Archive for the “Discipleship” Category

Lawrence Taylor: “As easy as football is to me is as hard as life is.”

Posted by ronmoore on February 3, 2012

 
As the New York Giants prepare for Super Bowl XLVI, some of their former stars are resurfacing. Who can think of the Giants stars without thinking of L.T.?

Lawrence Taylor was one of the greatest football players in NFL history. The 6’3’’, 237 pound New York Giant linebacker played in ten Pro Bowls and was voted the Defensive Player of the Year three times. The defense he led, coined the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew,” was a major part of New York’s victories in Super Bowl XXI and XXV. The Hall of Famer was selected to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time team.

But after Taylor retired from football, his life began a downward spiral. A series of bad decisions and destructive actions have tarnished his reputation and embarrassed his family. Two years ago Taylor was charged with sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute.

Here’s what L.T. told Showtime’s Inside the NFL:

“What was I thinking? According to my wife, I wasn’t thinking . . . You know, we as boys we think that we can do certain things, and we still want to have the same life we did when we was younger, you know? Sometimes my decision process is not very good. I make mistakes, and I make bad decisions,” said Taylor, his eyes seeming to glisten. “Do I wish this had gone another way, that day had never happened? Of course I do. The embarrassment I gave my family, the embarrassment of myself.”

Then Taylor got to the crux of the matter.

“I know everything about football, I mean as far as defense and stuff . . . I can see the play before it happens . . . I know how to manage a football game.” Then Taylor lamented, “The problem with me is sometimes managing my life . . . as easy as football is to me is as hard as life is to me.”

Managing life. That’s the challenge, isn’t it? Keeping our marriage intact. Being the mother we need to be. Being the father that God expects. Balancing busy schedules. The demands of work. Dealing with burdensome debt. Handling our finances wisely. These are issues that weigh heavy on us. We know that one bad decision or a series of bad decisions can put us on a slippery slope.
 

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The Wrath of God

Posted by ronmoore on February 1, 2012

Romans 1:18
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness….

Let’s be honest…the “wrath of God”—God’s holy displeasure on sin— turns people off. The skeptic says, “That’s why I don’t want to have anything to do with God. Who wants to serve an angry deity?” The liberal says, “I don’t believe that part of the Bible. Paul is hung up on the Old Testament God. The God of the New Testament is a God of love.” And the evangelical is not much better. Many ignore this teaching so “seekers” won’t be offended.

So how do we understand and explain this emotion of God that is seen throughout Scripture?

We have to consider God’s righteousness. Not as many people have a problem with that. Righteousness means that God acts in a way that is always right. He is the final standard for what is right. The word “righteousness” originally described a river reed that was used as a construction tool to judge the horizontal straightness of walls and fences. God chose the term to use metaphorically of His own nature. He is the “straight edge” by which all things are evaluated.

When we agree that God is righteous, then it is easy to understand His wrath. In fact, wrath of God is a demonstration of the righteousness of God. Let me explain it this way.

My wife, Lori, and I have four children. We love them with a deep love. And I have a certain standards regarding how my family should be treated by others. If I ever saw a person a person trying to hurt Lori or one of my children, my deep love for them, and my standard of rightness in how you treat my children, would result in wrath. If anyone in my family was being physically attacked, I would go after that person with vengeance and beat them to a pulp. My anger against the attacker would be the demonstration of my deep love and would be a result of my (imperfect) sense of righteousness.

And so it is with God. We have to understand that God action is always the action of all his attributes. You can’t carve God up like a Thanksgiving turkey and just take the parts you want. All his attributes work in harmony together. They exist and function as one.


He does not divide Himself to do a work but works in the total unity of His being.
-A. W. Tozer

So the wrath of God is right in sync with His righteousness. A loving God could not stand by emotionless without reacting to evil. God’s wrath is a demonstration of His righteousness.
 

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Video Blog: Should we allow the Spirit to empower us, or follow the will of God in the flesh?

Posted by ronmoore on January 24, 2012


 
 

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Video Blog: Is the Holy Spirit’s Ministry different in the New Testament vs. the Old Testament?

Posted by ronmoore on January 20, 2012


 
 

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What keeps you from taking off on your spiritual journey?

Posted by ronmoore on January 17, 2012

September 7, 2011. It was supposed to have been just a routine flight. But it ended in tragedy…all because the pilots missed some basic procedures.

Both pilots had much more experience flying the Russian made YAK-40. But in the plane that had been assigned to them that day, the YAK-42, the pedals were laid out just a bit differently. Investigation found that as the pilots were pulling back on the control column for takeoff, one of them braced his feet on the brake pedal. The brakes were applied at the same time the crew was trying to reach takeoff speed.

The plane never reached the needed speed. It was airborne only a few minutes before crashing 500 yards from the runway. The airliner was carrying the country’s best known Hockey team, many veterans from the NHL. Of the 45 on board, only one crew member survived the crash.

Most crashes are not caused by something unusual. Most result from a failure to follow the basic procedures. As so it is with life.

It’s failing to learn, or straying from, or ignoring the basics of the Christian journey that gets us into trouble. When we miss the basics of the faith, we will never take off on our spiritual journey.

 
 

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Bucket List

Posted by ronmoore on December 21, 2011

Ever since the movie “Bucket List” came out, I have heard people talk about the things they have in their “Bucket List.” I recently read about four men from Georgia who got together and created their bucket list. The four men, Frederick Thomas, Dan Roberts, Ray Adams, and Samuel Crump ranged in age from 65-73.

The men read a novel titled “Absolved” where right-wing militia members, upset about gun control, make war against the U. S. government. Federal prosecutors have now accused the men of plotting to use the script for a real-life wave of terror involving explosives and the lethal poison—ricin.

These men boasted about their “Bucket List” of government officials who need to be “taken out.” They met at the local Waffle House and other places to make plans about spreading ricin from a plane or a car speeding down the highway past major U. S. cities. They also scouted IRS and ATF offices with plans to blow them up. Thankfully they were discovered and arrested (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 3, 2011 front page).

That article got me thinking about Bucket Lists. I am pretty confident that none of your bucket lists are at all similar to the list of these men from Georgia. But it may well be that you have some things on your bucket list that are so much about you want, and so little about what God wants for you, that it is spreading and poisoning your spiritual life. Many bucket lists are full of some adventure, or travel, or possession. Many buckets lists are full of things I want; and empty of things God wants.

When our life is truly following hard after Christ, it will mean that we are doing significant things with our time, money, and resources. Our lives will truly sing praises to God. Our bucket lists will be filled with things beyond ourselves…not with things just to satisfy ourselves.

 

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You don’t have to be a theologian to share the Gospel

Posted by ronmoore on April 13, 2010

Right out of seminary, I couldn’t find a job in a church. So, at the end of the summer, I learned about an opportunity to teach and coach in a little school district just outside of Dallas. A teacher who had been with the district for 25 years had resigned, and school was to start the next week. They were desperate.

One of the classes they needed me to teach was Computer Literacy. This was back in 1985, and I had never used a computer. So I told the superintendent, “I don’t think this is going to work. You want me to teach computer literacy and I honestly don’t know how to turn on a computer.” Here’s what he said, “No problem. You have the textbook. You can take a computer home to get acquainted with it. All you have to do is stay one step ahead of the students.” And that’s exactly what I did…and in the process became certified to teach computer literacy, but more importantly, I learned an invaluable lesson.

When it comes to Scripture, you don’t have to know everything…you don’t have to be a world-renowned theologian. Just nail down some of the essentials of the faith…learn to turn on the computer…and build from there. At our church, we have a class called Essentials for Growth…I am sure a church in your area has a similar class.

One more thing…at the end of the day…every person you are in a spiritual discussion with needs Jesus. You don’t need to be an expert in apologetics to share what Jesus has done in your life. Tell the story of your spiritual journey. Don’t get me wrong – you need to study the word of God…but your story—rather God’s story in your life—will be the most compelling invitation to trust in Jesus Christ.

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Good News – Bad News

Posted by ronmoore on December 8, 2009

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

Faith comes through hearing the message. That means someone has to share it. That someone may well be you! The Christmas season presents a tremendous opportunity to tell others what a relationship with God through Christ is all about. Following is an “approach” to enter into that conversation. There are four points, four verses, and four illustrations. Take it and adapt to your personality and situation. Change the illustrations. Make it your own. And then use the Christmas season to start sharing the Good News.

GOOD NEWS—BAD NEWS

Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you know for certain if you were to die tonight you would go to heaven?

Has anyone ever taken a Bible and shown you how you can know for sure? May I?

The Bible contains both good news and bad news. The good news is about God; the bad news is about man. Let’s start with the bad news first.

Man is a Sinner.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Illustration: ROCK or CANYON

  • ROCK: Suppose you and I were to walk outside, pick up a rock and try to hit South Hills Village. You might throw it farther than me; I might throw it farther than you. But it is safe to say neither of us, even with our best effort, could hit the target. Our throw would fall far short. So, too, none of us, even with our best effort can reach God.
  • CANYON: Suppose you and I were to try to jump from one side of the Grand Canyon to the other. I may jump farther than you; you may jump farther than me. But neither of us, even with our best jump, could reach the other side. We would fall short of our mark. So, too, none of us with our best effort can reach the Almighty God.

The bad news gets worse.

The Penalty for Sin is Death.

For the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

Illustration: WAGES

  • When you work you expect your rightful wages. You deserve what is coming to you. The Bible says that because we are sinners, we deserve to die. Not only physically but spiritually as well.

That’s pretty bad news, isn’t it? If this was all the Bible had to say, what would you think about God?

Thankfully the Bible doesn’t stop here. Since there was no way you could get to God, God came to you. He came in the form of His Son Jesus Christ. That’s the Good News!

Christ Died for You

But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

llustration: DISEASE

  • Suppose you were dying with a disease. However, through a surgical procedure I gave you my healthy cells and took your diseased ones. I would die; you would live. That’s what Christ did for us on the Cross. He took our sin upon Him. He died so we could live.

The good news gets better.

You Can Be Saved Through Faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Illustration: CHAIR

  • Let’s suppose the chair I am sitting in represents my life; my wishes, plans and desires. This chair represents Christ and life based on His promises. Faith involves shifting my trust from my present basis to Jesus Christ.

Would you like to place your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?

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