Walking along the narrow path

Matthew 7:13-14 (New International Version)
The Narrow and Wide Gates 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
I was a girls gymnastics coach for quite some time. I was fortunate enough to see some great gymnast practice and compete. These girls are so incredible to watch. They have the strength, stamina, and focus that I could only wish to have. These girls put in countless hours at the gym. This sport requires years of training and practice to become great. Dedication and perseverance are as important as natural ability. These girls start when they are very young and spend more time at the gym than most people spend at home. Their entire social life revolves around that facility. Their friends are their team mates, and their influences are their coaches. Being a gymnastic coach in my opinion is more than just teaching them about the sport. You develop a personal relationship with those kids. You instruct them, discipline them, and encourage them. The skills that they do requires a lot of concentration and development over the years. As they get older, and more mature in the sport they are able to reach higher levels of difficulty. Out of all the apparatus the one event that intrigued me the most was the balance beam.
The balance beam is 4.1' high, 16'4" long, and 4" wide. Not very easy to walk on, not to mention preform acrobatic skills. It is so interesting to me to watch the development of a girl who is training on this apparatus. When they start out as a young girl they have to learn how to walk on it, back and forth, over and over. This sometimes takes months or even years to be able to do comfortably. Then they progress to turns, and leaps. Eventually to cartwheels and handsprings. Then to tucks, and layouts(flips). One of the keys to being able to effectively preform on one of these balance beams, is where your focus lies. When learning to walk on these, they are taught to keep their heads up and not to look down. "Look down, fall down", that's what I used to tell them. When first getting comfortable with this apparatus, looking to one side or the other will cause you to fall that way. This reminds me so much of the narrow path we as Christians walk on a daily basis.
As disciples we are constantly maturing, constantly growing, and learning. We start off born again as new creations learning and growing as infants do. We learn how to walk on the narrow beam of salvation. As young gymnasts do we look left, or right, and stumble on the beam. When a gymnast first learns how to walk they start on what is called,"the low beam". This is done because the coaches know that they will fall off. This keeps them safe, provides them with confidence to walk down the narrow beam. Often the coach will walk next to them holding one of their hands to give them confidence and talk to them, encourage them correcting their mistakes. We as Christians have the same luxury, the blood of Jesus Christ gives us the confidence that tells us when we fall we will be allowed to get back up on the beam. God puts mentors in our life to hold our hand at first and show us the proper form in which to walk a successful beam. Just as gymnasts progress, the coaches change, coaches that are able to mold you and teach you how to use the gifts God has given you in order to walk the beam in a way that the Judge will be pleased with. As you progress and mature, your strength grows and your balance. You learn how to focus on the end of the beam in order not to fall. Some times the skills that are required, the elements that are in the routine cause you to stumble, or even fall. The good news is that unlike the judges at a gymnastics competition our Judge doesn't deduct for our falls. He allows us to confidently jump back on the beam to finish the routine.
The point is, that you don't put a five year old girl on a balance beam and expect her do an Olympic caliber beam routine. It takes time, and training to be able to comfortably walk down that narrow path. Gymnasts fall, over and over again. They get discouraged, and frustrated when they don't get the skills quickly. It is the coaches job to encourage them, and train them to focus on the future. To show them that in time they will be able to walk the beam and do skills on the beam with ease. As it is with us. We will fall and stumble, we will get discouraged and frustrated. We need to look to our Lord, our focal point so that we can learn to walk the path comfortably and with confidence. We need to keep our mentors close by and look to them for encouragement and wisdom. Paul had to encourage and instruct the churches, and Timothy. We need to stay in God's word in order to keep our eyes focused on the future. We stay in the Word so that we don't forget our basics, our foundation, our strength. The path is narrow, the journey is hard, the reward is glorious.

A Gift

It is the week before Christmas and all through the town, car horns are honking because traffic slowed down.
People are yelling and flipping the bird, because lines in the stores are so long it's absurd.
Morale is down and stress levels are high, people are searching and searching for the right present to buy.
A race to the register, or the last one on the shelf, any thing they can do to make it better for themself.
There is anger, even violence in the line at the stores, people walk out and don't hold open the doors.
This season we're in of love, peace, and joy, has become more about TVs, jewelry, and toys.
On this day I'll celebrate out loud with a horn, my trumpet will sound on the day Christ was born.
The gift of salvation which he freely gave, He freed me from sin of which I was a slave.
Twas a gift on that night the Lord born as a babe, He came not to condemn the world, but to save
With Him came peace, and joy, and Love, a gift not from a store, but from Heaven above.
The gift of salvation came in this little boy, a gift not comparable to any expensive toy.
Tis a gift to us given from God on that day, A gift given at a price we could never repay.
So I vow to my God, Savior, and king, to him be the glory of everything
And I'll always take the time on this night to remember, The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ our Redeemer.

Mauricio Hance

Problems

I was feeling down the other day. The problems of daily life were really hitting me hard. I have put in an application to go to seminary in New Orleans, but I don't have the money to pay for school. I don't know where to find it, or how I'm even going to afford to move there if I do get accepted. On top of that I was having a proble paying my rent, food, not even gas. I had a horrible day at work and am tired of going there everyday and working hard for little. My wife had a rough day with the kids and the kids were complaining more than normal it seemed. I was really just ready to pack it in. My wife sent me to the store for something and to be honest I was ready to get out. As I'm driving home from the store a song on the radio comes on, and these are the lyrics...

Been a hard one
Been a bad one
Been a tough one
Been a sad one
It's just been one of those days
That keeps chipping away at my heart
Nothin' new here
It's what I do here
It's a stereotypical day in the life
I'm surrounded by all of the pain and the strife
But I know it's alright

'Cause it's only the world I'm living in
It's only today I've been given
There ain't no way I'm giving in
'Cause it's only the world
I know the best is still yet to come
Cause even when my days in the world are done
There's gonna be so much more than only the world for me

This really hit my heart. How incredible is this truth? This is only the world! Why should I let this world that I'm not even part of get me down. How can I allow myself as a new person in Jesus Christ allow this fallen world to cloud my joy. I face everyday battles as I'm sure do you, but I have something to keep hold of. I have the Holy Spirit of the living God living inside of me, and He want's so for me to allow Him to take over and worry about this crap for me. All I have to do is sit back and let Him do it. Money, time, work, and problems are only the world. I can expect the world around me to be stressed in this time of unstable economy. I can understand when a rough day at work makes these people of this world to be angry and agrivated. I'm not surprised when I see people blowing of steem by yelling and screaming at their wives and childred. Why? Well because these people are of this world. They not only live here, but are subject to the happenings of this world. I on the other hand, and you as well if you are a follower of Jesus Christ are in this world yes, however are now part of a new creation, a new Kingdom that is led by Christ. This is just temperary, this place is not my home and how I long for my home. This fallen world is going to forever try to bring me down. I can not allow it to, or shall I say if I try to face it on my own I will allow it to. So what is the answer? How do we face off against the difficulties we face as strangers in this world? By allowing the gift that God has given us to guide our steps as we make this walk. This walk of faith that allows us to let go and let God. God is so much stronger than the powers of this world, and has given us oppertunity to tap into that power, by submiting all to Him. He will provide, He will guid, and He will protect us from the worries of this world. So what do I say about the crap of this world? I say bring it on, I have no fear, for the Lord my God will bring me through victorious, and allow me to walk through this short life focused on the work He has given me, and that is the furtherance of His kingdom.

So when the problems of this world come at you, as they will daily, remember "It's only the world", and that you are no longer part of it.

The Church

What is the problem? Is there a problem? Some would answer,No! There is no problem with the Church. Leave well enough alone. Some would say that the problem with the Church, is that there are people out there saying there is a problem. People would say that I"m the problem with the Church. I'm the kind of guy who goes around disrupting the order of what is going on. I'm stirring up issues, that if I would just get on board and shut up wouldn't be issues. Is that true? Am I just making something out of nothing? Is what we see in our country now what the Church is supposed to look like? You know, what are we trying to accomplish as a Church? I'm not sure that this question gets asked enough. I'm doing a study on a book called "The Barbarian Way" by Erwin Raphael McManus. In this book there is a part that says "... Jesus began His public ministry with a simple invitation: "Come, follow Me." His closing instructions to His disciples can be summarized in one word, "Go!" A quick survey of the modern church would lead you to believe His invitation was " Come, and listen." and His closing mandate would be summarized in the word "No!" Is this true?

What if it is? If this is true what would the Church look like? I think that it would look like a bunch of individual groups of people. It would look like a building with one name on it, was in competition with a building with another name on it. It would look like building "A" would be competing to get more people in it than building "B". It would look like building "B" is trying to recruit people from Building "A", because these people have gifts, or skills that they don't have. It would look like people measuring their success by how many people are there every time they meet. It might look like people in the Church are only identified as Church people, because they go to one of these buildings once a week, dressed up in a "uniform" in a sense. It might even look like certain people aren't aloud in one building or another because they don't dress up to social standards. If this were true about the Church it would look more like a social club rather than a place of worship. Now the question is, what does the church look like here today?

Does the Church look like a group of people working together to achieve a common goal? Does the Church look like the different branches of the military working together, using their different areas of expertise to defeat the common enemy? Does the Church look like a building? Or does it look like a Kingdom? When people ask you "What Church do you go to?" Is your answer: "This Church, on this street, in this city."?

If it is, what are you learning from "This Church...."? See when I read the Bible, God tells me that I am the Church, that You are the Church. He tells me that we are all one Body, yes different parts of that Body, but one Body just the same. He tells me that no part of the Body other that the Head is more important than any other part. I know that each part of my body is for different things, and serve different purposes. I also know that when I want to run, or jump, or walk, or even stretch. All the parts of my body need to work together to achieve that Goal. In the same way so does the Church. We do have a job. We have an objective, given to us by our Commander In Chief. How successful would a wide receiver be without a Quarter back? How successful would a batter be without a pitcher to throw him the ball. How successful can the Church be, without The Lord being the center of our focus.

Satan thinks like boxers. If the body goes down the head will follow. What Satan doesn't take into consideration is that our head is watching every punch he throws. It's telling us which way to move in order to dodge his punch. He is telling His hands which punches to throw. His feet which way to step, and his body to tighten up to deliver the blow. God is undefeated, and undisputed. He defeated the one thing that Satan had control over, Death. The best way to get to your destination is to follow someone who has already been there, and who knows all the safe routs.

Take a look around, and tell me what does the Church look like here today?

Just let go

You know, I have been having problems, at work and at home. The biggest problem I have been having is in my walk with Christ. Well, today I hit rock bottom. I took my dog out, and because she wouldn't go to the bathroom when I wanted her to, I actually kicked her. I felt so bad, and started wondering. If I did this to my dog, whats next? So God told me that I needed to talk to someone about this. I ended up going to one of the men, who I look at as a big brother, and spiritual mentor's house. We sat down and had a couple of cups of coffee. We talked for about two hours. We talked about everything, I mean I held back no punches at all. I let it all out. I humbled myself and let this guy know everything that was bothering me. We went back and forth like I said, for a couple of hours. He really helped me out a lot. He re introduced me to the passion that has slowly been seeping out of my soul. I had to go over there, there is no doubt about it. See, God is always giving us ways to get out of the hole we put ourselves in. Sometimes we go day in and day out, and allow the things of this world to bring us down. The devil will put temptations and put just enough in our lives to let us slowly walk away from Jesus. What are the things that we do to allow this to happen to us? We allow ourselves to be "too busy" for God. We stop reading the Word everyday, and slowly take our armor off. You wouldn't go into battle without your armor would you? I have a friend who is a cop and he won't go to work without his vest. In the same way, how can we go into this fallen world of evil and temptation without putting on our armor every day. The same way that friend of mine won't go to work without his vest, he definitely wouldn't go to work without his weapon. God has given us a sword to take with us into the daily battle we face. How do we use this? Jesus gave us an example in the desert, when Satan tried to tempt Him, He came back with scripture every time. This is the same way we use the sword every day. It is also there to convict us of the things we do everyday that God isn't pleased with. Keep in the Word, and so Will I. Put on your armor, hit your knees every morning be for you go out into the world prepare yourself, for the junk that I promise you will encounter every day. Let's go out into battle, as the armed, protected, and passionate soldiers that we are. And may the strength and wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit, that God has so graciously given to us, guide you through your daily battle. Amen.

What to do

At work I have had something bothering me for a while. Recently certain things took place where I had the oppertunity to bring these things to the attension of the people who needed to know. In doing so the result was peoples lives would change drasticly. It did change these peoples lives. What I did was the right thing, and I know it. God without a doubt kicked me in the butt and made me say what I was fighting to say. Now I know that what I did was the right thing, but now I feel like I'm getting punished for it.

I don't get it. I am now working more hours in the week. Don't get me wrong, the overtime is good to have, but now I'm spending more time at work and less time at home, or in ministry. I know a lot of that ministry part is my fault. I need to be doing ministry at work just as much as anywhere else. I've beed given this great honor of being the men's ministry leader at my church and don't get to do much with is, because I work every other Sunday. I feel like I don't know anyone at church, and as the men's leader I should be building relationships with people in the church. I don't know what to do. I feal like I want to leave my job, but I know I can't. It is also taking a toll on my personal relationship with Jesus. My studies have almost completely stopped. I know this is my fault and no one elses, but I'm so tired at the end of the day. All I ask is that if there is anyone out there who accually reads this. Please pray for me. I really need it. May God help me.

Brother in Need

This afternoon I got a phone call from one of my Christian brothers whom I have been trying to talk to for weeks now, because I have noticed a few things that have bothered me that were taking place in his life. I know that for some that read this(if anyone still does) some one elses life isn't any of my business. I tell you that it is. Why, because of the aforementioned phrase "Christian BROTHER", brother of course being the key word. Yeah, you might say that even my biological brothers life is none of my business either, but yet again I tell you that if you can't tell your family the direction they are traveling is the wrong one out of love, who can you tell?

So, when I got home from work I called him back and asked if we could meet somewhere to talk about what he had mentioned in the phone call he made to me. After he agreed I asked if I could also invite another man that him and I both look up to, to join us in the conversation. With his consent I made the call. With no hesitation he agreed to tag along. At the agreed upon time the three of us met at a local Starbucks to pray and talk over his problems. Well, to make a long story short after we had beat that horse long enough the conversation had worked it's way into another direction. After a couple of hours I was ready to call it a night, but one of the other guys convinced me to hang out for a little while longer. After just a few minutes my brother just so happens to pull into the same Starbucks we were at for a cup of coffee.

So he joins us, and being another one of the man in questions trusted friends he fills him in on what is going on. I tell you this knowing it to be true, that was no accident. Oscar my brother had a lot of God given wisdom to bring to the table. At that moment all that I knew in my heart was confirmed once again. It was no accident that God put the four of us in that moment, at that place, all together for that reason. We still aren't sure what the tough decision that this man has to make will be, however I can tell you that it will be a choice guided by God himself.

It was amazing to see the things that I have learned through the last couple of weeks, and the sermons that I've heard all come together in that moment for the plan God had for us tonight. God is Great, and He is alive. He is working everyday in us, and as He has given me the strength tonight to obey him and get these three brothers together to lift up our falling brother, I pray that He continues to do so in my life. I challenge all who read this to take up arms and fight the good fight, obey the Lord our God and do not allow the evil one to attack our brothers and sisters, stand strong and know that God will give us the weapons to come out victorious. So, when you have a brother or a sister that is walking down the wrong street in the dark, take him/her that lantern that God has so graciously given us, grab them by the hand and lead them into the light.