Watching Basketball Today
Fridays are my Sabbath day of rest. Today I will watch some basketball and pull for my favorite team – The North Carolina Tar Heels! I love this time of year and can’t wait until the NCAA tournament starts next week.
Archives For Random Thoughts
Pastor Ritchie Miller Experiences Temporary Insanity And Runs Another Marathon
Tomorrow I will run the Albany Marathon in Albany, GA. This will be my 2nd marathon this year and my 5th since 2010. I am not really sure why I do this. Anyway, if you think of it say a prayer for me tomorrow between 7:00 AM and Noon. Pray for me not to die.
All joking aside, I hope you will pray for Andy Pruitt. Andy is running the Albany Marathon and is also running the Comrades Ultra Marathon in Durban, South Africa to raise money for AIDS orphans. You can check out his website here. Pray for Andy and Amber. They will be going to South Africa with me in June to help the orphans and Bob and Joanna Graham at Indawo Yethemba.
Happy Birthday, Kim!
Tomorrow, February 9th, is Kim’ birthday. This is the 20th straight year that she has been 29 years old. I don’t know ho she does it. Happy Birthday, Kim! I love you and I am glad you were born!
I Am Running A Marathon Tomorrow!
This is just in from the “have you lost your freaking mind” department; I am running a marathon tomorrow. I am running the Museum of Aviation Marathon in Warner Robins, Georgia. This will be my fourth official marathon. If you are wondering how a guy as fat as I am can run 26.2 miles I don’t have an answer for you. I just trick myself by pretending that they are giving out unlimited quantities of chocolate at the finish line. It has worked so far. If you see me limping Sunday at church you will know why. Oh well, you got to die of something, right?
Congratulations To Pastor Jerry Walls
I want to extend my personal congratulations to Jerry and Debby Walls of Southside Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA. Jerry has been the pastor of Southside for 25 years! The church is celebrating what God has done through Jerry and his family. When he came to the church their attendance was around 100 each week. It has now grown to over 3000 people per week. Jerry is a personal friend to me and has been a great blessing to me over the years.
Southside was one of three churches that sponsored Avalon Church when we started in 2001. Although we had many churches and individuals donate to us financially, Southside, along with Marcus Pointe Baptist in Pensacola and The Gathering in Sevierville, TN stepped up to the plate big time. Each of these churches invested over $10,000 each in our start up. Thank you! We would not be here without you! Congratulations, Jerry. I pray that God will give you 25 more years at Southside. I think that will make you around 114 years old, right?
Win A Free Copy of “Lose It Fast, Lose It Forever” by “Biggest Loser” Pete Thomas
My birthday is this week. I will be 48 years old on September 20th and to celebrate my birthday I will give away some thing free from my blog each day this week. Today I have a fantastic gift for one special winner. I will give the details on how to win this prize at the end of the blog.
Today’s Gift – A free copy of Pete Thomas’ new book “Lose It Fast, Lose It Forever.” Pete is the most successful contestant of all time on NBC’s Biggest Loser and now travels as an acclaimed motivational speaker. This is a $26 value.
I first met Pete Thomas not long after his stint on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” As an outreach to our community we hosted a health fair called Healthy Body Healthy Soul with Dr. Benita Bonser, a member of our church. We invited Pete to come and speak and he did a fantastic job. I also used him to challenge our church on Sunday morning. He shared his incredible testimony of how Christ helped him overcome a difficult childhood and find meaning and purpose. If you would like to inquire about having Pete come and speak at your church go to www.petethomas.com. I highly recommend him and his story can be used as a great evangelistic tool.
I will never forget how Pete challenged me. At the time I was out of shape and overweight and I did not recognize how it was affecting my ministry. The concepts in his book will help you change your lifestyle and lengthen your ministry and your effectiveness. He helped me realize that I needed to make some lifestyle changes. After meeting Pete I have lost weight, walked across the state of Georgia as a mission’s fund-raiser, and run several marathons, including the Comrades Ultra-Marathon (54 miles) in South Africa.
Randy Bonser, a member of our church, helped Pete write the book ad I believe it will be a great help to you as well. You can buy the book for your personal benefit or even as a great resource for small groups.
Here is how you can win a free copy of the book. Email me a short paragraph about how you think a healthy body will empower you to live a more effective life for Christ. I will choose the one that I feel gives the best answer. I will respond to each email to let you know who won. Email me @ ritchie@avalonchurch.net. I will announce the winner tomorrow on my blog, my Facebook page, and on Twitter.
God’s Message To Christians From 9-11
September 11, 2001 was one of the darkest days in American history. I will never forget that day. Just two days before, on September 9th, I started Avalon Church. You can imagine how much work went into processing all that happened on the launch date. We saw 27 people receive Christ that Sunday. I was brimming with excitement and expectation about what God would do with our baby church. Just then, a friend called and told me to turn on the TV. I sat mesmerized for the next 24 hours. To steal a quote from Roosevelt, it was a day that would live in infamy.
To be honest, I have struggled to process the events of 9-11-2001. On the one hand I am a patriotic American. I believe in a strong national defense. I believe in small government. I believe the US government’s primary job is to keep American’s safe. I believe our soldiers, police officers, and fire fighters are heroes. I am politically conservative, though I find both major political parties to be seriously flawed. I don’t know if I am voting for the lesser of two evils or the evil of two lessers.
On the other hand I am a Christ-follower. I believe the Bible to be the very Word of God. I believe Christ’s mandate and grand narrative are about His Kingdom not the United States. I also believe the melding of politics and Christianity has damaged the cause of the gospel. God is neither Democrat nor Republican. Many evangelicals have confused the cause of moralism and political activism with the cause of the gospel. The world is changed, not through the legislation of morals – the Pharisees tried that – but through the spread of the gospel of Christ. As a citizen I have the right and responsibility to vote and be politically active. As the church our job is the gospel, not politics. It is my strong conviction that my job as a Christian is to see the world through God’s eyes, to be primarily concerned with His Kingdom and the gospel, and to have a worldview that encompasses Christ’s grand plan for the world – all of it. Simply put, the gospel trumps politics. I fear that many churches have allowed their loyalty to a political party to hinder their commitment to the gospel.
To be frank, many Christians have missed the message from 9-11. Some clowns used the event as a soapbox to divide the country with a message of hate. Others focused on the political message more than the real message. I am not suggesting that America should have done nothing. Not to respond with force and a plan to protect the American people would have been to fail. Government is ordained by God and has a purpose. When governments fail to fulfill that purpose it is sin. Just read the Old Testament to see how God feels about oppressive governments.
I believe the message that every Christian should take from 9-11 is this: we desperately need to spread the gospel to the Islamic world. It should not surprise us that they hate us. They see America as a Christian nation. Jesus said that they would hate us because they hate him. I am not suggesting that we actually are a Christian nation, mind you. I believe that we are far from it. That is, however, how we are perceived.
The answer lies in the gospel not in politics! No amount of money, weapons, war, or propaganda will change the world. If we want to win this war it will only be won through Jesus Christ. Is that particular mission field difficult to penetrate with the gospel? Yes it is, but not nearly as much as it was in the book of Acts. Paul wrote in Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God…” The gospel has the power to change the world. If Christians would give more to missions we would not have to sacrifice our national treasure on endless wars. If more Christians would surrender to go to the difficult places in the world we would not have to sacrifice the lives of many of our soldiers.
I believe the message from 9-11 is loud and clear. God wants his people to take the message of the gospel to the world. We must give and we must go. It is the only hope for the world. It is the only hope for a solution. It is the only power that can truly change the world. Until more Christians get serious about this message we will continue to sacrifice our lives and our treasure. We will continue to miss the point completely.
The Top Ten Quick Tips For Stress-Free Living
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 (MES)
- See life from God’s perspective – read the Bible.
- Remember that God is in control.
- Pray instead of worrying. Why worry over things you can’t control?
- Recognize that life is too short to waste your time stressing over meaningless things.
- Remind yourself of God’s promises.
- Simplify your life. You can’t do everything.
- Do the most important things first.
- Praise God – a lot!
- Develop a thankful attitude.
- Remember that Christ is sufficient for everything!
Around 6:30 this morning I was out running four miles. The recent heat wave makes even running early a sweaty chore. I passed a young mother who was in her driveway walking her little dog. Her son, who looked to be around three years old, was “helping.” He asked inquisitively of her, “Mommy, why is that man running?” He kept asking as I ran out of earshot. That question made me laugh and got me thinking about why I do things. Why do I run? The simple answer is because I don’t want to weight 400 pounds and I probably have a better shot of living a better, longer life if I trudge out the miles four or five times a week.
Wouldn’t it be better if we did things on purpose and with a purpose rather than just letting life happen to us? I believe the Bible gives clear answers about worship, purpose, and work. So here are three quick thoughts to help you learn to love your work and bring glory to God with your job today.
- Learn the purpose. No matter what your job is the ultimate purpose is for you to worship God through your work. When you see your work as worship then you can find purpose in what you do. There is certainly a practical purpose in what you do. For example, if you are a carpenter your purpose is to build a house. But as a Christian that is not the ultimate purpose. The ultimate purpose is for you to worship God through your work by doing your best, having a good attitude, being a witness, and bringing glory to God by and through your work. This helps make even mundane jobs with people you do not like to be something that you can love because you are expressing your love to God.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
- Set God goals. You may thing I misspelled that but I did not mean to say “good” goals but rather “God” goals. I believe goal setting is both Biblically sound and practically wise. Setting goals puts you in the creative mode that God commanded at creation. Ruling over the earth and subduing it are original commands and are image of God activities. One can set selfish goals. One can certainly set sinful goals, but wanting to be creative, to get better at your job, to create a better product, to become more efficient, to invest, to create something beautiful, are all things that God put in the human heart and designed us to desire because we are made in his image. So set goals, write them down, and read them so you can get better. Once again, be a good steward of your life. Don’t just let life happen to you.
- Work from love rather than hate. After the Miami Heat won the NBA Championship recently their superstar MVP, Lebron James, said in an interview that the reason his team failed to win the championship last year is because he was trying to live up to everyone’s expectations rather than to his potential. He wanted so badly to prove everyone wrong that he lost his “game” and fell short in the critical moments of the championship series. This year he put that aside and “played from love not from hate.” He played for the love of the game and the love of his teammates rather than the hate he felt from others.
I can’t tell you how powerful that is. If you and I will work from love rather than hate it will make all the difference in the world. Even if you don’t love your job, do it for the love of God, the love of your family, and the love of those God has put in your path. In doing so you will transform your passion about your work and will begin to live and work with JOY!
Ritchie
My very first pet was a Tabby cat named Puff. I am not sure why I named him Puff. Maybe he was puffy or maybe that name was simply a product of the creative mind of a small child that has not been stifled yet. All I know is that Puff was cool and aloof and he liked me. He did not even scratch me when I held him by the throat. I did not know that I was choking him. He must have been able to sense the love.
One day Puff did not show up when I went outside to feed him. That was odd, because He always came to get his grub on. So I broke THE cardinal rule that my mom had set for me – “Do not cross the creek for any reason!” I am not sure why that was such a big deal since the creek was only about six inches deep and about a yard wide. But my cat was missing so I took my Indiana Jones self, put on my cowboy boots and my favorite pair of shorts and crossed the creek and prepared myself for the long journey to the tobacco barn. It was about fifty yards away.
What I found inside the dark, musty old barn was a revelation to me. Lying there on the floor was Puff! Puff was a perfect name for him too, because he was all covered with soot and was a lot fatter than usual. In fact, he was about to burst. Pleased with my discovery and confident that my mom would be proud, I grabbed the bloated feline by the tail and dragged him down the hill, across the creek, and up to the step by the back door of our house. “Mom,” I shouted proudly, “I found Puff!”
I wish you could have seen her face. It was a mixture of horror, disgust, confusion, and prayerful reflection, as in, “Oh God, what is wrong with my male offspring?” She did the best she could to explain death, that Puff was no longer with us, and that I should immediately, but gently, drop the cat before it exploded all over my favorite cowboy boots. She did a great job as the undertaker/minister. Finer words have not been said over a dead cat. Puff was buried with grace and dignity. My mom thought it was over.
It was not over by a long shot.
Imagine her bewilderment when I came to the back door about three days later and asked, “Why are there worms in my cat?” Now there is a Hallmark moment for you. It probably explains why my mother became such a deeply religious person. I heard her pray many times, “Oh my God! Please let this boy live to 18 and get out of my house!” She was so spiritual.
You too need to quit digging up your past. Past hurts, past failures, and past sins need to be buried under the forgiving blood of Jesus Christ and left there. Digging them up always stinks. It shackles you to your past rather than to your future. Everybody has past hurts, failures, and sins. Acknowledge them, ask for forgiveness, release forgiveness to others, and leave them in the past. God only uses broken people anyway. Being broken makes you depend on God and understand others. Burying the past heals the cracks in your life and allows you accomplish God’s mission for your life.
So let’s stop digging up past hurts, failures, sins…and cats. Everybody will be a lot happier. Plus, it smells a lot better.
Ritchie
Nothing will derail vision faster than disunity in the ranks. It is true of a business, a basketball team, a family, and a church. How many times have we seen the movie where a less talented but determined team pulled together and toppled the more talented, better financed, more popular, but ego-centered team? It is such a popular idea that it has become a cliché.
In my years of ministry I have observed churches that made you scratch your head and wonder why more was not being done for the Kingdom of God in them. They had talent, resources, and opportunity, but no real growth. I really believe that one of the key factors to church growth and fulfilled vision is this little thing called unity. It is certainly not the only factor, but I have never personally seen a church grow without it.
So why is unity so important in the church?
- 1. Jesus prayed for unity in the church.
John 17:23a “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
If Jesus prayed for unity in the church then it must be important. He prayed that the church would follow the example of the God the Father and God the Son. What could the primary reason for this unity be? Point two answers that question.
- 2. Unity is necessary for the most effective presentation of the gospel.
John 17:23b “Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
Notice how this kind of unity is tied to the spreading of the gospel. “Then the world will know…” I believe a church that is unified around the mission of spreading the gospel will model the kind of unity that the Father and Son have. I also believe that Satan knows the best way to keep a church from fulfilling its mission is to get people arguing over non-essentials. This kind of disharmony causes the church to become inward-focused and to lose its evangelistic passion.
- 3. Unity is necessary for the power of God.
2 Chronicles 30:12 “Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.”
When God’s hand is on a church or a group of people his power rests on them. This power is necessary for the unity of mind and purpose that is needed to follow the word of the Lord. It is critical to elevate the mission of bringing God glory through our obedience to the highest level in order to have this kind of unity. In other words a church cannot focus on the minor things but the major thing! Too often we divide ourselves over things that do not matter. Don’t mistake diversity for disunity. We can be wonderfully diverse while being totally in harmony over who we are in Christ. If God created over 400,000 species of beetles why would he not want churches with unique personalities and abilities to reach people!
- 4. Unity keeps the church body growing, maturing, and working at its fullest potential.
1 Corinthians 12:12 “…just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4:13&version=NIV
Ephesians 4:3 “…until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
While some Christians think that spiritual maturity is achieved through amassing knowledge about the Bible the Bible actually shows us that spiritual maturity is achieved through obeying what the Bible says and fulfilling the mission of telling everyone everywhere about the gospel.
- 5. Unity flows from love and love unites the church in its mission.
Colossians 3:14 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”
Without love there is no unity whatsoever. This love must be focused on and received from Jesus Christ. There is no other way to keep harmony and stay on mission.
- 6. Unity keeps Christ at the center instead of us.
Ephesians 1:10b “…to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”
It is not about you but it is about Christ! My plans, my desires, my preferences, my agenda, and my feelings are nothing compared to the gospel. When we become unified around that mission it changes everything and makes our churches more effective in fulfilling God’s mission for our lives.
The Psalmist said it well when he wrote “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 131:1
Pastor Ritchie
I heard a good friend make the statement, “You are only one choice away from a different life.” I have spent much time pondering that statement and I believe it is true in both a negative and a positive way.
I have known many people who have experienced the truth of that statement through a bad choice. Think about it. The choice to have an affair, to drive drunk, to take illegal drugs, to steal something when you think no one is watching, and so many other bad choices can lead you to a completely different life. It can ruin your reputation, your family life, your finances, and so much more.
When you think about it from a positive standpoint, however, it has even more power to change you and lead you to a different life. That is the power of the gospel. One choice can change you forever. You can choose to receive Christ, to get baptized, to start tithing, to get in a small group, to begin serving and your life will be forever changed. When I think of the power of this I am almost overwhelmed with the positives and possibilities. You can choose to live on a budget and manage your money. You can choose to live a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise. You can choose to start that business, to finish your education, to read the Bible regularly, to pray, to extend forgiveness to someone who wronged you, to be kind, to be generous, to love, to be positive; the possibilities are endless and the difference is amazing.
You are just one choice away from a different life. What will you choose?
Pastor Ritchie
From the very beginning of the bible God gave us an example of an important principle for successful living. He wants us to prioritize the proper rest and restoration. God created the universe and then rested on the 7th day. It is not that God gets tired but that he modeled for us a very important principle of trusting him. In fact, He even put in the 10 Commandments that we should take a Sabbath day. I often say that you can get more done in 6 days than in 7 when you follow God’s plan. Trusting in Him is the only way to true rest and rejuvenation. It is a matter of faith.
This principle of giving God first place is found throughout Scripture. God wants to be first in our relationships, first in our time, and first in our finances. Without putting God first in these areas we become guilty of idolatry and fail to experience the kind of relationship with God and spiritual restoration that each of us so desperately needs.
If you do not understand this principle of worship then you will take vacation – which I plan to do and so should you because God tells us to – but you will not find any true rest. This ultimate rest is tied to our worship of and trusting in God. It is easy to get out of the habits that help us during the summer. Your schedule is different. Your routines are different. As such, it is easy to stop doing the things that you really need. If we do that we harm ourselves and fail to get the rest and rejuvenation we really need.
This summer I want to challenge you to find real rest. Stay faithful to the thing you need most – worshipping God. How do we do this?
1. Vacation but don’t vacate.
Take a vacation but do not go on vacation from God. When you are in town stay faithful to come to church and worship. It is often easy to lie in bed and skip this important part of your Christian life. Don’t allow your time away to become a bad habit of skipping church.
2. Worship without walking away.
Make sure that you take the needed break that your job allows but also determine that you will continue to serve during the summer. When you are away, find someone to replace you in your ministry position at church. Don’t let that fall on someone else. I am not suggesting that you need to skip your vacation to work in Guest Services or Kids Town but I am saying that you need to serve during the summer when you are not on vacation. We certainly need you, but to be honest, you need it more. It is vital that you stay connected to your area of service and to the people in your small group and ministry team.
3. Maintain your spiritual disciplines.
Stay faithful to read the bible, pray, and give. Take time on your vacation to say thanks. I think it is incredibly powerful when you are at the beach, the mountains, looking at the stars, or spending time with family and friends to spend some time just being thankful to God. When you are in the “non-working mode” is a great time to reflect and remember how good God is and what things are the most important in life.
Also determine to be faithful in your giving. This is an incredible act of worship. You can automate your giving at https://avalon.securegive.com. This helps you stay connected to God’s blessings and helps us maintain the ministry of Avalon Church even while you are away.
I hope you have the best summer ever!
Pastor Ritchie
I hope you get to relax today. You probably need a good day of rest. I also hope that you will remember the purpose of this holiday.
When I think of all that God has blessed me with it is easy to take for granted the great freedoms I have been afforded as an American. Having been to 21 different countries, I can honestly say that I have never been to a place with more freedom than the USA. I thank God for America and our freedoms.
This Memorial Day I hope that you will take a few moments and remember our fallen and wounded heroes. Tim Lee spoke for us at Avalon this Easter and it reminded me of how much sacrifice goes into making and defending a country. Bless you Tim Lee. Bless you soldiers who gave your life for our freedom. Bless you moms who gave up sons and daughters so that we could be free. May your sacrifices always be remembered. May you always be blessed. May you always be in our hearts and minds.
Ritchie
When I think of all that God has blessed me with it is easy to take for granted the great freedoms I have been afforded as an American. Having been to 21 different countries, I can honestly say that I have never been to a place with more freedom than the USA. While I am fully aware that the Kingdom of God is far greater than any earthly kingdom I can also read in the Scriptures that God admonishes Christians to “pray for the king”, “obey those who have the rule over you”, and to be a good citizen. I believe that even those Christians who hate capitalism (I happen to be a huge fan of it myself) and have been convinced by persons with a political agenda that America is the big, evil, mean brother of the world would have to admit that part of being a good citizen would mean to remember our brave soldiers and families who have suffered loss on Memorial Day. No matter what your political persuasion is we can agree that these families have paid a dear price for others.
This Memorial Day I hope that you will take a few moments and remember our fallen and wounded heroes. We had Tim Lee speak for us this Easter and it reminded me of how much sacrifice goes into making and defending a country. Bless you Tim Lee. Bless you soldiers who gave your life for our freedom. Bless you moms who gave up sons and daughters so that we could be free. May your sacrifices always be remembered. May you always be blessed. May you always be in our hearts and minds.
Ritchie
Let’s be honest. It is not always easy to stay positive especially since there are so many negative people and forces around us at all times. Some people try to blame this on our current age of communication and technology but I have a hard time believing that medieval serfs struggling to scratch out a living from the ground sixteen hours a day while avoiding plagues and overbearing overlords had it any easier to see the sunny side of life. Although some have a greater propensity for negativity than others I believe that it is a part of the human condition in our fallen, sinful state. God placed a curse on things but he did not want it to be that way. That was not his original intention and I believe that we can be better through God’s grace and help.
So what is the one key to having a positive outlook on life, work, family, money, or whatever it is that you are dealing with?
Worship.
That’s it. It is the big deal, the panacea, the cure, the game changer. I could give you lots of verses but then this blog would be too long. Although worship is about focusing on God it has an amazing effect on us. I really believe it is the greatest gift God gives to us and that is why he makes such a big deal out of worshipping only him and nothing or no one else. Think about some of the things worship does for you.
- Gives perspective
- Lifts your spirit
- Lifts your attitude
- Makes you thankful
- Makes God bigger in your life which makes your problems smaller
- Changes your belief about why things happen
- Helps you encourage yourself – David “encouraged himself in the Lord.”
- Helps you understand God’s purpose for things
- Helps you deal with difficult people because you realize that God loves them too
- Changes your view of God
I have often said what you believe about God is the most important thing about you. Hebrews 11:6 states, “And without faith it is impossible to please him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” It all works together. The more you worship him the more you believe in him and the more positive your outlook is because you know that God is great and he is in charge of things.
So to avoid that glass-half-empty feeling today, focus on God and worship Jesus Christ. Take some time to worship today. It will make everything better.
Ritchie
When you are not connected at Avalon Church you feel lonely. When you feel lonely you accept friend requests from people you do not know on Face Book. When you accept friend requests from people you don’t know on Face Book you agree to meet a pretty dental hygienist for coffee. When you agree to meet a pretty dental hygienist for coffee you are really meeting a 300-pound biker. When you meet a 300-pound biker he takes you for a ride on his Harley. When you ride a Harley with a 300-pound biker you get back hair in your eyes.
Don’t get back hair in your eyes. Come to The Connection, Sunday, May 20th at 9:30 or 11:00 and learn how to get connected at Avalon Church.
I am not sure what the food in Heaven will taste like but I am fairly certain that Krispy Kreme donuts will be served. Hot. With milk so cold that it hurts your teeth. If you have never tasted – nay, experienced – a hot Krispy Kreme donut with ice-cold milk then… I’m sorry… what was I saying? I was thinking about how awesome it would be to have one right now. One? Who am I kidding? It is impossible to eat just one. I have tried many times and failed wonderfully. Dunking one can almost stop wars, pay off the national debt, and even make a man willing to watch a Twilight movie. I said almost. Would somebody please explain to me why the werewolves run around with their shirts off in that movie? Kim and Brooke have tried repeatedly. Each time I come closer to a brain aneurism.
Anyway, speaking of things that are awesome when dunked, you need to plan on getting dunked at Avalon Church this Sunday. We will have baptism in each service. It is Mother’s Day and I can’t think of a better present for mom than your following Christ in believer’s baptism. See you Sunday. I think I will drive to Krispy Kreme now.
Ritchie
When I was fourteen I worked on my grandpa’s farm. One day from across a giant field my grandpa yelled for me to come to him. Just the day before, the field had been plowed and it was all ready to be planted with tobacco, the main crop my grandpa grew. It had rained the night before and the field was completely wet. Since it was a family farm they let me drive the old farm truck even though I was only fourteen. Now I was faced with a dilemma. I could either walk across the field, which was only about 100 yards, or I could walk around the field, which was a little farther. Do you think I choose either of those options? Are you kidding me? I had the keys to the truck and I was fourteen!
Now a normal person would have driven on the dirt road over to my grandpa. But, of course, I was not normal. In fact, I thought my first name was a curse word until I was a senior in high school. So what did I do? I drove ACROSS the field, of course. That was really the only option for a fourteen-year-old kid with the keys to a truck.
I backed the truck up and got a running start and floored that baby. I am talking about NASCAR style driving. I was bouncing, and spinning, and turning, and ruining rows, and digging ruts, and throwing mud in the air until I got about halfway across. Then something terrible happened. I got stuck! I put it in reverse and floored it and then I put it in first gear and floored it again. I rocked the truck back and forth until finally the axles were completely in the mud. I had ruined a freshly plowed field and they had to get a tractor to pull the truck out. My grandpa spent the next several minutes giving me some “advice” that was not found in any Sunday School lesson, if you know what I mean. Ah, memories.
In life we all get stuck from time to time. I have found that in my Christian life it is easy to “feel stuck” from time to time. These times are frustrating but they are a normal part of the Christian life. The key to getting “unstuck” is to remember to do what David did.
In the Psalms you will find that King David often dealt with the feeling that he was stuck, that God had somehow forgotten him, that things would never get any better. In Psalm 13 he wrote that it felt like God had abandoned him. He even was so “stuck” that he told God he felt like he was going to die. But in verses 5-6 he takes a turn that you and I need to take when we feel stuck. I love how The Message paraphrase renders it; “I’ve thrown myself headlong into your arms—I’m celebrating your rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.”
- David declared his faith in God.
Even when things looked bleak David verbally stated his faith in God. This is a great practice for us to have. Openly declare your trust in God and patiently wait on him.
- David recalled how God had blessed him in the past.
Remembering God’s blessing of salvation makes us rejoice and openly declare his praise. When I do that it always helps me feel better.
- David sang!
Don’t underestimate the power of good Christian music. Don’t just listen to it but sing it! You will be amazed at how it will help your attitude.
- David gained perspective on his circumstances.
When I begin to assess my circumstances from God’s perspective I can find a purpose to what is happening. Even if I can’t see the reason right now I can know that God is in control and that it will all be for his glory.
- David continued to practice his faith!
One of the most powerful things we can do to get unstuck is to get help. When I got my grandpa’s truck stuck I could not get it our by myself. You and I need help in practicing our faith. We can’t do it alone! That is why God gave us the gift of church, small groups, and ministry teams. These are people that will help you get unstuck.
Have a great day! Ritchie
You have to admit that they do look funny. So do giraffes.
This Sunday we will begin a new series at Avalon Church entitled Identity Theft. We will study the book of Ecclesiastes, which was written by King Solomon. I love him. The dude was smart. Solomon has been hailed as the wisest man who ever lived. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he gave us a book of rules (Proverbs), a book of romance (Song of Solomon), and a book of regrets (Ecclesiastes). In the wisdom of Proverbs he challenged our attitude with “a merry heart does us good like a medicine.” Imagine that. Holy Scripture not only allows for merriment, joy, happiness, and laughter but it actually encourages it. I will refrain from writing a treatise on what constitutes godly pleasure. We all know that Satan’s counterfeit pleasures never fulfill and they always leave you filled with regrets.
Take time to laugh today. Why is it that so many Christians are uptight all the time? Stop taking yourself so seriously. We have a lot to be thankful for and a lot to be happy about. Laughter will ease your stress and it will even make you feel better. So try to laugh today. Tell a funny story. Recollect those darn things that the kids said. Watch a funny movie. Tell a joke. Enjoy yourself. It will be an elixir for your soul. It is, after all, the best medicine.
Ritchie
I have an office at my home where I do most of my work. I also have an office at the church where I have meetings and do planning with the staff but most of our staff agrees that everyone gets more work done when I am not there distracting and being distracted.
As I write this I am sitting in my office at home watching something that I see replayed literally every morning. There is a beautiful blue bird sitting on my windowsill. It is a stunning portrayal of the greatness of God and his creation. Seriously, it is gorgeous. It is looking at me curiously. It turns its head like it is trying to see what I am doing; almost like a nosey boss who looks over your shoulder constantly. What is funny about our morning rendezvous is that we do the same dance every morning; I drink my coffee while it bashes its pretty like beak into my window. It must be thousands of times that this simple little creature has looked at me and tried to fly through the window. It flaps and flutters and acts flustered as it smashes its diminutive, feathered self against the glass. Boink. Bang. Ouch. Again. Another time. Some more. You get the picture. It just can’t seem to get it through its tiny little birdbrain that doing the same thing, the same way over and over is never going to yield a different result.
Maybe we need to learn from the bird. What glass are you flying into with the same results? Trying to live the Christian life while ignoring God’s Word? Boink. Struggling financially while still not tithing or living on a budget? Bang. Treating your spouse terribly and wondering why he or she seems distant and cold? Ouch. You probably are thinking about your own glass window right now, so here is some good advice for all of us.
Stop being a birdbrain.
Ritchie
You are probably thinking that I got the title wrong on this article. Wrong! Did you know that real pleasure is only something that can be created by God? All the so-called “pleasure” that the devil offers is merely a counterfeit, cheap knock-off of what God intended for us. Pleasure and beauty are from God. That does not mean that all pursuit of pleasure is from God or pleasing to God. If a person pursues the counterfeit pleasure offered by Satan they will find that, in the end, it is not pleasurable at all.
Actually, finding pleasure in God is just another way of saying that I am satisfied. There is great power in satisfaction. Without it, no amount of money or success will ever be enough. Do you know who the richest people in the world are? They are the ones who have everything they want and want everything they have. Can you imagine the contentment and peace that comes with that kind of living? David wrote, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalm 37:4 That means he will give you what you want because he gives you the right kind of wants when you find your satisfaction in him.
The true desires of a person’s heart reveal who that person really is. God tells us to take delight in the Lord. We are to pursue real pleasure in Him.
How do you delight in the Lord? Pursue God and the things of God. Take delight in the Bible. When I read the Bible I am taking delight in Him. Love what God loves. God loves people. God loves it when we obey Him. God loves it when we trust Him. God loves it when we depend totally on Him. God loves it when we admit that we can’t live the Christian life without Him. Jesus said, “Without me you can do nothing.”
When I love God the way I should, He will give me the desires of my heart. I will find pleasure in Him. He will not only give me what I desire, but also, he will give me the right kinds of desires. What kinds of desires do you have? Are they the kinds of desires that are selfish or are they the kind that God is pleased to grant?
Father, help me to pursue pleasure in You!
God expects boldness when we pray.
So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God’s very own children, adopted into his family—calling him “Father, dear Father.” Romans 8:15
Some Christians approach God as if they were a bother to Him. They think that God is too busy “running the universe” to care about them and their problems. That is just bad theology. That kind of approach to God sees Him as being weak and powerless. God wants us to come to Him with boldness. We are sons and daughters, not slaves!
It has been said that Napoleon offered a reward to two brave soldiers. One soldier meekly asked for a small reward, fearing that Napoleon would think he was wise for asking so little. The other boldly asked to be given an estate, a title, and great wealth. Napoleon looked at him and said, “You are the only one who treated me like a king today.” God is the owner of everything. Jesus is the king of the universe. We need not treat God as if He were a mere mortal.
God, help us to live boldly!
Ritchie
I believe that God is more interested in our being marathon runners than sprinters. We have all heard the fable of the tortoise and the hare. The race is always won by persistence. Staying with it, determination, resolve, and tenacity are necessary for marriage, career, parenting, and the Christian life. I love the idea of being a marathon man. I really believe that Christian discipleship is always about the next step. The biblical concepts of redemption and forgiveness are radically based on the idea that God is more concerned about our future – the next step- than he is about our past. Jesus wants us to be persistent. He said, “Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7
One reason why some Christians never achieve success or financial peace is they simply give up too easily. Jesus told us to keep on going. We do not have to work in the power of our own will but we can depend on Christ’s power to be faithful.
Keep on asking means that I am to pray and keep on praying until God answers my prayer or shows me that I should pray differently.
Keep on looking means that I am to continue to believe God’s promises. Sometimes I am tempted to doubt, but with God’s help I must keep on believing.
Keep on knocking means that I am to do my part too! I have found that God seldom answers the prayers of the lazy. My faith is to be coupled with action if I am to have a different life.
Father, help us to believe and not give up!
Ritchie
