June 22, 2009

"Jesus said, 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.'" Matthew 24:35

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

As Wesleyans, we believe that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. Here is our official statement: "We believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments constitute the Holy Scriptures. They are the inspired and infallibly written Word of God, fully inerrant in their original manuscripts and superior to all human authority, and have been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine. We believe that they contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man or woman that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. Both in the Old and New Testaments life is offered ultimately through Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and humanity. The New Testament teaches Christians how to fulfill the moral principles of the Old Testament, calling for loving obedience to God made possible by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit."

How can you confidently embrace this strong statement about the Bible?

In my posts this week I want to share some convincing proofs of the authenticity of the Scriptures.

The First Proof Is Fulfilled Prophecies

Astronomy and mathematics professor, Peter Stoner, was a long time skeptic of the Bible. He set out to prove himself right by conclusively discrediting the Bible. The litmus test of sacred writings is the accuracy of their prophecies. Stoner focused on 48 Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah. Of the 48 he concentrated on 8. Using the principles of mathematical probability, he calculated that the odds of all 8 of those prophecies being fulfilled in one person is 1 in 10 to the 17th power. However, the chances of all 48 being fulfilled in a single person is 1 in 10 to the 157th power!

Since the evidence of these prophecies and their fulfillment are specific and verifiable, Professor Stoner convinced himself that Jesus was Who He said He was and the Old Testament is completely reliable! He was left with no other choice but to become a believer in Christ AND the Bible!

God has always taken His Word very seriously and set a high standard for those who would make a prophecy and claim that it was from God. Prophecies had to be 100% true and happen precisely as predicted. It not, that prophet was adjudged to be a fake and was then stoned.

Compare that lofty standard to the vague and often erroneous prophecies offered by the likes of Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus and Edgar Cayce, who are often held in high regard by the very people who question the authenticity of Scripture.

Even a modicum of intellectual honesty would demand that those who give credence to Dixon, Nostradamus or Cayce, extend the same serious consideration to the Biblical prophets.

We believe in the absolute veracity of the Scriptures because they originate in the mind of God and reflect His character. These words and prophecies and truths were given to godly men who feared God. They were transmitted by God's Holy Spirit to Spirit-inspired men of God. Many of these godly men who spoke these truths and wrote them down, often did so at great personal sacrifice and suffering. If their intentions were to deceive others, they paid a high price to propagate a deception.

Despite the many attacks on the authenticity of the Bible, no serious claim against the truthfulness of the Scripture has ever been conclusively documented. In fact, there is considerable evidence supporting the claims of the Word. Hundreds of prophecies have already been fulfilled and not one has ever failed to be true.

You can bet your life on the Word of God! (and your eternity)

June 20, 2009

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

When Tiger Woods steps on the first tee this morning for his second round of the U. S. Open, I'm sure he will have some fond memories of his father, Earl, who died two years ago.

I know it is a huge leap to switch from thoughts about Noah to Earl Woods, who never gave any indication of having a faith. But, he did raise a champion, so there may be some things we can learn about raising champions for God.

Earl guided and motivated Tiger in his rise to the top of the golf world and has been the driving force behind the Tour's exponential growth and popularity. At Kansas State in the early 1950s he was the first black baseball player in what was then the Big Seven Conference, and he was a Green Beret who served two tours in Vietnam.

"I'm overwhelmed when I think of all the great things he accomplished," Woods said on his website. "He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him."

In the summer of 1993, Earl Woods brought his son to Butch Harmon, another Vietnam vet, to see if Harmon could help make Tiger Woods a better golfer.

"Earl Woods was a great dad," Harmon says. "He always had his son's best interest at heart. He did everything he could do to see that his son got the best help he could get."

Harmon said he and the elder Woods came to an agreement shortly after the first meeting at Lochinvar Golf Club in Houston, where Harmon was the pro. Earl brought Tiger to Harmon after Tiger had been eliminated in the U.S. Amateur at Champions in Houston.

"I told Earl this wouldn't work if I told Tiger one thing and he told him another," Harmon recalls. "He said, 'I'll make you a deal. I won't tell you how to teach Tiger golf if you won't tell me how to be Tiger's dad.' "

A year later Tiger won the first of three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles. In his career, he has displayed mental and physical skills seldom seen in any golfer. He has 67 career wins, including 14 majors as a pro.

In an excerpt published in USA WEEKEND, Earl said he had Tiger hearing jazz music when he was 5 days old. As Tiger lay in the crib, Earl would say, "Daddy loves you. I am here for you." By the time Tiger was 2, Earl was drilling him on mental toughness, "an outgrowth of my upbringing and my years as a Green Beret."

"I pulled every nasty, dirty, obnoxious trick on him," Earl wrote. He tossed balls in front of Tiger while he putted. He dropped bags of clubs behind Tiger when he hit tee shots. He'd cough during the backswing.

"I played with his mind," Earl wrote.

Earl cautioned that his approach wasn't for every father and every son but it worked because he and Tiger had a special bond, built from the beginning.

"The best thing about those practices was that my father always kept it fun," Tiger wrote. "It's amazing how much you learn when you truly enjoy doing something."

Harmon says when Earl brought Tiger to him he learned two things pretty quickly: Earl's son was very talented, and they didn't have much money.

"I made an agreement with Earl that I'd work with Tiger for nothing until he became a pro," Harmon says. "Then they'd have to pay me."

Here's the point, Earl decided from the beginning that his son would be a champion and he raised him to be one. He ingrained that expectation within Tiger's soul and gave him the tools and the tutelage to make it happen.

Not every child will have the skills and talent of Tiger, but every dad can have the goal and determination of Earl.

To summarize, here's how Earl "trained up Tiger in the way he should go":

1) He started immediately and bonded with his son

2) He connected him early with expectations and dreams

3) He taught, trained and toughened Tiger as far as he could

4) He put Tiger in the hands of an expert so he could refine his talents

5) He kept it fun and enjoyable - Earl took the dream seriously but kept the learning fun

What are you doing to raise champions for Christ? Maybe there's something you can learn from a champion dad!

June 19, 2009

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:37-39

I hope you're not "Noahed" out yet. There is a lot to learn from this guy and the more I study about him the more he impresses me. He really did "man up".

We have talked about how Noah pleased God and how he protected his family. This morning I want to focus on how he preserved the human race. If he had not "manned up" we would be as extinct as the dinosaurs.

What we can learn from Noah is especially timely in our day because Noah's day looked strikingly similar to nowadays. In fact, Jesus pointed to the days of Noah as one the signs of end times. So, pay attention!

Here's what we can take away from Noah:

Noah Received the Truth

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen...." Heb. 1:7

Noah didn't suddenly show up and decide to build a boat. He didn't wake up one day and read the weather report. God needed a "go to" guy that He could count on for an enormously important assignment. It wasn't like God had a lot of options. Noah stood out like a beacon in the darkness. While everyone else was partying like sin, Noah was honoring God.

Because Noah revered the truth, he recognized the truth and, therefore, was able to receive the truth. God commended Noah as a righteous man BEFORE he built the ark! That's why he got the gig.

So, what's your relationship to the truth of God? Could God count on you to "man up" if He needed to count on you? (By the way - He does)

Noah Recognized the Times

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." Matthew 24:37-39

God noticed how rotten things had become. So had Noah. Only those who are righteous and holy will recognize evil. And they are the only ones who care. From what we see in Scripture accounts it was all-party all the time. Debauchery was more common than decency. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Noah were the only ones who bothered to do the right things. Surrounded by evil, they never surrendered to evil.

If you have ever wondered whether one person can make a difference in the midst of prevailing evil the answer is "yes"! It doesn't take a lot of righteous people to turn the tide, but it does take committed ones. Noah was the one man difference between the extinction of the human race and the will of God.

Jesus reminds us to be like Noah in recognizing the times and in responding to them. And remember that one man who "mans up" + God = a majority.

Noah Rose to the Task

".....in holy fear built an ark...." Heb. 11:7

Now that Noah was aware of the impending disaster, he had a choice. He could learn to tread water or he could build a boat. He had no experience with either, but he knew that when God calls you to a task He equips you and instructs you. It was never about Noah's ability but his availability and it is never about your ability either. God will always call you to God-sized tasks and challenges you to "man up" with His power.

Noah dedicated a significant portion of his life to accomplishing the task that would please God, protect his family and preserve humanity. Every morning for over 100 years he got up and cut timbers, and pounded nails, and poured pitch. He was faithful to the task, one hour at a time. While everyone else was playing and partying, Noah was punching the time clock.

Heroes happen one obedient task at a time. That's how you "man up".

You are not the only godly man in town, like Noah was. But your love of the truth and your awareness of the time and your faithfulness to the task is just as crucial to your corner of the world as Noah's was.

Thank God for Noah! What a man!

As you celebrate this Father's Day week-end why not honor manhood by learning from Noah. I challenge you to commit as he did to please God, protect his family and preserve rightousness in your generation.

June 18, 2009

"This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth." Genesis 6:9-10

"The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation." Genesis 7:1

"On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark." Genesis 7:13

When it comes to examples of fatherhood, father Noah's best! He is a great demonstration of what a godly man looks like. As I mentioned in the previous posts, Noah shows us how to "man up" by three exemplary things he did:

1) He pleased God

2) He protected his family

3) He preserved the human race

Yesterday I commented on how Noah pleased God. This morning I want to show you how he protected his family.

First, Noah walked with God.

Walking with God brings God's protection on Noah, and therefore, helps Noah protect his wife and children. As the husband and father, he is the head of his family. When the head of the family is under the umbrella of God's blessing and protection it benefits the entire family.

Also, walking with God gave Noah access to God's word and wisdom. Therefore, he was able to know God's will. Not only did Noah walk in God's will, but he shared God's word with his wife and his children. There is no safer place to be than in the center of God's will. No more secure place to lead your family.

Second, Noah worked with God.

Think about what God asked Noah to do. God called Noah to build a boat to preserve his family from a flood that would be caused by 40 days of rain. That is a big job for someone who had some experience building a boat, but it is an impossible task for a farmer who had never seen a boat - or for that matter - rain.

Scientists tell us that prior to the Flood, the earth was surrounded by a thick layer of water vapor that shielded it from direct ultraviolet rays and provided a uniform climate around the world. Apparently God created a climate-controlled planet. Every morning the earth was watered by a heavy due. It had never rained - there was no need for it. Scientists also speculate that it was the rapid condesation of that water vapor that contributed to the massive amounts of water that covered the earth.

Here is why Noah is listed as a man of faith, he obeyed a God he had never seen to build something he had never seen, to prepare for something he had never seen, in order to save his family. That is impressive. The only way a man can do a work like that is when that man walks with God. Noah did.

Third, Noah witnessed for God.

In the midst of a wicked world where no one else was worshipping or walking with God, Noah's walk and work was a strong witness to his faith. His life was a bright light in a dark world. While he worked on the ark he warned his neighbors of the impending judgment from God. Noah faithfully witnessed each day that he pounded nails and poured pitch in the construction of the ark. While his witness was seemingly lost on all the neighbors, it wasn't lost on his wife and his three sons. He brought them into faith before he brought them into the ark.

Noah "manned up" by walking with God and working for God and witnessing for God. He didn't save the world, but he saved his world - his family. What more can a man want?

What are you doing to "man up" for your family?

June 17, 2009

"And 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." Hebrews 11:6

So far this week I have talked about the need to have a godly man whom you can model your life after. I said that you need to "see one to be one".

Yesterday I identified one such man, Noah, of the Old Testament. He is the first man on record to have a boat, a real big boat. And he may have been the last guy who could really afford a boat. Anyway, I mentioned three manly things that I admire about Noah and this morning I want to talk about the first of those three.

The first manly thing that Noah did was to please God.

Our current model of manhood says, "Go after whatever pleases you. Life is about the pursuit of pleasure."

It was precisely because of that attitude that Noah had to build the Ark. Everyone other man on the face of the earth was living for pleasure and doing whatever he pleased. That did not please God. In fact, it so offended the holiness of God that He decided to send a flood and wash away all the wickedness.

Enter, Noah.

In stark contrast to all the wicked men chasing their lusts, God saw Noah living life to please God. That was all He needed - just one good man who was committed to pleasing God.

As men, you and I have people we have to please. You'd better please the wife and the family and you'd better please the boss. Those are givens. But above all, the primary way to "man up" is to please God.

So, how do I do that?

Let's learn from a man who did it.

First, to "man up" takes faith. ".....without faith it is impossible to please God...."

Everyone believes in something, so by definition, everyone has some sort of faith. But Noah knew that his faith needed to be anchored in God. For Him, God, who was unseen, had to be more real than the people and things he did see. That takes a spiritual connection with God. Noah had that, and he had it because he was righteous. It is sin that separates us from God and clouds our spiritual vision. Noah keep sin out of his life and remained righteous. How did he do that? By obeying God. God is pleased when we demonstrate our devotion to Him by doing what we know He wants us to do. It takes a real man to live out the invisible in visible ways. Noah did - and it floated his boat!

Second, to "man up" you need to "diligently seek Him".

Everyone is seeking something. Some men chase fame. Some chase fortune. Some chase females. Noah chased God. He was not content having God as a casual acquaintance. The more he discovered about God, the more he wanted to know. He believed in a personal God Who knows us and wants to be known by us. Noah understood that there is a God-shaped hole in the center of our being that nothing else can fill or satisfy. When the world around him was living like hell, Noah was chasing heaven. That takes a real man!

Third, to "man up" you need to believe that pleasing God is life's greatest reward. Every guy has his eyes on some prize. The prize may be a position or a promotion. It might be a pleasure or a possession. But the real question is, "when I get this prize, will it be worth it"? If you are going to devote blood, sweat, tears, and time to win a prize, you better hope you don't get disappointed. Noah wasn't disappointed by pleasing God. Noah, at this very moment is enjoying his reward. Actually, so are we! Because he chose to obey God and build the Ark, he survived - and so did we. Noah got the earthly prize AND the eternal prize.

The best way to "man up" is to please the "MAN". Noah shows you how, so you have no excuse. "Man up"!

June 16, 2009

I am glad I grew up in the era that I did because we had real men back then. We had John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Kirk Douglas, Stan "The Man" Musial, Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan, Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Mr. Clean AND - the Marlboro Man. You didn't mess with those guys. At the risk of sounding like a crotchety old dude, I've got to ask, "Where are these guys today?" Manly men are few and far between these days. What ever happened to testosterone?

From where I am sitting, manhood has drifted into two extremes - the feminization of manhood and the fantasizing of manhood. On the one side we have the GQ, Calvin Klein, and Adam Lambert image of manhood, while the other extreme is the James Bond image of a macho, muscle-bound dude driving a hot machine and making it with hot mamas.

Where does that leave the rest of us who don't want to get waxed and have no desire to go wild and womanize. Square in the middle?

As one square to another, let me offer another face to manhood. Allow me to direct your attention to Noah from the Old Testament account in Genesis. Here is a man who "floats my boat". I focus on Noah because if he had not "manned up" we would be not having this conversation.

Hebrews summarizes his life like this:

"By 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." Hebrews 11:7

My image of manhood is a guy like Noah. I don't know what he looked like but I am thinking Sean Connery-ish. It doesn't matter so much how he looked but it is more about what he did. From this one verse we see some impressive stuff:

1) He pleased God

2) He protected his family

3) He preserved the human race

That resume works for me! What will you do today that will please God? What are your plans to protect your marriage and your family today?

Over the next few posts I want to challenge you to focus on manhood from a faith perspective.

Ready to "man-up"?

June 15, 2009

"When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel." I Kings 2:1-4

Solomon knew how to be a man because he had seen the example of a man in his father, King David. There really is a lot of truth in the statement, "To be a man you have to see a man."

We are visual people. What we see and where we fix our focus and what we visualize influences us. I go on various golf instructional websites and watch videos of good golfers swinging the golf club so I can fix that image in my mind. My body can't produce a good swing if my mind hasn't memorized one.

There never would have been a Tiger Woods if there hadn't been a Jack Nicklaus and there wouldn't have been a Jack if there hadn't been a Ben Hogan and there wouldn't have been a Ben Hogan if there hadn't been a Bobby Jones. They became great golfers because they saw great golfers.

I never had the benefit of a father to watch as I was growing up. My dad was never around and my step-father was not involved. What I learned from them was how not to do the "dad thing". Early in my live I decided to try to be like my Heavenly Father and different from my earthly fathers.

God was faithful to put some men in my path to help model manhood and fatherhood. I am eternally grateful to men like Ralph Westafer and Jim Poyner and Ray Lyne and Paul Mills and Steve Wright and Forrest Gearhart who helped me know what a godly man looked like. They let me see one so I could be one. Not only did I become a better man because of their examples, my boys became better men because of what I gleaned from these men. They influenced at least two generations - probably more.

Did I want to be like my father? No. Would I want my boys to be like me? Yes, except better. And I owe that to these guys and others.

So, if there are any men reading this post today, my challenge is this - "Be one so others can see one."