Two days ago I called a friend.  He was not well.  He had Covid-19 and answered from his hospital room.  After a short conversation, some prayer, and some well wishes I left him to his battle in his quarantined room.

As I was driving, this song came on the radio:

See A Victory – Elevation Worship

I think God wants my friend to know this.

In fact, I think He wants all of us to know this.

When we deal with every day life, we are to “be the hammer”.  But the reality, I believe for all of us, is that we sometimes end up feeling “like the nail”.  And anyone who is honest about it knows that this is simply the reality that we all live in.  YES…we have days that God puts so much joy in us that we are simply overwhelmed.  But SOME days … SOME days we are in the eye of the storm—battling against what seems like insurmountable odds.  We are not to live in “the curse of Adam”, but the reality is that the world is drenched in it.  And when we truly spend our time with sleeves rolled up, there will be times where we will be worn out, exasperated, and sometimes even broken.

And so today, let’s get back to the simplicity of the gospel.

And let’s stay here as long as we need to in order for God to drench is in the FACT that He will win, He will reign, and He will save.

Mark 15 ³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Jesus died.  And the curtain that separated us from God was snapped like a twig.  There would be NOTHING that could separate us from God.  NOTHING.

The gospel is simple.  And it is the best deal we will ever get … which is I am shocked at how society has watered it down, and ignored it, and taken it for granted, and made it into something that it is not.

Jesus went to the cross willingly.

And He took on the sins of the world without hesitation.

And He faced the disloyalty of men He knew and men He trusted.

And when He hung in utter agony as they mocked His existence, He continued to minister … to His mother, to His friends, to the men who hung beside Him, and to the very Roman soldiers who beat Him.

This wasn’t an act of sacrifice with no reward.

The reward was our freedom.

The reward was so we could see victory.

Worship this very day.  Receive your victory.  It is none other than the One who took the nails for you.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

The following testimony is recalled to the best of my recollection.  Accurate in spirit, some of the details might be off by small amounts.

On July 19, 2008, I stood in the driveway of my wife’s dream home and sold her kitchen table and chairs for $20.  We were gutting our dream house because we knew that 3800 square feet of house stuff would not fit into a 1400 square foot townhouse.

Three days later, on her birthday, we moved out of our house and stuffed a garage full of stuff that we would never unpack.

We packed into the townhouse and begin to slowly dig our way out of over a million dollars debt.  Financially, we had nothing to show for it.  We were broke.  And broken.

Things were not easy.  But, with God, they were good.

And He absolutely used circumstances to teach us, to refine us, to draw us together.

In October of 2016 as I walked through the beautiful home that we now live in, my eyes filled with tears.

God had worked … no matter how foolish I had been—He had worked MANY things together for good.

I had been such a fool.  But God had been wise.

I had squandered all that He had given me.  But He found a way to restore what was lost.

I had been angry, and impatient, and quick to decide.  He had been merciful, and patient, and right on time.

God had shown me that He, not I, was the King of my Universe.

Not a universe that He lorded over me, but a universe with a King who would dare come and live the trials that I faced every day.

He … was the God of all creation.

Don’t be hasty to discount yourself.

Or quick to give up.

Or constrained by guilt.

Don’t lose hope because you messed up and now live in “the bed that you have made”.

Think about Rahab.

She was used by men.

Defiled.

Broken.

Without hope.

But God …..

What a cool phrase:  “But God … ” 

Usually when we use the word “but” it is followed by something negative:

“You did a great job, but …”

“I loved your song, but …”

“Great job on your paper, but …”

… and so on …

But when you use the phrase “but God” it is immediately followed by something encouraging, and hope-driven, and logic-defying.

Rahab was used by men, defiled, broken, and without hope … but God saw something He LOVED in her, and he decided to use her.

When God decides to use you, it is not at all like when people use you.

It is incredible.  And miraculous.  And beyond your sin, your talent, and your small vision.

And I would tell you today that He wants to use you.

That very phrase is scary because most of us have been, at one time or another, sold out or tricked or used in a way that made us feel emptied or without hope.

But God doesn’t want to use you to empty you.  He wants to use you to bless you.

And you should not be afraid.

Joshua 2 ¹ Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim. “Go, look over the land,” he said, “especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.

God does everything with purpose.  In this text, He chose to use the names of the men who looked at the city as “the spies”, but goes ahead and uses Rahab’s name specifically.  Why?

I don’t know the answer.

There are many things that I do not know the answer to.

But I know the Answer.

And that Answer is Jesus Christ.

He is the One who pours mercy on us when we deserve judgement and punishment.

He is the One who takes the blame for the very things that WE DID.

He is the One who came to earth, stood on the hill, and defied the enemy and all of his evil plans.  In doing this, He would pay for His actions with His life.

I don’t know if any of this blog writing makes any sense at all tonight, but as I began to write, this song came on.  And I simply sat kneeled down on the sink and wrote this as a tribute to Him … and all the good that He has done.

I hope it brings Him honor.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

The greatest follower of God in scripture (besides all the others) had a theory.

He reasoned:  “How can I stop?”

And so he didn’t.

The ruling class surrounding Daniel could not stand him.  Why?  Because God got a hold of Daniel—and Daniel had found his only answer — and that was the Answer.

And so when they tried to bully Daniel out of his high position, he was not phased.  He was unwavering.

When His life was threatened if he dared pray to God … He went ahead and prayed.  After all, how could he stop?

Daniel 6 ¹⁰ Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. ¹¹ Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

To read the rest of the story, go read Daniel 6.

But that is not the point here.

The point here is that Daniel knew who he was.

And Daniel knew what, and more importantly Who, he stood for.

Our God is irresistible.  He is amazing.  He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and is no respecter of men.

He won’t condemn you for failing, but he also isn’t going to look at your resume and say:  “Wow!  You have truly impressed me!”

No.

Our God has made a decision.

He has decided to join us.  To partner with us.  To walk with us.

And when Daniel found out that God would truly be his friend, for eternity, he pursued Him.

After all …

How Could He Stop?

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

What do we say when we hit rock bottom?

In a world where we are free to choose, we are certainly going to run into the issues that arise from bad choices.  

And so what do we do?

Who do we run to?

Job certainly had some wisdom.  In the midst of horrendous circumstances, he knew what to say:

Job 1 ²⁰ At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,

and naked I will depart.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;

may the name of the LORD be praised.”

But even Job found trouble finding good reason not to question God.  And he did.  And God answered Job in the clearest of terms:

Job 38  ¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:

² “Who is this that darkens my counsel

with words without knowledge?

³ Brace yourself like a man; I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.

⁵ Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know!  Who stretched a measuring line across it?

I have no intention to be an expert on Job, or any scripture for that matter.  I just want to make reference to our need to question God and what His response might be.

In a moment of sadness, I wrote the words:

“Why don’t you come down here and feel what it feels like to live in this world?”

And as I pondered my question, His answer was clear: He Did.  He Did come down to feel what it feels like.  He did come live in this world to experience the pains and frustrations and pain that we might face.  He did come down to face off with SATAN, and SIN, and DEATH.  And He markedly defeated ALL THREE in the face of disloyalty and discrimination and pain.

And so I ask you … who will you run to?

As I listened to this beautiful song by:  7eventh Time Down I thought of all the things that you and I face.  Life is not always easy.  Sometimes it feels like we are in a battle with Hope, a battle with Faith, a battle with Love.

I want to encourage you today, to seek WHO God is and NOT WHAT God is.

If we seek WHAT HE IS, we might not find ourselves in a place where we can leave our low situation.

But if we were to seek WHO HE IS, we just might get to see the beauty of WHO HE REALLY IS.

HE … is the One who stood in YOUR place and stood trial for sin.

HE … is the One who was taken to the desert and harrassed by the devil that He might defeat him for YOU.

HE … is the One who died that you might have victory over death.

And HE … is the One who told Paul:  “Why are you persecuting me?”

When Paul changed His mindset to WHO He would run to instead of WHAT He would run to, His life changed.  And it changed radically.

Because WHO He is … is so much more that WHAT He is.

When David cried out to God, it was an invitation:

Psalm 139 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting.

I have often wondered if God does not come know us unless we invite Him.  Revelation 3 says that He stands at the door and knocks and only comes in if we invite Him.

So today … Invite Him.  Invite Him to know you, to search you, to find offensive ways in you.  To lead you in the way everlasting.

And as you do, you are setting the stage for WHO you will run to.

I’ll race you there.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

Abraham had everything.  And yet, his faith had his perspective right where it needed to be.  He knew that without God—he had nothing.

And so he left a life of comfort in pursuit of a life that was utterly unknown.

He showed incredible faith.

We can learn a lot from this attitude.

You see … when we have God with us — it changes everything.  It fills us with hope, and love, and toughness.  He makes our lives truly rich—beyond our own desires.

And Abraham knew this.

He knew that God was going to give him the greatest thing he could ever want.

God was going to give him friendship.

We spend much of our lives toiling.  Accomplishing.  Conquering.  Acquiring.  But with all of those things we get their partners in crime:

Fearing.

Coveting.

Doubting.

And much more.

God has more for us.

He has life.

Not just for now.

But an even better one later.

I think sometimes we need to just stop.  And worship.  And bask in His glory.

So look forward.  And look up.  And find your place in eternity.

In the hands of the Mighty God. 

Hebrews 11 ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

Stay away from trying to look perfect.

It is a recipe for destruction.

Do what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it, and for WHO you are supposed to do it.

David had obeyed his parents.

He had faithfully defended sheep from the most dangerous predators.

He had honored his dad and brought food to his brothers. 

David had defeated a giant.

But in the aftermath of his heroism, he had forgotten Who had brought him to the place of honor. 

2 Samuel 11  2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her  …

This was not one moment of weakness.

David should have been with his army, but he remained in Jerusalem.

He should have been looking to the heavens for all of his successes; but he took the credit.

And after adultery, murder, and dishonor … David paid an incredible price.  And so did those who were involved.

Stay away from trying to look perfect.

And ask God to do a good work in you.

Because He is faithful to do just that.

David writes a wonderful prayer to God after much pain.

Psalm 51 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

What a wonderful prayer.

And I leave you today with this to think about:

We can pray that prayer today …

Begging God to keep us on the right path

Or we can pray it later …

And beg Him to clean up the mess

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

As I was reading this verse today, I couldn’t help but look at it from “both sides of the story”.

Acts 16 16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.

19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”

22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Written by Luke, the book of Acts shows us the actions of a few Spirit-led saints.

They SPENT their lives doing everything they could to get this Word, this beautiful and vital work of art, in our hands today.

Their obedience to the Lord, their conviction from the Holy Spirit, and their devotion to Jesus Christ should inspire us to walk in the same call.

Today —  The Lord has convicted me to talk about cost.

To Paul and Silas, and everyone in their circle, the cost was worth paying.  Fully devoted, they SPENT their days, their money, and their effort to give the gospel to the world.  In this case, it caused them great agony.  They were stripped and beaten and imprisoned for their actions.  

But what about the owners of the slave girl?  What about their actions?  To them, the end-all was to make money.  And at what cost?  They were willing to enslave, to deceive, to seek a master who was destined for the pits of hell … and for what?  Money.  Money had become their god.  And that god was driving every decision that they made.

I am a fan of America.

I believe that we have something to fight for.

Freedom.

Capitalism.

One Nation Under God.

I am proud of the men who set up what we have today—for all Americans.

But, that being said, we need to make a couple things clear.

Capitalism, without God, can turn into something hideous.  Men and women, filled with greed, can turn to things that are hideous—JUST LIKE THE MEN IN THE STORY.  The love of money can lead people to the wrong end.  And, as Jesus said:

Matthew 16  26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Indeed.

What good is it?

When we say the words:  One Nation, Under God

We need to take heed.

Because without the Under God part of that statement, there is no One Nation.

We have work to do my friends.

It is to Go And Make Disciples, To Love Others, and To Love Our God With All Of Our Hearts.  All of these things are IMPOSSIBLE without the power of God working in us.

Holy Spirit—

Move On Us This Very Day

That We Might Influence

And Love

And Bring Your Gospel To The World

No Matter The Cost

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FHwdx5BIvc

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Coach J

Some of us walk directly into what God has called us to do.

NOT.

God has called us to greater things.  To things that we can not fathom.  To things that will ultimately fill us beyond measure.

But there is a problem with this plan.

Us.

I have contemplated this verse for a week.

Exodus 2  ¹¹ One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. ¹² Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

…

¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

It seems to me that God had the perfect plan for Moses, and the Hebrew people.

He infiltrates the palace of Pharaoh.

He raises up a prince.

He sets his people free.

But angry servants make lousy followers.  And before you know it an Egyptian soldier is dead and Moses is running for his life.

The rest of the story is awesome.

But today, I want to talk about the walk from the palace to Midian.  I have to think that Moses questioned his heart, his choices, his destiny.  I have to think that he concluded that he had ruined God’s plan over his life.  Had his choices and sin and anger ruined God’s plan over his life?

It had not.

The testimony of Moses is incredible.  He walked in unity with God for much of his life.

And yet, he was full of sin and had to learn many things the hard way.

And so it is with us.

Sometimes the thing in front of us is the long walk to Midian, fleeing for our lives, and pondering our purpose.

But God.

But God overcomes and redeems.

He forgives and restores.

He empowers and allows.

In the freedom  He gives us there is error.  Our error.

2000 years ago, God made an incredible power play to cover up for that error.  In the person of Jesus Christ.

So walk to Midian.

And don’t be afraid to hang your head for a bit.

But don’t leave it there long.

God has a plan.

A plan that works with sin and bad choices and mistakes.

A plan that will be the best thing that has ever happened to you.

BE BLESSED.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

As I stood and worshipped at a men’s conference last weekend, I was deeply convicted as we sang the words to a song:

“Faithful You are

Faithful forever You will be

Faithful You are

All Your promises are yes and amen

All Your promises are yes and amen…”

I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude and adoration for the Living God.

In reflection, I think that one of the reasons that I was so convicted was that so often I am rooted in a mindset …

A mindset that lacks faith.

I am sometimes guilty of doubting His promises.

Perhaps many of us are.

God made a promise in Genesis 49.

Genesis 49 ¹⁰ “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes,

The Jews (Judah) were assured, by God, that they held the keys to capital punishment (the scepter).  But in 6 AD, a Roman Procurator named Caponius removed the legal power of the Sanhedrin.  In their eyes, the scepter had been removed, and the word of God had been broken. They were DEVASTATED. They covered their heads with ashes and their bodies with sackcloth, and they marched around the city. The word of God, the Torah, had been BROKEN. It had FAILED!   (Reference:  Chuck Missler and Koinonia House https://www.khouse.org/articles/1999/187/)

Keep in mind that this was 6 AD.

And indeed the scepter had been removed.

What slipped the minds of the Sanhedrin was that perhaps God’s word had not been broken.

And indeed it had not.  In Nazareth, the young son of a carpenter was growing into a man.  The scepter had departed because Shiloh had come!

God doesn’t break promises.

Not in His word.  And not in our lives.

His promises are not conditional, they aren’t bendable, and they aren’t revoked.

His promises are, in fact, one of the only things that we have that lasts forever.

As we go into this week let’s remember this very truth.

The world can crumble, but the Word can not.

Man can betray and let us down, but God can not.

The enemy can work against each step that we take, but Jesus died so that he would never gain a foothold on our lives.

God’s word will not return void.

Isaiah 55 ¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:  It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

My wife used to listen to an incredible teacher named Beth Moore.  I couldn’t help but pull up a chair and listen when she spoke.  One awesome thing that she would open up her talks with was this:

God is who He says He is.

God can do what He says He can do.

I am who God says I am.

I can do all things through Christ.

God’s Word is alive and active in me.

We have work to do.

Not to join the world as it burns, and fights, and politicizes, and hates, and fears.

But to show it something different.

When Jesus shows up in Nazareth and religious leaders miss it because they are marching around a city in utter despair, then we can miss it too.

And indeed we do miss it.  But not today.  Hit the reset button.  Fill up your faith.  Believe.  Follow.

“Faithful You are

Faithful forever You will be

Faithful You are

All Your promises are yes and amen

All Your promises are yes and amen…”

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J