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2 MINUTE WARNING

WITH DOUG JOHNSON

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496 Yelling At God Versus Yelling With God

I have often struggled with justice.  I have read that God is just and that He wants us accountable, but I often view world events and wonder “where is the justice?”.  When I read Revelation 19, it reminds me to stay humble.

God is all about justice.  And He is all about setting things right.  But, thankfully for me and for you, He is also about mercy.  Often times I want others to be judged for their actions while justifying my own with what I intended to do.  But the reality is that we want the scales of justice to tip to our perspective and not to the reality of what we truly are.

As you read Revelation 19, remember that this was written by John.  And John knows how to write in plain communication, as he proved it in the book of John.  This book (Revelation) is written as he sees in the spirit, and it certainly can be hard to understand.  But the fact that he wrote John makes it all the more credible.  His real life testimony is easy to read, and when you read his visions in the spirit, they are more palatable after you consider how well he communicated his eye witness testimony.

Revelation 19 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

We forget that God wants justice.  We forget that God will take His vengeance on the evil that lives in the world.  And we forget that He is not just the Lamb of God … but He is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The reality is that on ALL issues that we want to yell, we need to remember that we are yelling WITH Him, not AT Him.  He hates injustice.  He is upset by those who perpetrate.  And He wants to hold people accountable for their actions.  Thank God that is not all He is about.  Because that would put us on the wrong side of the Revelation 19 passage.

Thank God that He is a God of mercy, that He is a God who is willing to forgive us for our greatest mistakes, and that He has offered us an exit strategy.

He is everything that we want and need … and so much more. 

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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495 How Great

1 John 3 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 

In the King James version it says to “BEHOLD what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God!”

As I read this verse and see the two translations, I can not help the love of the Father described by Jesus in the story of the prodigal son.

Some things to remember today on Thursday March 20 as you walk out your day … 

  1.  He Thinks About You When You Are Not Thinking About Him

Luke 15 20 … “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 

His Father was waiting for Him!  And watching for Him.  Even though the son had dishonored Him.

  1.  He Wants To Promote You

Luke 15 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it …

His Father wanted to actually promote Him!

  1.  The Gifts That He Offers Are All That You Long For

Restoration

Promotion

Forgiveness

Authority

Walking In Honor

Covering

Jesus tells us what the Father does, and John tells us to plant this idea on our hearts in our daily walks.

1 John 3 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! 

When you walk in the idea that God has taken your shame, and your bad moments, and your failures and replaced them with 

Restoration

Promotion

Forgiveness

Authority

Walking In Honor

it is hard to go the wrong direction.  So John is proclaiming it as a reminder to his spirit, and ours, that we are worthy of nothing …

But if we want to be worthy of selling the gospel we will have to take a memory of what the Father did for us so that can truly sell it.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!”

Amen

Amen

and 

Amen

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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494 The Heart Of God

I am not claiming to have the heart of God.  But I AM claiming to have a small understanding of it.

As I drove to get my daughter Carissa her coffee this morning she looked sad and downcast.  When we talked, she told me she felt guilty that I was taking her to Starbucks for its inconvenience and cost.

But that was not how it was.  I explained to her that one of the only things in life that truly fills me is the opportunity to bless my wife … or my kids.  It truly fills my heart if I can bless them.  When her eyes lit up and she said “thanks Dad” if filled me to the core of my being.  It made me feel so happy.  I have to say I think this is why God was so fond of David:

Psalm 9 1 I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

God was enamoured with David … not because of what David did.  But because David knew Who God Was … Praised Him … And Thanked Him.

And much like our kids—this is THE ONLY THING THAT WE CAN GIVE GOD.

This idea is so humbling.  The idea that we have nothing for Him.  And even the verse that says “your good works are like dirty rags” reminds us of this very concept.  Our GOOD WORKS?  They do nothing for Him!!!

As I go in to my day today, as I sit here and rejoice in my life, I am so happy that God loves me.  And He loves me because He just does.

So I say to Him:  “I will praise you, O Lord , with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

This word gives me so much encouragement today because it is God’s word.  And when God’s word hits our hearts and His Spirit is allowed to operate … we win.  Thank You Jesus.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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493 Justified Access and Unlimited Grace

The greatest lawyer in the history of the world (besides Jesus) wrote Romans.  And Romans 5 is the greatest passage in the Bible (besides all the others).

Romans 5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Romans 5 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5 20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more 

One of my favorite movies (for adults) is A Few Good Men.  And if I am to be fully transparent, I love a great “lawyer” or “court room” show.  I love how a lawyer can “work the room”, and whether it is this way in reality or not—it is very appealing in a well written drama.  There is a particular moment in A Few Good Men that is an iconic Hollywood moment:

(The Lawyer) Caffee says:  “I want the Truth.”

(The Marine Colonel) Jessup responds with:  “You can’t handle the Truth!  I live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns.  Who’s gonna do it?

You? (to Caffee)

You, Lieutenant Weinberg?” (another attorney)

The movie continues and certainly captures the viewer’s attention as the drama continues right up until the ending scene.

Today, I want to go a bit deeper.  The issues that come up in A Few Good Men bring us to an interesting intersection of who we are and where we might be going in life (and thereafter).  As we go through our lives, one could ask:  What can we hang our hat on?

  • If we hang our hat on the Legal System or The Law ALONE, we operate in a system of rules with no regard to the situation and, in fact, with no regard to the truth.  As is boldly proclaimed in the movie:  “It doesn’t matter what the truth is, it only matters what we can prove.”  In God’s world, the Truth means everything.
  • If we hang our hat on Grace and Mercy ALONE, we get lawlessness, a lack of respect, no honor, and, eventually, complete rebellion.
  • If we hang our hat on Absolute Power ALONE, we get what Satan has been petaling since the beginning of time.  We get only the idea of power and, ultimately, unadulterated evil.

In the legal courtroom, we are trapped with no hope of escape.  But take a look at what the incredible lawyer Paul tells us.

Romans 5 1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

In Jesus, we are Justified

Romans 5 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but

In Jesus, we have Access to God

Romans 5 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

In Jesus, God Demonstrates His love for us

Romans 5 20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more 

In Jesus, we have Unlimited Grace

The plea deal is this:

In Jesus, you get:

Justified Access from a God who Demonstrates Unlimited Grace

That’s the best deal you’re ever going to get.

John 1 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Take the deal.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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492 Tetelestai

So much of what Jesus taught about referenced money.  It was his way to teach us in a way that we could understand.  And when He walked into the Temple on Passover and cleared it out, He showed everyone how much He cared about money.

It wasn’t just about the money to Him.

It was the idea of people getting ripped off.

And He was to have none of it.

And so He made His cord and sent everyone into backpedal mode.

Fast forward to the end of Jesus ministry.  This action at the temple directly lead to Him being executed.  And in His last moments, He was executed in the most humiliating fashion.

The meaning of the word Tetelestai in the Greek is “it is finished”.  It is the final words of Jesus as recorded in John 19:30.  It makes sense that this was the last thing uttered by Jesus on the cross as He gave up His life.

The interesting part about this is that this is not the only way Tetelestai was used.  The Greek word “tetelestai” was also used in business during Jesus’ time to indicate a debt or bill had been paid in full.  And this changes this entire situation, especially to the seeker.

As I saw this beautiful word on a tattoo yesterday, it brought up an interesting conversation at track practice.  In conversation with a young man who I coach and who I know very well, I asked:  “Why would someone utter ‘IT IS PAID IN FULL’ right before they died?”

There is only one thing that makes sense to me.

Jesus died for me (and you) to pay off a debt that we couldn’t.

He paid debts that we owe, and continue to owe.

But Romans 5 states:

Romans 5 20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more 

The trespass?  It is Paid In Full.

I can’t outdo on the evil side what He did on the side of grace…and neither can you.

This is incredible.

And it is my testimony moving forward.

He can forgive.

He can forgive me and He can forgive you.

For God is the ONLY one who can set out in a situation and make it so all of us can win.

Thank You Jesus.

Tetelestai

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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491 Blessed …

So much of the Old Testament is hard to read.  Blessings and Curses … and a lot of rules.  But only if you read it without considering who wrote it.

John 1 says “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God from the beginning”

Let me say this again:  He was with God from the beginning.

Yes.  Jesus.  He was with God from the beginning.

So let’s read this through those glasses:

Deuteronomy 28 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. 

As you move forward in your life, God wants to bless you as you arrive and when you leave.

What a promise!

Now certainly we need to read one small verse and seek to understand it by putting it in context with the entire passage and the entire book.  At the beginning of Deuteronomy 28 it says:

Deuteronomy 28 1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

IF.  IF we fully obey.

Certainly God is not asking us to be perfect.  Noah found favor in his eyes.  So did David.  So did Abraham.  And ALL of them made major mistakes that made them far from perfect.

In reading this in context, I think His point is for us to do each of these items:

  1.   Trading Pride For Repentance

Proverbs 16 18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”

  1.   Trading Religion For Worship/Devotion

1 Samuel 13 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”

  1.   Realizing The Magnitude Of Our Forgiveness

1 Timothy 1 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.

In these three things, we have a chance … to receive the promise of Deuteronomy 28:6.

Deuteronomy 28 6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

So I encourage you this very day to raise your hands to the heavens and cry out the Living God … to thank Him for loving you beyond your sin.  He is worthy of our praises.  He is greater than our sins.  And He is certainly worthy to save.

And that makes you, and me, Blessed …

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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490 Saved For A Purpose

Jesus is seeking you out in the same way that He sought out a rejected woman at a well some 2000 years ago.

And when you understand this very important truth, you understand that you are saved for a purpose.

John 4

4 Now he had to go through Samaria.

6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. ) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 

12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 

17 “I have no husband,” she replied. 

18 Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 

23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.” 27 Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ ?” 

30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” 

My point of emphasis on this passage of scripture is NOT about the fact that Jesus cut the humanistic ties with racism, misogyny, elitism, economic class, religious rules, and every other item that we, as humans, have created … Even though it could be.

My point of emphasis on this passage of scripture is NOT about forgiveness for all … Even though it could be.

My point of emphasis on this passage of scripture is NOT about the fact that Jesus claimed to be God … Even though it could be.

My point of emphasis on this passage of scripture is NOT about Jesus being the LIVING WATER … Even though it could be.

My point of emphasis is this:

YOU, just like the woman at the well, are saved for a purpose.

So if you lack Purpose, then check in with Jesus and connect with Him in a deeper way … because when He saves you He gives you purpose.

And if you are in need of saving, cry out to Him to be your Savior … He is worthy to save.  And He has such a great purpose for you.

He is worthy … and He wants to put something on your life that is bigger than anything you could ever imagine or even ask for.

YOU … were saved for a purpose.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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489 It Just Got Real

As I was preparing to speak to our FCA group last week, the phrase “It Just Got Real” was on my heart and in my head.

Two of our students were in a terrible car accident.  And when looking into the details it was truly a miracle that they were still alive to talk about it.

All of us have had “It Just Got Real” moments that challenge us to rethink who we are, what we are doing, and why we are even here in the first place.  It is in these moments that we have opportunities to make important decisions … I encourage you to do this with God at the forefront of your mind.

It Got Real with Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3 as he came to the realization that his life had no meaning.

Ecclesiastes 3 11 He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.

What is the meaning of life has been asked by mortal men since the beginning of time.

It Got Real for John as he penned John 1 and made the boldest claim in human history:

John 1 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

He had seen Jesus crucified and raised from the dead.  And only after did he put all the pieces together.

It Gets Real for ALL OF US when we see the true commitment of Jesus to who we are and what we are doing.

John 11 35 Jesus wept.

Mary had told Jesus that He needed to be there … and, had He been there, her brother would not have died.

But that’s just it, isn’t it?

We expect Jesus to NOT BE THERE … but Jesus IS there.  He IS ALWAYS THERE.

And as He sat on that hill and looked over Jerusalem this is a truth that you must take with you EVERYWHERE YOU GO AND IN ALL THAT YOU DO.

He Shows Up

God is there for us.

He is there for us in the flesh … but more than that, and when we can not see His work as Mary couldn’t, He is there in the spirit.

His Kingdom is eternal and it is an invitation for all who would dare call Him king.

His Kingdom is for the rich and for the poor, for the strong and for the weak.

His Kingdom is for the put together … and for the broken.

It Just Got Real.

What are you going to do about it?

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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488 Called By His Glory

Abraham had the hand of God on him no matter what he did.  Even when he was a coward, God protected him.

Afraid for his life, he told King Abimelech that his beautiful wife Sarah was his sister.  So when Abimelech took her, God punished him immediately.  (Genesis 20)

I have always struggled with this verse.  Why would God punish a man who did not know he had done wrong?

What does this mean for us today?

The reality is that God is watching over all who would dare to declare Him King.  And He isn’t watching us and deciding whether to give us an “Abraham Reward” or an “Abimelech Punishment”.  We aren’t under karma and we don’t have to walk in fear over every decision that we make.

That being said, the power of bad human choices and sin have cursed our society.  It isn’t that we made a bad choice, it is that we live in the midst of Romans 3 … For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.  ALL.

We live in corruption and we are constantly facing off with it.

And today, instead of fighting against it, much of society has chosen to celebrate it.

This did not work in the time of Abraham, and it won’t work now.

And so I can declare that the need for the good news of the gospel has never been greater.

Our reality is this:

2 Peter 1 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 

To those of us who would declare Him King, we have all that we need.

God has given us the power to overcome, the power to live a Godly life, and the knowledge of who He truly is.

There is no better word than this.

We have to simply follow the Savior who gave His life as a ransom to set us free.

And we can walk in that freedom … every day.  We are called in His glory and His divine power … and we have everything we need.

And that … is good news.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

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