From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 1 00:13:40 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Aug 1 00:14:48 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fellowship Message-ID: It's that time of year again. It's time for the big summer picnics. Every year we have two to consider attending. My office always throws a summer picnic that will draw about a hundred folks. Our church throws one that gets bigger each year. This year it was a couple of hundred (maybe more). When considering attendance there's always the decisions like: "Do I really want to spend an afternoon with these people?", "Do I need to show up to show the boss I'm a team player?", "Will the food be any good?", "Have we already made plans for that day?", and so on. But, these picnics have on real purpose in both cases: fellowship. In the case of an office picnic, it's to try to generate some friendship and social connections that will help the company in the long run. People are more productive when they feel like they are working as a team for a good goal. In the case of the church picnic, it's to create more connections within to the church body so that it is better prepared to do God's work. Oh, and it also happens to be an act of obedience to God. What's that you are asking? "What does eating hot dogs and playing softball have to do with obeying God? I thought we were just having fun with some friends." Yep. Fellowship is something God tells us to do. He built us and He knows what we need to run. He knows that we have a hole in our lives that can only be filled by Christ. He knows that His love is what will drive your joy and peace and hope. He knows that practicing mercy and forgiveness will make us better people. He knows that studying the Word will help keep us on the path. And, He knows that we need to spend time with other Christians. That's why He tells us to do all of those things. Not because He likes ordering us around, but because He knows what we need to function the best. You can argue with it, but it doesn't make it any less true. We need fellowship with Christians or our spiritual engine will sputter and eventually go cold. And, of course, God wants you to have the right kind of fellowship. Drinking beer with your unsaved friends at the sports bar doesn't count. You should treat that as an opportunity to display the aspects of Christ and witness to them, but that's not the fellowship that God wants you to have. He wants you to be with other believers on a regular basis so you can become part of the team and stay focused on your goal. The other believers need you there as much as you need to be there. Do cheat them or yourself. "God is everywhere, I don't need to go to church!", "I read the Bible every day, I don't need anyone to tell me what I need to do.", "I don't believe in organized religion. It's just between me and God". These are all common responses to the direction of being part of a fellowship. Aside from being shortsighted, prideful, and just incorrect, it's also disobedient to God. You can be saved and not be going to church. You just won't be bearing much fruit. God is delighted that you are saved, but He wants you to be out serving and helping His cause. Not because He needs you, but because He knows that it's what you need to straighten yourself out. "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 Don't trick yourself to being a Christian in the closet, or a Christian behind the curtain. Find a good church, get involved, and go regularly. As you plug in and start to serve you will make the church better equipped and God will be training you for greater things ahead. God has great plans for you, don't leave them undone. Don't convince yourself that life will be better on your terms. Follow His plan and see what He has in store. You'll be amazed. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 1 23:29:51 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Aug 1 23:33:12 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] God's Existence Message-ID: It occurs to me that I am different from a lot of men in the way that I I must organize what I accept as truth. I am unable to continue forward until I am convinced that what came before is reliable. Without knowing enough about the history of something, I am skeptical about believing any of the results. A good example of what I mean would be a business deal. I don't really care how much everyone is making, but I am suspicious until I understand how everyone is making whatever they make. This dogma of mine was a real stumbling block when it came to understanding where God came from. I think it is a stumbling block for a lot of people and why so many are willing to think that some civilization greater than ours, from some galaxy other than ours, gave us God. It was a concept gift because we are so backward and unable to reason like the people that built the pyramids or the folks that lived in Atlantis or the ones that stacked the rocks at Stonehenge. They are willing to believe something greater than our lowly race must be in charge, but it can't be God. That brings me to the Aesity of God, his self-existence. Boy, I just couldn't get my arms around that one. As I analyzed it, I was stuck. Well, I suppose some things were just not meant to be understood. I could accept that, but not about this. I really needed to come to grips with this or I would always have this nagging doubt about my faith. I was relieved to find out that I wasn't the first guy in history to run into a wall on this. Thomas Aquinas spent an hour or two in contemplation over the very same thing. Philosophical Proof from St. Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica" /Primary Argument:/ P1. Whatever a thing has besides its essence must be caused by the constituent principles of that essence or by some exterior agent. P2. Consider a created thing. It is impossible for a created thing?s existence to be caused by its essential constituent principles because nothing can be the sufficient cause of its own existence if its existence is caused. C1. Therefore, a created thing has its existence different from its essence. P3. God is the first efficient cause. C2. As the first efficient cause, anything God has cannot be due to an exterior agent. C3. God?s essence is identical to his existence. */Secondary Argument:/* P1. Existence is that which makes every form or nature actual. Existence is actuality as opposed to potentiality. P2. There is no potentiality in God; only actuality. P3. God is his essence. C1. Since God is actuality his essence is existence. It makes sense if you think about it. Moses found himself at this same crossroads in Exodus 3:13. He was to deliver a message from God, but it occurred to him that someone might ask, "Oh, yeah? What's his name?" God cut to the chase: "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you' " Exodus 3:14 Some things are just the truth as they are. There is no beginning, no middle, and no end. My advice about any doubts? Get on this, pray about it, and get over it. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 3 00:01:41 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 3 00:06:52 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prayer Message-ID: <716D9779-03EC-11DA-A3E9-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Men don't like to bare their innermost feelings. Usually, if one does want to, he has a heck of a time trying to find another man that gives a hoot. Letting down our guard, by definition, means we are open to a broken nose or a black eye. Here is the deal, guys: If we can't discuss our sin with God in private, we have a big problem. It really is a case of standing before the parent, icing and cake crumbs all over our face, looking at the floor trying to come up with a plausible answer as to who got into the cake. This talking to God is not about getting sympathy or being a victim. Prayer is about repair. It's about getting that persistent squeak or knock fixed. You have to tell the mechanic what is wrong. The doctor needs information to diagnose and prescribe. You can't go to the doctor and say, "Doc, you know what's wrong. Fix it." In the same way, when you go to prayer, you can't just show up and get your share of mercy by asking God in general terms to dole it out so you can get on with your Sunday. Here are five practical precepts about prayer. 1) How to talk to God "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:11-14 Get it straight. All your money, position, and ego means nothing before God. 2) Understand your position as a Christian as it pertains to the world and Satan. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" Ephesians 6:18 "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17 Pray with a purpose, knowing you are an enemy of evil and it is a war. 3) For goodness sake, if you can' t think of something to pray about, just be silent and be with God. Don't babble. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." Matthew 6:7-8 Formulate a coherent thought to present to God. 4) Stay with it. Be persistent. Show God, by doing, you are serious about wanting to talk with Hm. "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened." Luke 11:8-10 Don't wimp out. 5) You got to believe, guys. If you don't, then you know what to start praying about. "And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." Mark 11:22-24 It doesn't matter what you are putting first in your life. Your priorities are wrong if prayer isn't in front of them. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 3 23:42:15 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 3 23:48:42 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Hate Message-ID: "I really hate _______" You fill in the blank. This is a phrase that we too often use and pay too little attention. Hate is a powerful concept. True hate is in the hands of God. In the Bible, hate is referred to as enmity and it means a deep-rooted hate. It takes on the flavor of a cancer when Man has enmity. "Thus says the Lord God, "Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity"" Ezekiel 25:15 "Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end" Ezekiel 25:5 "or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him." Numbers 35:21 At least one time we see where God uses it to separate for all time two beings of his creation. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Genesis: 3:15 Hate has its place, but it is much too serious to be taken in the context that we use in everyday life. It should be treated as radioactive waste material. It is a killer of every type. It contaminates everything it touches and alters it for its life. It currently is running rampant in the world causing death and destruction at every turn. Like a wildfire unchecked, it is spreading into every segment of our lives. It is too out of control to contain. There is, of course, only one cure. "by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity" Ephesians 2:15-16 Jesus Christ, and the hope of the cross, is the only way to put out the fire. Man cannot sit down across the table and work it out. It cannot be reconciled away by any earthly means. Man simply doesn't have the capacity. Only by embracing the cross can man ever dissolve hate. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 5 00:42:44 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Aug 5 00:44:55 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] I Thought... Message-ID: <825063CF-0584-11DA-84FE-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> "I Thought" These are two words that, when spoken after irresponsible behavior, serve only to prove that the individual did anything but think. In our pursuit of significance and security, we can repeat mistakes to the point that raises stupid to a high art form. The cause of irresponsible behavior is developed from wrong philosophies of living. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" Proverbs 23:7 In many of our churches we just add to the whole idea of wrong philosophies. We have become list-makers of behavior in our churches. We read off the rights and wrongs of the Bible. Our preachers put the lists on tapes. Our Sunday School teachers put them on copiers. Our Bible study groups buy them at Christian book stores and bring them to breakfast. We are remiss in a big way on insisting upon Biblical behavior. Too often we take the fact that God has seen me at my worst and that He loved me so much that He gave His life for me as an inferred avenue for my bad behavior of backsliding and justification of sin. There is this feeling that, "I can't attain perfection, therefore I can't be held responsible for my perceived inability to not sin." Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book "Effective Biblical Counseling", comments that scripture also teaches that I am accountable to God for how I live. If I understand accountability, but not acceptability, I will live under pressure to behave well in order to be accepted. If I understand acceptability, but not accountability, I may become casually indifferent to sinful living. When I understand, first, my acceptability, and then my accountability, I will be constrained to please the One who died for me. I would be fearful that I might grieve Him when I don't want to, because I love Him. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Romans 1:21 Are you fearful that you might grieve Jesus Christ? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 5 23:47:53 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Aug 5 23:48:43 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Consequences Message-ID: <038CB0A2-0646-11DA-BC27-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> While driving home from work the other day, I happened to hear an ad on the radio that stunned me. It was two people talking about how one had a bad hangover from the night before and the other did not. The kicker was that the one person had taken a pill the night before to "help ease or eliminate the effects of drinking." It was an ad for an anti-hangover pill. I shook my head in disbelief. This ad clearly describes a behavior that, left unchecked, could cause long term issues. Instead of advocating moderation, the ad was offering a way to remove the consequences. Isn't this the epitome of American society? There is a constant search for ways to remove the consequences from our actions. Americans want to be able to do whatever they want and not have to pay any price for doing it. Safe sex and the morning after pill are all about having consequence-free sex. Self esteem courses in public school are about having a consequence-free education. This pill was offering consequence-free drinking. Unfortunately, these are all shams. There are always consequences. You may be able to mask some of the most immediate ones, but the bigger ones are harder to avoid. Promiscuous sex will increase your chances of STDs and pregnancy, not to mention the emotional scars that go along with that behavior. Excessive drinking (even without the hangovers) can lead to addiction problems and more emotional scars. In fact, if we could remove the consequences, we really wouldn't be doing people any favors. We'd be allowing folks to continue with destructive behaviors until it does even more serious damage later on. Of course, for us sinners, the ultimate consequence is not having a ticket to Heaven. "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a There's no getting around that consequence on our own. The rest of the verse gives us the escape hatch. "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b Accepting Christ will remove that ultimate consequence for our sins. However, it does not make our lives consequence-free. Some unbelievers think that Christians are hypocrites if they ever sin. Not true, we're still a fallen race. Some new believers think that Christ removing the future of death means that all consequences are gone. Not true, the real-life consequence rules still apply. If you commit a crime, you don't get a "Get Out of Jail Free" card if you get saved later. You still need to pay the price. Loving God does not mean that you will not stumble. Loving God means you can ask forgiveness and He will be with you. You will still have to deal with the consequences, though. David felt the consequences of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba even after confessing. "Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." " 2 Samuel 12:13 Jonah felt the consequences of disobeying God even when he admitted his guilt. " "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." [...] But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:12,17 Moses felt the consequences of not following God's directions when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." " Numbers 20:12 Here are three recognized, great men of God. They screwed up. They confessed. They were forgiven. However, they still suffered the consequences. Don't get angry at God when the consequences of your actions come down on you. It's the natural order of things. Be thankful that you are forgiven and that suffering those consequences will prepare you tasks God has for you in the future. Recognize that your brought them down on yourself, though. You will be stronger for it, but the best path is to just avoid those actions that have undesirable consequences. You cannot separate the action from the consequence. Don't waste your life trying. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 6 23:29:08 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Aug 6 23:29:58 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Faith Message-ID: <8EF6BC38-070C-11DA-8EBC-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I was engaging in the great American pastime of channel surfing the other night. I came across a weird-looking guy doing a thing called street magic. The first thing I noticed was that he was quite good. An object donated by a bystander ended up frozen in an ice cube. He laid out another person and made her appear to float. Then, he levitated about six inches off the ground. Now, I don't know how he did it, but I do know that it was an illusion. Why? Because of faith. If it were possible to levitate without the aid of magic, then the good old USA would be all over the technique and there would be no transportation problems. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines would be floating hither and yon. Best of all, the age old question of "How did they build the pyramids?" would be answered and we would have a new documentary every week on the Discovery Channel. It never ceases to amaze me that folks will be mesmerized by a trick or two, but demand truckloads of evidence about Jesus Christ. Never mind that after He came, He fulfilled at least a hundred prophecies that were foretold several centuries before He was born to Mary. How about casting out demons? Walking on water? Multiplying food? Turning water to wine? And, the grand finale, coming back from the dead? Show me an illusion and I'll swoon. Read to me about miracles and I think you are trying to brainwash me. Here is an experiment: The next time someone wants to talk about your belief system, tell them your spiritual life is guided by ancient texts, some of which are 2000 or more years old. The most recent find was in 1948 in a cave in the Middle East. These writings consists of 66 individual books by about 44 writers. They were kings, warriors, a doctor, a lawyer, a fisherman, a government worker and more. These books are full of prophecies that are recorded and fulfilled, some over 1200 years apart. They contain the answers to how we came to be on the planet, the origin of the universe, the future, and what happens when we die. When they ask to know more, tell them it's the Bible and watch their face. "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 Now, that would be something to see. Jesus really did walk on the water and it wasn't because He knew where the rocks were. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 8 14:04:40 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Aug 8 17:13:25 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Push-Up Today Message-ID: <0837B179-674E-43A4-801F-0D1F08F05EC2@clanwebb.com> Hey all, I apologize for the lack of a Push-Up today. I had some sneaky rat from Finland decide to use my server to send spam to a few thousand folks. I've been cleaning up the results all day. The good news is that I closed the loophole that he used to get in. It's times like these that make the command to "love your enemies" really hard to contemplate. We'll be back on our regularly scheduled delivery tomorrow morning. Thanks, -Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 9 00:00:04 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 9 00:01:01 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He'll Come Get You Message-ID: <364C7DD8-08A3-11DA-8C93-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> When a person turns from Jesus, does Jesus turn from them? What a thought! Do they have to turn back to Jesus? How does that happen if they run away from Him? We understand that Jesus is everywhere, so He is available. But, if the runaway doesn't change direction, are they lost forever? We can think of a lot of hypothetical scenarios to arrive at an answer. I believe the answer is that He often comes back to the lost, even when they have rejected Him. Do you recall the scripture story of Peter? You know, the guy who said that He would follow Jesus to the death and then, before the very next morning, denied that he even knew Him? Peter did what a lot of guys do when they fall flat on their face. They run back to what they knew before they were introduced to Jesus. In Peter's case, he went fishing. That's right. He found a few of his buddies to whine with him, and they went fishing. It seems, however, that when Jesus calls you to a higher calling, the old career isn't very successful. In other words, they went fishing all night, but didn't catch anything. The next morning, they see someone on the beach and he shouts to to them: "So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish." John 21:5-8 It seems to me that Jesus came back to get the whole bunch of them. Failing miserably doesn't seem to be enough to get traded off the team. Are you running away? There really is no place to hide. If Jesus wants you, He will get you. And you may get wet in the process. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 9 23:22:25 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 9 23:25:41 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Father is More Than a Daddy Message-ID: <1E3DFC00-0967-11DA-9800-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Today's push-up was just too well said already, so we'll just quote it as is: A Father is More Than a Daddy By James Van Dyke It is such a joy to be a father. There is nothing sweeter in life than the love which a ?Daddy? receives from his children. There is a constant temptation for us to indulge our children in order to keep such happy love flowing. But there is another side to the picture also. It has been said, ?A good father, finding his son on the wrong track, should institute switching procedures.? ?Horrors,? the ?bleeding liberal? cries in this day. But, all humor aside, the truth remains that discipline is an essential part of being a father. In Ephesians 6:4 we read: ?And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.? Let it be clearly understood that discipline means training, not punishment. From the very beginning of God?s dealing with mankind He has so ordered the family that the father is ?head? of the family and is charged with the serious responsibility of training the children. In Proverbs 22:6 we are reminded, ?Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.? While it is true that ?discipline? does not mean ?punishment,? it is also true that failure to discipline at the right time usually results in punishment?possibly for the father, as well as the child. When those of us who are privileged to be fathers stand before the judgment throne of God, I believe He will ask us: ?Did you just ?daddy? your children, or were you a real father to them?? From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Aug 11 00:02:25 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Aug 11 00:03:14 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Winning the Skirmishes Message-ID: I had a real "A-ha!" moment earlier this week. It was one of those moments where I could see just a little be more clearly and I realized just what kind of battles we are fighting. I let you all know about my adventure a few days ago of being the victim of an unscrupulous individual. I haven't told you the entire story, though. Now that I've put it together, I think it makes a good point. Around 6 pm on Sunday evening, someone halfway around the world (Finland, I later discovered) decided to take advantage of a loophole in my personal web server that I run out of my house. This person had discovered that I was running a web statistics program on my server that was out of date. This program had a known exploit in it that made it possible for the knowledgeable person to tell my server to do just about anything. He sent a few quick messages to my server that set off a long chain of events. He was basically using my server as a staging ground to send thousands and thousands of scam emails. I first noticed the problem about six hours later as my server was getting the bounced emails from invalid email addresses. I had over 5,000 bounces by then. After some searching that night and Monday afternoon, I finally discovered exactly how he had managed to pull it off. I closed the hole relatively quickly, but my email system was still trying to process all of the emails he had told it to send. By the end of the next day, the numbers were staggering. I had collected well over 10,000 bounces and I then cleared out over 50,000 emails that were waiting to be sent. A conservative estimate says that well over 100,000 emails probably made it out before I caught them. As you might expect, there are other smart people out there that figured out where this junk was coming from and complained to my service provider. I had to explain that I was taken advantage of, but that all was well now. In the end, this event cost me several hours, endangered my standing with my service provider, and could have caused me to be blacklisted by people who track spam sources on the web. After some thought, I realized that I have been hosting this list for just a few months. I am also in the process of setting up lists for other Christian groups. This made me smile. We must be doing something right for Satan to target us this way. He disrupted the list temporarily and screwed up my free time for a few days, but the long term results are good. I'm smarter about preventing and hunting these kinds of problems now. I'm in a better position to use my skills to serve God. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" James 1:2-3 At first, this event just felt like an annoying problem that I had to deal with. But, I realized, it was just a skirmish in the larger war. It was a trial to test my faith and abilities and to make me grow. I could have thrown my hands up and decided to stop running the server. Instead, I'm getting better at it and I want to do more. That's God motivating me. Nothing else. The same goes for trials in your life. Getting a flat tire, locking your keys in the car, losing your wallet, having a bout of insomnia, having your computer give you fits: these are all things that don't seem big on their own, but they are skirmishes. They are the little battles that test your faith and mettle. These are not insignificant. They are attempts by the enemy to keep you off balance. Take a deep breath. Learn from the situation. Move on. There's more fighting to do and you have to succeed in the skirmishes to be useful in the big battles. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 12 00:12:37 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Aug 12 00:13:24 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stuck in the Middle Message-ID: <769B7D98-0B00-11DA-BE0A-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I can be a bit of a political junkie at times. I'll cruise through my favorite talk radio shows, newspaper columnists, and blogs. There's always something else to read and a little more to learn. It's fun to hear so many different opinions and balance them out. I happened to come across a thought the other day that I've heard before, but it struck a stronger chord with me this time around. In all of the talk about politics we refer to people as conservative, liberal, and moderates. The closer you are to the middle, the more you are considered a moderate. Well, someone posed the thought that a "passionate moderate" might be an oxymoron. How can you be passionate about splitting the difference? Or seeking compromise? Does that make sense? You can respect someone with a different opinion if they defend it openly in a principled way. How do you defend the middle ground? It's an interesting concept. What struck me though was that this same pattern can be applied to your walk with Christ. You can be at one end of the spectrum where you flat out reject Christ and who He is. You can be at the other end where you have accepted Him and you are actively working to serve Him. Or, you can be in the middle where you kinda, sorta believe in God and you think Jesus was an important guy, but it doesn't really apply to your daily life. Church is a fine thing, but you have better things to do on Sunday. I know what the Bible says about how I should live, but I happen to like those racy movies or the TV shows that seem to be trying to break all ten commandments in an hour. What are you now? You're neither hot nor cold. You're lukewarm. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16 Do you see the problem? When you're lukewarm, you've lost your passion. You've lost your drive to live for what you believe because you don't really know or care what you believe anymore. If you're willing to let the world decide your values for you, then God can't use you. If you are a man of principle, then God can work on you. He can bring you to a place where you'll understand the truth. Once you're saved, you'll be passionate for Him. Don't kid yourself. Claiming to believe in God won't save you. You have to accept Him. If you have accepted Him, but haven't allowed Him to take control, then you're not very useful. Be passionate about Jesus Christ. We can get so wound up watching our favorite team score a touchdown or hit a home-run in the bottom of the 12th inning. We should be even more excited about the life Christ has given us and about telling others about Him. Don't be lukewarm. Live all out for Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 13 00:10:46 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Aug 13 00:13:45 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He's Watching Over You Message-ID: <5ECEC1B2-0BC9-11DA-B2B2-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I have a tendency to rush to judgment when the future seems to be heading a certain way. This was the case in my younger years when I got the bright idea to get involved in Rodeo. I remember telling my circle of friends, especially the girl friends, that I was signed up to ride in one of the local area events. My stature among the female population soared overnight. At local dances and get-togethers, I was elevated to the level of the Marlboro Man. I was so elated by the attention of the opposite sex, I failed to look far enough ahead to the time when I was actually going to have to go through with the commitment. I failed to heed certain advice given to me by wiser and older men. "Listen, Kid, don't let your mouth write checks your rear end can't cash," was one I should have listened to. "Bulls are to eat, not to ride," was another. "If you get hurt doing this, I'll have to replace you at work." That was from my step-dad. I even heard from the experts, "Be careful. The guy that is providing the stock for this event has a habit of trying out rank stock on these small shows to see if they are a fit for the pro circuit." No, none of that for me, I had a vision. There would be shiny belt buckles, adoration from girls, slaps on the back with a "great ride" from real cowboys. I would ride down the main street of La Veta, Colorado in my cousin's pick-up with one of several girls by my side. I hadn't decided which one would be granted the honor, but I knew life would be great. Well, the day did arrive and it became obvious that I would have to put up or shut up. The thought of the humiliation was too great to bear if I backed out, so I was determined to go through with the deed. I was signed up for two events: bareback riding and bull riding. Upon arrival behind the chutes, I became painfully aware that I was ill-prepared for what I was about to do. The cowboys that were there obviously looked at me the same way the guy at the slaughterhouse looks at the steer as he heads down the chute on his way to becoming hamburger. You don't have a clue about what is about to happen to you. I stood there with my spurs, chaps, bull rope, and bareback rigging with about a hundred eyes looking at me. I had to sit down on an old nail keg before my legs melted underneath me. My cousin, Butch, helped me get ready as I mentally prepared my will and wondered if anyone would attend my funeral. My stomach spun, my head swam, and my life was passing before my eyes. I was about up to the eighth grade when I heard my name called. It sounded like God because it reverberated across the night sky, but it was just the announcer over the PA system. "Don't know much about this young cowboy, but he is a local boy and this is his first ride, so let's give him a round of applause." Great, my humiliation was now complete. Butch, who I thought was my friend, said, "OK, you can't back out now." He helped me up and walked me to the back of the chute. I somehow put one boot over another until I was at the top. The lights were bright in the arena, the chute attendants looked at me and took over. "Give me your rig," one said. "Straddle the mount, but don't sit down until I give the OK," said another. The rig was in place and the biggest darn horse I had ever seen was right underneath me. "Alright son, settle down on him." I put my gloved left hand into my authentic Jim Shoulders signature rig and sat down. "Further forward," said an older voice. I felt the horse give a skin quiver as if to shake a fly. He snorted and stomped at the ground. I knew at once that he knew his business and I didn't know mine. "It isn't that hard," said Butch. "That's right. Just keep your left leg on his left side, your right leg on his right side, and your mind in the middle," said the older voice. The gate attendant looked at me and said, "When you are ready, let me know." I had imagined this moment a hundred times and what I would say. "Let's dance," was popular. "Let me have this nag," was another. What came out, though, was a puberty squeak that sounded like "OK. Outside." It has been said that eight seconds on a bareback bronc is the longest week of your life. As soon as this jughead saw a crack between the gate and the arena outside, he made his first move. He busted out with a giant leap that sent my legs up so high, I can remember looking at the arena lights between the toes of my boots. As his front hooves headed toward the ground, his butt came up and my head snapped back bringing my spurs down on his withers. I pulled my legs back and then out again. As he hit the ground stiff-legged, every joint in my body was separated. His next trick was to arch his back and go airborne with all four legs off the ground. It was at the apex of the arc that yours truly became airborne. I know I flipped because I remember the arena lights went dark as I was looking straight into the night sky. I remember thinking that I was up awful high and I knew that when I hit the ground it was going to hurt. It did. I had a severely sprained wrist and I hurt in places that I was sure wasn't good to hurt. I was in a daze as a couple of guys and my cousin helped me maintain a little dignity leaving the arena. Butch slapped me on the back and said, "Cousin, you sure excited the crowd." Leaning up against the fence was a skinny old cowpoke. He had a toothpick and a big smile, "I thought you had him there for a couple of jumps, partner." "Wow," I thought, "A real cowboy called me "partner"." I didn't ride a bull that day. One near death experience a night is enough for any man. I can only marvel at the times in my life that God protected me while I was growing up. Roy wasn't my official middle name until later. During my youth, it was "Stupid". However, protect me He did. For what good reason, I cannot yet say. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" Jeremiah 1:5 There is nothing I can say or do that He doesn't know about. "He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man" John 2:25 Praise Him that He is in charge. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 14 00:46:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 14 00:47:42 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stop Giving Directions Message-ID: <9576E00A-0C97-11DA-817E-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I understand that I am to be the head of the household. I am to be the provider and protector of my wife and son. My wife has embraced these roles and loves to remind me of them when I'm falling down on the job. However, there is one situation that is a pet peeve of mine, but I've found a good analogy in it for all of you. At least once or twice a month, I am asked to make the phone call that she doesn't want to make. It might be to a doctor or repair service or about a mixup with a bill. She will give me precise instructions on who to call and what to ask. Afterwards, I have to give a detailed report on the outcome and I will be reprimanded if I did not ask the "obvious" follow-up questions. Mentally, I always ask, "If you knew what you wanted to ask and how to follow-up those questions, why didn't you make the call?" It can get frustrating. I want to be the protector and do all of the little things that she doesn't want to do because I love her. I kill the spiders. I fix the cars. And, I make the uncomfortable phone calls. I'm happy to do it, but it's very difficult to do it exactly the way she wants. Sometimes, I don't agree with how she wants it done and I'll do it the way I feel is best. That never ends well, either. I would prefer that she simply ask me, "Could you figure out what's wrong here and fix it?" and then trust me to take care of it and let her know the important points that resulted. I think we often attempt to get God to work that way for us. We're saved and we know that He loves us and wants to bless us. So, we pray by asking God to solve a problem a very particular way. Some folks will not even pray for the big thing they are concerned about, but they'll pray for some smaller thing that they think will result in the bigger thing. That's like asking God for a 20-yard pass when what you really want is the touchdown. You really don't care how you get the touchdown, so why are you asking for the pass play? Don't give God a list of directions on how to solve the problem. Lay your problems at His feet and trust that He will take care of them. You are clueless about what the right solution would be. Don't bother guessing. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 God's plan is the best plan out there. He wants what is best for you. Quit trying to tell Him otherwise. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1 Don't fret. Don't worry. Just hand it over to Him and let Him lead you and find the right solutions. God knows what He's doing. Quit trying to tell Him how to do His job! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 14 23:58:45 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 14 23:59:52 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] What's Your Motivation? Message-ID: <0596F409-0D5A-11DA-A090-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Why do I do the things I do? It should be a fairly simple proposition to look at one's behavior, categorize it as good or bad, and then just do the good. Larry Crabb says that all behavior makes sense. It may be sinful, ineffective, or even bizarre, but it does make sense. Actually, I don't mind that explanation when it applies to my behavior because it just means that the rest of you don't understand my needs. Therefore, you don't understand my behavior. You should get therapy! I do mind when it applies to my wife or kids. Frankly, at times, they do some pretty strange things and if they would just look at things logically and snap out of it, life would be good and they wouldn't waste as much of my time. Dr. Crabb says it is all about motivation: the basic force which results in specific behavior. The force comes in my mind when I believe that a certain behavior will result in filling a need. I do know a little about motivation. I could start back when I was a child and I was motivated to change my behavior because I didn't like the way my mom would get my attention. It had to do with striking my rump with anything that was handy. However, a better example was during a rehearsal in college. We were doing a play called "The Odd Couple". We were deep in the throes one night of working out blocking. Blocking is where the director tells you where to be at any given time during the scene. It had been a long night of messed up lines, fatigue, personalities, and egos. I had about a million lines in this show and it was driving me nuts. We came to a part where a young lady became part of the scene and had just a few lines. We were all looking forward to finishing up and going home so we thought we would breeze through her part and hit the road. Well, she took her craft pretty seriously. Actually, it was way too seriously. The direction gave the blocking to her for each one of her three or four lines and we proceeded to run through the scene. She said her first line, but didn't move where the director told her to move just a couple of minutes before. We stopped and he asked, "Why didn't you move?" "I don't understand my motivation," she said. She wanted motivation to move. I turned to her and said, "Here, you need to move over here when you say your line." "I don't feel motivated to move on that line. It feels all wrong, " she said. I immediately moved into what Dr. Crabb calls "disequilibrium" (which is perceived as anxiety). I was indeed feeling anxious. I tend to get that way around people I sense have the IQ of a doorknob. "Look," said the director, "You really don't have to feel anything. Just put one foot in front of the other and move." "But what is my motivation?" she asked again. Personally, I was about to employ my mother's cure for motivation and was in the process of choosing one of many props on the set with which to apply it. I had just zoned in on a fly swatter when I heard, "Young woman, your motivation to move when I tell you is that I am the director and you will bloody well do what I tell you when I tell you or you will be explaining to your parents why, after hundreds of dollars of tuition, you are no longer enrolled in this program. Now, move it or lose it." I was thinking, "Hey, Mom. Is that you? I didn't know you were a stage director." Here's the deal: Sometimes you don't have to see the big picture. You don't have to have a motivation that you understand. You just have to understand that God is the director and when He tells you to move, you really ought to move. "Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God." Isaiah 50:10 Don't wait for the Lord to give you a direction that matches your earthly perception. Your perception means nothing to Him until it matches His wishes. "Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases." Ecclesiastes 8:3 It's His planet, brother. "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Psalm 135:6 Read the Word and do what it says. It's all the motivation you need. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 16 00:20:34 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 16 00:21:30 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Sneaking Message-ID: <3C8EA7AE-0E26-11DA-8CB0-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I was a relatively well-behaved kid. I didn't get into trouble. I got good grades. I even had a few part-time jobs. One nice result of this good behavior was that my parents gave me a lot of freedom during my last years of high school. If I felt sick, I would just stay home. They didn't get angry because they knew I'd make up the work. Heck, even my teachers at school started to get lax. During my senior year, I skipped three classes in one day to track down a friend who was going to help me with a final project that day. When I walked into class late, the teacher gave me a stern look and let it pass. That was the result of months of good behavior: I got a pass when I did cut a corner. By far the worst case of this kind of stretch was how I would sneak out of the house at night. During my freshman through junior years of high school, we lived in a duplex that didn't have enough bedrooms for all three kids. Therefore, I got the coolest room a teenager could have. I had a room in the unfinished area under the garage. The walls were insulated, so I could play my music loud and late into the night. The room was a half-sunken basement so my window opened at ground level. That made it quite easy to sneak out and go run around with my friends. One night, I ran the table of rule-breaking. I left my room late to go visit my girlfriend. I didn't have a ride, so I had to figure out how to get the family car I was driving without waking my parents up. I went with brute force. I put it in neutral and pushed it down the street until I was about five houses away. Then I started it up and drove. I drove to the apartment of a friend who wasn't much older than me. He and his girlfriend were there and my girlfriend was waiting. We hung out for a few hours and I finally went home at about three or four in the morning. So, I left the house without permission. I took the car without permission. I spent time with my girlfriend privately without adult supervision. Wow. At the time, I thought it had been the perfect crime. Years later, Dad told me that he knew I'd been sneaking out because of all of the footprints outside my window. However, I'm pretty sure that he didn't know what I had done. That is, until he reads this. I tell you this story to relate this fact. I was a good kid. I earned some freedom in my life and I took advantage of that. I took advantage of the fact that I knew I could take off and do what I wanted without my parents knowing. At the time, it was like getting a mulligan for good behavior. I figured I had earned it. Let me be clear, though. It does NOT work that way with God. If you obey His direction and follow His paths, He will bless you. However, He doesn't give you a pass on a little indiscretion because of your good behavior. You can't earn an indulgence. "The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." Psalm 94:11 "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:1-4 Make sure you aren't living your life with the expectation of a little rebellion on the side. That may be normal for a teenage boy, but it won't work with God. He knows it all. He knows your heart. Serve Him because it's the way to true joy. There's no sneaking out while God's sleeping. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 17 00:05:50 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 17 00:06:41 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Lean Back Message-ID: <57B52B4C-0EED-11DA-8CA2-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> One of the most difficult things to do as a Christian is to truly turn things over to God. It's tough to let Him direct you, but at least you experience the path as you go. For me, it's even tougher to hand problems or worries over to Him and then really let them go. Like a missile from a fighter jet, you have to "fire and forget". You have to hand it over to Him and then let Him deal with it. That can mean never knowing exactly how it is dealt with other than the result. For me, it's difficult to trust something I can't check up on. But, we all have to learn that skill. I am reminded of the time during ROTC training that I learned how to rappel. There was no easing into this. There was a quick demonstration by some professionals and then they lined us up to try. Despite the fact that I had watched several of my fellow trainees do this exercise, I still had no idea what I was in for. They put a rope harness around my rear end and between my legs. The trainer cinched it up enough that I had to stifle a squeak. He then clipped the rope to me, showed me how to hold it, and then showed me where to line up. I was standing facing backwards with my heels hanging off the edge of a 90 foot tower holding my lifeline in my hands. The trainer then looked me straight in the eye and said, "Lean back." I think I blew a circuit. My body rebelled and wouldn't move. It was the most unnatural feeling to slowly lean backwards over a high ledge. For the rappelling to work correctly, your legs have to be roughly perpindicular to the wall. You have to bend yourself into an L-shape and keep your feet as flat as possible. Furthermore, while I could peek over my shoulder once in a while, I could not turn around to look where I was going. If I had, I would lose my orientation and begin to slide. This is not a natural position and my muscles kept fighting me. As I pushed out and slid down a few feet at time, the feeling of falling kept coming back and my muscles tried to react. I had to keep forcing them back to the proper position and keep my eyes looking at the wall in front of me, not the several story drop. It wasn't pretty, but I made it to the bottom. I also learned just how hard it is to force your body to do something you've been training it for years not to do. In this case, forcing your self into a controlled fall. It just wasn't natural. I think it feels equally unnatural for men to take an issue that is high on their list and simply hand it over to God. We want to wrap our arms around it and control the situation. We feel more comfortable when we can make the decisions. There's something we have to fight in handing important things over to someone else. Even if it is God. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Remember: He's better at problem solving than you are. You may not get to see how He does it, but you'll get better results than if you try to take care of it. I know it feels strange. But, just lean back and let Him worry about the rope. It just works better that way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 17 23:58:16 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 17 23:59:12 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Bluffing the Bear Message-ID: <7385431C-0FB5-11DA-8A37-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I had something happen to a client today that, when it happens to me, makes me want to hold my breath until I implode. I had this client's wife tell me not to worry about something her husband said because he has a certain character quality that makes him think and act a certain way. She went on to tell how he REALLY is and then told me things I know he wouldn't want me to know. God love them, but sometimes in an effort to "set the world right" they can mess up a plan. In this case, it may have cost them money in a deal. Here is what I mean: One of my fellow prayer warriors uses an analogy about how a man is supposed to scour the countryside to find a cave. He then has to kick out the bear and occupy the cave with his wife and family. The bear, in this case, is the world. The bear will try to reoccupy the cave in many forms. It is up to the man to keep the bear out. Now, during those cozy moments in the cave, the woman will inevitably come to a point when she utters the famous words, "Talk to me. You never talk to me." This is code for, "Tell me your secrets. Allow me to understand your vulnerabilities and your weaknesses. I want to be a helper to you." The thing that women frequently misunderstand about us is that, in our duty to keep the bears out, we will employ a technique called "The Bluff". This is quite natural and is even encouraged by your local forest ranger. They tell you that if you should encounter a bear on the trail, you should make a lot of noise and do everything possible to make yourself look bigger. The idea, of course, is to frighten the bear off so you don't have to fight him. We learn this technique on the playground when we are bullied. It sounds something like, "Oh yeah?" To which we respond, "Yeah!" The bully says, "Says who?" We say, "Me!" Then, the bully says, "Oh yeah?" Then we say, "Yeah!" And on it goes until someone backs down. The one thing that can kill a successful bluff is when our mate, who can't stand conflict or, in some cases, can't stand not having conflict, steps up and reveals something we told them during the cozy moments to the bear or the bully. "There is really no need for this. You are acting immature. You know you can't fight this bear. You know that bears scare you to death. You act this way just because you are a little frightened." It is at this point that we look at our mate with a glower and she realizes that we are not happy. Her response is, "You know it's true!" She has to say it a little louder to be heard over the sound of the bear sharpening his claws and teeth. "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house" Matthew 12:29 "In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob the house." Luke 11:21 "Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazarite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." Judges 16:15-17 Shortly after this last episode, the bear came for Samson. "To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16 If this message makes you uncomfortable, take it up with God. He wrote the rules. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 19 00:22:33 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Aug 19 00:23:25 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Mysterious Ways Message-ID: <0258378B-1082-11DA-8688-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Some days it just seems so obvious and clear to me. I can see how the pieces fit together. I can see how a little nudge over here will get a reaction way over there. I can see how everything works. Or, so it seems. When I have these moments of clarity, I have to remember not to act like I've seen it all. When God deigns to pull back the veil a little bit, don't kid yourself into thinking you've got the whole picture. When I have that kind of clarity about an issue or problem, I feel confident and clear on my direction. When I need to explain what is so obvious to me to someone else, then it starts to unravel. Have you ever had those moments where the person you are trying to explain something to just doesn't seem to get it? When it's something subjective or opinion-related, it's easy to fall into a trap. It's the trap of thinking, "If they don't agree with me, I just haven't explained it well enough, yet." You convince yourself that there is some way to arrange the data and connect the dots so this person will say, "Eureka! I see it. I agree with you 100%!". Sometimes, that just doesn't happen. I distinctly remember going through this with my father when I got married. You see, I married at young age and Dad was worried about my plans for college and a career. He was convinced that I was going about things the wrong way. He kept trying to explain the situation to me in different ways in the hope that it would finally click for me. He was just sure that he hadn't explained it well enough, yet. What he didn't understand, though, was that he didn't have the whole picture. He didn't know my mind or my future wife's mind about our plans and how committed we were to following through. The pastor who did our pre-marriage counseling even tried explaining to Dad that everything was okay, that we were ready. Dad was just convinced that he saw me taking the wrong path. I love and respect him for the passion of his beliefs at that time. He had the right motivation, but he didn't have all of the information. He does now, and would agree that the decision we made panned out. That took time, though. I think of how many times I've been just as passionate with a prayer to God. I've prayed and prayed and prayed about a particular problem or issue. I prayed about the outcome I wanted and it wouldn't come. I started to wonder if God was listening. Why didn't He just do what was blatantly obvious to me? Well, of course, the problem was that I didn't have all of the information. God has the big strategy plan and He can see all the pieces and how they fit. He knows exactly where I need to be and what needs to happen to make me the person He will use later. Those experiences teach me to remember that I never have all of the information. I never have the ultimate big picture. We have the old saying, "God works in mysterious ways." Actually, I'm sure His ways make perfect sense to someone who can see the whole plan. To us, it's confusing and illogical. But, then, we don't have access to the information that He has. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 His ways are different. They won't always make sense to us now, but they might after time has passed and we get to see more of the big picture. "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deuteronomy 32:3-4 His ways are not only much better than ours, they are perfect. His ways will bring about perfect justice and a perfect resolution. So, if God doesn't seem to be listening to you, it probably isn't because you haven't explained the issue to Him well enough. It's probably because He's dealing with the issue in ways you haven't imagined. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 19 08:20:01 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Aug 20 06:48:50 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Disappointing Message-ID: How self-righteous we can get when our children disappoint us. "You were brought up better than this. After all we have done for you, this is the way you repay us for our sacrifice?" I have just recently come to realize how this attitude is mindless, uncaring, and un- biblical. To have this attitude toward your children is to completely forget our relationship with Christ. It is so simple in the light of day. We always disappoint Jesus. How much more He has the right to say these things to us. What in our lives have we done for our children that compares to what He did for us? "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:12-14 Suppose the single thing God was going to use to judge you was the way you had compassion for your children. What would the verdict be? Look past your children's behavior and into their hearts. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 21 01:30:27 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 21 01:31:37 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Talk About Reality Message-ID: We can become desensitized to reality. The television has rubbed us raw and then a great hard scab has formed so that we have lost touch with reality. The reality of which I speak is the gap between the Bible and everyday life. Our children now accept murder, deviant behavior, lies, slander, and social engineering as normalcy. The producers of this madness, with a straight face, will look us in they eye and say, "Parent, if you don't want your kids exposed then keep them from it." They say this knowing full well that with all of the resources they have at their disposal including visual media, print, and the Internet, they have the upper hand in reaching kids somewhere. Those kids will reach other kids and so on. At no time do they set aside the drive for ill-gotten profit (not all profit is bad, by the way) for the good of the children. We point to natural disasters and cry out, "How can a loving God let this happen?" Never do we ask the question, "What can we do to please a loving God?" Well folks, you can't hide it from your kids, but you can train them to recognize it for what it is. This is about survival until God calls us home. We must show our children the gap sin produces between God and man. "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:13-17 It is never too late to start no matter how hold your kids may be. It starts with, "I made an error in not talking to you about something until now." Then talk to them. It is an everyday battle, but if you speak righteousness and pray, God will change their hearts. Next, let your life reflect what you say. Do this until the day you die and you will have done what God has asked of you. "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:7-8 Guys, you are not alone. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 21 23:31:37 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 21 23:33:49 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Pleasing Him Message-ID: <640BC950-12D6-11DA-A99A-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Throughout history, man has attempted to declare to the world his allegiance to God. Kings have proclaimed Him while taking the crown. Presidents have declared that God was on their side. Some advocate that they are divinely appointed. Preachers build great churches and stand tall in the pulpit. The fact is that some are sincere and some are not. God will sort them out. Sinful men all. We should see them as men and judge their fruit. What can man do to be sure he is giving God what He wants? How does each individual know in their heart that they please God? Rich and famous or just regular folks, the answer is the same. It is what makes us all equal in the end. The great sacrifices (offerings) and monuments don't impress the God who created the universe. A God that spoke into existence the sun, the moon, and Earth. Everyday of our lives - and that includes Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Billy Graham, you, and me - we all have the same chance to please God. "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" Psalm 51:15-17 So simple, yet to some, so difficult. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" Proverbs 4:23 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 Be careful what you let into your heart. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 23 00:09:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 23 00:10:53 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Sacred Life Message-ID: If you live on a ranch or a farm, you are not a stranger to suffering. You make many life and death decisions when it comes to animals. Cows, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, varmints, rodents, deer, elk... I have killed them all. I also have done everything possible to save the life of an animal. Economics play a big part in the life of a rancher or a farmer, but so does compassion. A lot of it has a lot to do with a weaving of their lives with ours. I have stalked deer and elk and killed them both for food and, yes, for the experience. When not hunting for food, I have saved the life of deer and elk. I have come upon them and was in awe of their existence. I have turned in poachers and hunted with friends. Killing during the hunt is nothing more than one animal and one bad day. I am a meat eater. If it is good to eat and legal to hunt, I may choose to kill it. If you happen to be sideways with this, I'll be glad to discuss it. I have also killed animals to put them out of their suffering. I've had to do this to animals that I loved. I have also labored to deliver calves that otherwise would die. I have made friends with raccoons, skunks, birds, deer, and protected them during hunting season. These are animals and our relationship with animals is different than with people. Many people have attempted to blur the line between animals and people. I blame Walt Disney for a lot of this blur. Old Walt gave animals human qualities. After a while, we somehow began to believe that mice really live in little hollow logs with the mother mouse wearing a little apron while cooking on a miniature stove. Here is the thing: some life is sacred. Human life is sacred. Mickey Mouse's isn't. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Man has placed himself in the role of rancher and farmer of humans. He has decided that unborn babies should die. He has decided that assisted suicide is fine. He has placed himself in the role of God. "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise." 1 Corinthians 3:18 This is all in God's Kingdom plan. He owns it because He made it. "and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, [...] and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 1 Corinthians 3:20-21,23 Get it right, men. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 24 22:33:03 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 24 23:29:53 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Staying on the Trail Message-ID: Bright ideas. My mother would always invoke that phrase when I had dome something that defied even my logic as a youngster. "Where did you come up with that bright idea?" she would ask as I lay in a heap with my bike or tangled up in a mass of something. Well, having bright ideas isn't something I left at home when I ventured off on my own. During one of our many hunting trips on the Snake River, we heard about some sheepherders staying upriver that might be willing to rent us some mules. We had hatched the bright idea that mules would be a great asset during our deer hunt. The fact that they were not trained to having a 7mm BAR fired in close proximity or that they had not become familiar with the smell of fresh blood didn't enter into our thinking as we negotiated the use of two of these beauties. Now, here is the tale I wish to impart. It happened near the end of our hunt. After many miles on the trail and much hunting, we got to know these mules fairly well. We learned their personalities, their likes and dislikes, what they would stand for, and what they wouldn't. I learned that the primary focus of a mule is self-preservation. In short, if it's me or you, it's me. This became abundantly clear to me when I drew the short straw and was elected to walk the pair back up the river to their owners. The shortest route was via what is known as the lower trail. The lower trail is there, but in places it is just barely there. In several places, the trail is cut out of the rock face of the canyon. It is about three feet wide with a sheer drop of over twenty feet into the Snake River. Walking the trail alone would have been an adventure, but leading two mules made it a notch above hair-raising. While walking this part of the trail, I came upon a rock slide that had covered it. It was at a point where the trail was too narrow to turn around and go back. Even though we stopped, the mules began to act a lot like that is just what they wanted to do. It was a pickle to be sure. Stopping made them nervous. Going back was not an option. Going forward was something I didn't want to contemplate. I hand-fed them a couple of crabapples I was carrying, but that made them want to be closer to me to get more. At one point, I had both hands on the lead mule's halter and she lifted her head and started to turn around. She lifted me off the ground and hung me out over the river. We were eye to eye. She clearly wanted me off, but my attitude was, "If I go, girl, you go, too." The mule angel helped out and she turned back into the wall and I regained my footing. I decided it was every man and mule for themselves. I unhooked the rear mule's lead - no small feat in itself - then I hooked the lead to the front mule's lead so as to give myself more to work with. Next, I crawled over the slide, hand over hand, with the lead in my mouth. I reached the other side and was determined to coax the lead mule over the slide in hopes the second would follow. I tugged on the lead and she tugged right back. No go. I played my trump card and showed her my last crabapple and tugged again. She looked at me with utter mule disdain and brayed several times. The sound reverberated off the canyon walls and caused the second mule to come right up on the lead mule's rump. She finally made the same decision I had made and began coming over the slide with one eye on the apple and one eye on the ledge. It took a while, but step by step the old girl made it over and the one in the rear followed suit. I didn't start to shake until we were out on the flat and I turned around to see where we had been. The only reason anyone believed me back at camp was because they could see the trail and where we had come while in a jet-boat on the river. "You are a wonderment, Webb," was the only comment. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13 "He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."" Luke 13:24 We all come to narrow places in our lives when we don't know which way to go, but the road to Christ is one narrow road on which we must always go forward. Rocks, mules, or fear must not make us take our eyes off of Him. The life we choose as Christians is not easy, but it is the only path to eternal life. It doesn't hurt to find a mule-headed Christian to follow, either. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Aug 25 21:56:05 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Aug 25 23:16:56 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Are You Ready? Message-ID: It is no secret that the Japanese culture has raised manufacturing to a high art. It hasn't been long since they surrendered to the Allies on the deck of the battleship Missouri. Douglas MacArthur, not only a great general, but a man of vision, knew that in order for Japan to be able to provide for 90 million citizens, it had to produce products and be able to compete in the world marketplace. It is one thing to be a great victor, but quite another to be a compassionate conquerer. In one of the great ironies of history, it only took the vanquished a few decades to lead the world. When was the last time you saw a Studebaker, Allis Chalmers, International Harvester, or Nash product on the market? These were some of the great corporations that made the American war machine. I remember when anything from Japan was considered cheap junk. The truth be known, corporate America fell asleep. Old Doug MacArthur called on a young man from Wyoming named Ed Deming to come to Japan and give a little talk on quality and production. A few of the boys from Sony, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota liked what they heard. The rest, as they say, is history. The fellas at Ford and many other American companies thought they had a free run at getting and keeping the lion's share of the world economy. They were so busy placating the unions instead of innovating that what Japan didn't win in the war, they got through listening to a good old boy from Wyoming. Now, the most prestigious award for quality manufacturing in Japan is the Deming Award. The award has spread across the globe and is now considered the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. Guys, history has a habit of surprising you when you aren't paying attention. By the way, Ed Deming was an accomplished musician and music writer. He wrote his last composition at age 89. He was also a Christian. http://www.deming.org/theman/biography.html Jesus Christ was here before and He is coming back. No amount of NFL, WWF, MLB, NBA, PGA, Playboy, Friends, Sex and the City, NASCAR, movies, money, fishing, hunting, houses, cars, boats, or beer is going to keep Him from returning. In the meantime, your individual ticket could be punched at any second. That presents you with two questions: Are you ready if He comes right now? Are you ready if you go before He comes? It's just that simple. "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."" Revelation 1:12-18 "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels" Revelation 3:5 "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15 It should be quite a show if your name is in the book. On the other hand... Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 27 00:04:51 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Aug 27 00:07:46 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have a Willing Mind Message-ID: How many times have you been asked to have an open mind about something? I have often prayed that someone would have an open mind about the gospel. It occurs to em that an open mind, like an open door, will allow just about anything to walk in. I look back on my life and having an open mind usually ended up in sin. Progressive thinking always seemed like a good thing as it had the connotation that I was coming up out of the past to the future. Somehow I was convinced that old-fashioned really meant archaic. What a term to apply to Jesus Christ! That is what we do when we have an open mind about the world. It is not out of fear that we might become enlightened that we should have a closed mind about the world, but out of obedience. It all started with Eve having an open mind about the fruit on the tree of knowledge. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I would submit that having a willing mind is what I should pray for in the future. As Kind David, a man who had an open mind too often, told his people and, especially, his son, Solomon. "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 After all, guys, Jesus made the world and He made you. If you have a parachute with a hole in it, who are your going to take it to for repairs? Hugh Hefner? M&M? Britney Spears? Paris Hilton? The ACLU? Brother, if you don't have Christ leading your life, you have a big hole in your parachute. Be careful who you ask to sew it up. Have a willing mind to take it to an old-fashioned craftsman. If you ask Him, the creator of the universe will take the time to do it by hand. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 28 00:51:31 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 28 00:52:22 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Foundations Message-ID: <8BE60AF3-1798-11DA-9095-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> We were very happy with our new house. We had bought it while it was still being built, so we got to pick out flooring, light fixtures, paint colors, and more. However, when we moved in, the landscaping left a little to be desired. When I went out back to barbecue dinner that summer, I felt like I was standing on a moonscape. The land our house had been built on was flat for about fifteen feet away from the patio and then sloped down about four feet over the next twenty or so feet away from the house. We decided we wanted a flat backyard and so did our neighbors, who all had the same problem. We went in together and had a retaining wall built and the sloping area filled in. We topped it all off with some good sandy loam to plant grass. Soon after this, we all decided we needed fences, too. We all built lovely six foot high cedar fences that divided our properties nicely. The fences felt strong and sturdy and we were all very proud of ourselves. Then the winter came. The fence posts reacted quite differently to the excess precipitation. The posts between and near the houses held up quite well. The posts along the back edge of our yards shifted dramatically. I had one post sink several inches. Another had a good fifteen degree tilt inward. My neighbor had to brace his fence as the entire back section was threatening to lay down completely. What we deduced was that the fill dirt had shifted considerably more than the dirt that had been there when we moved in. In retrospect this sounds like a, "Well, duh!" kind of statement. The rain had rearranged, shifted, and generally compacted the dirt that had been dumped. No matter how strong we had built the fence, the dirt underneath wasn't ready to support it when it rained. Even more interestingly, after the posts were set, there would have been no way to tell the difference until the rain came. This taught me a lesson about knowing your foundation. Know what you're building on. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27 Note that Jesus is talking about folks who hear the Word, but don't practice it. The foundation He wants you to build on is the practice of the Word. Not just the belief. I knew it was going to rain that winter. I even knew the dirt would probably settle a bit, but I still trusted the fact that when I set those posts, they felt solid to me. It didn't matter how solid they were in August. It mattered how solid they would be after a couple of months of rain in November. Another neighbor had decided to attach her back posts to the retaining wall. Those posts didn't move. She knew the wall wasn't going anywhere and decided to depend on that. We know that following God's Word will always steer us right and is the best possible way to avoid the traps of sin. Why do we always try it on our own? Don't just nod your head in agreement with the pastor. Take the Word as your plan for each day. Build your foundation on the practice of serving God. Then your house will stand against all rain, rising water, and storms. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 With apologies to Nike, just do it. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 28 23:45:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Aug 28 23:46:46 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Number Your Days Message-ID: <8BC3F59B-1858-11DA-9BBE-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> If you don't know about Katrina already, turn on your TV or radio. It'll be the top story. As I write this, weathermen are predicting that this monster will hit heavily populated areas with hideous wind, rain, and flooding. The talking heads have explained over and over how New Orleans is actually a city that is below sea level. Levies hold back the water to allow this city to exist. If the storm surge hits the city directly, it will flood two to three stories deep. Worse, since it's below sea level the city cannot drain naturally. It may take several months to get the water out of the city. There are more predictions like this that could easily make you curl up in a ball of despair for those folks. I can only shake my head in awe and sadness. I am in awe of the power of God's creation. That it can generate such an unstoppable force reminds me that this is only a glimpse of the power God has. I am saddened by the trauma and fear that is being felt by so many people. I am also saddened because it is likely that quite a few will not survive this storm. It only drove home the message our pastor preached on Sunday. You do not know when your time here will be done. Live your life like today could be the last. For many in the Southeast, today will be their last. How many rejected Christ's offer? How many never heard it presented clearly? How many will miss opportunities to hear it because they won't live to see next week? Those are reasons to not tarry in sharing your witness. However, there are other questions. How many are saddened by all of the things they did not do? How many will be in front of God saying "I never got around to it."? How many will realize that all they live for is about to be swept away? We need to live the life worth living. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? Your are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14 I'm sure the people who will pass away in the next day or two did not intend for this to be the end. They did not put their life in order and arrange to exit. This was not part of the plan. The point is that it doesn't matter. However much you prepare and lay out the paths of your life, it won't go the way you intend. "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 Understand how short your days are. Whether you will only live a couple more or for another forty years, it's not long. Life is short anyway you measure it. Fill it with things that are worth something. Spend your time doing things that you will be happy to show God in Heaven. I pray for the safety of the folks about to be hit with this storm. However, it's a mathematical certainty that some will lose their lives. Were it me huddling over my cot in the Superdome, I would not want to be thinking of all of the things I'd wish I had done with my life before I had to face God. Number your days. Realize how short they are. Live accordingly. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 30 00:03:30 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 30 00:06:10 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Being Sure Message-ID: <2B9E9739-1924-11DA-B173-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Be always sure you are right - then go ahead. Davy Crockett Growing up, this guy was one of my heroes. I never really figured out just how to be always sure that I was right. Before I was hired as a sales manager at a foundry, the management thought it would be a good idea to send me off to an industrial psychologist. They wanted to see how I would interface with more than fifty crusty individuals from two unions that thought that anyone from management was there to do nothing but spy on them and keep them from making money. Evidently I filled the bill because they hired me. During the evaluation process, the interviewer was reviewing my results with me. He stopped and put down his pen and asked me a question. "This is off the record, Allen, but guys like you fascinate me. What makes you so curious that you always rush to open the closed door?" I didn't really understand what he meant and, to tell you the truth, I thought it was a trick question. "No, it isn't a trick question," he said, "I'm serious. Every once in a while a guy like you comes through our office and I just can't understand how you think. Every answer you've given indicates that you rush toward everything, sometimes without regard to your own safety." My reasoning was simple. "I guess it only makes sense to me," I said, "If it's a problem then the sooner you get there the sooner you can do something. If it's something good, you want to be the first guy there." This did set me to thinking about how many times I have rushed through the door with bad information. I recall a time in Tucson, Arizona, when I was living in a trailer court renting a shack. No, really, it was a shack. The walls in the bathroom had begun to separate to the point that I had to nail up an old shower curtain over the split to maintain privacy. One early morning, I woke up to a racket and big billows of smoke coming out of the bathroom. I did exactly what the psychologist was talking about. I grabbed a pan of water and bounded into the bathroom to put out the fire. Surprise! It wasn't smoke. It was steam. The hot water heater had ruptured and there was about three inches of scalding hot water on the floor. There I was with a pan of water in my bare feet. Luckily, the desire to rush through the door works both ways, in and out. I also had the only outdoor indoor bathroom in the court as the explosion was too much for the nailed up shower curtain and the wall. Being sure is a good thing. For example, have a sure foundation. "Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed."" Isaiah 28:16 Being sure of your decision for Christ. "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;" 2 Peter 1:10 Being sure in your heart of who He is. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Matthew 5:18 There are some doors worth the risk, even if you aren't so sure. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 30 23:10:16 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Aug 30 23:11:08 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Depend on the Real Message-ID: I am not very artistic. In fact, a stick figure can give me a lot of trouble. This fact wasn't particularly helpful in my chosen major in college: Technical Theater. My pursuit required a lot of design work in sets and lighting. Man, the hours of frustration I spent trying to draw renderings and do watercolors. The only way I could survive was to draw mechanically. Drop point perspective, isometric, and birds-eye views all produced renderings that were a lot more precise than what some of my counterparts produced. In other words, their concepts often outshone me, as well as their presentations. However, one day when I was lamenting over my deficiency, the professor set me straight. "Allen, your art may never hang in a gallery, but the most important thing about your work is that it can be built. You see, a set design that creates excitement is one that can go from concept to the stage, not one that is all concept and no mechanics. Half of what I see could never really be used in theater. It's all a mind game." He taught me about budgets, the concept of recycling old sets, and many more practical aspects that allowed me to design and build. The last set I designed was for a production of "Godspell". After the production was over, we sold the set as a playground unit to a church to recoup some of the production costs. The point here is that a concept is useless unless you can put it into practice to affect lives. So it goes spiritually. Goodness, the bookshelves are filled with concepts, but in the end there is no substance. They are all elaborate paintings without mechanics. Jesus Christ is not a concept. He is pure mechanics. He is real. You don't look at Jesus Christ and theorize over His meaning. He was born. He walked, talked, and taught. He performed events that defied all earthly logic including reversing the effects of death. There are no shades of Christ, no hues of Christ, no form, no balance or -isims. Jesus Christ is either exactly who the Bible says He is, or He is nothing at all. (The following information is from the John Ankerberg website) ? Jesus was buried in a tomb -- both His friends and His enemies knew where it was ( Matthew 27:62-66 ) ? The tomb was found empty early Sunday morning. (Want proof? Look at Matthew 28:11-15 where Jesus' enemies cook up a story to explain why it was empty! ) ? Jesus' disciples and a lot of other people saw Him alive after they had seen him killed and buried (1 Corinthians 15:3-9 ) ? Jesus' disciples believed that He had risen. So much so, that they were willing to die for their belief. (Which is amazing when you consider that Peter had already proved that he could crack under very little pressure - Matthew 26:69-75 ) Jesus is alive. All other religious leaders are dead. Which would you rather trust - a living Lord or a dead guru? ? Say the welcoming word to God - "Jesus is my Master" - embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation ( Romans 10:9, The Message ) Anything in your life you rely upon should play second chair to Jesus. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 31 22:36:14 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Aug 31 23:43:46 2005 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Human Exceptionalism Message-ID: <4FE5CE9E-1AAA-11DA-9A93-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I am amazed at how some people will question the most obvious things and then be stunned at the answers. Time magazine ran a cover a while back that declared that science was showing that men and women are different. I read a poll commissioned by ABC News recently that asked people if they were satisfied with the price of gas. What was most stunning about that poll was that six percent said yes! Then I read an article the other day that really hit home just how lost some people are. The London Zoo has decided to open a new exhibit. Inside a rocky enclosure normally used for big cats, they have humans on display. They hired good looking young adults to hang out in a zoo enclosure in their bathing suits for a few weeks. The spokesman for the zoo was quoted as saying, "Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals, teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate." What?! One of the "animals" on exhibit said, "A lot of people think humans are above other animals. When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds us that we're not that special." Pardon me? I have always just taken for granted that humans were different than other animals. We are superior. We have not only the authority to subdue the earth and it's creatures, but the responsibility to be good stewards with God's creation. The moral equivalency going on here is mind boggling. And, clearly, there are many more people who agree with it than I imagined. There is a concept called Human Exceptionalism. It is the belief that we are entitled to live by different rules than other species. Some who don't believe in God, argue that it's arrogant to think that we're better. I guess we should ignore the whole thing about building civilizations, creating art, doing scientific research, and generally being way ahead of the rest of the animal kingdom. I seem to have missed the dolphin that discovered penicillin or the chimpanzee that harnessed electricity or the dog that painted the Sistine Chapel. This equivalency comes from minds with no point of reference. They can't get their moral bearings based on what they see. God, on the other hand, was very clear about the order of things: In Genesis 2:15-19 you can read how God created Adam. He then placed Adam in the Garden to "work it and take care of it." Already, Adam had a job that none of the animals could do. God then decided that Adam needed a helper. None of the animals needed a helper because they didn't have the responsibilities that Adam had. God brought all of the animals to Adam so he could name them. Again, the naming process shows that Adam was the big kahuna. None of the animals God had created were suitable to help Adam. This was yet another verification that Adam was above and beyond the animals. God had to create Eve to be his helper, another human. He made it very clear in Genesis 1 after creating Adam and Eve: "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."" Genesis 1:28 God didn't ask all of the animals to vote for a leader. God didn't tell Adam to share power with the lions or the elephants. God said that Adam and Eve would rule over the entire animal kingdom. Humans are a special species. We are not just another animal. We were created with a special purpose, to worship God and do God's will. All of the animals are part of His creation and we should take care of it. However, we should never subdue ourselves to it. I suspect you knew you were better than a squirrel. We are because God said so. Don't let any misguided soul tell you otherwise. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 1 00:13:40 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 00:13:40 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fellowship Message-ID: It's that time of year again. It's time for the big summer picnics. Every year we have two to consider attending. My office always throws a summer picnic that will draw about a hundred folks. Our church throws one that gets bigger each year. This year it was a couple of hundred (maybe more). When considering attendance there's always the decisions like: "Do I really want to spend an afternoon with these people?", "Do I need to show up to show the boss I'm a team player?", "Will the food be any good?", "Have we already made plans for that day?", and so on. But, these picnics have on real purpose in both cases: fellowship. In the case of an office picnic, it's to try to generate some friendship and social connections that will help the company in the long run. People are more productive when they feel like they are working as a team for a good goal. In the case of the church picnic, it's to create more connections within to the church body so that it is better prepared to do God's work. Oh, and it also happens to be an act of obedience to God. What's that you are asking? "What does eating hot dogs and playing softball have to do with obeying God? I thought we were just having fun with some friends." Yep. Fellowship is something God tells us to do. He built us and He knows what we need to run. He knows that we have a hole in our lives that can only be filled by Christ. He knows that His love is what will drive your joy and peace and hope. He knows that practicing mercy and forgiveness will make us better people. He knows that studying the Word will help keep us on the path. And, He knows that we need to spend time with other Christians. That's why He tells us to do all of those things. Not because He likes ordering us around, but because He knows what we need to function the best. You can argue with it, but it doesn't make it any less true. We need fellowship with Christians or our spiritual engine will sputter and eventually go cold. And, of course, God wants you to have the right kind of fellowship. Drinking beer with your unsaved friends at the sports bar doesn't count. You should treat that as an opportunity to display the aspects of Christ and witness to them, but that's not the fellowship that God wants you to have. He wants you to be with other believers on a regular basis so you can become part of the team and stay focused on your goal. The other believers need you there as much as you need to be there. Do cheat them or yourself. "God is everywhere, I don't need to go to church!", "I read the Bible every day, I don't need anyone to tell me what I need to do.", "I don't believe in organized religion. It's just between me and God". These are all common responses to the direction of being part of a fellowship. Aside from being shortsighted, prideful, and just incorrect, it's also disobedient to God. You can be saved and not be going to church. You just won't be bearing much fruit. God is delighted that you are saved, but He wants you to be out serving and helping His cause. Not because He needs you, but because He knows that it's what you need to straighten yourself out. "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another -- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-25 Don't trick yourself to being a Christian in the closet, or a Christian behind the curtain. Find a good church, get involved, and go regularly. As you plug in and start to serve you will make the church better equipped and God will be training you for greater things ahead. God has great plans for you, don't leave them undone. Don't convince yourself that life will be better on your terms. Follow His plan and see what He has in store. You'll be amazed. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 1 23:29:51 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 23:29:51 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] God's Existence Message-ID: It occurs to me that I am different from a lot of men in the way that I I must organize what I accept as truth. I am unable to continue forward until I am convinced that what came before is reliable. Without knowing enough about the history of something, I am skeptical about believing any of the results. A good example of what I mean would be a business deal. I don't really care how much everyone is making, but I am suspicious until I understand how everyone is making whatever they make. This dogma of mine was a real stumbling block when it came to understanding where God came from. I think it is a stumbling block for a lot of people and why so many are willing to think that some civilization greater than ours, from some galaxy other than ours, gave us God. It was a concept gift because we are so backward and unable to reason like the people that built the pyramids or the folks that lived in Atlantis or the ones that stacked the rocks at Stonehenge. They are willing to believe something greater than our lowly race must be in charge, but it can't be God. That brings me to the Aesity of God, his self-existence. Boy, I just couldn't get my arms around that one. As I analyzed it, I was stuck. Well, I suppose some things were just not meant to be understood. I could accept that, but not about this. I really needed to come to grips with this or I would always have this nagging doubt about my faith. I was relieved to find out that I wasn't the first guy in history to run into a wall on this. Thomas Aquinas spent an hour or two in contemplation over the very same thing. Philosophical Proof from St. Thomas Aquinas' "Summa Theologica" /Primary Argument:/ P1. Whatever a thing has besides its essence must be caused by the constituent principles of that essence or by some exterior agent. P2. Consider a created thing. It is impossible for a created thing?s existence to be caused by its essential constituent principles because nothing can be the sufficient cause of its own existence if its existence is caused. C1. Therefore, a created thing has its existence different from its essence. P3. God is the first efficient cause. C2. As the first efficient cause, anything God has cannot be due to an exterior agent. C3. God?s essence is identical to his existence. */Secondary Argument:/* P1. Existence is that which makes every form or nature actual. Existence is actuality as opposed to potentiality. P2. There is no potentiality in God; only actuality. P3. God is his essence. C1. Since God is actuality his essence is existence. It makes sense if you think about it. Moses found himself at this same crossroads in Exodus 3:13. He was to deliver a message from God, but it occurred to him that someone might ask, "Oh, yeah? What's his name?" God cut to the chase: "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you' " Exodus 3:14 Some things are just the truth as they are. There is no beginning, no middle, and no end. My advice about any doubts? Get on this, pray about it, and get over it. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 3 00:01:41 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 00:01:41 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prayer Message-ID: <716D9779-03EC-11DA-A3E9-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Men don't like to bare their innermost feelings. Usually, if one does want to, he has a heck of a time trying to find another man that gives a hoot. Letting down our guard, by definition, means we are open to a broken nose or a black eye. Here is the deal, guys: If we can't discuss our sin with God in private, we have a big problem. It really is a case of standing before the parent, icing and cake crumbs all over our face, looking at the floor trying to come up with a plausible answer as to who got into the cake. This talking to God is not about getting sympathy or being a victim. Prayer is about repair. It's about getting that persistent squeak or knock fixed. You have to tell the mechanic what is wrong. The doctor needs information to diagnose and prescribe. You can't go to the doctor and say, "Doc, you know what's wrong. Fix it." In the same way, when you go to prayer, you can't just show up and get your share of mercy by asking God in general terms to dole it out so you can get on with your Sunday. Here are five practical precepts about prayer. 1) How to talk to God "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!' I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:11-14 Get it straight. All your money, position, and ego means nothing before God. 2) Understand your position as a Christian as it pertains to the world and Satan. "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints" Ephesians 6:18 "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17 Pray with a purpose, knowing you are an enemy of evil and it is a war. 3) For goodness sake, if you can' t think of something to pray about, just be silent and be with God. Don't babble. "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." Matthew 6:7-8 Formulate a coherent thought to present to God. 4) Stay with it. Be persistent. Show God, by doing, you are serious about wanting to talk with Hm. "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened." Luke 11:8-10 Don't wimp out. 5) You got to believe, guys. If you don't, then you know what to start praying about. "And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." Mark 11:22-24 It doesn't matter what you are putting first in your life. Your priorities are wrong if prayer isn't in front of them. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 3 23:42:15 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2005 23:42:15 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Hate Message-ID: "I really hate _______" You fill in the blank. This is a phrase that we too often use and pay too little attention. Hate is a powerful concept. True hate is in the hands of God. In the Bible, hate is referred to as enmity and it means a deep-rooted hate. It takes on the flavor of a cancer when Man has enmity. "Thus says the Lord God, "Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity"" Ezekiel 25:15 "Because you have had everlasting enmity and have delivered the sons of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of the punishment of the end" Ezekiel 25:5 "or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him." Numbers 35:21 At least one time we see where God uses it to separate for all time two beings of his creation. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." Genesis: 3:15 Hate has its place, but it is much too serious to be taken in the context that we use in everyday life. It should be treated as radioactive waste material. It is a killer of every type. It contaminates everything it touches and alters it for its life. It currently is running rampant in the world causing death and destruction at every turn. Like a wildfire unchecked, it is spreading into every segment of our lives. It is too out of control to contain. There is, of course, only one cure. "by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity" Ephesians 2:15-16 Jesus Christ, and the hope of the cross, is the only way to put out the fire. Man cannot sit down across the table and work it out. It cannot be reconciled away by any earthly means. Man simply doesn't have the capacity. Only by embracing the cross can man ever dissolve hate. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 5 00:42:44 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 00:42:44 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] I Thought... Message-ID: <825063CF-0584-11DA-84FE-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> "I Thought" These are two words that, when spoken after irresponsible behavior, serve only to prove that the individual did anything but think. In our pursuit of significance and security, we can repeat mistakes to the point that raises stupid to a high art form. The cause of irresponsible behavior is developed from wrong philosophies of living. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" Proverbs 23:7 In many of our churches we just add to the whole idea of wrong philosophies. We have become list-makers of behavior in our churches. We read off the rights and wrongs of the Bible. Our preachers put the lists on tapes. Our Sunday School teachers put them on copiers. Our Bible study groups buy them at Christian book stores and bring them to breakfast. We are remiss in a big way on insisting upon Biblical behavior. Too often we take the fact that God has seen me at my worst and that He loved me so much that He gave His life for me as an inferred avenue for my bad behavior of backsliding and justification of sin. There is this feeling that, "I can't attain perfection, therefore I can't be held responsible for my perceived inability to not sin." Dr. Larry Crabb, in his book "Effective Biblical Counseling", comments that scripture also teaches that I am accountable to God for how I live. If I understand accountability, but not acceptability, I will live under pressure to behave well in order to be accepted. If I understand acceptability, but not accountability, I may become casually indifferent to sinful living. When I understand, first, my acceptability, and then my accountability, I will be constrained to please the One who died for me. I would be fearful that I might grieve Him when I don't want to, because I love Him. "For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." Romans 1:21 Are you fearful that you might grieve Jesus Christ? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 5 23:47:53 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 5 Aug 2005 23:47:53 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Consequences Message-ID: <038CB0A2-0646-11DA-BC27-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> While driving home from work the other day, I happened to hear an ad on the radio that stunned me. It was two people talking about how one had a bad hangover from the night before and the other did not. The kicker was that the one person had taken a pill the night before to "help ease or eliminate the effects of drinking." It was an ad for an anti-hangover pill. I shook my head in disbelief. This ad clearly describes a behavior that, left unchecked, could cause long term issues. Instead of advocating moderation, the ad was offering a way to remove the consequences. Isn't this the epitome of American society? There is a constant search for ways to remove the consequences from our actions. Americans want to be able to do whatever they want and not have to pay any price for doing it. Safe sex and the morning after pill are all about having consequence-free sex. Self esteem courses in public school are about having a consequence-free education. This pill was offering consequence-free drinking. Unfortunately, these are all shams. There are always consequences. You may be able to mask some of the most immediate ones, but the bigger ones are harder to avoid. Promiscuous sex will increase your chances of STDs and pregnancy, not to mention the emotional scars that go along with that behavior. Excessive drinking (even without the hangovers) can lead to addiction problems and more emotional scars. In fact, if we could remove the consequences, we really wouldn't be doing people any favors. We'd be allowing folks to continue with destructive behaviors until it does even more serious damage later on. Of course, for us sinners, the ultimate consequence is not having a ticket to Heaven. "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a There's no getting around that consequence on our own. The rest of the verse gives us the escape hatch. "...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b Accepting Christ will remove that ultimate consequence for our sins. However, it does not make our lives consequence-free. Some unbelievers think that Christians are hypocrites if they ever sin. Not true, we're still a fallen race. Some new believers think that Christ removing the future of death means that all consequences are gone. Not true, the real-life consequence rules still apply. If you commit a crime, you don't get a "Get Out of Jail Free" card if you get saved later. You still need to pay the price. Loving God does not mean that you will not stumble. Loving God means you can ask forgiveness and He will be with you. You will still have to deal with the consequences, though. David felt the consequences of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba even after confessing. "Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." " 2 Samuel 12:13 Jonah felt the consequences of disobeying God even when he admitted his guilt. " "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." [...] But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:12,17 Moses felt the consequences of not following God's directions when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." " Numbers 20:12 Here are three recognized, great men of God. They screwed up. They confessed. They were forgiven. However, they still suffered the consequences. Don't get angry at God when the consequences of your actions come down on you. It's the natural order of things. Be thankful that you are forgiven and that suffering those consequences will prepare you tasks God has for you in the future. Recognize that your brought them down on yourself, though. You will be stronger for it, but the best path is to just avoid those actions that have undesirable consequences. You cannot separate the action from the consequence. Don't waste your life trying. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 6 23:29:08 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 6 Aug 2005 23:29:08 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Faith Message-ID: <8EF6BC38-070C-11DA-8EBC-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I was engaging in the great American pastime of channel surfing the other night. I came across a weird-looking guy doing a thing called street magic. The first thing I noticed was that he was quite good. An object donated by a bystander ended up frozen in an ice cube. He laid out another person and made her appear to float. Then, he levitated about six inches off the ground. Now, I don't know how he did it, but I do know that it was an illusion. Why? Because of faith. If it were possible to levitate without the aid of magic, then the good old USA would be all over the technique and there would be no transportation problems. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines would be floating hither and yon. Best of all, the age old question of "How did they build the pyramids?" would be answered and we would have a new documentary every week on the Discovery Channel. It never ceases to amaze me that folks will be mesmerized by a trick or two, but demand truckloads of evidence about Jesus Christ. Never mind that after He came, He fulfilled at least a hundred prophecies that were foretold several centuries before He was born to Mary. How about casting out demons? Walking on water? Multiplying food? Turning water to wine? And, the grand finale, coming back from the dead? Show me an illusion and I'll swoon. Read to me about miracles and I think you are trying to brainwash me. Here is an experiment: The next time someone wants to talk about your belief system, tell them your spiritual life is guided by ancient texts, some of which are 2000 or more years old. The most recent find was in 1948 in a cave in the Middle East. These writings consists of 66 individual books by about 44 writers. They were kings, warriors, a doctor, a lawyer, a fisherman, a government worker and more. These books are full of prophecies that are recorded and fulfilled, some over 1200 years apart. They contain the answers to how we came to be on the planet, the origin of the universe, the future, and what happens when we die. When they ask to know more, tell them it's the Bible and watch their face. "He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20 Now, that would be something to see. Jesus really did walk on the water and it wasn't because He knew where the rocks were. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Aug 8 14:04:40 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 8 Aug 2005 14:04:40 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Push-Up Today Message-ID: <0837B179-674E-43A4-801F-0D1F08F05EC2@clanwebb.com> Hey all, I apologize for the lack of a Push-Up today. I had some sneaky rat from Finland decide to use my server to send spam to a few thousand folks. I've been cleaning up the results all day. The good news is that I closed the loophole that he used to get in. It's times like these that make the command to "love your enemies" really hard to contemplate. We'll be back on our regularly scheduled delivery tomorrow morning. Thanks, -Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 9 00:00:04 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 00:00:04 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He'll Come Get You Message-ID: <364C7DD8-08A3-11DA-8C93-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> When a person turns from Jesus, does Jesus turn from them? What a thought! Do they have to turn back to Jesus? How does that happen if they run away from Him? We understand that Jesus is everywhere, so He is available. But, if the runaway doesn't change direction, are they lost forever? We can think of a lot of hypothetical scenarios to arrive at an answer. I believe the answer is that He often comes back to the lost, even when they have rejected Him. Do you recall the scripture story of Peter? You know, the guy who said that He would follow Jesus to the death and then, before the very next morning, denied that he even knew Him? Peter did what a lot of guys do when they fall flat on their face. They run back to what they knew before they were introduced to Jesus. In Peter's case, he went fishing. That's right. He found a few of his buddies to whine with him, and they went fishing. It seems, however, that when Jesus calls you to a higher calling, the old career isn't very successful. In other words, they went fishing all night, but didn't catch anything. The next morning, they see someone on the beach and he shouts to to them: "So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish." John 21:5-8 It seems to me that Jesus came back to get the whole bunch of them. Failing miserably doesn't seem to be enough to get traded off the team. Are you running away? There really is no place to hide. If Jesus wants you, He will get you. And you may get wet in the process. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 9 23:22:25 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 23:22:25 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Father is More Than a Daddy Message-ID: <1E3DFC00-0967-11DA-9800-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Today's push-up was just too well said already, so we'll just quote it as is: A Father is More Than a Daddy By James Van Dyke It is such a joy to be a father. There is nothing sweeter in life than the love which a ?Daddy? receives from his children. There is a constant temptation for us to indulge our children in order to keep such happy love flowing. But there is another side to the picture also. It has been said, ?A good father, finding his son on the wrong track, should institute switching procedures.? ?Horrors,? the ?bleeding liberal? cries in this day. But, all humor aside, the truth remains that discipline is an essential part of being a father. In Ephesians 6:4 we read: ?And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.? Let it be clearly understood that discipline means training, not punishment. From the very beginning of God?s dealing with mankind He has so ordered the family that the father is ?head? of the family and is charged with the serious responsibility of training the children. In Proverbs 22:6 we are reminded, ?Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.? While it is true that ?discipline? does not mean ?punishment,? it is also true that failure to discipline at the right time usually results in punishment?possibly for the father, as well as the child. When those of us who are privileged to be fathers stand before the judgment throne of God, I believe He will ask us: ?Did you just ?daddy? your children, or were you a real father to them?? From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Aug 11 00:02:25 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:02:25 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Winning the Skirmishes Message-ID: I had a real "A-ha!" moment earlier this week. It was one of those moments where I could see just a little be more clearly and I realized just what kind of battles we are fighting. I let you all know about my adventure a few days ago of being the victim of an unscrupulous individual. I haven't told you the entire story, though. Now that I've put it together, I think it makes a good point. Around 6 pm on Sunday evening, someone halfway around the world (Finland, I later discovered) decided to take advantage of a loophole in my personal web server that I run out of my house. This person had discovered that I was running a web statistics program on my server that was out of date. This program had a known exploit in it that made it possible for the knowledgeable person to tell my server to do just about anything. He sent a few quick messages to my server that set off a long chain of events. He was basically using my server as a staging ground to send thousands and thousands of scam emails. I first noticed the problem about six hours later as my server was getting the bounced emails from invalid email addresses. I had over 5,000 bounces by then. After some searching that night and Monday afternoon, I finally discovered exactly how he had managed to pull it off. I closed the hole relatively quickly, but my email system was still trying to process all of the emails he had told it to send. By the end of the next day, the numbers were staggering. I had collected well over 10,000 bounces and I then cleared out over 50,000 emails that were waiting to be sent. A conservative estimate says that well over 100,000 emails probably made it out before I caught them. As you might expect, there are other smart people out there that figured out where this junk was coming from and complained to my service provider. I had to explain that I was taken advantage of, but that all was well now. In the end, this event cost me several hours, endangered my standing with my service provider, and could have caused me to be blacklisted by people who track spam sources on the web. After some thought, I realized that I have been hosting this list for just a few months. I am also in the process of setting up lists for other Christian groups. This made me smile. We must be doing something right for Satan to target us this way. He disrupted the list temporarily and screwed up my free time for a few days, but the long term results are good. I'm smarter about preventing and hunting these kinds of problems now. I'm in a better position to use my skills to serve God. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" James 1:2-3 At first, this event just felt like an annoying problem that I had to deal with. But, I realized, it was just a skirmish in the larger war. It was a trial to test my faith and abilities and to make me grow. I could have thrown my hands up and decided to stop running the server. Instead, I'm getting better at it and I want to do more. That's God motivating me. Nothing else. The same goes for trials in your life. Getting a flat tire, locking your keys in the car, losing your wallet, having a bout of insomnia, having your computer give you fits: these are all things that don't seem big on their own, but they are skirmishes. They are the little battles that test your faith and mettle. These are not insignificant. They are attempts by the enemy to keep you off balance. Take a deep breath. Learn from the situation. Move on. There's more fighting to do and you have to succeed in the skirmishes to be useful in the big battles. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 12 00:12:37 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 00:12:37 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stuck in the Middle Message-ID: <769B7D98-0B00-11DA-BE0A-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I can be a bit of a political junkie at times. I'll cruise through my favorite talk radio shows, newspaper columnists, and blogs. There's always something else to read and a little more to learn. It's fun to hear so many different opinions and balance them out. I happened to come across a thought the other day that I've heard before, but it struck a stronger chord with me this time around. In all of the talk about politics we refer to people as conservative, liberal, and moderates. The closer you are to the middle, the more you are considered a moderate. Well, someone posed the thought that a "passionate moderate" might be an oxymoron. How can you be passionate about splitting the difference? Or seeking compromise? Does that make sense? You can respect someone with a different opinion if they defend it openly in a principled way. How do you defend the middle ground? It's an interesting concept. What struck me though was that this same pattern can be applied to your walk with Christ. You can be at one end of the spectrum where you flat out reject Christ and who He is. You can be at the other end where you have accepted Him and you are actively working to serve Him. Or, you can be in the middle where you kinda, sorta believe in God and you think Jesus was an important guy, but it doesn't really apply to your daily life. Church is a fine thing, but you have better things to do on Sunday. I know what the Bible says about how I should live, but I happen to like those racy movies or the TV shows that seem to be trying to break all ten commandments in an hour. What are you now? You're neither hot nor cold. You're lukewarm. "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16 Do you see the problem? When you're lukewarm, you've lost your passion. You've lost your drive to live for what you believe because you don't really know or care what you believe anymore. If you're willing to let the world decide your values for you, then God can't use you. If you are a man of principle, then God can work on you. He can bring you to a place where you'll understand the truth. Once you're saved, you'll be passionate for Him. Don't kid yourself. Claiming to believe in God won't save you. You have to accept Him. If you have accepted Him, but haven't allowed Him to take control, then you're not very useful. Be passionate about Jesus Christ. We can get so wound up watching our favorite team score a touchdown or hit a home-run in the bottom of the 12th inning. We should be even more excited about the life Christ has given us and about telling others about Him. Don't be lukewarm. Live all out for Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 13 00:10:46 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 00:10:46 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] He's Watching Over You Message-ID: <5ECEC1B2-0BC9-11DA-B2B2-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I have a tendency to rush to judgment when the future seems to be heading a certain way. This was the case in my younger years when I got the bright idea to get involved in Rodeo. I remember telling my circle of friends, especially the girl friends, that I was signed up to ride in one of the local area events. My stature among the female population soared overnight. At local dances and get-togethers, I was elevated to the level of the Marlboro Man. I was so elated by the attention of the opposite sex, I failed to look far enough ahead to the time when I was actually going to have to go through with the commitment. I failed to heed certain advice given to me by wiser and older men. "Listen, Kid, don't let your mouth write checks your rear end can't cash," was one I should have listened to. "Bulls are to eat, not to ride," was another. "If you get hurt doing this, I'll have to replace you at work." That was from my step-dad. I even heard from the experts, "Be careful. The guy that is providing the stock for this event has a habit of trying out rank stock on these small shows to see if they are a fit for the pro circuit." No, none of that for me, I had a vision. There would be shiny belt buckles, adoration from girls, slaps on the back with a "great ride" from real cowboys. I would ride down the main street of La Veta, Colorado in my cousin's pick-up with one of several girls by my side. I hadn't decided which one would be granted the honor, but I knew life would be great. Well, the day did arrive and it became obvious that I would have to put up or shut up. The thought of the humiliation was too great to bear if I backed out, so I was determined to go through with the deed. I was signed up for two events: bareback riding and bull riding. Upon arrival behind the chutes, I became painfully aware that I was ill-prepared for what I was about to do. The cowboys that were there obviously looked at me the same way the guy at the slaughterhouse looks at the steer as he heads down the chute on his way to becoming hamburger. You don't have a clue about what is about to happen to you. I stood there with my spurs, chaps, bull rope, and bareback rigging with about a hundred eyes looking at me. I had to sit down on an old nail keg before my legs melted underneath me. My cousin, Butch, helped me get ready as I mentally prepared my will and wondered if anyone would attend my funeral. My stomach spun, my head swam, and my life was passing before my eyes. I was about up to the eighth grade when I heard my name called. It sounded like God because it reverberated across the night sky, but it was just the announcer over the PA system. "Don't know much about this young cowboy, but he is a local boy and this is his first ride, so let's give him a round of applause." Great, my humiliation was now complete. Butch, who I thought was my friend, said, "OK, you can't back out now." He helped me up and walked me to the back of the chute. I somehow put one boot over another until I was at the top. The lights were bright in the arena, the chute attendants looked at me and took over. "Give me your rig," one said. "Straddle the mount, but don't sit down until I give the OK," said another. The rig was in place and the biggest darn horse I had ever seen was right underneath me. "Alright son, settle down on him." I put my gloved left hand into my authentic Jim Shoulders signature rig and sat down. "Further forward," said an older voice. I felt the horse give a skin quiver as if to shake a fly. He snorted and stomped at the ground. I knew at once that he knew his business and I didn't know mine. "It isn't that hard," said Butch. "That's right. Just keep your left leg on his left side, your right leg on his right side, and your mind in the middle," said the older voice. The gate attendant looked at me and said, "When you are ready, let me know." I had imagined this moment a hundred times and what I would say. "Let's dance," was popular. "Let me have this nag," was another. What came out, though, was a puberty squeak that sounded like "OK. Outside." It has been said that eight seconds on a bareback bronc is the longest week of your life. As soon as this jughead saw a crack between the gate and the arena outside, he made his first move. He busted out with a giant leap that sent my legs up so high, I can remember looking at the arena lights between the toes of my boots. As his front hooves headed toward the ground, his butt came up and my head snapped back bringing my spurs down on his withers. I pulled my legs back and then out again. As he hit the ground stiff-legged, every joint in my body was separated. His next trick was to arch his back and go airborne with all four legs off the ground. It was at the apex of the arc that yours truly became airborne. I know I flipped because I remember the arena lights went dark as I was looking straight into the night sky. I remember thinking that I was up awful high and I knew that when I hit the ground it was going to hurt. It did. I had a severely sprained wrist and I hurt in places that I was sure wasn't good to hurt. I was in a daze as a couple of guys and my cousin helped me maintain a little dignity leaving the arena. Butch slapped me on the back and said, "Cousin, you sure excited the crowd." Leaning up against the fence was a skinny old cowpoke. He had a toothpick and a big smile, "I thought you had him there for a couple of jumps, partner." "Wow," I thought, "A real cowboy called me "partner"." I didn't ride a bull that day. One near death experience a night is enough for any man. I can only marvel at the times in my life that God protected me while I was growing up. Roy wasn't my official middle name until later. During my youth, it was "Stupid". However, protect me He did. For what good reason, I cannot yet say. "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" Jeremiah 1:5 There is nothing I can say or do that He doesn't know about. "He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man" John 2:25 Praise Him that He is in charge. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 14 00:46:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 00:46:54 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stop Giving Directions Message-ID: <9576E00A-0C97-11DA-817E-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I understand that I am to be the head of the household. I am to be the provider and protector of my wife and son. My wife has embraced these roles and loves to remind me of them when I'm falling down on the job. However, there is one situation that is a pet peeve of mine, but I've found a good analogy in it for all of you. At least once or twice a month, I am asked to make the phone call that she doesn't want to make. It might be to a doctor or repair service or about a mixup with a bill. She will give me precise instructions on who to call and what to ask. Afterwards, I have to give a detailed report on the outcome and I will be reprimanded if I did not ask the "obvious" follow-up questions. Mentally, I always ask, "If you knew what you wanted to ask and how to follow-up those questions, why didn't you make the call?" It can get frustrating. I want to be the protector and do all of the little things that she doesn't want to do because I love her. I kill the spiders. I fix the cars. And, I make the uncomfortable phone calls. I'm happy to do it, but it's very difficult to do it exactly the way she wants. Sometimes, I don't agree with how she wants it done and I'll do it the way I feel is best. That never ends well, either. I would prefer that she simply ask me, "Could you figure out what's wrong here and fix it?" and then trust me to take care of it and let her know the important points that resulted. I think we often attempt to get God to work that way for us. We're saved and we know that He loves us and wants to bless us. So, we pray by asking God to solve a problem a very particular way. Some folks will not even pray for the big thing they are concerned about, but they'll pray for some smaller thing that they think will result in the bigger thing. That's like asking God for a 20-yard pass when what you really want is the touchdown. You really don't care how you get the touchdown, so why are you asking for the pass play? Don't give God a list of directions on how to solve the problem. Lay your problems at His feet and trust that He will take care of them. You are clueless about what the right solution would be. Don't bother guessing. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 God's plan is the best plan out there. He wants what is best for you. Quit trying to tell Him otherwise. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1 Don't fret. Don't worry. Just hand it over to Him and let Him lead you and find the right solutions. God knows what He's doing. Quit trying to tell Him how to do His job! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 14 23:58:45 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 23:58:45 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] What's Your Motivation? Message-ID: <0596F409-0D5A-11DA-A090-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Why do I do the things I do? It should be a fairly simple proposition to look at one's behavior, categorize it as good or bad, and then just do the good. Larry Crabb says that all behavior makes sense. It may be sinful, ineffective, or even bizarre, but it does make sense. Actually, I don't mind that explanation when it applies to my behavior because it just means that the rest of you don't understand my needs. Therefore, you don't understand my behavior. You should get therapy! I do mind when it applies to my wife or kids. Frankly, at times, they do some pretty strange things and if they would just look at things logically and snap out of it, life would be good and they wouldn't waste as much of my time. Dr. Crabb says it is all about motivation: the basic force which results in specific behavior. The force comes in my mind when I believe that a certain behavior will result in filling a need. I do know a little about motivation. I could start back when I was a child and I was motivated to change my behavior because I didn't like the way my mom would get my attention. It had to do with striking my rump with anything that was handy. However, a better example was during a rehearsal in college. We were doing a play called "The Odd Couple". We were deep in the throes one night of working out blocking. Blocking is where the director tells you where to be at any given time during the scene. It had been a long night of messed up lines, fatigue, personalities, and egos. I had about a million lines in this show and it was driving me nuts. We came to a part where a young lady became part of the scene and had just a few lines. We were all looking forward to finishing up and going home so we thought we would breeze through her part and hit the road. Well, she took her craft pretty seriously. Actually, it was way too seriously. The direction gave the blocking to her for each one of her three or four lines and we proceeded to run through the scene. She said her first line, but didn't move where the director told her to move just a couple of minutes before. We stopped and he asked, "Why didn't you move?" "I don't understand my motivation," she said. She wanted motivation to move. I turned to her and said, "Here, you need to move over here when you say your line." "I don't feel motivated to move on that line. It feels all wrong, " she said. I immediately moved into what Dr. Crabb calls "disequilibrium" (which is perceived as anxiety). I was indeed feeling anxious. I tend to get that way around people I sense have the IQ of a doorknob. "Look," said the director, "You really don't have to feel anything. Just put one foot in front of the other and move." "But what is my motivation?" she asked again. Personally, I was about to employ my mother's cure for motivation and was in the process of choosing one of many props on the set with which to apply it. I had just zoned in on a fly swatter when I heard, "Young woman, your motivation to move when I tell you is that I am the director and you will bloody well do what I tell you when I tell you or you will be explaining to your parents why, after hundreds of dollars of tuition, you are no longer enrolled in this program. Now, move it or lose it." I was thinking, "Hey, Mom. Is that you? I didn't know you were a stage director." Here's the deal: Sometimes you don't have to see the big picture. You don't have to have a motivation that you understand. You just have to understand that God is the director and when He tells you to move, you really ought to move. "Who is among you that fears the Lord, That obeys the voice of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God." Isaiah 50:10 Don't wait for the Lord to give you a direction that matches your earthly perception. Your perception means nothing to Him until it matches His wishes. "Do not be in a hurry to leave him. Do not join in an evil matter, for he will do whatever he pleases." Ecclesiastes 8:3 It's His planet, brother. "Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps." Psalm 135:6 Read the Word and do what it says. It's all the motivation you need. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 16 00:20:34 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 00:20:34 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Sneaking Message-ID: <3C8EA7AE-0E26-11DA-8CB0-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I was a relatively well-behaved kid. I didn't get into trouble. I got good grades. I even had a few part-time jobs. One nice result of this good behavior was that my parents gave me a lot of freedom during my last years of high school. If I felt sick, I would just stay home. They didn't get angry because they knew I'd make up the work. Heck, even my teachers at school started to get lax. During my senior year, I skipped three classes in one day to track down a friend who was going to help me with a final project that day. When I walked into class late, the teacher gave me a stern look and let it pass. That was the result of months of good behavior: I got a pass when I did cut a corner. By far the worst case of this kind of stretch was how I would sneak out of the house at night. During my freshman through junior years of high school, we lived in a duplex that didn't have enough bedrooms for all three kids. Therefore, I got the coolest room a teenager could have. I had a room in the unfinished area under the garage. The walls were insulated, so I could play my music loud and late into the night. The room was a half-sunken basement so my window opened at ground level. That made it quite easy to sneak out and go run around with my friends. One night, I ran the table of rule-breaking. I left my room late to go visit my girlfriend. I didn't have a ride, so I had to figure out how to get the family car I was driving without waking my parents up. I went with brute force. I put it in neutral and pushed it down the street until I was about five houses away. Then I started it up and drove. I drove to the apartment of a friend who wasn't much older than me. He and his girlfriend were there and my girlfriend was waiting. We hung out for a few hours and I finally went home at about three or four in the morning. So, I left the house without permission. I took the car without permission. I spent time with my girlfriend privately without adult supervision. Wow. At the time, I thought it had been the perfect crime. Years later, Dad told me that he knew I'd been sneaking out because of all of the footprints outside my window. However, I'm pretty sure that he didn't know what I had done. That is, until he reads this. I tell you this story to relate this fact. I was a good kid. I earned some freedom in my life and I took advantage of that. I took advantage of the fact that I knew I could take off and do what I wanted without my parents knowing. At the time, it was like getting a mulligan for good behavior. I figured I had earned it. Let me be clear, though. It does NOT work that way with God. If you obey His direction and follow His paths, He will bless you. However, He doesn't give you a pass on a little indiscretion because of your good behavior. You can't earn an indulgence. "The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile." Psalm 94:11 "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord." Psalm 139:1-4 Make sure you aren't living your life with the expectation of a little rebellion on the side. That may be normal for a teenage boy, but it won't work with God. He knows it all. He knows your heart. Serve Him because it's the way to true joy. There's no sneaking out while God's sleeping. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 17 00:05:50 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 00:05:50 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Lean Back Message-ID: <57B52B4C-0EED-11DA-8CA2-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> One of the most difficult things to do as a Christian is to truly turn things over to God. It's tough to let Him direct you, but at least you experience the path as you go. For me, it's even tougher to hand problems or worries over to Him and then really let them go. Like a missile from a fighter jet, you have to "fire and forget". You have to hand it over to Him and then let Him deal with it. That can mean never knowing exactly how it is dealt with other than the result. For me, it's difficult to trust something I can't check up on. But, we all have to learn that skill. I am reminded of the time during ROTC training that I learned how to rappel. There was no easing into this. There was a quick demonstration by some professionals and then they lined us up to try. Despite the fact that I had watched several of my fellow trainees do this exercise, I still had no idea what I was in for. They put a rope harness around my rear end and between my legs. The trainer cinched it up enough that I had to stifle a squeak. He then clipped the rope to me, showed me how to hold it, and then showed me where to line up. I was standing facing backwards with my heels hanging off the edge of a 90 foot tower holding my lifeline in my hands. The trainer then looked me straight in the eye and said, "Lean back." I think I blew a circuit. My body rebelled and wouldn't move. It was the most unnatural feeling to slowly lean backwards over a high ledge. For the rappelling to work correctly, your legs have to be roughly perpindicular to the wall. You have to bend yourself into an L-shape and keep your feet as flat as possible. Furthermore, while I could peek over my shoulder once in a while, I could not turn around to look where I was going. If I had, I would lose my orientation and begin to slide. This is not a natural position and my muscles kept fighting me. As I pushed out and slid down a few feet at time, the feeling of falling kept coming back and my muscles tried to react. I had to keep forcing them back to the proper position and keep my eyes looking at the wall in front of me, not the several story drop. It wasn't pretty, but I made it to the bottom. I also learned just how hard it is to force your body to do something you've been training it for years not to do. In this case, forcing your self into a controlled fall. It just wasn't natural. I think it feels equally unnatural for men to take an issue that is high on their list and simply hand it over to God. We want to wrap our arms around it and control the situation. We feel more comfortable when we can make the decisions. There's something we have to fight in handing important things over to someone else. Even if it is God. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6-7 "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:6-7 Remember: He's better at problem solving than you are. You may not get to see how He does it, but you'll get better results than if you try to take care of it. I know it feels strange. But, just lean back and let Him worry about the rope. It just works better that way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 17 23:58:16 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2005 23:58:16 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Bluffing the Bear Message-ID: <7385431C-0FB5-11DA-8A37-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I had something happen to a client today that, when it happens to me, makes me want to hold my breath until I implode. I had this client's wife tell me not to worry about something her husband said because he has a certain character quality that makes him think and act a certain way. She went on to tell how he REALLY is and then told me things I know he wouldn't want me to know. God love them, but sometimes in an effort to "set the world right" they can mess up a plan. In this case, it may have cost them money in a deal. Here is what I mean: One of my fellow prayer warriors uses an analogy about how a man is supposed to scour the countryside to find a cave. He then has to kick out the bear and occupy the cave with his wife and family. The bear, in this case, is the world. The bear will try to reoccupy the cave in many forms. It is up to the man to keep the bear out. Now, during those cozy moments in the cave, the woman will inevitably come to a point when she utters the famous words, "Talk to me. You never talk to me." This is code for, "Tell me your secrets. Allow me to understand your vulnerabilities and your weaknesses. I want to be a helper to you." The thing that women frequently misunderstand about us is that, in our duty to keep the bears out, we will employ a technique called "The Bluff". This is quite natural and is even encouraged by your local forest ranger. They tell you that if you should encounter a bear on the trail, you should make a lot of noise and do everything possible to make yourself look bigger. The idea, of course, is to frighten the bear off so you don't have to fight him. We learn this technique on the playground when we are bullied. It sounds something like, "Oh yeah?" To which we respond, "Yeah!" The bully says, "Says who?" We say, "Me!" Then, the bully says, "Oh yeah?" Then we say, "Yeah!" And on it goes until someone backs down. The one thing that can kill a successful bluff is when our mate, who can't stand conflict or, in some cases, can't stand not having conflict, steps up and reveals something we told them during the cozy moments to the bear or the bully. "There is really no need for this. You are acting immature. You know you can't fight this bear. You know that bears scare you to death. You act this way just because you are a little frightened." It is at this point that we look at our mate with a glower and she realizes that we are not happy. Her response is, "You know it's true!" She has to say it a little louder to be heard over the sound of the bear sharpening his claws and teeth. "Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house" Matthew 12:29 "In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob the house." Luke 11:21 "Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength." With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazarite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man." Judges 16:15-17 Shortly after this last episode, the bear came for Samson. "To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." Genesis 3:16 If this message makes you uncomfortable, take it up with God. He wrote the rules. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 19 00:22:33 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 00:22:33 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Mysterious Ways Message-ID: <0258378B-1082-11DA-8688-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Some days it just seems so obvious and clear to me. I can see how the pieces fit together. I can see how a little nudge over here will get a reaction way over there. I can see how everything works. Or, so it seems. When I have these moments of clarity, I have to remember not to act like I've seen it all. When God deigns to pull back the veil a little bit, don't kid yourself into thinking you've got the whole picture. When I have that kind of clarity about an issue or problem, I feel confident and clear on my direction. When I need to explain what is so obvious to me to someone else, then it starts to unravel. Have you ever had those moments where the person you are trying to explain something to just doesn't seem to get it? When it's something subjective or opinion-related, it's easy to fall into a trap. It's the trap of thinking, "If they don't agree with me, I just haven't explained it well enough, yet." You convince yourself that there is some way to arrange the data and connect the dots so this person will say, "Eureka! I see it. I agree with you 100%!". Sometimes, that just doesn't happen. I distinctly remember going through this with my father when I got married. You see, I married at young age and Dad was worried about my plans for college and a career. He was convinced that I was going about things the wrong way. He kept trying to explain the situation to me in different ways in the hope that it would finally click for me. He was just sure that he hadn't explained it well enough, yet. What he didn't understand, though, was that he didn't have the whole picture. He didn't know my mind or my future wife's mind about our plans and how committed we were to following through. The pastor who did our pre-marriage counseling even tried explaining to Dad that everything was okay, that we were ready. Dad was just convinced that he saw me taking the wrong path. I love and respect him for the passion of his beliefs at that time. He had the right motivation, but he didn't have all of the information. He does now, and would agree that the decision we made panned out. That took time, though. I think of how many times I've been just as passionate with a prayer to God. I've prayed and prayed and prayed about a particular problem or issue. I prayed about the outcome I wanted and it wouldn't come. I started to wonder if God was listening. Why didn't He just do what was blatantly obvious to me? Well, of course, the problem was that I didn't have all of the information. God has the big strategy plan and He can see all the pieces and how they fit. He knows exactly where I need to be and what needs to happen to make me the person He will use later. Those experiences teach me to remember that I never have all of the information. I never have the ultimate big picture. We have the old saying, "God works in mysterious ways." Actually, I'm sure His ways make perfect sense to someone who can see the whole plan. To us, it's confusing and illogical. But, then, we don't have access to the information that He has. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9 His ways are different. They won't always make sense to us now, but they might after time has passed and we get to see more of the big picture. "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he." Deuteronomy 32:3-4 His ways are not only much better than ours, they are perfect. His ways will bring about perfect justice and a perfect resolution. So, if God doesn't seem to be listening to you, it probably isn't because you haven't explained the issue to Him well enough. It's probably because He's dealing with the issue in ways you haven't imagined. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Aug 19 08:20:01 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 08:20:01 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Disappointing Message-ID: How self-righteous we can get when our children disappoint us. "You were brought up better than this. After all we have done for you, this is the way you repay us for our sacrifice?" I have just recently come to realize how this attitude is mindless, uncaring, and un- biblical. To have this attitude toward your children is to completely forget our relationship with Christ. It is so simple in the light of day. We always disappoint Jesus. How much more He has the right to say these things to us. What in our lives have we done for our children that compares to what He did for us? "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:12-14 Suppose the single thing God was going to use to judge you was the way you had compassion for your children. What would the verdict be? Look past your children's behavior and into their hearts. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 21 01:30:27 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 01:30:27 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Talk About Reality Message-ID: We can become desensitized to reality. The television has rubbed us raw and then a great hard scab has formed so that we have lost touch with reality. The reality of which I speak is the gap between the Bible and everyday life. Our children now accept murder, deviant behavior, lies, slander, and social engineering as normalcy. The producers of this madness, with a straight face, will look us in they eye and say, "Parent, if you don't want your kids exposed then keep them from it." They say this knowing full well that with all of the resources they have at their disposal including visual media, print, and the Internet, they have the upper hand in reaching kids somewhere. Those kids will reach other kids and so on. At no time do they set aside the drive for ill-gotten profit (not all profit is bad, by the way) for the good of the children. We point to natural disasters and cry out, "How can a loving God let this happen?" Never do we ask the question, "What can we do to please a loving God?" Well folks, you can't hide it from your kids, but you can train them to recognize it for what it is. This is about survival until God calls us home. We must show our children the gap sin produces between God and man. "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." 1 Peter 3:13-17 It is never too late to start no matter how hold your kids may be. It starts with, "I made an error in not talking to you about something until now." Then talk to them. It is an everyday battle, but if you speak righteousness and pray, God will change their hearts. Next, let your life reflect what you say. Do this until the day you die and you will have done what God has asked of you. "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:7-8 Guys, you are not alone. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 21 23:31:37 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 23:31:37 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Pleasing Him Message-ID: <640BC950-12D6-11DA-A99A-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Throughout history, man has attempted to declare to the world his allegiance to God. Kings have proclaimed Him while taking the crown. Presidents have declared that God was on their side. Some advocate that they are divinely appointed. Preachers build great churches and stand tall in the pulpit. The fact is that some are sincere and some are not. God will sort them out. Sinful men all. We should see them as men and judge their fruit. What can man do to be sure he is giving God what He wants? How does each individual know in their heart that they please God? Rich and famous or just regular folks, the answer is the same. It is what makes us all equal in the end. The great sacrifices (offerings) and monuments don't impress the God who created the universe. A God that spoke into existence the sun, the moon, and Earth. Everyday of our lives - and that includes Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Billy Graham, you, and me - we all have the same chance to please God. "O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" Psalm 51:15-17 So simple, yet to some, so difficult. "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" Proverbs 4:23 "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 Be careful what you let into your heart. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 23 00:09:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2005 00:09:54 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Sacred Life Message-ID: If you live on a ranch or a farm, you are not a stranger to suffering. You make many life and death decisions when it comes to animals. Cows, pigs, horses, cats, dogs, varmints, rodents, deer, elk... I have killed them all. I also have done everything possible to save the life of an animal. Economics play a big part in the life of a rancher or a farmer, but so does compassion. A lot of it has a lot to do with a weaving of their lives with ours. I have stalked deer and elk and killed them both for food and, yes, for the experience. When not hunting for food, I have saved the life of deer and elk. I have come upon them and was in awe of their existence. I have turned in poachers and hunted with friends. Killing during the hunt is nothing more than one animal and one bad day. I am a meat eater. If it is good to eat and legal to hunt, I may choose to kill it. If you happen to be sideways with this, I'll be glad to discuss it. I have also killed animals to put them out of their suffering. I've had to do this to animals that I loved. I have also labored to deliver calves that otherwise would die. I have made friends with raccoons, skunks, birds, deer, and protected them during hunting season. These are animals and our relationship with animals is different than with people. Many people have attempted to blur the line between animals and people. I blame Walt Disney for a lot of this blur. Old Walt gave animals human qualities. After a while, we somehow began to believe that mice really live in little hollow logs with the mother mouse wearing a little apron while cooking on a miniature stove. Here is the thing: some life is sacred. Human life is sacred. Mickey Mouse's isn't. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 Man has placed himself in the role of rancher and farmer of humans. He has decided that unborn babies should die. He has decided that assisted suicide is fine. He has placed himself in the role of God. "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise." 1 Corinthians 3:18 This is all in God's Kingdom plan. He owns it because He made it. "and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, [...] and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 1 Corinthians 3:20-21,23 Get it right, men. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 24 22:33:03 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 24 Aug 2005 22:33:03 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Staying on the Trail Message-ID: Bright ideas. My mother would always invoke that phrase when I had dome something that defied even my logic as a youngster. "Where did you come up with that bright idea?" she would ask as I lay in a heap with my bike or tangled up in a mass of something. Well, having bright ideas isn't something I left at home when I ventured off on my own. During one of our many hunting trips on the Snake River, we heard about some sheepherders staying upriver that might be willing to rent us some mules. We had hatched the bright idea that mules would be a great asset during our deer hunt. The fact that they were not trained to having a 7mm BAR fired in close proximity or that they had not become familiar with the smell of fresh blood didn't enter into our thinking as we negotiated the use of two of these beauties. Now, here is the tale I wish to impart. It happened near the end of our hunt. After many miles on the trail and much hunting, we got to know these mules fairly well. We learned their personalities, their likes and dislikes, what they would stand for, and what they wouldn't. I learned that the primary focus of a mule is self-preservation. In short, if it's me or you, it's me. This became abundantly clear to me when I drew the short straw and was elected to walk the pair back up the river to their owners. The shortest route was via what is known as the lower trail. The lower trail is there, but in places it is just barely there. In several places, the trail is cut out of the rock face of the canyon. It is about three feet wide with a sheer drop of over twenty feet into the Snake River. Walking the trail alone would have been an adventure, but leading two mules made it a notch above hair-raising. While walking this part of the trail, I came upon a rock slide that had covered it. It was at a point where the trail was too narrow to turn around and go back. Even though we stopped, the mules began to act a lot like that is just what they wanted to do. It was a pickle to be sure. Stopping made them nervous. Going back was not an option. Going forward was something I didn't want to contemplate. I hand-fed them a couple of crabapples I was carrying, but that made them want to be closer to me to get more. At one point, I had both hands on the lead mule's halter and she lifted her head and started to turn around. She lifted me off the ground and hung me out over the river. We were eye to eye. She clearly wanted me off, but my attitude was, "If I go, girl, you go, too." The mule angel helped out and she turned back into the wall and I regained my footing. I decided it was every man and mule for themselves. I unhooked the rear mule's lead - no small feat in itself - then I hooked the lead to the front mule's lead so as to give myself more to work with. Next, I crawled over the slide, hand over hand, with the lead in my mouth. I reached the other side and was determined to coax the lead mule over the slide in hopes the second would follow. I tugged on the lead and she tugged right back. No go. I played my trump card and showed her my last crabapple and tugged again. She looked at me with utter mule disdain and brayed several times. The sound reverberated off the canyon walls and caused the second mule to come right up on the lead mule's rump. She finally made the same decision I had made and began coming over the slide with one eye on the apple and one eye on the ledge. It took a while, but step by step the old girl made it over and the one in the rear followed suit. I didn't start to shake until we were out on the flat and I turned around to see where we had been. The only reason anyone believed me back at camp was because they could see the trail and where we had come while in a jet-boat on the river. "You are a wonderment, Webb," was the only comment. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13 "He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."" Luke 13:24 We all come to narrow places in our lives when we don't know which way to go, but the road to Christ is one narrow road on which we must always go forward. Rocks, mules, or fear must not make us take our eyes off of Him. The life we choose as Christians is not easy, but it is the only path to eternal life. It doesn't hurt to find a mule-headed Christian to follow, either. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Aug 25 21:56:05 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 21:56:05 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Are You Ready? Message-ID: It is no secret that the Japanese culture has raised manufacturing to a high art. It hasn't been long since they surrendered to the Allies on the deck of the battleship Missouri. Douglas MacArthur, not only a great general, but a man of vision, knew that in order for Japan to be able to provide for 90 million citizens, it had to produce products and be able to compete in the world marketplace. It is one thing to be a great victor, but quite another to be a compassionate conquerer. In one of the great ironies of history, it only took the vanquished a few decades to lead the world. When was the last time you saw a Studebaker, Allis Chalmers, International Harvester, or Nash product on the market? These were some of the great corporations that made the American war machine. I remember when anything from Japan was considered cheap junk. The truth be known, corporate America fell asleep. Old Doug MacArthur called on a young man from Wyoming named Ed Deming to come to Japan and give a little talk on quality and production. A few of the boys from Sony, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Toyota liked what they heard. The rest, as they say, is history. The fellas at Ford and many other American companies thought they had a free run at getting and keeping the lion's share of the world economy. They were so busy placating the unions instead of innovating that what Japan didn't win in the war, they got through listening to a good old boy from Wyoming. Now, the most prestigious award for quality manufacturing in Japan is the Deming Award. The award has spread across the globe and is now considered the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. Guys, history has a habit of surprising you when you aren't paying attention. By the way, Ed Deming was an accomplished musician and music writer. He wrote his last composition at age 89. He was also a Christian. http://www.deming.org/theman/biography.html Jesus Christ was here before and He is coming back. No amount of NFL, WWF, MLB, NBA, PGA, Playboy, Friends, Sex and the City, NASCAR, movies, money, fishing, hunting, houses, cars, boats, or beer is going to keep Him from returning. In the meantime, your individual ticket could be punched at any second. That presents you with two questions: Are you ready if He comes right now? Are you ready if you go before He comes? It's just that simple. "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man", dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."" Revelation 1:12-18 "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels" Revelation 3:5 "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15 It should be quite a show if your name is in the book. On the other hand... Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Aug 27 00:04:51 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 27 Aug 2005 00:04:51 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have a Willing Mind Message-ID: How many times have you been asked to have an open mind about something? I have often prayed that someone would have an open mind about the gospel. It occurs to em that an open mind, like an open door, will allow just about anything to walk in. I look back on my life and having an open mind usually ended up in sin. Progressive thinking always seemed like a good thing as it had the connotation that I was coming up out of the past to the future. Somehow I was convinced that old-fashioned really meant archaic. What a term to apply to Jesus Christ! That is what we do when we have an open mind about the world. It is not out of fear that we might become enlightened that we should have a closed mind about the world, but out of obedience. It all started with Eve having an open mind about the fruit on the tree of knowledge. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I would submit that having a willing mind is what I should pray for in the future. As Kind David, a man who had an open mind too often, told his people and, especially, his son, Solomon. "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work." 1 Chronicles 28:9-10 After all, guys, Jesus made the world and He made you. If you have a parachute with a hole in it, who are your going to take it to for repairs? Hugh Hefner? M&M? Britney Spears? Paris Hilton? The ACLU? Brother, if you don't have Christ leading your life, you have a big hole in your parachute. Be careful who you ask to sew it up. Have a willing mind to take it to an old-fashioned craftsman. If you ask Him, the creator of the universe will take the time to do it by hand. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 28 00:51:31 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 00:51:31 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Foundations Message-ID: <8BE60AF3-1798-11DA-9095-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> We were very happy with our new house. We had bought it while it was still being built, so we got to pick out flooring, light fixtures, paint colors, and more. However, when we moved in, the landscaping left a little to be desired. When I went out back to barbecue dinner that summer, I felt like I was standing on a moonscape. The land our house had been built on was flat for about fifteen feet away from the patio and then sloped down about four feet over the next twenty or so feet away from the house. We decided we wanted a flat backyard and so did our neighbors, who all had the same problem. We went in together and had a retaining wall built and the sloping area filled in. We topped it all off with some good sandy loam to plant grass. Soon after this, we all decided we needed fences, too. We all built lovely six foot high cedar fences that divided our properties nicely. The fences felt strong and sturdy and we were all very proud of ourselves. Then the winter came. The fence posts reacted quite differently to the excess precipitation. The posts between and near the houses held up quite well. The posts along the back edge of our yards shifted dramatically. I had one post sink several inches. Another had a good fifteen degree tilt inward. My neighbor had to brace his fence as the entire back section was threatening to lay down completely. What we deduced was that the fill dirt had shifted considerably more than the dirt that had been there when we moved in. In retrospect this sounds like a, "Well, duh!" kind of statement. The rain had rearranged, shifted, and generally compacted the dirt that had been dumped. No matter how strong we had built the fence, the dirt underneath wasn't ready to support it when it rained. Even more interestingly, after the posts were set, there would have been no way to tell the difference until the rain came. This taught me a lesson about knowing your foundation. Know what you're building on. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27 Note that Jesus is talking about folks who hear the Word, but don't practice it. The foundation He wants you to build on is the practice of the Word. Not just the belief. I knew it was going to rain that winter. I even knew the dirt would probably settle a bit, but I still trusted the fact that when I set those posts, they felt solid to me. It didn't matter how solid they were in August. It mattered how solid they would be after a couple of months of rain in November. Another neighbor had decided to attach her back posts to the retaining wall. Those posts didn't move. She knew the wall wasn't going anywhere and decided to depend on that. We know that following God's Word will always steer us right and is the best possible way to avoid the traps of sin. Why do we always try it on our own? Don't just nod your head in agreement with the pastor. Take the Word as your plan for each day. Build your foundation on the practice of serving God. Then your house will stand against all rain, rising water, and storms. "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22 With apologies to Nike, just do it. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Aug 28 23:45:54 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 28 Aug 2005 23:45:54 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Number Your Days Message-ID: <8BC3F59B-1858-11DA-9BBE-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> If you don't know about Katrina already, turn on your TV or radio. It'll be the top story. As I write this, weathermen are predicting that this monster will hit heavily populated areas with hideous wind, rain, and flooding. The talking heads have explained over and over how New Orleans is actually a city that is below sea level. Levies hold back the water to allow this city to exist. If the storm surge hits the city directly, it will flood two to three stories deep. Worse, since it's below sea level the city cannot drain naturally. It may take several months to get the water out of the city. There are more predictions like this that could easily make you curl up in a ball of despair for those folks. I can only shake my head in awe and sadness. I am in awe of the power of God's creation. That it can generate such an unstoppable force reminds me that this is only a glimpse of the power God has. I am saddened by the trauma and fear that is being felt by so many people. I am also saddened because it is likely that quite a few will not survive this storm. It only drove home the message our pastor preached on Sunday. You do not know when your time here will be done. Live your life like today could be the last. For many in the Southeast, today will be their last. How many rejected Christ's offer? How many never heard it presented clearly? How many will miss opportunities to hear it because they won't live to see next week? Those are reasons to not tarry in sharing your witness. However, there are other questions. How many are saddened by all of the things they did not do? How many will be in front of God saying "I never got around to it."? How many will realize that all they live for is about to be swept away? We need to live the life worth living. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? Your are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." James 4:14 I'm sure the people who will pass away in the next day or two did not intend for this to be the end. They did not put their life in order and arrange to exit. This was not part of the plan. The point is that it doesn't matter. However much you prepare and lay out the paths of your life, it won't go the way you intend. "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12 Understand how short your days are. Whether you will only live a couple more or for another forty years, it's not long. Life is short anyway you measure it. Fill it with things that are worth something. Spend your time doing things that you will be happy to show God in Heaven. I pray for the safety of the folks about to be hit with this storm. However, it's a mathematical certainty that some will lose their lives. Were it me huddling over my cot in the Superdome, I would not want to be thinking of all of the things I'd wish I had done with my life before I had to face God. Number your days. Realize how short they are. Live accordingly. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 30 00:03:30 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:03:30 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Being Sure Message-ID: <2B9E9739-1924-11DA-B173-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> Be always sure you are right - then go ahead. Davy Crockett Growing up, this guy was one of my heroes. I never really figured out just how to be always sure that I was right. Before I was hired as a sales manager at a foundry, the management thought it would be a good idea to send me off to an industrial psychologist. They wanted to see how I would interface with more than fifty crusty individuals from two unions that thought that anyone from management was there to do nothing but spy on them and keep them from making money. Evidently I filled the bill because they hired me. During the evaluation process, the interviewer was reviewing my results with me. He stopped and put down his pen and asked me a question. "This is off the record, Allen, but guys like you fascinate me. What makes you so curious that you always rush to open the closed door?" I didn't really understand what he meant and, to tell you the truth, I thought it was a trick question. "No, it isn't a trick question," he said, "I'm serious. Every once in a while a guy like you comes through our office and I just can't understand how you think. Every answer you've given indicates that you rush toward everything, sometimes without regard to your own safety." My reasoning was simple. "I guess it only makes sense to me," I said, "If it's a problem then the sooner you get there the sooner you can do something. If it's something good, you want to be the first guy there." This did set me to thinking about how many times I have rushed through the door with bad information. I recall a time in Tucson, Arizona, when I was living in a trailer court renting a shack. No, really, it was a shack. The walls in the bathroom had begun to separate to the point that I had to nail up an old shower curtain over the split to maintain privacy. One early morning, I woke up to a racket and big billows of smoke coming out of the bathroom. I did exactly what the psychologist was talking about. I grabbed a pan of water and bounded into the bathroom to put out the fire. Surprise! It wasn't smoke. It was steam. The hot water heater had ruptured and there was about three inches of scalding hot water on the floor. There I was with a pan of water in my bare feet. Luckily, the desire to rush through the door works both ways, in and out. I also had the only outdoor indoor bathroom in the court as the explosion was too much for the nailed up shower curtain and the wall. Being sure is a good thing. For example, have a sure foundation. "Therefore thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed."" Isaiah 28:16 Being sure of your decision for Christ. "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;" 2 Peter 1:10 Being sure in your heart of who He is. "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Matthew 5:18 There are some doors worth the risk, even if you aren't so sure. "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Aug 30 23:10:16 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 23:10:16 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Depend on the Real Message-ID: I am not very artistic. In fact, a stick figure can give me a lot of trouble. This fact wasn't particularly helpful in my chosen major in college: Technical Theater. My pursuit required a lot of design work in sets and lighting. Man, the hours of frustration I spent trying to draw renderings and do watercolors. The only way I could survive was to draw mechanically. Drop point perspective, isometric, and birds-eye views all produced renderings that were a lot more precise than what some of my counterparts produced. In other words, their concepts often outshone me, as well as their presentations. However, one day when I was lamenting over my deficiency, the professor set me straight. "Allen, your art may never hang in a gallery, but the most important thing about your work is that it can be built. You see, a set design that creates excitement is one that can go from concept to the stage, not one that is all concept and no mechanics. Half of what I see could never really be used in theater. It's all a mind game." He taught me about budgets, the concept of recycling old sets, and many more practical aspects that allowed me to design and build. The last set I designed was for a production of "Godspell". After the production was over, we sold the set as a playground unit to a church to recoup some of the production costs. The point here is that a concept is useless unless you can put it into practice to affect lives. So it goes spiritually. Goodness, the bookshelves are filled with concepts, but in the end there is no substance. They are all elaborate paintings without mechanics. Jesus Christ is not a concept. He is pure mechanics. He is real. You don't look at Jesus Christ and theorize over His meaning. He was born. He walked, talked, and taught. He performed events that defied all earthly logic including reversing the effects of death. There are no shades of Christ, no hues of Christ, no form, no balance or -isims. Jesus Christ is either exactly who the Bible says He is, or He is nothing at all. (The following information is from the John Ankerberg website) ? Jesus was buried in a tomb -- both His friends and His enemies knew where it was ( Matthew 27:62-66 ) ? The tomb was found empty early Sunday morning. (Want proof? Look at Matthew 28:11-15 where Jesus' enemies cook up a story to explain why it was empty! ) ? Jesus' disciples and a lot of other people saw Him alive after they had seen him killed and buried (1 Corinthians 15:3-9 ) ? Jesus' disciples believed that He had risen. So much so, that they were willing to die for their belief. (Which is amazing when you consider that Peter had already proved that he could crack under very little pressure - Matthew 26:69-75 ) Jesus is alive. All other religious leaders are dead. Which would you rather trust - a living Lord or a dead guru? ? Say the welcoming word to God - "Jesus is my Master" - embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what He did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation ( Romans 10:9, The Message ) Anything in your life you rely upon should play second chair to Jesus. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Aug 31 22:36:14 2005 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2005 22:36:14 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Human Exceptionalism Message-ID: <4FE5CE9E-1AAA-11DA-9A93-000A9599B718@clanwebb.com> I am amazed at how some people will question the most obvious things and then be stunned at the answers. Time magazine ran a cover a while back that declared that science was showing that men and women are different. I read a poll commissioned by ABC News recently that asked people if they were satisfied with the price of gas. What was most stunning about that poll was that six percent said yes! Then I read an article the other day that really hit home just how lost some people are. The London Zoo has decided to open a new exhibit. Inside a rocky enclosure normally used for big cats, they have humans on display. They hired good looking young adults to hang out in a zoo enclosure in their bathing suits for a few weeks. The spokesman for the zoo was quoted as saying, "Seeing people in a different environment, among other animals, teaches members of the public that the human is just another primate." What?! One of the "animals" on exhibit said, "A lot of people think humans are above other animals. When they see humans as animals, here, it kind of reminds us that we're not that special." Pardon me? I have always just taken for granted that humans were different than other animals. We are superior. We have not only the authority to subdue the earth and it's creatures, but the responsibility to be good stewards with God's creation. The moral equivalency going on here is mind boggling. And, clearly, there are many more people who agree with it than I imagined. There is a concept called Human Exceptionalism. It is the belief that we are entitled to live by different rules than other species. Some who don't believe in God, argue that it's arrogant to think that we're better. I guess we should ignore the whole thing about building civilizations, creating art, doing scientific research, and generally being way ahead of the rest of the animal kingdom. I seem to have missed the dolphin that discovered penicillin or the chimpanzee that harnessed electricity or the dog that painted the Sistine Chapel. This equivalency comes from minds with no point of reference. They can't get their moral bearings based on what they see. God, on the other hand, was very clear about the order of things: In Genesis 2:15-19 you can read how God created Adam. He then placed Adam in the Garden to "work it and take care of it." Already, Adam had a job that none of the animals could do. God then decided that Adam needed a helper. None of the animals needed a helper because they didn't have the responsibilities that Adam had. God brought all of the animals to Adam so he could name them. Again, the naming process shows that Adam was the big kahuna. None of the animals God had created were suitable to help Adam. This was yet another verification that Adam was above and beyond the animals. God had to create Eve to be his helper, another human. He made it very clear in Genesis 1 after creating Adam and Eve: "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."" Genesis 1:28 God didn't ask all of the animals to vote for a leader. God didn't tell Adam to share power with the lions or the elephants. God said that Adam and Eve would rule over the entire animal kingdom. Humans are a special species. We are not just another animal. We were created with a special purpose, to worship God and do God's will. All of the animals are part of His creation and we should take care of it. However, we should never subdue ourselves to it. I suspect you knew you were better than a squirrel. We are because God said so. Don't let any misguided soul tell you otherwise. Wyatt