This is not a word for 2000 years ago–although it is history.

It is not a word about Jesus and His perfect life–though He did live one.

It is not about religious leaders ripping people off–though they can and they do.

It is not about politics and how the political climate can rule over common sense, basic human needs, or even truth.

It is not about Jesus having a bad temper.

This word today is about you.

John 2  12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

This word is about you.

All of us have been overlooked or ripped off or cheated.

All of us have worked hard for something that has disappeared in a fleeting moment–only to see our hard work completely become irrelevant.

All of us have tried to reach out to God and then felt that He was simply not there for us.

But Jesus would never have us believe any of that.

The enemy’s influence on a man’s evil heart can never be understated.  Men will steal, kill, and destroy because they are influenced by a spirit who is all about doing those three things.  And when the enemy is successful in converting men to evil, the outcome is not bearable.

But Jesus is not about that.

Jesus is about Justice, Mercy, and Power.

And He wants Justice, Mercy, and Power for YOU.

He wants Justice over you for all the times that you have been ripped off.

He wants Mercy over all of your stupid choices, your evil choices, and your selfish choices.

And He wants Power over your life so that you can make a difference in the people around you.

And He is willing to give everything to offer those to you.

Many say His first public act was to turn water into wine as He did in the beginning of John 2, but only the servants saw that act.

And much like many of Jesus acts, they were not seen by people if they were not serving Him.

But clearing out the temple was a move as bold as the day is long.

No man would dare do what He did without giving His life in return.

And, indeed, He did.

But before He did He made it abundantly clear to you that He was all about one thing:

Making Sure That Those Who Ripped You Off Were Held Accountable

So if you have ever wondered where He might be working in the broken part of your life……

Be rest assured of this…….

The man who cleared the temple has seen you from on high.

He has seen your broken and jacked up situations.

And He is well able to come and put life back into things that you thought were dead and gone.

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

I want to continue in my slow walk through the book of John and all that it gives us in the way of connecting with the LIVING God.  Other religions can claim all that they want—-but the “religion” of Jesus is no religion at all.

In Jesus, we have something that no others can claim.

In every other religion the followers are called to make themselves right with God……but, with Jesus, we have a God who has chosen to make us right with Him.

John 1  43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

There are several points I want to make regarding this very compelling verse.

The first, and the most important, is that we all must have a “Jesus sees you under the fig tree” moment.  He has seen everything. He knows us. And He is well aware of who we are. There is no escaping that.  If we think that we are able to hide things—we are greatly mistaken. He knows what is going on, why it’s going on, and how it’s going on.  At the end of our lives, we will stand before Him, and scripture refers to this as the judgement seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). All will be known.  All is known. And all will be held accountable for what is known.

We live in a culture that does not honor authority.  The Bible is clear: Honor your elders. Honor your parents.  Honor your leaders. And yet, we as a society, do just the opposite.  The sad reality is that this is the “trickle down” of our lack of respect for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  You see, we were created by a God who knows everything. And the sooner that we discontinue running from that, the sooner we can walk into true freedom.

It is also worth mentioning that even though Jesus does know Nathanael—He loves him and shows him honor.  I have to think that this was the defining moment in Nathanael’s life—to meet someone that KNOWS HIM yet LOVES HIM ANYWAY.  The proof of this is that Nathanael dropped everything to follow Him.

The second point I want to make is this:  Jesus descends on a rabid culture, and begins to formulate a plan to change the world.  He has three groups of people that He must deal with: The Romans, The Jews, and The Gentiles.

• The Romans ruled with an iron fist.  They are probably the greatest kingdom to rule that the world has ever known.  When people opposed them, they stripped them naked, beat them, humiliated them, and crucified them in the town where everyone knew them.  It was a simple agenda: No one could oppose them without paying the ultimate price.
• The Jews were God’s people.  They followed His rules, honored His word, and went to great lengths to worship Him.
• The Gentiles were considered dogs to the Jews.  In the eyes of the Jews, they were dirty half breeds that were not to be associated with under any circumstances.

Unifying a people from these three groups would be impossible……and yet Jesus did.  His followers were Romans, they were Jews, and they were Gentiles. And they unified into a new movement of spirituality that exploded out of Jerusalem like nothing the world has ever seen.

You see, the Gospel of Jesus is about three things:  Justice and Mercy and Power.

The Jews were all about JUSTICE.  People who broke the law of God were punished—some stoned, some slapped and kicked out of the temple, some ostracized.  They dressed up in robes, followed the letter of the law, honored all of the traditions, and always looked holy.

The Gentiles understood MERCY.  Many worshipped God but most followed no rules in the process.  They lived freely and without judgement.

The Romans were about POWER.

In Jesus, we have an opportunity to capture all three things.  You see, Jesus wants JUSTICE. He wants people held accountable for their actions and He wants wrongs to be made right.

Jesus is also about MERCY.  He sees the need, of not just one of us–but ALL of us, to receive both a second chance in life and in the eternal realm.

Jesus is also all about POWER.  No one has ever lived a life so extraordinary as the life described in John.

So what is left to say?

I would end with this:

God is calling you.  He is laying down a call over your life to receive Him, to repent, and to start living in a way that is radically different than the way that you have chosen to live up to this time.

He is calling you to live a life of JUSTICE and MERCY and POWER.

Now, living out even 2 of the 3 of those is IMPOSSIBLE.

God wants us to follow the rules.  He wants us to live a life of Honor and Holiness and Standards of Integrity that the world has never seen.  He wants us to be sexually pure, and honest, and to speak with kindness and patience. But He also wants us to be full of mercy.  He wants us to forgive and to love. He wants us to worship without reservation and to love deeply.

Living with BOTH of those is IMPOSSIBLE.  And living with God’s POWER over our lives is yet another topic altogether.

At the cross of Jesus, MERCY and JUSTICE met in full force.

And both were, in impossible measure, met to the fullest degree.

It says that the temple curtain, at the time of Jesus’ death, tore from top to bottom.

That Curtain Tore So That You Could Approach God

Be Forgiven

And Live A Life Of JUSTICE

AND Mercy

So Fall At The Feet Of Jesus & Be Born Again

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7bD02ZmTqk

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Coach J

A fisherman from the sea of Galilee makes a radical decision.  He leaves the family tradition, follows an itinerant preacher, and watches from the sideline as the man he chose to follow is brutally executed on a hill by Roman soldiers—another example that NO ONE can get away from the tyrannical rule of an evil empire that rules with an iron fist.

And yet…..MANY got away from that tyrannical rule.

You see—-the world has a grip on us.

We are destined to die.

Those we love are destined to die.

Our work is hard.

Our days are long.

Our lives are often times broken and discombobulated.

And that is not the worst of it.  No one can escape the tyrannical earthly threats of the enemy of God—-Satan.  Satan is constantly calling us out as a failure, continually urging us to fall short, and unhesitatingly telling us to do the wrong thing.  Jesus even goes so far as to say that he has one mission: To steal, to kill, and to destroy.

All of this is true.  And all of this was true for that fisherman 2000 years ago as well.  He had to think: “The enemy has won again”…….

And then—-something changed.  The man who He saw die a brutal death on a cross rose again.  And He reappeared and began to teach about what was coming.

John was changed by Jesus.  And He was changed in a radical way that compelled him to write the gospel of John.

A radical change of events.

An uneducated, unholy, and ill-qualified fisherman begins to write like an author who knew nothing else.  And he writes the greatest book I have ever read. The book of John.

You see…..our world can be great.  But it can also be very tough. We live under a tyrannical rule and sometimes are denied the opportunity to ever get ahead……..

But that truth only exists without Jesus….and that is exactly why John wrote this book.

John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

I encourage you to read this sentence over and over again until you truly understand it.

This was not written by a scholar from Cambridge.  It was written by a fisherman from Galilee who had just discovered that he was walking beside the living God.

In the beginning tells us that THIS is the beginning of the Bible and I have always treated it as such.  John wrote those words so that we could read them on May 22, 2019 and be compelled to reach out to Jesus with all that we have.

Never forget where you came from.

Yes, you have an earthly mother and father and an earthly life and an earthly plan—–but you will find that your plan and all that is around you has holes in it that cannot be filled by anything on this earth.  And if you have ever felt that you have the cards stacked up against you and that you can’t make anything work……..you are correct in that. It is called the curse of Adam.

John walked his days and toiled and he discovered that his only hope was in Jesus……and because of it—he began to put the broken pieces of his life back together—not just for him—but for everyone around him.

Are You Ready To Make That Commitment?  Because I know a Jewish Carpenter that can change your world.  And all you have to do is invite Him to come and do it.

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

I would like to focus the next few blogs on the most important verse in the Bible (besides all of the other ones)……

1 Corinthians 13 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I had read this verse hundreds of times….even memorized it….yet I did not focus on what it really said until a man “showed me” what it said.

He walked up to the drum set at the front of our church and POUNDED the symbols as hard as he could for 5 seconds….and it sent all of us in the crowd into an instant state of distaste.

Hearing someone smash symbols was repulsive…it was disgusting…it was hideous.

And that …….

IS THE ENTIRE POINT

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

Imagine living out the call on your existence perfectly?

A biologist said this in a show I was watching and I began to ponder that very question.

For a created Sockeye Salmon….it is easy.  He or she simply lives out who God has created him or her to be….but that does not make it easy.

They swim over 6000 miles in their lifetime.

They develop and grow in the rocky beds of an inland river and move on, slowly, to the ocean as their size increases.

Then, at just the right time, they return.

And they swim upstream 200 miles and literally kill themselves to send forth the next generation.

Wow.  And all that from being a total accident of nature.  (Sarcasm emphasized)

They live out the call perfectly.

But we do not.

But that fact could not be more clearly conveyed as Paul does in Romans 3:23.  We all sin.  We ALL fall short of the glory of God.

And that, is why we need Jesus.

He is the human bridge for us living out our existence perfectly.

Never forget who you are or why you need HIM.  God will hold you accountable to that very truth.

He sent Him to die because it was the only way.  It was our only hope. It was the only chance that we had to be right with Him.

Jesus died on a cross so that we would not have to be rejected by a perfect God.

Today is Good Friday.

It is good because Jesus has allowed it to be so……

It is good because we have no hope without Him.

Romans 8  28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

God has a plan for us and it is GOOD.

If it isn’t good, it is because He is not done yet.

If it isn’t good, it is because He has not yet put His hand of freedom on it.

So be encouraged.

He will win.

And He will win in a landslide.

And as you wait for Him, wait with peace…and hope…and love.

For in Him, you can have eternal victory.

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

“David Was Greatly Distressed”

No kidding.

David had turned back a Philistine army, taken on a giant, and lead a people with great integrity.

But when things went south, people did what people do.

They turned and looked for someone to blame.

While David was away……the enemy had attacked and taken hostages.  When David returned—they were devastated to see what had happened.

And then this:

1 Samuel 30  6 David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

God is many things…..and God teaches us many things…..

But one thing that He teaches us is COVENANT.

When God makes a deal—-HE makes a Covenant.

He doesn’t turn His back on you when things don’t go well.

He doesn’t take sides after circumstances.

He doesn’t wait for the popular vote, or the results, or the influence of men to pick a side.

He takes your side from the getgo and stands by you for all eternity.

Now that……is a good word.

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

“We Have A Secret”

I can remember something that one of our coaches told our team right before we went out on the field nearly 10 years ago.

“We Have A Secret”

He went on to remind the entire team that we knew something that no one else knew….that we were pretty good and totally ready for the game we were about to play.

Though we were sadly overmatched in the playoff seedings (#15 versus #2), we had made some massive changes to our schemes on both sides of the ball that had adjusted to some injuries and some bad coaching on my part…..and the team had responded.

All we needed was BELIEF.

And we followed it up with a stunning (to everyone but us) victory in the first round of the playoffs.

Today’s society has gotten more evil.

We have lost our identity.

We have lost our values.

We have lost our respect for the LORD.

As I watched the news today it did nothing but discourage me.

A woman was stabbed.

A fifth grade female student was beaten to death in a school fight.  (5th Grade!)

Politicians were yelling at each other.

Very DISCOURAGING.

But God knows us.  And He knew this was coming.

Romans 5  20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

When Jesus carried that cross to His execution, He knew exactly what was necessary to make things right.

And so He did what was necessary.

He knew that we would become more lost.

He knew that we would become more wicked.

He know that the great deceiver would be more deceptive.

But Jesus knew that His blood would be greater.

And it is.

Do no be afraid to stand up.

Your God has given you full access to the throne and when He made this decision, He knew that you would not be worthy of it.

My word for myself after watching that news cast?

Do Not Be Afraid.

Do Not Be Discouraged.

Do Not Hang Your Head.

The fight is already won.  It was won 2000 years ago by a God who knew what was coming yesterday, today, and TOMORROW.……and those with Jesus are on the winning team.

We Have A Secret.

And All We Need Is Belief.

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

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

“Because I Sin….

I Am A Sinner”

Think about that statement.

Many believe it.

Many think it is the absolute truth.

And yet, it is not where God wants us to live…..because it is absolutely false.

And the Bible says it over and over again.

When we live in that truth it leaves us in a place of “sin management” that no one can escape from…..

God did not intend it that way….He wants us to be free.

And those who the Savior frees are free indeed!

Let’s seek freedom today….

Let’s seek freedom every day….

Colossians 3  1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

2000 Years Ago

On A Cross On Calvary

Jesus Hung On A Cross

Not Because Nails Put Him There….Love Put Him There

Not For Politics…He Lost The Vote To Be Set Free

Not For Status…He Stood With The Unpopular

Not For Money…He Had None

Not For Military Power…He Rejected The Conquering Spirit

Not For Citizenship…His Citizenship Is In Heaven

His Love Put Him On The Cross For Your Freedom

You are not a sinner because you have sinned.  You have sinned because you are a sinner. And you will continue to sin AS A SINNER.

But you are free the minute you accept His freedom.

You are free because you can be Born Into Freedom.  Ask Him to put FREEDOM on you. And when you do, accept His freedom…..

We are not called to live a life of SIN MANAGEMENT.  We are called to live a life of love and FREEDOM.

We are called to live a life of worship.

In our life of worship, we will not become sinless….but we WILL SIN LESS.

Oh Praise The One Who Paid My Debt……

And Raised This Life Up From The Dead….

Oh Praise The One Who Paid My Debt……

And Raised This Life Up From The Dead….

Oh Praise The One Who Paid My Debt……

And Raised This Life Up From The Dead….

Amen.  Amen. And Amen.

If you are not living in this word…..be FREE!  In Jesus Name!

If you are living in this word….spread it—that all might know the Freedom that comes from Jesus.

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

In The Name of the Father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

The Father has given us a Bible:  66 Books, 40 Authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages on 3 different continents……and it challenges us to live a life different.  I took every book in the Bible and put a verse from it in a Biblical worldview.

We must decide if we are going to listen to Satan’s lies….or the Father’s Word.

Satan’s Lie…THE FATHER’S WORD

You Are An Accident…YOU WERE CREATED FOR PURPOSE

Genesis 1 God created the heavens/earth  Psalm 139  I knew you in your mother's womb

Esther 4:14B You were made for this time Song of Solomon 8:4 Don’t awaken love before it stime

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith 2 Chronicles 31:21 Hezekiah sought God & prospered

John 1 The word became flesh                   Colossians 3:23 Work for the Lord and not for man

1 Corinthians 15:58 Work for the Lord      Micah 6:8 Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous        1 Peter 3:15 Be prepared to give an answer

Ruth 2:12 Reward from Father for trust     3 John 1:8 Show hospitality to the believer

Philemon 1:6 Share your faith                    Mark 10:43 Live as a servant

A Loving God Would Not Allow This…WE LIVE IN A FALLEN WORLD

Genesis 6:5-6:6 He regretted the creation.    Job 3:25-26 no peace, quiet, rest-only turmoil.

Exodus 16:3 They longed to go back           James 1:13 God does not tempt us

Jude 1:18 In last days there will be scoffers Ezekiel 36:31 You will remember your detestable ways

1 John 2:16 Lust, pride NOT from God       John 16:33 I have overcome the world!

Have Fun--You Only Live Once...YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN (BBA)

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Love God and Obey.      Ezekiel 11:19 I will give them a new spirit/heart.

Jeremiah 31:33 I will forgive them             Deuteronomy 30:6 I will change their hearts

Habakkuk 3:18 Rejoice that He is Savior Malachi 3:16 The Lord heard those who honored Him

John 3 You must be born again                   Acts 1:8 You receive power when the Spirit comes

It Is Too Late To Go Back Now…THE FATHER WAITS FOR US

Hosea 14:4 I will heal and love them.                   Lamentations 3:22-23 Love/Mercy new

Jonah 4:11, Numbers 14, Nehemiah 9, Joel 2 He is merciful

1 Chronicles 29:11 Everything is YOURS! Haggai 2:9 The future glory will be greater

Luke 15:11-32 The Prodigal Son                  2 Peter 3:9 He waits patiently for us to repent

Romans 5:8 While sinners, Christ died for us   Revelation 3:20 He stands at the door and knocks

I Can Do This On My Own…I AM LOST WITHOUT MY FATHER

Psalm 51:10 Renew me                               Romans 3:23 all have sinned

Matthew 12:34 Out of the overflow           Proverbs 17:3 Gold and Silver tested

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful.       Isaiah 64:6 Our good works are like filthy rags

Ezra 3:11 They praised Him for the foundation Nahum 1:7 The Lord cares for those who trust Him

Phillipians 4:13 He is my strength               1 Samuel 2:3, Obadiah 1:3 Our pride hurts us

2 Kings 4:7 He is provider/pays our debt    1 Kings 8 He is Promise Keeper and God who hears

Titus 3:5 He saved us because of His mercy Daniel 2:20 Praise His Name FOREVER

I Will Never Measure Up…I BELONG TO PERFECTION

Ephesians 2:10 We are His workmanship   2 Corinthians 5:17 In Christ you are new creation.

Leviticus 23:28 Atonement for sinners       Galatians 2:20 Christ lives in me

Zechariah 13:2 I will remove idols, impurity Amos 5:14 Seek good and the Lord will be with you

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Grateful in all things    2 Timothy 3:16 Scripture is God-breathed

2 John 1:6 Walk in love                               Judges 6:12 The Lord is with you, mighty warrior

2 Samuel 22:3 The Lord is my stronghold   Hebrews 4:16 Come boldly to throne of grace

Zephaniah 3:16-17  He will rejoice over you 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Do not tire of doing what is good