Advertising

I've been reading the book "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch and I found something that fits into the the holiday season.

Hirsch writes:

I was trained as a marketer and advertiser before I came to Christ, and when I look at the power of consumerism and of the market in our lives, I have little doubt that in consumerism we are now dealing with a very significant religious phenomenon. If the role of religion is to offer a sense of identity, purpose, meaning, and community, then it can be said that consumerism fulfills all these criteria...

Much of that which goes by the name of advertising is an explicit offer of a sense of identity, meaning, purpose, and community. Most ads now appeal to one or more of these religious dimensions of life. Take, for instance, a recent car ad in my country (Australia) in which we are introduced to a fantastic community of very cool people singing along in a car and generally having a great time. Throughout the ad, nothing is mentioned about the qualities of a car, its technical ingenuity, its availability, its price; rather the advertisement is an explicit appeal to the need for people to be accepted as cool people. The selling point of the ad is an offer of community, status, and acceptance by groovy people: if the consumer would purchase this vehicle they will achieve this. Analyzed in a religious way, we could see just about all advertising in this light. Buy this and you will be changed. The astute cultural commentator Douglas Rushkoff in his PBS documentary on consumerism, The Persuaders, has noted that advertisers and marketers are now learning from religion in order to sell products. Marketers have now co-opted the language and symbolism of all the major religions in order to sell the product because they know that religion offers the ultimate object of desire and that people will do just about anything to get it. If through advertising marketers can just link their products to this great unfilled void, they will sell.

As I read this I couldn't help but think about the great lies of the enemy; the false promises, the distractions, the false happiness. There is only One who can deliver everything these false claims guarantee, Jesus Christ the Lord of lords.

What would happen today if we resisted the false claims of the world? What would happen today if we as men of God followed Him instead of being lead by the promises of false happiness? What would happen today if we turned the tables on the world and shared the Love and Power of God with everyone we come in contact with everyday? What would happen today if we drew a line in the sand and chose Jesus over the world?

What would happen today...?

Matthew 24:23-25 (The Message)

"If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. But I've given you fair warning.

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Gift

Video from CNN

"I take energy from them."

What would happen today if we followed what God has put on our hearts to do? What would happen today if we didn't care about what others think about our work for God? What would happen today if we shared the Love Of Christ with those who have no one to love them? What would happen today if a simple act of kindness changed someone's life?

What would happen today...?

Job 29:12-13 (New International Version, ©2010)

because I rescued the poor who cried for help,
and the fatherless who had none to assist them.
13 The one who was dying blessed me;
I made the widow’s heart sing.

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Idols

A few weeks ago I started a part time seasonal job at a nationwide retailer to help make ends meet. This past Friday was what is know as "Black Friday", the day after Thanksgiving, the official start to the Christmas season. To get a jump on the competition the store opened at 10pm on Thanksgiving night. People started lining up before 6pm to make sure that were able to get the items that were on sale. The weather was very cold and rainy, not the best conditions to be waiting in line, but most of them took it with a grain of salt. The night went very smoothly, no major problems, and I think for the most part everyone who stood in line got what they wanted.

When I analyze what happened that night I see idolatry all over this. Now don't get me wrong, I think there isn't anything wrong with saving money and getting a good deal when you can, but something doesn't seem right with this picture.

Money is obviously the principle factor. The store marketing department decided that they could make more money if they opened 2 hours before anyone else. The customers decided to stand in the cold and rain to save money on the products they wanted to give as Christmas gifts. This is just basic economics I understand that but, when does thriftiness become mania? The next culprit are the gifts themselves, the hottest items of the year. A few years ago it was Tickle Me Elmo. Everyone had to have this little guy for their child. There is a limited supply of these items, which adds to the stigma, and not everybody is going to get one, sometimes people actually fight over them. So when does a gift become a object of a skirmish? And lastly there is perceived happiness. The retailer makes projections based on past history and market trends and they set goals based on those predictions. If they meet or surpass these goals they are happy with the sale and business is good, but tomorrow has it's own set of goals and the happiness is short lived. For the consumer there are 2 sides to this, making the loved one happy with the perfect gift and the self gratification of getting the best deal in town on the gift. The problem is that the gift will lose it's novelty within a short period of time and the gratification only lasts for a day or two. When does" happiness" become mundane?

What would happen today if we looked at ourselves and found the idols in our lives? What would happen today if we set these idols aside and concentrated on the One loves us? What would happen today if we sought true happiness through our Savior? What would happen today if we gave the gift of love to those around us?

What would happen today...?

1 Samuel 12:20-22 (NIV, ©2010)

²⁰ “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. ²² For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make you his own.

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Receive

A few months ago I was flipping through the channels and stopped to watch a TV evangelist for a couple of minutes. She was talking about receiving blessings. We are really good about asking for blessings, but we are not very good at receiving them. We tend to believe that we don't deserve them. So when the blessings come we don't declare them, we don't accept them, we feel that we are not worthy.

There's a guy that I run into from time to time and when I ask him "How ya doin?" his answer is always the same, "Better than I deserve". Which sounds like he feels that God is blessing him, which is true. But every time he says it I cringe. Without realizing it he is saying that God is blessing him but he doesn't deserve those blessings. He does deserve them. He has gone through some pretty tough times in his life, but he made the decision to follow Christ and change his life around. He prays, he volunteers, he's a good father, he's a good man. He does deserve God's blessings (victories), but his words say that he isn't worthy of them.

When God blesses us we need to joyfully receive those blessing. If we don't it's like getting a great birthday present from a loved one, but telling them we don't want it because we don't deserve it. We are denying them their joy.

What would happen today if we believed that we do deserve God's blessings (victories)? What would happen today if we joyfully received those blessings? What would happen today if we got down on our knees every night and thanked God for His love and declared the victories of the day? What would happen today if we stopped denying God His joy?

What would happen today...?

Psalm 21:1-7

¹ The king rejoices in your strength, LORD.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
³ You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
⁴ He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
⁵ Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
⁶ Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.

Cleansed

Pictured above is the clean water discharge into the St. Joseph River at the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Mishawaka Indiana. This plant processes an average of 20 million gallons per day of wastewater (raw sewage) into water that is clean enough to comply with state and federal regulations for discharge into a delicate ecosystem such as the river. This 9 step process is carefully checked and monitored with backup systems to prevent pollution from getting into the river. Pre-grown bacteria and chemicals are added to the wastewater to convert volatile solids into simple organic compounds, and kill harmful bacteria. The bio-solids (sludge) are removed and sent to farmlands to be used as safe (green) fertilizer. Methane gas, a byproduct of the process, is captured and burned in the plants heating system. The water that comes into this plant is unusable, unsafe, and has to be cleansed by the process in order for it to be sent back into the environment where it can give life again.

Our lives are much like the wastewater. There are things in our lives that make us unusable, and unsafe, things that block us from being who God made us to be. Resentments, prejudice, adultery, fear, false idols, stealing, cheating, indifference, lies, pornography, the list goes on and on. But that can all be changed, that can all be forgiven, that can all be cleansed by the One who loves us. When we go to the Father and ask for His help, His Love, His forgiveness we are cleansed. He puts us through a process, He adds Love and understanding, to convert or shortcomings into attributes, He takes away our sins so we can help others in need through our experience, strength and hope. He cleanses us so we can go out into the world and spread the Word to those who need life again.

What would happen today if we went to the Father and asked for forgiveness? What would happen today if we let Him fill us with His love? What would happen today if we let Him cleanse us? What would happen today if we went into the world and told everyone how God had given us new life?

What would happen today...?

Isaiah 1:18

...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

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If

Image from http://www.hermitagemuseum.org

My close friend Danny V. loaned me the book The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming by Henri J.M. Nouwen. While reading this morning these couple of paragraphs jumped off the page, thought I should share them.

At issue here is the question: "To whom do I belong? God or to the world?" Many of my daily preoccupations suggest that I belong more to the world than to God. A little criticism makes me angry, and a little rejection makes me depressed. A little praise raises my spirits, and a little success excites me. It takes very little to raise me up or thrust me down. Often I am like a small boat on the ocean, completely at the mercy of its waves. All the time and energy I spend in keeping some kind of balance and preventing myself from being tipped over and drowning shows that my life is mostly a struggle for survival: not a holy struggle, but an anxious struggle resulting from the mistaken idea that it is the world that defines me.

As long as I keep running about asking: "Do you love me? Do you really love me?" I give all power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with "ifs." The world says: "Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much." There are endless "ifs" hidden in the world's love. These "ifs" enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The world's love is and always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true self in the world of conditional love, I will remain "hooked" to the world-trying, failing,and trying again. It is a world that fosters addictions because what it offers cannot satisfy the deepest craving of my heart.

What would happen today if we stopped turning to the world for validation? What would happen today if we listened to the small voice inside instead of letting the world drown it out? What would happen today if we opened ourselves up to God's love? What would happen today if we stood together as men of God and pushed back the darkness of the world?

What would happen today...?

1 Kings 19:11-12

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

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Thanks

This morning while I was drinking coffee and mapping out my day I wanted to check the weather on a local television stations website. When the page loaded I looked at the forecast and checked out a couple of the news stories. Then I noticed a link - The trapped Chilean miners are being rescued now! Click here for LIVE streaming coverage. So I clicked on it and sure enough it was a live feed from Chile. I watched for a few minutes as a few guys were standing around the hole where the capsule was being raised by a cable and crane. When the capsule emerged from the ground the workers helped the miner out and cheered because he was safe. After removing the safety equipment he walked over to his wife and hugged her and held her for a long time. But what he did next was what got me, he fell to his knees and prayed.

What would happen today if we had the faith of these men? What would happen today if we had the persistence of the rescuers? What would happen today if we had the faith of the families? What would happen today if we fell to our knees and thanked God for our rescue?

What would happen today...?

Isaiah 12:3-5 (NIV)

³ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. ⁴ In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. ⁵ Sing to the LORD, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

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Hero

video from the CBS Early Show

"I thank God that He put me here to help out that little girl that's for sure."

What would happen today if we followed where God is leading us to help someone? What would happen today if we overcame fear and did the right thing? What would happen today if we defeated the indifference the enemy plants in our minds? What would happen today if we were humble in our victories and gave the glory to God?

What would happen today...?

1 Samuel 17:49

Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.

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Mentor

In the book The Mentor Leader author Tony Dungy, former head coach of the Super Bowl winning Indianapolis Colts, tells about an opportunity he had to mentor a young man who had put himself into a situation that landed him in prison. That man is Micheal Vick. Vick was a raising star in the NFL playing quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. He was known for his speed and athleticism which gave him the reputation as a game breaker. At the top of his game in 2007 Vick was arrested and plead guilty to felony dog-fighting charges (animal cruelty) and served 21 months in federal prison.

Dungy writes:

To all appearances, Michael Vick was wildly successful-wealthy, at the top of his profession, and in the public eye. But as we all learned, there was more to the story. For all his worldly success, was he building a life of significances?-

- Before his time in prison, I'm sure there were times when Micheal thought about the great opportunity God had given him. I know he thought about his family, his teammates, and the fans all over the country who looked up to him. But I don't think he ever contemplated the responsibility that goes along with a leadership position, whether in leading his family or his team, or being a role model for so many other young men.

When Micheal's succssful career was brought to a halt and he had time to think about it, he came to the conclusion that he hadn't done his part as a leader. God had blessed him with uncommon talent, and Micheal had used it to rise to the top of his profession. Unfortunately, he realized he hadn't helped the people around him as much as he could have. And he wanted to do that-starting with his family, and then, he hoped, with another football team, if he were given the opportunity. But he also wanted to reach to all the young boys who looked up to him, who wore his jersey, and who wrote him letters while he was in prison asking why he wasn't playing anymore. Could he still do those things? Could he still have that impact for good?

That's why I chose to work with Micheal Vick. That's why I got involved in his life. I saw a young man in need, and I had an opportunity to do something. But more than that, I accepted the responsibility to perhaps provide a moment of significance in his life-a moment that would help him get his life back on track. I did what so many others had done for me- the things that have helped me become more the person I am and the person I want to be than I ever could have done on my own. You never know how these things will turn out, but you've got to be willing to try.

There are several elements of this story that I believe to be significant. First, I think the fact that Vick owned up to his mistake and plead guilty to the charges and served his time, shows integrity. Most men in that position would have plead innocent and had gone to trail hoping to be found not guilty or to lesson the punishment. Second, while in prison he repented of his sin and asked for forgiveness (even though it is not mentioned, it is implied). Third, because of the repentance God put Dungy in his life, to help him become the man that He had intended him to be from the beginning. Lastly, the fact the Dungy was willing to follow the prompting that God had led him. Dungy poured himself into the life of a man who needed the help that only by the grace of God he could provide.

What would happen today if we followed the prompting that God is leading us to? What would happen today if we took a stand against the enemy who has brought down so many good men? What would happen today if we mentored someone in trouble, poured ourselves into him and helped him with his walk like so many others have done for us? What would happen today if we banded together to mentor each other as brothers in Christ?

What would happen today...?

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

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Preparation

I was flipping through the channels the other night and something caught my attention, the New York Philharmonic on PBS. I'm really not much of a symphony kind of guy but there was something about this program that made me stop and watch the entire show. The music was amazing, but that's not what held my interest, it was the precision and complexity of the performance. Being a musician myself I know how much time is spent preparing for a concert. To play an instrument at this caliper one would spend thousands of hours of individual practice to hone the gift God has given them to share with the world. Then there are hundreds of hours spent practicing the music for the performance. Add in the many hours of rehearsals with the full orchestra and you have a lifetime devoted to this one moment in time, opening night.

What would happen today if we spent thousands of hours honing the gifts that God has given us to share with the world? What would happen today if we spent hundreds of hours practicing for the performance? What would happen today if we rallied together as men of God to collectively prepare ourselves for that one moment in time, the day Jesus returns?

What would happen today...?

1 Peter 1:13

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

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Incredible

Last week a friend and I made trip to the hospital to visit a woman and her husband who are very active members of our church. They have been instrumental with the set up and operation of the first multi-site location that our congregation has attempted, it has been a great success. They're a good christian family that home schools their 8 children. They own a very successful small business and are loved by their peers. They're the kind of people that you like the first time you meet them.

Earlier this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After surgery and several weeks of chemo treatments she was released with a clean bill of health. But a few weeks ago she came down with headaches that where unbearable. She went back to the hospital and found that she had a very aggressive brain tumor.

We made our visit on Tuesday knowing that she was in a coma and could pass at anytime. We went there to support her husband. Our intent was to talk with him, console and be there for him. But what we witnessed was an incredible declaration of faith. Here he was facing the death of his wife yet he put his faith and trust in the Lord. He had come to peace with the fact that she would pass soon. He was ready to let her go.

She passed on Thursday.

What would happen today if we trusted the Lord? What would happen today if we were able to have peace about the awful things that life throws at us? What would happen today if our faith was stronger than our pain? What would happen today if our devotion was more than reading prayers in a book everyday?

What would happen today...?

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Focus

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary one of the definitions of focus is: directed attention.

In my last post I said that I've been a little sidetracked lately and I have. Do to a series of events I've lost focus on some of the things that are important to me, like this blog. I've let my attention be directed by a weakness that has plaque me for years. Even though I've spent a lot of time working through this lust the enemy knows how to use it against me. I was being led down a path that I knew was not good for me, but I went along anyway. This is nobody's fault but mine. Fortunately because of my awareness of this weakness , the years of lessons learned, and the support of a close friend I've been able to take the proper steps to curtail the repeat of old unwanted behaviors that obstruct God's blessings for me.

In my last post I also stated that this obsession was not necessarily unhealthy, that was denial. I thought it was no big deal and that I could handle it on my own, I was wrong. The enemy knows how to play games with the mind, even though I knew what was happening I let it go on much longer than I should have.

I apologize for my loss of focus and letting you and myself down. Helping men through the struggles of life has been my mission for some time now and I intend to continue to do so. The good news is that out of this experience I have a heightened awareness of the enemy's ploys and I can use this in the future to help other men through a similar struggle.

What would happen today if we were so in-tuned to the enemy's games that we could resist his distractions? What would happen today if we set up clear boundaries and adhered to them at all costs? What would happen today if we talked through our struggles with each other as men in the brotherhood of God? What would happen today if we followed our hearts instead of our lusts?

What would happen today...?

Romans 7:18-20 (NIV)

I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature ( my flesh). For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Sidetracked

Image From: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE62U19V20100331

For the past couple of weeks I've been a little sidetracked. My mind has been on a journey that is far from where I believe God wants me to be. Not that I've been obsessed with things that are unhealthy for me, but I've not been focused on bettering myself or helping others. Much like the train pictured above I think we go through life on a clear straight path and then something comes along that catches our attention and sends us off that path. We may still be headed north but we're distracted, confused, or just plain clueless. But unlike the train there is no yardmaster to switch the tracks for us. We have free will, and that free will is what gets us off line sometimes.

What would happen today if we stayed focused on God's desire for us? What would happen today if we recognized that we are getting off track before we waste a lot of time wandering around aimlessly? What would happen today if we asked God for direction each and every day? What would happen today if we followed His direction in every area of our lives?

What would happen today...?

Talent

Brett Banasiewicz is a 15 year old BMX phenom from my home town of South Bend Indiana. This kid is awesome, they call him Mad Dog! He is the youngest person to win a competition on the Dew Tour and this weekend he will be competing in the finals at X-Games 16 in Los Angeles.



It's obvious that God has blessed this young man with an incredible talent. But what I find interesting is that he has found that talent and developed it at a very young age. For some of us the gifts are found early like with Brett. For others it takes years to find our God given talents, and for a few they may never be found at all. God has equipped each of us with various abilities that are unique to who He has made us to be. But in order to use them we must seek them out, search for them, find them and develop them into something great.

In our society we spend way too much time trying to fix our shortcomings, our inadequacies, our insufficiencies. If there is an area where we are weak we are taught to concentrate all of our efforts into transforming that weakness into a strength. But what happens is that we get frustrated and give up. What we should be doing is concentrating all that effort into developing our talents.

What would happen today if we sought out our God given talents? What would happen today if we found them, developed them and used them the way God had intended? What would happen today if we stopped trying to fix our weaknesses and exercised our strengths? What would happen today if we asked God to join us together as His men to use our unique gifts collectively to advance His Kingdom?

What would happen today...?

For more information on this subject I recommend the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham. (only buy this book new, there is an access code inside to a web based evaluation assessment that will help you find your strengths, it can only be used once)

More

In the song More of You by my friends Pure Star Movement there is a line that says;

I need more of You...and less of me.

What would happen today if we admitted to ourselves that we need more of the Lord in our lives? What would happen today if we let Him into our hearts more and more every day? What would happen today if we put His desires for us before our own? What would happen today if we relied more on Him and less on ourselves?

What would happen today?

Exercise

Almost every day for the past 10 months I've been going to the Riverwalk in downtown Mishawaka Indiana, it's a 10 minute drive from my home. I started going there to prepare for a trip to Colorado in November and continued when I found out I was going to India in March. I really enjoy the atmosphere. The city has put a lot of effort into making it an ideal place for walking and bike riding. It follows both sides of the St. Joseph River in the downtown area, has footbridges to cross the river and underpasses so you don't have to cross busy streets along the way. I usually listen to books on mp3 or music while I'm walking but there are times when I just need to be alone with God without any distractions, and this is a perfect place for that. Much of the inspiration for this blog comes while I'm walking there. During nice weather it's very a popular place but during the winter most days I was the only one there.

The first day I started my power walk training I was really out of shape. It took about 50 minutes to walk the course and I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. The next few weeks my time and breathing improved but my legs were still sore (didn't allow for recovery time). Two weeks before I went to Colorado I started carrying a backpack full of schoolbooks to add a little resistance. During the winter the city tries to plow the snow but most of the time it was just packed down which makes it more difficult to walk. Throughout this period my times got better and better, now I'm a consistent 36 minutes and have even broken 34 a couple of times. I hardly get winded, my legs no longer hurt, I've even lost 10 lbs. This training has become a part of my life and the days I don't walk I feel like I've missed something important.

What would happen today if we realized that God has put a lot of effort into making an ideal place for our walk? What would happen today if we exercised our faith on a daily basis so it will be strong? What would happen today if spent alone time with God? What would happen today if we talked with God regularly so that it becomes a part of our daily lives, and when we don't we miss Him?

What would happen today...?

Kindness

I was at the grocery store the other day doing my weekly shopping. I frequent one of those no frills places where you bag your own stuff. They have just about any thing your looking for but a very limited variety of brands to choose from. I go there because they have the cheapest prices in town. I got everything I needed and headed to the checkout. Most of the time they have one maybe two cashiers working but they move people through very quickly. The woman in front of me had a whole cart full of stuff and when it was her turn she stepped over in front of the cashier. She didn't say a word, she just stood there impatiently. The cashier said hi and started to scan her items, the woman still stood there. When it came time to pay the woman gave the cashier her money and waited for her change. As the cashier gave the change back the woman handed her a tract and said "My church is handing these out." and walked away. The cashier looked bewildered, said thanks and set it aside. She turned to me, smiled, said hi and started up a small talk conversation as she scanned my items.

What would happen today if we were nice to the people who serve us? What would happen today if we tried to build relationships with the people we come into contact with on a regular basis? What would happen today if we handed out smiles, compliments and kind words? What would happen today if we stopped for a moment, looked the cashier in the eye and simply asked her name?

What would happen today...?

Hiding

image from http://www.mommybytes.com

Yesterday I was at the park on my daily power walk and passed a young mother with a little boy. He was about 5 or 6 years old and was lallygagging behind her like any little boy would on a beautiful day in the park. I noticed them from about 30 yards away and as I got closer she called to him to catch up, (I think she was trying to make sure he didn't get in my way) as she did she put her hand back as a visual aid to make her point. So what does he do? He pulls his shirt up over his face and halfheartedly starts running toward her like; if she can't see me maybe I don't have to catch up. I had to laugh.

Have you ever pulled your shirt over your face? Sure, we all have at one time or another, kids do it when playing around, soccer players do it when the ref makes a bad call, we hide. But what happens? We can't see very well. We can see shapes and outlines through the holes between the fibers but we really can't see anything with clarity. And sometimes that's what we do when God calls us. We partially hide ourselves with busyness, excuses, fear, etc...

What would happen today if we didn't hide? What would happen today if we truly looked for the visual aids that God is giving us when He calls? What would happen today if we pulled the shirt down so we could see His hand reaching out to us? What would happen today if we acted like men and not 5 year old boys?

What would happen today...?

Willing

I have a very close friend that is an incredible guy. He has been clean and sober for over 6 years. Alcohol and cocaine were his drugs of choice. Recovering from these addictions is not an easy task. He spent some time in treatment centers. He has worked extremely hard to trudge through the 12 steps of AA and other programs. He is always doing service work; He gives others rides to meetings, he works with people that want to get clean and sober, he's a Christ follower who serves with the prison outreach ministry at his church. He has a passion for helping people that don't know how to help themselves, and by doing so it helps him to stay sober and grow in his faith.

If you ask him, what was the key for him to get cleaned up, he would tell you that he had to be willing to do what ever it takes.

We had a conversation a few weeks ago about his smoking cigarettes. I asked him when he was going to quit and he said that he wasn't willing to give it up yet.

What would happen today if we were willing to do whatever it takes to make a change in our lives? What would happen today if we were willing help people who don't know how to help themselves? What would happen today if we were willing to give up our bad habits or additions? What would happen today if we were willing to believe that God is bigger than our problems?

What would happen today...?

Wisdom

I don't know how many times I've heard a man say;

"If I knew then, what I know now, things would be different".

What this implies is that there is an element of wisdom that comes with age. If I had the wisdom I have today back when I was younger, I wouldn't have made so many bad decisions and life would be much better today as a result.

But wisdom doesn't come from age it comes from experience, and the only way to gain that wisdom is through the trials and tribulations of life. I'm a firm believer of: I had to go through everything I had to go through to get to where I'm going. The decisions we made when we were younger (good and bad) are what have shaped us into who we are today. We can't go back and change the past, but we can change our future.

Back in our youth we looked at the world with wide eyed wonderment, enthusiasm, and unbridled passion. As the years have past and the reality of life has set in, we lose the ways of our youth.

What would happen today if instead of worrying about the past we looked to our future? What would happen today if we used the wisdom we've gained and combined it with the wonderment of our youth? What would happen today if we took back the enthusiasm life has taken away from us and used it to better the lives of those around us? What would happen today if we salvaged our unbridled passion and focused it into something that advances the Kingdom?

What would happen today...?

Strength

In the book Captivating John and Stasi Eldredge write:

Strength is what the world longs to experience from a man.
Now-isn't it obvious that we don't mean big muscles?
Of course. A man might like to work out at the gym, but if he is only physically strong, he is a hollow man. Are we satisfied as a woman with that kind of man? On the other hand, our man might prefer to read or play an instrument. Does that in any way diminish the strength of his soul? Not at all. The strength of a man is first a soulish strength-a strength of heart. And yes, as he lives it out, owns it, inhabits his strength, he does become more handsome. More attractive. As the fruit of an inner reality. (pg 130)

And I think he also becomes more dangerous to the enemy.

What would happen today if we cultivated our soulish strength? What would happen today if we lived it, owned it, inhabited it? What would happen today if we offered it to our woman and family, our church, our country, to mankind? What would happen today if we banded that inner strength together with other men to push back the darkness of the world?

What would happen today...?

Battle

photo from http://media.al.com/live/photo/ten-commandments-monumentjpg-f4d3696d089b911e_large.jpg

A couple of times a month I get together with some guys for coffee, usually on a Saturday morning. Our friendship has grown over the years and we support each other, bounce ideas around, and talk about world events, not unlike any other group of men.

I don't remember what we were talking about exactly but one of them said that he was tired of seeing so much time and effort being wasted on things that really don't expand the kingdom (paraphrased). What he said next sparked my interest. "Does it really matter if the 10 Commandments are in front of a court house or moved to the church down the street?"

I did a little research on this subject and found that this battle over separation of church and state is much larger than I thought. There are cases in several states across the the country, some of them have been ongoing for 7 to 10 years or more. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled on some of these, which means that they have been through numerous lower court proceedings at a huge expense to tax payers.

Please understand that my friend is a Christ follower who deeply believes in our Judaio-Christian heritage, in which the 10 Commandments are the foundation. His point is this; are we fighting the right battle? This is a fight about who's rights are being infringed upon, not a fight to push back the darkness of this world.

What would happen today if we concentrated all that effort into mentoring and tutoring programs for kids that are falling behind in school? What would happen today if the court system was free of these cases so they could work on keeping criminals in prison, or even better yet, setting an innocent man free? What would happen today if these cases were gone which would free up tax dollars so our local, state, and federal governments didn't have to make budget cuts and lay off good workers? What would happen today if we tried to build relationships with the people who want the 10 Commandments moved instead of fighting against them?

What would happen today...?

Coach

Image from http://hoopshall.com

Last week one of the legends of modern day sports died, John Wooden. Coach Wooden is most know for leading his team to a record 10 NCAA Men's National Basketball Championships, 7 of those were consecutive. These records and many others will most likely never be broken, but there is something about the Coach that is even more important than this; the way he taught his players. He took an interest in them, he fathered them, encouraged them, loved them.

I watched an interview on the news of a man that had played for Coach at South Bend Central High School during the depression. With tears in his eyes he said that Coach Wooden was his friend. He talked about the time Coach invited the team to his house for Christmas dinner and gave them presents because he knew the families could not afford a nice dinner and presents.

In an interview several years after his retirement Coach was asked about how his teams were so successful, he stated: "I never talked about winning."

What would happen today if we took an interest in each other? What would happen today if we fathered each other? What would happen today if we encouraged each other? What would happen today if we loved each other? What would happen today if we made "winning" secondary?

What would happen today...?

Heart

I saw this report on the news the other day and think that is fitting for our discussion.


Watch CBS News Videos Online

Most of us will never know the agony of losing a limb while serving our country at war. But we all have other scars and loses; divorce, drugs and alcohol, porn, loss of job, bankruptcy, infidelity, death of a child.

In the video the reporter asks Sergeant Major Makey what is the hardest thing about losing his legs. His response: "Knowing that my unit is still there without me." So when his unit returned from Afghanistan he was there waiting for them.

What would happen today if we as Christian men banded to together like these brave men? What would happen to day if we put the well being of others before ourselves? What would happen today if we fed off of each other to help heal our brokenness? What would happen today if we helped people realize that the hardest thing for Jesus is that they are still out there without Him but he is waiting for their return?

What would happen today...?

Bridge

On several occasions I've been given a small pocket size booklet called "The Bridge to Life". It's only about 16 pages long and has simple drawings that make it very easy to understand. It shows a man standing on a bridge that has the middle section removed so he can not cross over to the other side. There is a caption just above his head that says "world", on the other side the caption says "God". There are Bible verses and statements that explain how man has been separated from God. As you turn the pages and read on, a cross has been laid to take the place of the section that had been removed with a caption that says "Jesus". The symbolism here is very evident, the only way to God is through Jesus. The man decides to cross over, then he takes action, he crosses over to God. The last couple of pages are an invitation to ask the Lord to come into your life, and to forgive your sins. Do so, and your sins will be forgiven and you will be given eternal life.

What would happen today if we asked Jesus to come into our lives daily? What would happen today if we brought our families, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances to the bridge? What would happen today if they decided cross over to God through Jesus? What would happen today if they took action and asked Him to come into their lives?

What would happen today...?

Overflow

In the book Outflow Steve Sjogren & Dave Ping write:

Go ahead and imagine your life is a fountain...Everyone who has a relationship with Jesus is given power, wisdom, and insight when God sends His Spirit to them as a counselor and guide. The central column of the fountain is the Holy Spirit in your life. Just as the central column fills the fountain, so, too the Holy Spirit wants to fill every one of your relationships with God's love, joy, and wonder. The first bowl catches and distributes the power of the Spirit is your relationship with God... Once you have a relationship with God, the first and most natural place his Spirit will overflow is going to be your home. So the second bowl of the fountain is your relationship with family and friends... The third tier of the fountain represents how the Spirit flows into your relationship with community- especially the people with whom you have little or no natural connection... The last and largest bowl the Spirit wants to fill with love and life is your relationship with the world.

What would happen today if we as Christ followers asked the Holy Spirit into our lives and let Him fill our bowl with His love, joy, and wonder? What would happen today if we let that love, joy, and wonder shine through us onto our families and friends? What would happen today if that loved flowed through the people closest to us into the people around them? What would happen today if that love, joy and wonder flooded over the world?

What would happen today...?

Narrow

Dam across the St. Joseph River in downtown Mishawaka IN.

Fish Ladder at the Mishawaka Dam (far side of picture above)

Every year the Indiana Department of Natural Resources releases 275,000 Skamania Steelhead Trout into the the St. Joseph River just a few miles upstream from the Mishawaka dam. These little guys follow the river out to Lake Michigan where they live and grow to maturity for 3 to 4 years (some never make it to the lake). When they return they have grown from 6-7" fingerlings to 24-36" monsters weighing from 9- 12lbs but can get up to 20lbs.

The amazing thing about these steelhead is that they grow up in Lake Michigan which covers 22,300 sq miles, yet God has given them the ability to return to the same tributary that they came from to spawn. So when the urge hits them they migrate the 63 miles back up the river to spawn.

The Indiana and Michigan DNRs have built 4 fish ladders at the dams that cross this stretch of the river to help the fish return up stream. The one at Mishawaka is the last one (most of the fish never make it back this far). They return in early spring and late fall and have a summer run also. It is awesome to stand at the dam and watch these magnificent fish leap out of the current and try to jump over the dam. They try and try but the dam is to high and the current to swift, they get washed back down every time. After a while they get tired, and rest in the calm water near the river's edge, then they try again.

None of them ever make it over the dam, which is over 300 feet wide and 28 feet thick. But a few of them do make it to the other side. While they are resting in the calm they find the narrow 4 foot wide opening of the fish ladder. The ladder is a series of steps up and around to the top of the dam. They have found the way.

What would happen today if we used the ability God gave us to return to our place of origin, Him? What would happen today if instead of trying to get over the dam time and time again and not making it, we rested in the calm and found the narrow gate? What would happen today if we found the way and took the steps to follow?

What would happen today...?

Drummer

Much is written about the weapons and strategies of the American Civil War but little is said about the importance of the drummer. Its often thought that a drummers' only task was to beat cadence for his unit while marching. That was only a small part of a day in the life of a young drummer. Without a drummer to establish communications and keep order among the units in the field, many campaigns would have ended in failure. The drummer had many responsibilities, including using one of many drum calls for everything from assembling officers for strategy meetings to sounding retreat in the midst of severe enemy fire. A drummer could always be seen near a high ranking officer because at any time he might be needed to alert the troops of an upcoming movement or operations. Once the men were assembled and deployed to a particular engagement, the drummers would lay down their drums and take up stretchers, act as runners between outposts, or do whatever was necessary to help the unit. -Excerpt from http://www.wildcatband.com/

What would happen today if each one of us was more like a Civil War Drummer? What would happen today if we beat a cadence that was different than that of the world's? What would happen today if we could always be seen near God ready to sound an alert for His troops? What would happen today if we did what ever it takes to help the unit like these brave young men?

What would happen today...?

Training

An LAFD firefighter uses a chain saw to "open up" the roof on a house. This is called "venting the fire" and allows the heat, smoke and flames to vent through the hole he/she has made. This also takes the heat and smoke away from firefighters working below inside the house.

I have great respect and admiration for firefighters. These men and women train hard for every unexpected incident that could happen. They know how to use their gear, they know how to control a fire, they know their business. Lives depend on the precious seconds they save because of proper training. These people take risks everyday that most of us would never imagine. They rush into burning buildings to save people trapped inside yet, they don't run in haphazardly. They rely on their training and instincts to make split second decisions that saves lives while keeping themselves safe. They work as a team, setting all personal difference aside for one common goal; to save lives.

What would happen today if we trained like firefighters? What would happen today if we knew our spiritual gear, and relied on our training? What would happen today if we worked as a team, and we set our personal differences aside for one common goal; to bring people to the Lord?

What would happen today...?

Prayer

The first paragraph of the book Crazy Love by Frances Chan reads:

"What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking at God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do."

I've asked people about their prayer time and they sometimes say something like; I pray in the shower, or on the way to work. They recite an inventory of prayers for their families and friends or something that they need help getting through. I know how it is, I've done this too.

Here's the thing about these kinds of prayers, although they are heartfelt, when we do this we are talking at God not with him. If we pray while we are driving our attention is on the road, and not on God.

What would happen today if we all went into our rooms, closed the door, and got down on our knees and prayed? What would happen today if we gave the Lord our undivided attention for a few minutes? What would happen today if we humbled ourselves before the Lord, and listened for His voice, instead of rattling off our laundry list of requests?

What would happen today...?