This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

As I walked to school this morning: this song, and these lyrics,  resonated over me.

There’s a man

Who’s wrapped in light

With eyes of fire 

Burning bright

With feet like bronze

And a blinding glow

A golden sash

And hair like snow

He is King

And He is judge

He is mercy

And He is love

Jesus is the only thing that makes sense.

He is the only thing that truly works.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIE33oW1m1E

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

“so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

I have to think that Jesus was devastated as He sat on the hill on Gethsemane, alone.  Wouldn’t He have had to wonder:

“If I don’t have any friends now, then when will I have a friend?”

To me, “growing weary and losing heart” has to look a lot like hopelessness.

And I have to believe that Jesus got a full helping of sabotage that would bring all of us to:

Hopelessness

What did He do with it?  He quoted scripture and made a verbal commitment to God when things got tough.  He endured it and renewed His faith.  

Before I get to that, I want to stay in Hopelessness for a bit.

When I hit Hopelessness, the term “bottomless pit” makes perfect sense to me.

When we lost my wife’s mom, when my father was dying, and when my mom was dying I went to that place.  There were times when I wondered if I would be able to climb out of it.

But I am not just limited to those instances.  I can find hopelessness at work, as a parent, as a husband, as a teacher, and as a coach.

I think the enemy has a master’s degree in how to inflict it.

But our God, our Jesus, has looked Hopelessness in the face.  And He has defeated it.

It must be devastating to watch those you love leave you in the hands of the very devil that you are trying to save them from.

Abandoned, Betrayed, and Falsely Accused, He was left to deal with the full punishment of all man.

For all the times that we look to heaven and say “where are you God?” there must be millions of times where He could have said the same to us.

But Jesus declared war not just on sin, and Satan, and death, I have to believe that He declared war on Hopelessness.

When He got on a donkey and rode into Jerusalem, and they weren’t expecting it—-even though Daniel told them the exact day that He was coming——–He still lived in hope.

When Peter ran away, He found hope.

When men betrayed Him, He stood in hope.

When He struggled to breathe and dealt with the writhing pain of crucifixion and watched them mock Him, He hung onto hope.

When Thomas doubted, and the Pharisees accused, and even when His own brother chastised Him, He walked in hope.

Hebrews 11:1 says that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for …”  Again—how many times have we lacked so much faith—-that we didn’t even know what to hope for?

As I was pondering “hope” on the way to church yesterday, this song came on in the car.

I have heard it many times but not truly listened to it.

It makes me want to run into a stadium full of worshippers and jump up and down to this blaring worship song.

Jesus is worth worshipping.

He is worth relying on.

He is worth hoping for.

When the end comes—He will come with it.

And He will do something to the end that none of us can fathom.

He will make it a new beginning.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB2YrV_O24M

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men,

Jesus wasn’t just walking a hard life.

He lived the impossible and did the impossible so that He could finish with the impossible.

Jesus won in the face of incredible odds.

This isn’t some Disney Movie.  It is the inspiration for the Disney movies.

Because from the beginning of His mission, He was hunted and sabotaged like no one in the history of the world.

And He came out victorious.

He came out victorious when men came to kill Him.

Matthew 2 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 

He came out victorious when tempted.

Matthew 4 1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him

He came out victorious from being forgotten, abandoned, betrayed, denied, and forgotten.

Matthew 26  73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away.”

74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

He came out victorious when He endured an unfair trial.

John 18 19Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.

20“I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.”

22When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded.

He came out victorious.

Me mentioning just a few of the troubles He faced does not discount or undervalue ALL THE OTHER THINGS HE FACED.

And He faced them again and again and again.

Consider Jesus when you are in the eye of the storm

John 16 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

If anyone could understand what it would be like to endure being attacked.  It would be Him.

But more than that … He figured out how to win.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYy1f6VjDHU

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

“who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Jesus made a bold decision.  And as I read this line it instantly made me think of Philippians 2—ANOTHER VERSE WORTH MEMORIZING.

Philippians 2  5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

   6Who, being in very nature God,

       did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

   7but made himself nothing,

       taking the very nature of a servant,

       being made in human likeness.

   8And being found in appearance as a man,

       he humbled himself

       and became obedient to death–

          even death on a cross!

   9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

So as we fix our eyes on Jesus, “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”, we understand this:

• He Became A Servant

• • • When the Prodigal Son returns to his father in Luke 15, he says, to his father, what we should all say to God:  “Father, I have sinned against heaven and I have sinned against you.  I am no longer worthy to be your son.  Make me one of your hired servants.”  Amen.  To be His servant is the greatest purpose we could have.

• He Humbled Himself

• • • God is clear in James about WHO we are to be, that true religion is taking care of widows and orphans, and not considering the rich man greater than the poor.

• He Was Obedient

• • • As my wife said to my daughter:  “Obey.  Then Understand”.  Amen

Be blessed today.

And remember who you belong to.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYy1f6VjDHU

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

“the author and perfecter of our faith,”

Why is this important?  

Because if you are like me, you are saying something to yourself along the lines of:  “When will I ever learn?”

The spirit of stupid comes upon me sometimes, and I get fully activated.

And I totally screw up.

Sometimes I am so disappointed in myself that I can not even look up to the One who has saved me.

But God …

The greatest two words in all of scripture.

But God …

But God knows and He does something about it.

Only God can do what God does.

And He does this:

Hebrews 10  14 because by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

This is a contradiction.

And yet it makes perfect sense.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQWgEjdCd6w

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus

How do we fix our eyes on Jesus?  We pay attention.  

We pay attention when David writes about His final time on the cross, referencing “My God my God why have you forsaken me?”

Psalm 22 16 Dogs have surrounded me;

a band of evil men has encircled me,

they have pierced my hands and my feet.

We pay attention when He shows up to minister to Abraham 

Genesis 14 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.”  Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

We pay attention when He appears at the time a son is to be sacrificed.

Genesis 22 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

God HIMSELF will provide the lamb.

We pay attention when He tells us how He will declare Himself king.

Zechariah 9 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!  Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and having salvation,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

We pay attention when Isaiah talks about Him before He ever existed.

Isaiah 53 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

We pay attention when He tells us where He will be born:

Micah 5 2“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.

We pay attention when He tells us about His betrayal:

Psalm 55 12 If an enemy were insulting me,

I could endure it;  if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him.  13 But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend,

14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship

as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

What do we do in 2020?

I am not always sure.

But one thing I do know:

Jesus Loves Us … 

And We Should Pay Attention

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37wV6D49iEY

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

“and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

How do we truly run this race that He has marked out for us?

That is the question of the ages.

Matthew 6 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46FfDLI369Q

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,”

What is everything that hinders?

As my wife and I spoke to one of our children yesterday she said something so profound that it impacted me immediately.

She said: 

“First you obey … then you understand”

Nothing could be more true.  And this is the reason why Christians are mocked, misunderstood, and even hated by some aspects of society.

But the reality is that if we do not do that then we sometimes miss out on what God truly has for us.

The Bible is filled with people who OBEY … and THEN UNDERSTAND.  They have no idea WHY they are doing something … they just do it.

     I can remember I was driving, alone, to California.  I felt a strong prompting to pull off at an upcoming exit.  As I talked audibly about “why would I pull of at this exit?” I soon decided to just do it.

     When I did, I was humbled.  A man in a wheelchair was unsuccessfully trying to change the tire on his car.  It was easy for me to get out, help him, and send him on his way.

     Had God prompted me to help someone that He cared about?  I believe with all of my heart that He had.  Nothing can change my mind about that.

OBEY … Then UNDERSTAND.

And what about:

“the sin that so easily entangles”

I think that, if we are truly honest, we all understand that.  And God assures us that our sin is REAL.

1 John 1 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

And part of this is realizing that sometimes, if not all the time, we ARE the problem.  Not a result of the problem.  Not a response to the problem.  Sometimes we ARE the problem.

Jeremiah 17  9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

I would also like to mention that we must even mention our STRENGTHS in this.  Sometimes the very thing that “hinders” us is what we do well.

Solomon knew this.  And he has so eloquently passed this concept to us.

Ecclesiastes 1  16 I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

None of us wants to end our days here on earth and realize that we have done EVERYTHING and yet nothing.  That we were chasing after the “wind”.

“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,”

This is not an easy word.

• Finding that we might actually be the problem.
• Discovering that, even in our best moments, we might be pushing Him out of our lives.

But as, my wife encouraged my daughter, I want to encourage you:

OBEY … then UNDERSTAND

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE8f0OaPSEQ

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J

This verse is worth memorizing:

Hebrews 12   1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Today, let’s talk about:

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

What is this “great cloud of witnesses” that we are surrounded by?

We need look no further than Hebrews 11, a clear and beautiful picture of those who acted in great faith before us.

In our journey as both Christians and Americans, we must know our history.

We must know where we came from, why it matters, and how it must play out today if we want to preserve our way of life.  If we don’t, we could very well lose our way of life.

So where did we come from, Christian-wise?

We come from a creator.  We are beautifully made and highly adaptable.  Never let someone convince you that the 1965 Ford Mustang evolved over time to be the 2020 Ford Mustang.  After all, the 2020 mustang looks the same and has many similar characteristics as the 1965 model.  That being said, we know that they are similar because they had the same DESIGNER.  Connect this to our universe and you can see my point.  The human cell is nothing like Charles Darwin thought.  NOTHING.  It is as complicated as the city of Los Angeles, with numerous systems working together in perfect harmony in order to carry out incredibly complicated processes.  We do not look at building and say, “wow, there must have been an explosion where metal and concrete and carpet and cooling systems and doors mysteriously blended together to make this wonderful building.”  We should say the same about the cell.  We are DESIGNED.

Hebrews 11  3  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

We come from Abraham, who believed in resurrection before anyone even talked about it.

Hebrews 11  17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.

We come from Moses, who left the tyranny of slavery in Egypt and traveled to the promised land.

Hebrews 11  24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

We come from a group of people who NEVER GOT TO SEE WHAT WAS PROMISED but set us in motion to what we have now.

Hebrews 11  39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

As I read these stories, I am compelled and motivated to read my Bible.  People died in their pursuit of God so that I might be able to read it.

And I challenge you in the same spirit.  Since you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses …

Read Hebrews 11, and then this first part of 12.

Thank the Lord for where you live, who you are, and the freedoms that you enjoy today.  Thank Him for the freedom to worship and praise Him.  Thank Him that you are free to work and succeed and prosper.  Thank Him that He chose to send His son to give you grace, and mercy, and a new life.

Don’t sit as a follower of Jesus. 

Stand … and RUN.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIXa7FzmXFE

Know anyone who might like these?  Encourage them to jump on to 2minutewarning.blog and hit the FOLLOW button!!!

Coach J