive me for all the times I fail to be the person You would have me be. LORD Jesus, be gloried in my life as I look forward to the day when I'll spend all of Eternity with You. I ask these things in Your precious Name. Amen.
http://youtu.be/lW0QJfcmqYQ - You Be Lifted High - Michael W Smith
I can't wrap my brain around that concept. I'm ashamed to say I am definitely a "live for the moment" kinda girl. Instant gratification, right? I have trouble thinking about tomorrow when I all I can see is today, right now!
But God has planted eternity in my heart. Ecclesiastes 3:11
What if we could understand Eternity? What would really matter in this earthly life if we understood that our lives here are but a vapor?
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
Paul got it. He understood that this life is here today and gone tomorrow. He had everything from an earthly perspective. Prestige, power, influence, money...
Philippians 3:7-11
2 Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. 3For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
He walked away from it all for Christ. Paul suffered unbelievable attacks, both physical and mental. He didn't always have a warm bed to crawl into at night. He didn't always have food for the day or shelter from the storms. He didn't have a wife. Friends sometimes let him down.
2 Corinthians 11:23-27
"I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm."
I haven't suffered like Paul. Yet with all that he endured, he was able to rejoice in his sufferings. He considered it an honor to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ. For him, saving one more person by proclaiming the Gospel was worth the risk and pain.
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
I'm not going to live forever. My life is so short, even if I live to be 100. When my earthly body dies, what will I be able to take with me into Eternity?
Matthew 6:19-21
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."
What can I do today that will matter in Eternity?
Eternity is a really long, long time. I can't even begin to imagine time without end. If I could fully grasp "eternity", these few years on earth, no matter the struggle or pain I may face, wouldn't even be equal to a tiny speck in the Universe of time. What am I doing with the little time I have here on earth that will matter in Eternity? Am I laying up treasures in Heaven, or are my treasures things
I won't even be able to take with me to heaven?
Prayer
Holy God, You must grow so weary of my shallow, empty earthly desires, my fascination with meaningless things. Material things that seem so important right now, will mean nothing when I die. Please help me keep my eyes focused on Eternity, not the here and now. Help me to use my time wisely so that others may come to know Your Son because of my life. Help me to share with those who have less. Help me to come along side and bear the burdens of my friends and family, and even those people who may be strangers to me now. Father, help me to take the attention off myself and look to see what I can do to spread Your love to the people I meet. Help me see the opportunities You put before me to store up treasures for Heaven. Please forgive me for all the times I fail to be the person You would have me be. LORD Jesus, be gloried in my life as I look forward to the day when I'll spend all of Eternity with You. I ask these things in Your precious Name. Amen.
http://youtu.be/lW0QJfcmqYQ - You Be Lifted High - Michael W Smith
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