As I buried my daughter’s bunny yesterday, it was harder than I could imagine.
Now, let me start by saying this: I was never high on this bunny, and when she bit my kids, especially my youngest, I really had it out for her. But she redeemed herself to my wife and my oldest daughter and my youngest many times. And for seven years she stunk up our house. My wife worked for that cute little spoiled animal more than anyone in our family.
All that being said, it was not a good feeling when she passed.
And pulling her cute little frame from her cage was not the best.
Nor was it great to see her eyes wide open.
And when I dug a hole and put her cute little body into it to cover it with dirt, I couldn’t help but well up and think: “this is BRUTAL”
It is, in fact, BRUTAL.
The whole process of death is BRUTAL.
We live.
We die.
We live out Genesis 3:19 and go back to where we were before God made us.
As I was processing all of this, I immediately thought of:
The wages of sin.
Romans 623 For the wages of sin is death
Make no mistake about this. We are sinful. And the result of this is simple: BRUTAL
That is what waits for us.
To think this is someone else’s fault is foolish.
For me, I have earned what my works deserve. When people preach “justice” and “fair treatment” and “be accountable” I cannot lie. That scares the bejeebers out of me. Because I know what I have coming—what I deserve.
And that is why I have accepted the gift. Opened it. Received it. And eternally and every-day grateful for it.
It is why I preach it to others.
It is why I can walk in freedom and feel good about myself.
It is why I live each day.
Romans 623 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I receive. I believe. And I am grateful.
Because, away from Him, it is BRUTAL.
Thank you Jesus.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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I want to start this blog by saying that we need a deep connection with God to find out what He has called us to do.
Sometimes I am listening … and sometimes I am not. And when I go out on my own my mouth, and my actions, can get me in trouble.
But there are times when He has called me to stand. And when I have stood for Him—it has been terrifying.
Nevertheless, there are times we are called to fight.
And when God calls us to fight, He plays no games.
If you are in the war, this word today is for you.
Because being in the war is terrifying. It is lonely. It is overwhelming and draining and sometimes it takes all that we have emotionally.
I want to encourage you today.
You are not alone.
People who God calls to stand up are never alone.
2 Kings 615When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 16“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
Do not cower from the battle in front of you.
Do not be weary to pick up that backpack and walk over the mountain. When you pick it up, it will be too heavy to carry. But if God has called you to it, He will get you through it.
Ask Him if it is your battle.
And if He has called you—then go forward in courage. Ask Him to fill you with the strength and courage and hope and encouragement that you will need to get through it.
And then have faith that you are not alone.
The army of the Lord is behind you.
Many praying warriors are behind you.
And, most importantly, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah is behind you.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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When a prey animal that is too small to hunt alone wants to succeed, it separates the target from the herd. If it can succeed in removing an animal from the herd—it can gang up on it and kill it.
It is no different in the spiritual realm.
The enemy’s goal is to make us: Alone, Afraid, and Ashamed.
And when we are separated, and full of fear, and afraid for others to know who we are—we are vulnerable.
And that is why this verse, to me, is so freeing:
1 John 1 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
We are not perfect. We are broken at the very core. And as I sat and conversed with three different people last week—nothing was more evident than this.
We need Jesus.
We don’t just need Him for our eternity.
We don’t just need Him for our past.
We need Him for right now.
And we need Him because to the core—we are broken.
God doesn’t show up and ask for money.
He doesn’t show up for a fleeting moment and then leave.
He doesn’t waver in His love.
He doesn’t pay half of our toll or give us enough to barely survive.
He shows up and stands with us.
He shows up to tell the enemy that we are off limits.
He shows up to forgive us.
From the moment we step into this world we are ingrained with the idea that either:
We Are Perfect. We can do no wrong and pick up our bad habits from everyone else. As a parent, I used to ask my kids: “Where did you learn that?” But the reality is that it was in them before they did it—whether they learned it or not.
We Are A Colossal Failure. We are rejected. We were an accident that just showed up and that others had to deal with.
Some of us oscillate between both of these. One minute we are a Colossal Failure and the next we are Perfect. And like a prey animal in the grip of a death roll from a crocodile we die a slow, and painful, death. We go from “I don’t need anyone—I am just fine to do this alone” to “I am worthless”.
But the reality is this:
We were born BROKEN and, without God, we are worthless.
But, with Him, we are given the gift of everything.
It Is Our Only Hope
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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How Much: Free. But Please RSVP so we get enough food. Text Coach J at 720-448-2628 and say: “I will see you at the encounter” and give a number of people that are coming with you. Why: We can’t leave the most important aspect of life on the sideline and expect things to go well on the field
The enemy stands on a hill and throws accusations at the broken. And, much like the religious leaders in this story, he brings rocks to the party.
John 81but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.3The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group4and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women.Now what do you say?”6They were using this question as a trap,in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.7When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stoneat her.”8Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.10Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, 11 where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.
As I reflect on this verse—it is evident that this lady DID sin again. After all, she was a person. And so what does “going and leaving your life of sin” mean?
We need look no further than John 1. Those who would receive Him would become children of God.
Receiving Him does not make us able to act like the religious leaders. We are not better. We are not above. We are not too good for others. And yet … I act like it sometimes.
And what did God say—over and over again—as we read the gospels:
John 3 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The gospel exploded out of Jerusalem through the testimonies of a few people who were ALL IN for God and filled with God’s love.
Nicodemus—he was a religious leader
Mary Magdalene—she was a prostitute
John—he was a fisherman
And who else?
A Roman Soldier
A ruler
A poor peasant
And not just different walks of life—but different colors, and cultures, and ideologies. They all walked in unison JUST LIKE THE VERY DIFFERENT AUTHORS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
THEY WALKED IN A COMMON THEME.
FAITH IN GOD
We are losing this Faith.
At least where I live.
No more.
I choose to Evangelize and share this incredible Gospel.
Will you join me? Bring someone with you. I have a message for them and for you and I pray that it would not waste even one second of your time.
The Encounter
Who:Catch The Fire Youth Group invites any and all to join them
What: Pizza, Music, Prayer, Message
N-95 Masks will be given to anyone who wants one
Where: Catch The Fire Church
700 W South Boulder Road,
Lafayette, CO 80026
(287 and South Boulder Road)
When: June 6 from 7-8:30 pm
Why: We can’t leave the most important aspect of life on the sideline and expect things to go well on the field
How Much: Free. But Please RSVP so we get enough food. Text Coach J at 720-448-2628 and say: “I will see you at the encounter” and give a number of people that are coming with you.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Know anyone who might like these? Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!
How Much: Free. But Please RSVP so we get enough food. Text Coach J at 720-448-2628 and say: “I will see you at the encounter” and give a number of people that are coming with you. Why: We can’t leave the most important aspect of life on the sideline and expect things to go well on the field
As I was driving this morning I was convicted by God. The word that came on my mind was:
FACADE
Looking on google, the word facade is defined as: an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant or creditable reality.
I knew exactly what God was talking about and have had many thoughts on this very issue.
Many years ago, as I walked the strip in Las Vegas, I was convicted by this very concept.
As I glanced on Treasure Island, it was clear to me:
They (the city of Las Vegas) are trying to create heaven on earth, a Eutopia, a place where “all of your dreams come true”.
Nothing is held back.
There are buffets where you can stuff yourself with food.
There is architecture and some of the most beautiful man-made structures that you could ever lay your eyes on, walk in, or be in.
There is the bombardment of LOVE—or false LOVE—as sex is in your face everywhere you look.
As I began to be aware of this, I watched a woman in a casino playing a slot machine.
She looked like she had been on the same slot for hours—maybe even all night. As I watched her, she hit a $500 jackpot. She didn’t even stop. She just continued to play and shove money in and pull the handle. No celebration. No conversation with another. No smile. She was in a trance pulling the handle on a slot machine.
Unhappy.
Lost.
Unaware of anyone around her.
Seeking something that she would never find.
And all the while God is waiting.
Haggai 16 “You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
As I stood in Los Angeles, I saw the same thing. Standing in the middle of an intersection I saw the most bizarre thing I had ever laid eyes on.
On one side, the richest city block in the world (or one of them). Sidewalk cleaners, thousand dollar suits, business people hustling to meetings.
On the other side—skid row. 10,000 homeless. People in cardboard boxes. Broken. Broke. Lost.
I sat with a man on skid row who had left his work place where he was making six figures and walked across the street to live in skid row. To him, what they did on the rich side made no sense. And he gave up worldly wealth because he had found no peace.
He saw the FACADE.
Ask God to open your eyes.
Ask Him to remove the blinders.
Ask Him to give you hope and a future.
Because before you minister to others you have to minister to yourself.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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I want to challenge you, as you read this, to show it to someone who does not believe in God. I want to engage with them in the most important conversation that they might ever take part in.
I am passionate about this debate because of a very complex concept that we discuss in mathematics. And because I get to teach it, I get to live in it every single day:
Infinite Things Make Finite Things Insignificant
The reality that we all face is simple: We are either Finite or Infinite. We are either blips in a large timeline or we are part of the timeline.
And the reality of this concept is very simple. We are either NOTHING and INSIGNIFICANT and UNIMPORTANT or … we have HOPE and a FUTURE.
This is a simple, and yet very disturbing, thought.
But I say it because IF I AM RIGHT—it is the ONLY thing that matters for all of us.
IF I AM RIGHT, this is the most important thing that you could ever read.
IF I AM RIGHT, you too can discover the most important treasure in the history of of the UNIVERSE! A TREASURE THAT MAKES ALL OTHER TREASURES INSIGNIFICANT, AND SMALL, AND UNIMPORTANT.
While it might shock my atheist friends, I, too, believe in science.
I am amazed that Isaac Newton would conceive of breaking something finite into infinite pieces to make an exact calculation of area, volume, velocity, acceleration, and many other things. To think of using something that is uncountable to describe something that is countable to an exact value is unfathomable, and yet engineers and scientists and businessmen do it every day.
It is Miracle Math. And we, in fact, live in a world that is a Miracle.
Albert Einstein once said:
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
What are we to do with all of the information that bombards us in 2021? How are we to act, and think, and process?
How could we, in fact, truly discover if we were created beings that were the creation of an infinite God?
One of the wisest men to walk planet earth, understood that he DID NOT understand. In one of his biblical texts, he wrote:
Ecclesiastes 311 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
“He has set eternity on our hearts—yet we cannot fathom …”
As I said at the beginning of this blog, I believe in science. I study and teach it on a daily basis. And as we conclude today, I would like to leave you with these thoughts:
You are NOT an accident. You are not the result of some cosmic, random consequence. You are filled with life and question life because life was put in you. And you were wired to know right from wrong, good from evil, love from hatred. This was no accident either. The Holy Spirit will always work your convictions, and prompt you, and try to guide you.
You are a finite being that struggles with an infinite concept because God has written that on your heart. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3, you will have conflict about this. That conflict is, again, because God has put it on your heart.
Your life has a plan, a destiny. God has put this on your heart. And so long as you deny it you will constantly look for it and be restless in the very existence of your life. But if you embrace it—He will fill you with purpose that you will not be able to contain.
He is waiting for you. Whether you are 3 or 43 or 93 — He has set the wheels in motion that you might transform into an infinite being. One with a future not only here on earth, but for after you are gone. And all you know were given that same opportunity.
God is Infinite. And as sure as Isaac Newton brought the idea of infinite things into a finite world, God can bring that into you.
God is Beyond Our Sin. And just as Solomon’s terrible beginning did not stop God from putting a destiny over him, neither can yours. You are forgiven. And loved. And you are destined to be a Son … or a Daughter … of the King.
God has prepared a place for you. One of the last things Jesus told His disciples was that He had prepared a place—for THEM. “Where I am going you cannot come, but I have prepared a place for you”. And for us. When the disciples finally got this into their hearts—they were transformed by the Holy Spirit and started the greatest movement in the history of the world.
As you take inventory on your life, you have had many options.
And if you have not considered it, God, through Jesus would like to give you just one more. Eternity. It is no mistake that Buzz Lightyear’s great line in Toy Story was “to infinity and beyond”. We are intrigued by that concept. And God tells us why:
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
This is not some random thought in billions of random people. It is a creation ordained principle that God put within us all that we might find our destiny.
Your destiny … IS Jesus.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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This last week in mathematics I was showing my class the “miracle” math of Isaac Newton, who made many contributions to Calculus and the development of things that we still use today. In fact, what we now estimate on a computer, Newton calculated as EXACT SCIENCE over 300 years ago.
As we calculated a limit, one of my students made the comment:
“When x is infinite, that other number becomes insignificant.”
And what he said was right. The absolute truth is this:
Infinite Things Make Finite Things Insignificant
And yet—God broke that rule twice. He made Himself finite and insignificant so that He could make us infinite and significant.
In a move that is beyond comprehension, He became Emmanuel:
Matthew 123 … and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”
Nothing is more effective than joining someone in their state. And God chose to do just that. He came and joined us in our world so that He could invite us to His. It is the very reason that we say: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
If you have trouble contemplating the idea of God. I want you to give Him a chance.
Ask Him to come into your heart and your mind.
Ask Him to speak to you and to do a new thing in you.
Ask Him to show you love to the core of your being.
If you do I can assure you—He will show up. And the reality is that you will never understand something infinite until you walk into “infinity”—and actually connect with God. After all, how could you? The point on the line can not possibly comprehend that the line goes to an unstopping value on each side of it.
The Father did something 2000 years ago that we can not fathom. He left infinite and became finite.
So give Him a chance to change your eternity.
In The Name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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2 MINUTE WARNING 