Terminator Salvation Lesson

Recently the movie Terminator Salvation was on tv. Having read in some publication that it had some redeeming points in it I set the dvr to watch at a later time. I'm not even sure if I have even seen any of the Terminator movies, but I did know what the plot line was. As I watched the ovie there was a scene where Marcus (who had killed some people in his past) said to the girl," I'm not a good guy." To which she responded," You are, you just don't know it yet."



Often we make the mistake of defining ourselves by our past mistakes. Sometimes we even let others define us by our past mistakes. One of the wonderful truths we learn from reading the Bible is that we all have pasts that we aren't proud of. Why is that wonderful? Because once we realize the reality of that truth the pressure is off to try and be perfect. When we realize that truth we can move on with our lives. Not in a," hey nothing I did in the past matters" attitude, but in a "now that I know no one is perfect what do I do now" attitude. We don't have to let our past define us.

In all of us is a desire to make the right choices in life. We may not do it, we may ignore the voice, but the desire is still there. It may have been many years since we did what we knew what we were supposed to do. We may have a habit that we know isn't good for us, yet we keep doing it over and over. You may be like Marcus in Terminator Salvation and think," I'm not a good guy (or girl)."

You may have messed up, but you still were made in the image of God. There is something in you that wants to do good. You can, but you can't do it in your own strength (you probably know that by now). So why not ask Jesus for help? He's not shocked at your past. In fact, He paid the price for our sins.

The man who wrote most of the New Testament was a man named Paul who had in his past persecuted the church. He sent Christians to prison. But He came into contact with Jesus and his life changed. If ever there was a guy who could say of himself, 'I'm not a good person' it would be Paul. But Jesus changed all of that. Read how Paul describes it:

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief ; 14 and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. 15It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. 16Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.   1st Timothy 1:12-16

If Jesus did it for Paul, He can do it for others. He has done it for others. There was good for Paul, he just didn't know it. Don't let your past define you. You aren't the mistakes you have made with your life. You were created in the image of God. Find freedom and forgiveness in Jesus and watch what He can do for your life. There can be good in your life, you just don't know it yet.

Troy

When facing a challenge what are my eyes fixed on?

I am so fortunate, God has allowed me to pastor a wonderful group of people. The other day while I was praying over the various needs in people's lives I began to focus on the challenge. Some have challenges that have been going on a long time with no end in sight, some are fairly recent but  still devastating. As I was praying and asking God not only to answer and help change the situation, but also to help all those involved to stay strong. I began to focus on the challenges of each situation. In the midst of thinking of the challenges a verse came to my mind.

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:2-3

I knew in an instant that it was one of those "God moments". Though I was praying, I was focusing on the various challenges. (Anybody else ever do that?) God was letting me know that I needed to "fix my eyes on Jesus".

When we are faced with challenges sometimes we run from them, sometimes we try to forget them, but they don't go away. We may even pray about them, but in the middle of praying become more focused on the challenge than the One who can help in the midst of the challenge.

Some, when facing a challenge try to forget the problem and just pray. I don't think that is correct (just my humble opinion). We can't run and just pray. I think the Bible shows us that we acknowledge our problem yet keep our eye fixed on Jesus.

Time and time again in the Bible when someone encountered a problem they would acknowleddge it, they may even be fearful, but they would take it to God in prayer.

Faced with a challenge? Remember, don't just focus on the problem there is God whose name is Jesus who is with us in the midst of the challenge. May we remember to acknowledge the problem, but fix our eyes on Him.

Troy

Don't Be Afraid To Dream

Did you know that it doesn't cost anything to dream? Yet we don't find the time to do it. If you think back over your life, most of the special moments we have experienced started by just daring to dream. What is remakable to me is that most of the big moments went beyond my intitial dreaming. Tina Turner said," You don't always reach a dream in the way you first see it. When you get there, it's a different dream, but it's still a dream."

Our Heavenly Father has created us with unique gifts and talents. As we discover them, we begin to get more comfortable with them and we begin to dream. Granted, if you are going to dream you must prepare yourself for disappointments and setbacks. But the key is don't give up.Trust that God is preparing you. There is a story told in the Book of Genesis in the Bible about a man named Joseph. You can read his story in Genesis 37-50. I would encourage you to read it if you are not familiar with the story. He had a dream from God for his life. All didn't go smoothly, but God was faithful.

Concentration camp survivor Corrie Ten Boom observed, "Every experience God gives us, every person He brings into our lives, is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see." I have found this to be true for all of us.

A.R. Bernard says," It takes courage to dream big dreams. You will discover that courage when you do three things: accept the past, trust God to manage the future, and make the most of the time He has given you today."

So don't be afraid to dream. God will refine them,and in the end you will find that the dream that came to pass was a part of God's plan for you.

With God's power working in us,God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.
Ephesians 3:20

Troy

Fathers and Sons and Baseball Games

Anyone who knows me know I am a die-hard Cubs fan. I bleed Cubbie blue and I'm not afraid to admit it. I also truly love the game of baseball. There are a few times during the week when I will wear a Cubs jersey. Initially I wore them just because I am a Cubs fan. What I found out though, was that it was a conversation starter. I can't tell you how many people have stopped me while wearing a baseball jersey and shared with me some story about baseball.It can be at the grocery store, the library, even a book store. It's not just Cubs fans. I remember a person who was originally from Brooklyn talking to me about the Dodgers. I had an older gentleman who was a Cardinals fan pull out a World Series ticket from 1985 and say to me,"here let me show you this since I know you've never seen one." Just endless stories. That's not including all the Cubs fans who are still waiting.

Most of the stories I hear from people have a common theme. Of all the stories they could share with me, most of them are stories that go back to their childhood and going to games with their dads. I am talking 75 or 80 year old men. Most tell me a few stories, but the ones that they linger on are the one's when they were between 5-20 years of age and going to a game with their dad. I love listening to them because the men get a twinkle in their eye and a smile on their face. I have been astonished over the years as I hear the stories because of the usual pattern of the conversation. They start out telling me what team they like and then it automatically goes to their youth. If the story goes long enough then it goes to them taking their kids and their grandkids to a game. I could also share stories of daughters and fathers.

My first game with my dad was the Cubs against the San Francisco Giants. It was around 1971, we sat on the first base side down by the Giants bullpen. The Giants had a pitcher by the name of Elias Sosa and everyone around us kept yelling,"Sosa, Sosa" all game long.

My dad and I didn't see the Cubs win a game until 2003. That's right, from 1971 until 2003 the Cubs lost every game that we went to.We got close around 1989 against the Dodgers. The Cubs were ahead going into the top of the 9th, but the Dodgers rallied and tied the game. The Cubs eventually lost in 15 innings. Ironcally, it was the Cubs beating the Giants which was the first time we saw the Cubs win.

In our family there is the story of two of my uncles and my grandpa up at Wrigley during the 1945 World Series. My uncles wanted to go in, but my grandpa uttered these famous words,"I'll take you the next time they are in the World Series." My uncles are still waiting.

After 2003, my dad and I got on a roll and the Cubs have begun to win just about every game we have been to since then.

Probably the most memorable time for me with my dad at a Cubs game was when he turned 65. His birthday is in July, but in April I called Wrigley field and got it arranged to have my dad's birthday acknowledged on the scoreboard. I will always remember the look on his face when I told him to look at the scoreboard when it came on. I remember him telling me later,"that was weird because I recognized the name but I couldn't think of who it was because you aren't expectng to see your name on the scoreboard at Wrigley Field." The Cubs beat the Reds that night.

There is more that I could share, but I guess that to me going to a baseball game with your dad is one of those graces that God lets us experience in this life. I thank God for all the wonderful memories of being at a game with my dad. It's something that remains with us all our lives. The memory is always there. And even at age 75 or 80 you still get a twinkle in your eye and smile on your face when you remember going to a ballgame with your dad.

Troy

Spiritual Makeover

Remember the show "Extreme Home Makeover"? The show was about how a crew would come in and build a family a new home. Generally the family had gone through some tough times. When the crew would come in, they would send the family away on a mini vacation. The crew would then get down to work to give the home a makeover. When they were done they would bring the family back and show them what they had done to their home. There were lots of tears and smiles all at the same time.

It was a great show in that it showed people helping others. The show was an hour long. When it was over you were happy for the people who were helped.

Now here is where watching television and real life collide. Though the show was an hour long, it took longer than an hour to do a makeover on the house. I know you are probably thinking,"of course, we know that Troy." I mention it though because you would be surprised at how many of us realize that it takes a long time to accomplish something when it involves others, but when it is our lives we wonder, "why is this taking so long?"

Isn't it true? We want things to happen quicker than right now for us. Deep down we know life doesn't work this way, but we tend to forget when it is our life.

On extreme home makeover we only get a glimpse at the people working on the house. We don't get to see all that they have to do. Nobody wants to watch someone hammer away on a hammer for thirty minutes or some of the other stuff that is required. So we get a condensed version of all the work that goes into the extreme home makeover.

Now when it comes to our spiritual transformation or "makeover", we want it to happen quicker than right now. We also want others to change just as quick. We don't want to have to deal with the messy stuff. We don't want the monotony of the everyday stuff. We want quick, we want exciting. We want it all to be done within an hour just like we see on tv.

Spiritual transformation doesn't work like that. It can be slow, monotonous and messy. But if you take your time, you will one day look back and be amazed at how God has been changing you.

There are a few things that you can do daily that will help your transformation process. Actually, there is no growth in your transformation process without these.



1. Read your Bible: This is the way we grow spiritually. You learn about God, you learn about Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. You begin to learn what pleases God, what doesn't. You will be amazed at how the Holy Spirit will bring some verse to your mind as you are dealing with something in your life. Remember to read not just for information, but also for transformation. We can know a lot of facts or be able to quote many verses, but if we aren't applying them to our lives what's the purpose?
As a guitar instructor I am amazed at how many students don't practice and then wonder why they aren't getting better. Well, the same could be said of our spiritual growth. Many don't take time to read their Bibles consistently and then wonder why they aren't growing spiritually. Remember, God will do His part. He will bring about transformation as we follow the ways that He has given us for it to happen.

2. Pray: Talk to God. At first it will be you asking Him for stuff, which is ok. As you grow, it will turn into a conversation. He will respond, expect Him to. You will begin to learn how He communicates with you. Prayer is showing our dependance on Him. I don't want to say too much about it, other than the old Nike slogan "just do it".

There are many other spiritual "disciplines" that we can do to help us experience God more, but whether we are just starting out on our journey or been on it for many years, you can't get away from reading your Bible and praying.

You can experience a spiritual makeover, but remember it takes time. Trust that God is at work in your life.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6

Troy


1.

Your Story Isn't Over

I enjoy a good movie or a good book just like the rest of you. Many times there are good ones, but you can see the end coming and how it all will play out a mile away. Every now and then you get a good movie or book that has a surprise twist that you never saw coming. Many of us enjoy those type of books or movies. You know what is interesting though? We usually don't enjoy it as much when it is our own lives that it is happening to. We like stability and knowing how things are going to turn out ahead of time when it comes to our lives. Yet, the danger of this is that we can get in a rut. And if you haven't been having a life that is what you have wanted, you may begin to think, "I guess this is all there is".

When I was 10 I had my life all figured out. I was going to play major league baseball until I was 40. I would then retire and manage a major league team until I was 60. At age 60 I would become the commissioner of major league baseball.

By the time I was 15 all my plans had changed. I was now going to be a rock star of some sort. I started playing the guitar at 13 and I was playing in a couple of bands. I had the bug.

As of this writing I am 45 and pastoring a church and I have been involved in ministry for about 15 years.

I still enjoy watching baseball and all the statistics that go with it. I am still a musician. But I am pretty sure that my life is not going to turn out like I thought it was going to when I was 10 or 15 years old. And you know what? I'm ok with that. I am enjoying life.

As I look back now, I can see where God was preparing me for what I am doing now. At the time though I didn't see it coming.

When I see pictures that people post on facebook of when they were younger I sometime think to myself,"I wonder what their dreams were at that age?"

Life is full of twists and turns. There is an old saying that says,"If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." I think most if not all of us can relate to that. We all thought earlier in our lives that life would be one way, but as we have grown older it hasn't all turned out like we thought.

Hopefully, it has turned out better than you had imagined. But for those of you who may be feeling a little down right now about life, just remember-your story isn't over yet.

You were created with a purpose and a plan. Whatever that purpose or plan is not just about you, but is also part of a bigger story. Don't be surprised by the twists and turns your life may take. They may be leading you to the place where your dreams come true. Your story isn't over yet.

Don't ever think that your life could never change. God has always been in the business of changing lives and situations. Why not begin to follow Jesus with your life and see where it leads. God has created us and He knows the longings in our hearts. He does His part to lead us to those things that will bring fulfillment in our lives. Sometimes we follow His lead, sometimes we don't. But remember, He hasn't given up on you just because you took a few wrong turns. Your story isn't over.

Saul of Tarsus was a man who would go out and murder Christians, years later he would become the Apostle Paul and write many of the books in the New Testament. His story wasn't over.

Moses killed a man and then went into hiding. Years later he would be the man chosen by God to lead His people out of Egyptian slavery. His story wasn't over.

Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers. He was taken captive. He was sold. He was lied about.  He was thrown into prison for a crime he didn't commit. He was forgetten. He ended up years later being the second most powerful person in Egypt. His story wasn't over.

Your story isn't over yet either. Why not let God lead the way and see what He does with your life?God is at work in your life right now. You may not see it or you may not understand, but remember, your story isn't over yet.

Man's steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way ?
Proverbs 20:24

Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.
Proverbs 19:21

Troy

Is He Really Talking About Poop?

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean, But much revenue comes by the strength of the ox. 
Proverbs 14:4


This is a classic verse from the Book of Proverbs. It has so much truth to it. I have to remind myself of this proverb when things get difficult, or don't go the way that I would prefer.

What is the writer of the proverb trying to say? Well, here is how I interpret it. First of all we have to think of the times the proverb was written and the customs and culture of the day. Most of the wealth was aquired from your animals etc...

The first part is telling us if you have a clean manger, you probably don't have any oxen. But the second part of the verse is telling us if you want revenue you need oxen. So it's your choice, if you want a clean manger don't have any oxen, but if you want revenue you will need oxen which also leads to a dirty manger.

Let's think about our lives now and our times and situations. Here is how I interpret the proverb. "If you want to accomplish something you will have to deal with poop". Think with me- you need "oxen" to accomplish something. Part of having "oxen" is knowing they come with poop. That is what makes the manger dirty.

Basically there hasn't been much that we have accomplished in life without having some "poop" attatched with it. It seems we are always looking for a "poop" free situation, but there aren't too many of them.

So the next time you are having to deal with "poop" in your life remember it is a part of life. Remember if there is something you are wanting to accomplish you will probably have to deal with some "poop" to see it get accomplished. If you or I want a "poop" free life we probably won't accomplish all the things we would like to in life.

You and I are not alone in life when it comes to having to deal with the truth of this proverb. Just think of all the people in the Bible and their situations and you will see that many, if not all of them had to deal with the truth of this proverb.

Let us also remember that we have a God who will help us to deal with all the "poop" of life. The key is remembering to ask of His help instead of just trying to deal with it on our own.

Troy