From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 1 00:06:45 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 1 00:07:30 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Philosophy of the Boat Message-ID: <81F48CE0-143B-4C8E-8D5F-356B1D953AF0@clanwebb.com> There's a classic philosophy question about a boat. It goes something like this: Imagine you have a simple rowboat. Each day you choose to replace exactly one board in the boat with a new board. You do this day after day until you've replaced them all. Now, is the boat you have at the end the same boat you started with? Or is it a new boat? If it's a new boat, at what point during this process did it change from the old boat to the new one? It's an interesting thing to consider. It's a mental exercise, really, but it challenges your idea of identity when an entity can be changed piecemeal. I'm reminded of this question when I consider the following passage: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 This is an odd passage for the unsaved to understand. Here they are looking at someone who is saved. Except this person looks much the same as before he was saved. What's with all this new creation stuff? "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 1:6 So, are we a new creation or are we under construction? To the unsaved, it's confusing and seems contradictory. To the saved, however, the meaning is much clearer. Let's remember that before we are saved, we are slaves to sin. We are incapable of being Christ-like and the Spirit is not working in us. When we accepted Christ, we were changed. We are now creatures that are servants of Christ and the chains of sin are broken. Not only do we have the ability to be Christ-like now, but the Spirit is actively working on us to do just that. So, although we may look the same on the outside and have the same mental abilities after being saved, our spiritual identity has definitely changed. Our spiritual self has died and a new creation is in it's place. So, we are new creations (just not such that you can see with your eyes). And, furthermore, the Spirit is guiding that new creation on a path to be like Christ. So, we are a new boat. We became a new boat the day we accepted the carpenter and allowed Him to start repairing and upgrading. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 1 22:12:01 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 1 22:14:33 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Accepting Reality Message-ID: If I accept, even for the sake of argument, that God created the universe, why did He do it? We don't know. Nobody does. If you need to know the why of something before you accept the reality, your life is going to be very limited as you won't live long enough to find out about much of anything. Pick anything: a car, a rocket ship, a television, an iPod. These things are all realities, but the unanswered whys about them are endless. You would never know the bottom line reasons for every design decision or application. If you made the attempt, sooner or later you will reach a blind alley because whoever or whatever made the universe didn't think it important enough to ensure that all of the pertinent thought processes were preserved. Information is lost in every process. The trail is too long and varied, but the fact is that these things are reality! In any given search for an answer, one can only search until satisfied. At that point, one can accept without knowing everything. We learn this lesson soon after we pester our parents to the point of, "Because that's just the way it is," or, "Because I said so, that's why!" The point is that God created the universe for His purpose. Knowing the purpose is something to question, the reality that He's the one who did it is not. If I read the Bible, not necessarily believing it, it says He created it and that if He created it, He owns it. After all, if you could build something out of nothing without any help, wouldn't you own it? "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 The first line in the Bible. There it is, written down. The fact that it is written down makes the words a reality. The idea is reality, too. If you are searching for God, you'll have to deal with that. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 3 00:05:14 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Mar 3 00:12:45 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Better Explanation Message-ID: <09D2FD3F-CE6E-4DBC-8A94-2D03A325B11C@clanwebb.com> Suppose, after giving it some thought, you decide that it is conceivable that a higher power created the first man and woman and that the human race didn't start because lightning struck a puddle of ooze causing the first protein to pop into existence. Why would he or she do that? Here is that old reality thing again. Nobody knows, but if you need proof that it happened just try to drive to the store without seeing one or more. The "how" is a big argument. The "why" we will never know. Some folks make a living on the premise that you don't need a reason, just live and study the components. Some, on the other hand, respond to something imprinted upon them that tells them there is a reason. They feel that they aren't just a walking, talking collection of chemicals. It sort of bursts out of them. So, they write it down, paint, sculpt, make music, and otherwise reach out to one another in hundreds of ways. Whatever makes them do it causes a branch in the road from pure math, chemistry, and biology. Science is good at identifying a particular part of the brain where some of this stuff is stored. But, they set aside the "why". They just concern themselves with the study and feel assured that when they get all the pieces together they will be able to step back and look at the completed puzzle to see the "why". "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 Again, ask yourself, "Is there really a better explanation?" When you walk through the world and see all there is in reality, do you think you are just an accident walking among millions of other accidents? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 4 00:31:52 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Mar 4 00:32:37 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Slight Correction Message-ID: I've had a good laugh over the last few weeks as I've watched more than one national newspaper humble itself. However, it may be the newsmen who have the last laugh. There have been a couple of instances lately of the following situation: A dramatic news story that has a political angle is plastered across the front page of a major newspaper. A few days or a week later, that same newspaper has printed a correction several pages away from the front page related to that story. The kicker is that the correction basically dismantles the entire original story. Chances are that there's no story at all when the facts are taken into account. A clear crime by an office holder turns into nothing much. A flat out lie by the President turns into a vocabulary mistake by the writer. It's funny to me because these folks are finally getting called out after years of being able to ignore these kinds of slants. The papers may have still succeeded, though, as they've promoted the big story and planted that in people's minds and then quietly altered the story to be more truthful. The result is that they can claim to be honest writers who want to get it right, but they've planted an incorrect idea and don't go out of their way to change public perception. It's frustrating to see such despicable behavior, but the only people who care are those who choose to seek the truth. While I'm not making any implications about the media, I do see a similar situation in how Satan works on the world. He'll pitch the big lie to hook the unsuspecting. He promises fun and pleasure. The Bible says that sin is enjoyable for a season. Satan just doesn't tell anyone the catch. "[...]He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44b Some of those folks may even hear the truth later, but because they want to believe the lie they ignore it. Believing the lie means living the way they want. Believing the lie means defining your own morality and never having to deny yourself. However, believing the lie also leads to death. "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21 It is incumbent upon us to not trust the headlines. We need to do more reading and research. (I suggest you start with the Word since it's guaranteed to be truth.) Then, you can decide who to believe. You can decide who is trying to deceive you. Don't buy the lie. Dig for the truth and follow it. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 5 00:15:04 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Mar 5 00:18:33 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Following the Map Message-ID: <036FAA4B-D2BB-4B93-A4C5-699CFE9E82FA@clanwebb.com> Suppose you wake up one morning and you have been thinking about the big question. You know: "Why?" You soon realize that man's reasoning leaves a paper trail while the God thing is hard to get your arms around. After all, the world is full of religions, which one is right? Most religions have a paper trail of some nasty behavior: child abuse, human rights issues, genocide, greed, and of course, the big one: hypocrisy. How do you bypass all of that and get to the core of the issue? How do you find the right off-ramp, make the right turns, park, get out, walk up the path, ring the bell, and find God opening the door saying, "Welcome, come on in and let's discuss my plans for you."? Logic dictates that you have to get on the highway, start reading the signs, looking at the maps, and consulting the roadside information to help find the way. If you happen to be a woman, you will stop and ask for directions, too. But, of course, we're men and who needs that? The Bible says - doesn't matter if you believe it, it's still there - that remembering that you are the one who doesn't know where to look is a good place to start. "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."" Romans 10:9-13 There you have it. Simple really. No religion involved. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 6 00:15:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Mar 6 00:15:46 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have Faith Message-ID: <0D6BD2BB-A469-421C-9F64-CA26E0BBCF88@clanwebb.com> We had a fascinating sermon today on the issue of worry. We read through the section of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus tells us not to worry because God will provide. He points out that no amount of worrying will change anything about the future. It's wasted time and effort. Our pastor pointed out one aspect that hadn't occurred to me before. Worry implies a lack of faith. Now, I don't consider myself a worrier, but I certainly do have times where I lack faith. That connected with me. Faith is hard. The unsaved will tell you that it's easy because there's no effort behind it. You don't have to do decades of research to have faith. I think it's harder. Look at the Bible's definition: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 How certain are you of what you do not see? I'm positive that my keys are on the table by the front door (I just saw them two minutes ago). I'm very certain that my car it still parked outside (It's where I left yet several hours ago). I'm reasonably confident that there's a gas station open somewhere within five miles (I figure the law of averages works for me there). I think I've got enough cash in my wallet to fill the tank (I'm trying to remember how much I spent at Starbucks today). I have varying degrees of certainty of all these things because I'm basing it on when I last saw them. I can be certain of things I see. That's how we grow up. I can be relatively certain of things I can't see because I've seen them recently. However, being certain of things that I cannot see and that nobody else in the world can see is hard. It's easy to make yourself certain based on physical evidence and years of research. You can draw a logical line from point A to point B. When that line is made completely out of faith, it's hard. That means making a decision in your life based on information that you have no way of verifying or proving. You just have faith. That's much harder and scarier when you think about it. Sure, it takes less time, but that doesn't make it easy. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Faith is so hard that God has to give it to us just so we can accept his free gift. Guess what, though? You have faith now. You depend on it to maintain your relationship with Christ. Each sin in your life is a gap of faith. The sin of worry is a lack of faith that God will provide. Many sins are a lack of faith that God was telling the truth when He explained the consequences. Faith was given to you by God and your first step was to use it to accept His grace. That's not all it can do, though. Now, you need to keep having faith that God will provide for you, protect you, and lead you. Don't set that faith aside. Don't let it fail. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 6 23:43:55 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Mar 6 23:45:04 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] I Think Message-ID: <1A3A7CBE-3206-43E0-B5D8-D5018ECC920F@clanwebb.com> Once you start to think about God, the Bible, religions, and how it affects you, the road always leads to a couple of ideas. First, there is the "I think" approach. A wise man once said, "Be careful not to believe everything you think." How many times have you come to a conclusion about something only to find out that what you thought was wrong? Second, there is perception and reality. You may have the perception that you understand something only to find out that it is an illusion. It happens all the time. The great thing about reality is that it is the same for everyone. The only realistic approach is to not reinvent the wheel. Look at all sides of the issue from people that have plowed the ground before you. Use your brain and your heart and commit to what is revealed to you as an individual. It is okay to challenge God to work in your life because, according to those that have gone before, He will respond and let you know His requirements. In the end, it is only logical to explore the relationship because of what it offers: Eternal life after an earthly death. "I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details." "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice." "God is subtle but He is not malicious." "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." "God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically." These are the conclusions of a thinking, meticulous, curious, relentless mind: Albert Einstein. The reality, not perception, is that Jesus Christ was born, lived, taught, and died on earth. Now, either He was exactly who He said He was or the greatest fraud ever. The Bible, whether you believe it or not, tells us that He said this: "I and the Father are one." John 10:30 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 8 00:21:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 8 00:22:30 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reveal It All Message-ID: Today will be another interesting day in my life as a manager. The group I've been leading has completed a major milestone. To celebrate, I get to stand up in front of the CEO and the President and show them what we've done. As part of the process, I have to give a review of how the project has been going since we started. I have to clearly show what we promised to accomplish at the beginning and contrast that to what we actually accomplished. I also have to explain in detail all of the known problems that remain with the product and our best guesses as to how those should be resolved. The key in all of this is complete honesty. If senior management can clearly see what we've accomplished and what issues remain, then they have the best information to make decisions. If we try to cover up or misdirect to hide anything, then they will make decisions based on faulty data. Not to mention the consequences that will result when they discover any deception. Total honesty is necessary, but it's not easy. It's not easy to reveal your work to be imperfect. It's easy to crow about the successes, but it's difficult to clearly point out the faults when you can only blame them on yourself. That's uncomfortable, but it's the truth. There will come a time for those of us who have accepted Christ, when we will have to deal with the complete, unfettered truth of our entire lives. I have a feeling I'm going to cringe when it happens: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 Our life's work will be piled up and set aflame. What's left is the part of your life that was worthwhile. The part you did right in serving Christ. There won't be any hiding of anything on that day. It will all be known and made clear. No doubt left in anyone's mind of what was valuable. Since you know that day is coming, why bother trying to hide it now? It's like trying to hide the fact that you broke your Mom's favorite vase. It'll become clear soon enough, why even try? Reveal it all to Him. He gives clear direction when you do. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 8 23:32:35 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 8 23:33:28 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Walk the Walk Message-ID: <5BB60792-631C-4080-A9BE-409AA891A567@clanwebb.com> Him: "Where do you want to go for dinner tonight?" Her: "Anywhere is fine with me." Him: "Okay, how about Italian?" Her: "Oh, well, that'd be okay, I guess." Him: "Uhhh...okay. How about Mexican?" Her: "Hmm, yeah, I suppose that would be fine." Him: "Well, where would you like to go?" Her: "Anywhere. Really!" And so on... I predict that every last one of you is nodding his head. You likely have had a conversation very similar to this at some point in your life. Some of you have these conversations daily. My condolences. What is it about this very common exchange that drives us nuts? I think it's the frustration in knowing that we're taking the scenic route. For us, the goal is to get a good meal. We probably don't care where we go, but we want to just go now. We know deep down that she has a place in mind. For reasons that we will never understand, she refuses to simply tell us. No, instead we get to play twenty questions while allowing her to pretend that she really would be happy with any place you go. If you've ever believed that then you've learned that it's a trap. The veterans know it's just time to sit down and name every restaurant you've been to in the last five years until she responds differently. It's the same reason we hate to buy a car. We hate sitting in a little room for four hours when everything could have been sorted out in fifteen minutes if we'd just skip the scenic route. God speaks clearly to everyone on earth. I believe that He speaks to women in a way that they understand. He understands the scenic route and He doesn't mind. He also speaks clearly to us in short, crisp sentences that leave nothing in doubt. He knows how to speak to us, too. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6 Not much wiggle room there. There's no scenery on this drive. Straight up God tells us (through John) that we cannot claim to be Christians if we won't walk the walk. That means that you should (among other things) care for the outcasts, witness to the lost, serve your brothers, and love sacrificially. These are very high standards and ones that we will miss from time to time. Those times are opportunities to confess, pray, and rededicate yourself. One thing is for sure: You can't claim to be walking the walk if you are parked on the couch when you should be doing something else. I think the Word is clear, men. Let your actions confirm your claims. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 10 00:25:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Mar 10 00:26:40 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's Simple Message-ID: <10D68C3E-B9B6-4282-8EA4-F16CAF0EC52C@clanwebb.com> Of all the confusion in the world, the definition of a Christian has become more confused by this generation. To be sure, God has had nothing to do with the extra confusion. That honor goes to us men and women here on earth. God is perfect, the rest of us aren't. Thus the confusion. What does it mean to be a Christian? According to the Bible - I know of nowhere else to look - the elements are simple. 1. You must believe in the God of the Bible. 2. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the person the Bible describes. All the rest is the side effect or byproduct of these two things. The Bible is not confusing. People have taken the sixty-six books and made much of the details. However, the two key messages are so simple that any child can understand them. 1. God made it all and He will do with it what He wishes 2. God has a way to make sure that every individual has the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Him. Again, all the rest of the discussion is a byproduct. The only two questions every individual has to research are: What is He going to do and how is He going to do it? Can anyone know the mind of God? Not all of it, but enough to answer the two questions. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 11 00:11:29 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Mar 11 00:12:12 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Right Tool Message-ID: Having the right tool can be critical. Just like every other guy, I've used a wrench to pound a nail, I've used a knife to turn a screw, and I've used the wrong size socket and hoped I don't strip the nut. Those are times you can slide by with the wrong tool, but many times you had better have the right one. When I'm disassembling a computer, I make sure to find the right hex wrench or screwdriver. Snapping something off or poking a hole in the case can turn $1000 of computer equipment into an ugly doorstop very quickly. When I'm wiring a new switch, I make sure to have a multimeter around to measure the power. I could always test the power by holding both wires in my hands, but doing that is a little unnerving and doesn't give a very accurate reading. When I'm repairing the gas line in my fireplace, I make sure to use the right size wrench and move slowly. A loose line or a torn hose is not a pleasant experience. When dealing with the world, we need the right tool, too. The world's hardware store is immense. There are thousands of tools to choose from. There are a variety of new age religions to try, self help books to read, life coaches to listen to, and pop culture philosophers to follow. They will all purport to give you the best tools to deal with life on earth. They will all promise the best results and the ability to make you a better person. There is such a variety, you will surely be able to find one that allows all of your particular cravings and yet still promises the tools to win the day. There are many choices in this store, but none of them will work. God's hardware store is very small. I imagine it to be about as big as one of those drive-through espresso stands. You open the door and there is one shelf with one tool. There aren't many choices. There isn't a variety to choose from. At first, using this single tool might make you uncomfortable. However, this tool will work. This is the right tool for working on life. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 I suggest you shop at the smaller store. Grab a copy of that book; that lone tool that He offers. Then use it work on yourself and to work on life. Get to it, Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 12 00:09:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Mar 12 00:10:13 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prepare Your Minds Message-ID: <4CF5AB82-9CF7-4172-B47F-0558F997EFFB@clanwebb.com> Elite athletes can often find that the last hurdle they have to overcome is not about strength or speed or training or nutrition. It's about their head. There is a whole industry built around sports psychology. It's for athletes who have mental blocks or who need help believing that they are really as good as they are. I experienced a lightweight form of this in high school when our coach talked about visualization. He spoke frequently about creating the strong mental image of a successful free throw or jump shot. There is something to be said about believing you can accomplish something before you try. That sliver of doubt can be enough to make you falter if you aren't sure. You read about the odd pre-game rituals many athletes go through so they have the right mindset during the game. Pitchers are usually left alone on their day to pitch as all of the other players know that he needs to be focused. Some football players are described as teddy bears off the field and complete animals on the field. It's all about your state of mind. Guess what? We need to be in the right state of mind as Christians, too. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 Not only do we have to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually, but we have to prepare for action. Peter isn't describing ten years in a monastery. He's talking about being in the state of mind that allows you to act on God's will. You must also be prepared to control yourself. Don't change the play. Don't freelance. Finally, you must visualize the reward of grace. You must be absolutely convinced of it's existence and the power it holds. All these things will help you prepare yourself to be used by God. Be on your toes and prepared in every way. Come to the huddle ready to go. He's calling the play. Ready...break! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 13 00:20:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Mar 13 00:20:46 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Play Smart Message-ID: God has clearly commanded us to take the good news of the Gospel to the rest of the world. While contemplating that, I'm often amazed at how many terrible efforts are made to do that. Although it wasn't obvious, a little research in the Word shows that God has a pretty clear direction about who you share your faith with. I remember a guy who used to set up an easel outside the student center during my college days. He had a whole presentation put together where he explained the Gospel message by painting a picture with watercolors. As the picture formed, he would describe the fall, the separation from God, the gift of Christ, and salvation. When he was done, the final picture included all of the elements and displayed man's reconciliation with God. It was a clever visual to get the point across, but I don't know that I ever saw anyone actually stop and watch the whole message. Many of the students made fun of him. A few would call out insults or ask sarcastic questions. As a young man, I admired his courage to be standing there. But, now, I wonder whether that was time well spent. The audience was not prepared to hear the message. Worse, even if someone had been interested, they would have been too embarrassed to actually stop and listen. For all of the time he spent standing in the sun painting pictures, I have to think that the number of people saved was very small. Even companies that sell products to us know enough to target their advertising. College students aren't generally interested in hearing about how their new lifestyle is sinful and they need to change. Groups like Campus Crusade for Christ were doing a much better job of reaching out to my fellow students. You see, God wants you to be ready to share with anyone at anytime in any place. However, He also wants it to happen when the listener is ready, too: "Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." Proverbs 23:9 "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." Proverbs 9:8 God is not only warning us about wasting time by sharing with those who aren't ready, but He's warning us that we might endanger ourselves in the process. Remember that the Gospel is very threatening to those who don't want to give up their current life. Don't be afraid to share your faith, but pray that God will prepare those folks to listen before you begin. Pray for discernment that you will know when the time and place are right. Pray for the courage to follow through when the time comes. Be prepared, but pay attention. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 14 00:00:43 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Mar 14 00:01:34 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Bold Message-ID: <965B55E9-CDD2-4E4C-9F50-E885E2C6AE0B@clanwebb.com> Do you sometimes just shake you head when people respond to your faith like you were a six year old explaining quantum physics? Hell is an awful place, but God does not expect you to save anybody from hell. He just expects you to understand your relationship with Him. "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." 1 Peter 3:15 Keep your sense of humor. Jesus did: "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24 To be sure, God wants you to be bold. By bold He means being unafraid when you feel He is leading you to enter a conversation. He doesn't mean bold as in, "Hey you, hold up there, you are going to hell but I can tell you how to avoid it." "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." 2 Corinthians 3:12 Be secure in your faith, study the word, know why you believe what you believe. Don't worry that it may not make sense to someone else. It is your relationship first and foremost. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 15 00:03:21 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 15 00:04:13 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Trust Your Compass Message-ID: I don't know what it is about driving directions that cause men to choose to be stupid. For some reason, we have an innate dislike for needing help to find a place that we have some idea about. I've since discovered Google Maps, but I once suffered from this condition. I remember going to a dinner party with my wife. I had never been to the house in question, but I recognized the street name and figured it couldn't be that hard. Famous last words. I think I realized we were in trouble when the street we were on went from nice houses to houses under construction to foundations to dirt lots and finally to a dirt road. I didn't stop at the dirt road. No, I drove another couple hundred yards before it became clear that it wasn't going to lead me to my destination. In fact, we could see that it was an unpaved, ungraded road with no guardrail that ran along a hillside. When injury becomes a likely result, I'm willing to give up and ask directions. We all need to make that same realization in life. The unsaved need to realize that they are on a dangerous road and it doesn't go where they think it goes. Those of us who are saved know our final destination, but we still need to be careful of the roads we're on until that time. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 The bottom line here is don't trust your faulty compass. When it comes to things here on earth, we are terrible judges of direction on our own. Consult the guide book. Make sure you know the right way there. Don't be afraid to ask for directions. I promise not to make fun. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 15 22:02:25 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 15 22:03:18 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's The Act That Matters Message-ID: Does God need my time and the money I have earned? "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains." Psalm 50:10-12 We often think we are buying something with our offerings, but the fact is that we are the only ones that place any value on our material goods. We give as an act of sacrifice. That is what has value to God. The act, not the stuff. It is the act that He has decided is required so we can receive. "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23 We don't buy anything from God. The earthly good that comes from giving is a byproduct. The act opens the door not to a warm feeling about what our time and money provides, but joy and relationship with God. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 16 23:58:37 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Mar 17 00:01:36 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's Not So Different Message-ID: <05F54945-7433-4B05-BBA7-423FCE73170C@clanwebb.com> The more I read the Word, the more amazed I am at how it applies to me today. It seems impossible that rules for life written down a couple thousand years ago would still be so timely and applicable to this very high tech society. At first, I recognized that this was because of God's ability to speak things that are always true. This is certainly the case and His Word is nothing but eternal truths. Recently, though, I've started to see another reason. It's because life wasn't really all that different. Life back then had very similar problems. They struggled with lust, materialism, gossip, pride, jealousy, and the rest. Today I discovered that the early church had to deal with the same questions about the legitimacy of Christ as we do today. The only difference was that there was no doubt that the person in question had lived since believers and unbelievers alike had seen Him and heard about Him. Nonetheless, even the twelve who had walked side by side had to remind folks of who Christ was. "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." 2 Peter 1:16 Peter is reminding the believers that Christ did and said exactly what Peter had reported. Peter was there and had seen it all. Peter went to his death proclaiming Christ. Peter could have easily recanted and gone into a quiet retirement, but he knew that wasn't an option. He was being used by God and he wasn't going to stop. But it had only taken a few short years for people to start discounting and minimizing Christ. We see the very same thing now. He gives us all hope with the end of the chapter: "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21 He's telling us that we have confidence in the Word because Christ confirmed it's authenticity. He's reminding us that the Word has authority because it is God-breathed. There is hope in knowing that Christ and the Word are the communication mechanism we use to commune with God. He's reminding us of the evidence that Jesus was Christ. Even Peter had to remind people who Christ was. We do, too. Keep doing it. Don't give up. Have confidence and hope. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 18 00:48:24 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Mar 18 00:49:24 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Racing Message-ID: There is plenty of stuff out there. That includes a never ending supply of challenges. If God would grant us the ability to lift the top off the dispenser of life's stumbling blocks and misfortunes so we could see what was coming next, I'd wager we would respond with a big, "You have got to be kidding! Doesn't it ever stop?" I have tried to see a pattern in my life. That is, I've looked for some telltale sign that the next morsel out of life's gum ball machine is going to be a tasty juicy flavor burst or a jawbreaker. I have come to one conclusion: God made all natural laws including the law of happenstance. To this point I don't believe anyone has unlocked the mathematical formula that allows us to really prepare for the unforeseen event or string of events that seem to come along in life. I become weary at times and my legs give out and I feel like I've lost my wind. My son told me a story about the competitive atmosphere that prevailed at MIT. One day, in the stark quiet of the library, a student stood up and ran out yelling, "You're all getting ahead of me!" Sometimes as we look around at the other folks in the world, it seems as if they are driving brand new race cars and we are riding in a burnt out jalopy. I have concluded that I am not Superman. However, I know him. "To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless." Psalm 119:96 "but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." 1 Corinthians 13:10 "We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection." 2 Corinthians 13:9 In the NASCAR race of life, we may get lapped several times, but, in the end, those that do not know Jesus are just going 'round and 'round. No matter how many times they seem to pass us with more and more, there is no single checkered flag. The race is the thing and if we just get out and coax our jalopy back to life and get all we can out of it with what we have, we will win our race. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 19 00:27:02 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Mar 19 00:35:44 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Real Me Message-ID: <57799A0F-7939-4C16-A695-2DB585268840@clanwebb.com> Most philosophies, in one way or another, refer to the inner man. I was quick to think I understood what that meant. After some contemplation, it dawned on me that there is someone in there. He makes all the decisions about how the world perceives the outer man. "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. [Wow. Where is this place?] When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, [ Is there a factory down there somewhere?] your eyes saw my unformed body. [What exactly did He see if my body was unformed?] All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. [Somewhere there's a blueprint with all the tributaries mapped out, all my freewill decisions already exposed to God]" Psalm 139:15-16 He knew me before I was the body I see in the mirror. I wonder what that guy might look like? I wonder what you would think of me if you met him? There is much that all of us would not do if we could clearly see the great blueprint, to understand the glory of God fully, to know all there is to know. However if we could, it would not require faith. We must take the scripture as it stands, as it reveals what God wants us to know according to His wisdom. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 20 00:05:13 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Mar 20 00:05:57 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Because He Loves You Message-ID: <7500273F-2CF9-40B0-9670-6605CD8ED05C@clanwebb.com> It's a common refrain of those who are still in the dark: "If Jesus is who He said He is, why hasn't He come back yet?" The correct answer is, "Because He loves you." Huh? In the darkened mind of the unsaved, that doesn't make any sense. They'll ask why Jesus doesn't just come back and take away all the pain and suffering that's going on. They'll ask why He doesn't come back to prove He's the real deal. They'll ask why He doesn't come back and save us all from this tainted life. Then they'll say that since He hasn't come back, that's proof that He never will. That's proof that Christianity is bogus. What they don't know is that the answer to all of those questions is, "Because He loves you." You see, Jesus is waiting because He loves us all. When He comes back, the offer for salvation ends. The day He returns is the day that everyone will have to show why we deserve to be in Heaven. For those who have accepted Him, the path is easy. For the rest, they will have to prove that they lived a perfect life. Unfortunately, nobody other than Jesus ever has. "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "When is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." [...] But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:3-4,8-9 Guess what? People scoff at the idea of Christ coming again. Those people still do not understand that He waits to allow more to be saved. You can tell them, "He waits because He loves you." I'm sure glad He waited for me. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 20 23:36:27 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Mar 20 23:37:09 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Beauty Message-ID: "Beauty is an innate and emotional perception of life's affirmative aspects ? vitality, health, fertility, happiness, and goodness ? within objects in the perceived world. In its most profound sense, the beauty engenders a sense of positive reflection on the meaning of one's own being within nature." From Wikipedia "Beauty is the wisdom of women. Wisdom is the beauty of men." - Ancient Chinese proverb Beauty attracts like a magnet. If something is beautiful to one of the senses, we are drawn to it. The problem is that man is always ultimately disappointed in anything which he can own that is of beauty. There is no renewing in an object. It, therefore, becomes stagnant. When the mystery is gone, what was beautiful is now boring. Real beauty must have the ability to grow and change. "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 Worldly beauty arouses. Godly beauty brings healing, peace, joy, contentment, honor, and fulfillment. One is never satisfied with worldly beauty. "when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:2-4 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 22 00:22:28 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 22 00:23:13 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Make Your Move Message-ID: <8E1695F3-4674-483C-9D86-D85BE5BC57B6@clanwebb.com> I am a very logical person. When presented with a problem, I prefer to understand the issue clearly and make a decision based on a predictable outcome. If it's not completely predictable, then at least go with the odds. This method only works as well as the completeness of information you have at hand. A great example of this problem is the classic programming problem of writing software to play chess. Whenever someone tries to write the logic for a computer player to play any game there are the same basic issues at hand. First, you have to be able to list all possible moves for the current player at any point in the game. Next, you have to decide how many steps ahead you are willing to look. You can choose to just look at the current player's possible moves. Or, you can look at those and the next player's possible moves. Or, you can look at those two and then the next one. And so on... Deciding how far you can look ahead is usually based on how fast your computer is and how much data you can store. If it's a fast computer with a lot of memory, you can usually look several moves ahead. If it's a slow, small chip for a handheld game, you can only do a few. However, if you can't look that far ahead, what appears to be a good move can, in fact, be a very bad move. Looking ahead is valuable. Finally, even if you can build a tree with all possible moves for several moves into the future, you have to have a way to evaluate whether one move is better than another. You do that by giving any particular game situation a value. If the move puts the game into a state with a higher value for that player than another move, then it's better. This is really the trick, though. Other than a game state where the player has won (i.e. checkmate), it's hard to tell whether it's better or not. Think about it. For chess: Do you just count who has more pieces? One queen is better than three pawns any day. Do you count higher value pieces? Having a queen doesn't mean you're going to win. Do you give value to putting the opponent into check? Sometimes the best move is to draw the opponent in by appearing weak before you trap him. Placing value on a given chess board is very hard. Different players will give you different values based on what their style is or who the opponent is. It's hard to pick the right move. They can all look equally valuable. "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:2 Ah, okay, so don't trust your own insight alone. The choices you make always make sense at the moment, but often turn out wrong. How do we make the right choice then? How do we know which move to make? "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 Do your research. Figure out what makes the most sense to you. But, be prepared to be guided by the Lord. Let Him make the course corrections and point out the right path. Go ahead. It's your move. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 23 00:29:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Mar 23 00:29:44 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Other Gods Message-ID: <99BF5872-CA82-4849-B0B4-AD964D1E96BE@clanwebb.com> "You shall have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:3 As a child, this seems pretty clear. Don't be worshipping Buddha or Zeus or Gaea. As a new Christian, you realize the command has more subtlety. You need to avoid placing a higher priority on money, work, hobbies, etc. than your relationship with Christ. I'm now realizing there's a third level. God is warning me against tunnel vision. Let me demonstrate what I mean by telling a story outside of church. I have a coworker who has been tasked to research new technologies. His goal is to find new areas where we can sell our products and new ways to distribute our software to schools, which are our primary customers. Lately he's been working with some technology that would allow us to build a program that would work completely within a web browser. This would allow for distribution over the web (i.e. no need to ship CDs). We could even charge subscriptions or annual fees rather than a one time sale. There's quite a bit of potential here, but the technology is still pretty raw. He had the opportunity to demonstrate a small number of features in a simple demo to senior management. He left the meeting disappointed that they weren't more excited. They seemed upbeat and even began discussing how the product could be used. But, my coworker was annoyed that they weren't giving more attention to the project. He was expecting more energy around what he'd done and more resources allocated. I realized that he had succumbed to a kind of tunnel vision. The success of his small project became more important to him than the success of the company. If senior management were to dump significant resources into the project and take them away from current projects, we'd be in trouble. There is no current solid plan for how to sell with this technology and there is still a significant amount of work to be done to make it worth selling. They would be putting all of the company's eggs into a single, unproven basket. Senior management has the goal of making the company successful. As a result, the rest of us get to stay employed. My coworker lost sight of the big picture. I believe the commandment God gave me above warns me against this kind of tunnel vision, too. I can get so focused on attending enough Bible studies, listening to every sermon, and working with the youth group that I can start to leave God out of it. I can get focused on the actions around church and lose the reason I'm there. So, make sure you don't have any mythical gods, any materialistic gods, or any false gods around your church. Don't worship the teams you serve on or the groups you meet with. Those are evidence of your relationship with God. They are not the reasons themselves. Worship God. Don't let anything else get in the way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 23 23:28:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Mar 23 23:29:47 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Forget Character Message-ID: We are in the age of information and technology. We are in the age of science. As great as we have become in solving some problems with chemistry and mathematics, the logic of our great American society does nothing to help the failures of our character. Prejudice, addiction, abuse, divorce, and the perversion of sex has not gone to a higher level, but to a lower pit. We blame our diets, our government, our leaders, our media, or our parents. The plain and simple fact is that our hearts have gone bad. Math and science cannot change that part of us that is spirit. We need Einstein to explain some parts of our lives and Freud for others. However, neither of them can speak to our spirit. Looking outward at creation is easy. Looking inward at creation is hard. When we lose sight of the development of our character while we focus on the development of technology we have indeed lost our sight. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." Matthew 15:19-20 Where are we going so fast? What good will it do when we arrive if we have no character? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 25 00:39:02 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Mar 25 00:39:45 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Interpreting Message-ID: <19A9BF55-4F9A-4851-8447-D84A35C33F36@clanwebb.com> Sports have been on my mind again this week. I've been watching a little college basketball. I've been preparing for my fantasy baseball draft. I've even been reading about the off-season moves of the Seahawks. I think one thing that appeals to me about sports is the idea of a fair game. The rules are clear before the game begins and each team has just as much opportunity to win as any other. The difference is in the collective ability of the team, the preparedness, and various uncontrollable issues like weather, injuries, and luck. But, overall, the game is well defined and fair. Of course, that whole fairness thing only works when everyone agrees on those rules. You don't ever see a basketball coach arguing with the referee about the meaning of traveling: "I've chosen to interpret traveling as three steps instead of two," or, "I've decided that if the first step is small enough, it doesn't count." Likewise, you don't see a manager telling the umpire, "I know that you guys have decided that a home run has to go over the wall, but we don't want to leave anyone out. So, for our team, home runs are when the ball gets to the warning track." The game would fall apart if people decided to "interpret" the rules differently. I'm amazed at how many people in this world choose to do this very thing with God. He's given us a clearly written rulebook for how to play the game. And, yet, we have so many who choose to "interpret" the rules differently because they don't like them. "I've decided that Christ wasn't really against homosexuality," or, "It seems to me that if God loves everyone, He won't send anyone to hell. Therefore, I can just live however I want." Guess what, folks? Just because you choose to interpret the rules differently doesn't mean you've actually changed them. The rules are fixed. You don't get to write them. You don't even get to vote on them. It's not a matter of negotiation. They just are. You can either play by them or live in chaos. "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:10-12 Grab the rulebook. Read up. Don't try to change them, just learn them. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 25 22:24:47 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Mar 26 09:51:56 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Bummed Out Message-ID: <48DD3D48-413A-4109-8C51-3E40916B1B40@clanwebb.com> Do you ever get down? Blue? Depressed and hacked off? I do. And, I have a problem with sustaining joy and peace when my mind is preoccupied with the burden of "stuff happening". I don't get angry with God as much as I get exasperated. I want an explanation as to why I am not getting the results I want. I want to know why my efforts are not being rewarded. I keep asking, "Just show me what you want me to do and, by the way, let's shorten up the time between my request and the results." "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7 Yeah, well, easier said than done sometimes. "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12 Oh, yeah. That's right. I remember. You are not alone, brother. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 26 23:41:52 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Mar 26 23:51:40 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Choose Wisely Message-ID: At the risk of sounding political, I want to make an observation. There are those out there that want to kill Americans because so many of us are Christians. They want to kill us for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that we are not of their faith. We don't believe the way their religious leaders ordain we should, so the solution is to eliminate us. Now, add to the mix that there are those Americans that want the Christians in this country to shut up because they are convinced that if we were to just stop talking about our faith and trying to evangelize the world, those that want to kill us would be appeased and peace would reign. We could all just get along. Uh, right. Here's the irony: Many of the things that cause these killers such consternation are not Christian behaviors at all. It's things like sex, drugs, drinking, lack of family values, perversion of marriage, filthy language, lack of respect for authority, and all the rest that set them off. These countries don't want their culture polluted with this stuff, so they choose to hate America because of our pervasive liberal attitudes. These are things non-Christians defend as freedoms. If these fanatics killed every Christian on the planet and the non-Christians were left, who do they think would be next on the list? This current fight is more cultural than economic. People need to drop the sophomoric platitudes about how religion is the cause of most wars and ask, "Why is religion the cause of most wars?". The short answer is that God is at war for us over His sovereignty. Get this: if you don't choose a side, you are sure to lose. "See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand." Deuteronomy 32:39 Ok, that's what my side says. What's your story? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 28 00:15:33 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Mar 28 00:16:20 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Trust Your Riches Message-ID: <968BFB99-36FD-415E-B50A-E293D4842869@clanwebb.com> "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." " Matthew 19:21-23 So, what does this really mean? I've heard it argued that Jesus is saying that rich people don't get to go to Heaven. I'm afraid not. He didn't demand that everyone who believed in Him to take a vow of poverty. I've heard it argued that you must give most of your income to the poor, or you cannot be a follower of Jesus. While it wouldn't hurt most of us to give more, it's not a requirement for salvation. I believe that Jesus could see into the heart of this young man. He knew that while this man obeyed the rules, he was gripped by his riches. He knew that this young man put more reliance and faith in his wealth than on Jesus. Jesus challenged him to demonstrate his faith and the young man failed. This isn't some legalistic verse about how we are to distribute our income. This is Jesus pointing out how easy it is for a person of wealth to get caught up with the material things and have weak faith. Jesus said "it is hard" not "it is impossible". It's just harder to see Jesus when you are surrounded by money. Why is that? Because we tend to place our trust in wealth. We feel safe when we have money in the bank. That's a false sense of security though. "Whoever trusts in his riches will fail, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." Proverbs 11:28 Okay, but why does trusting in riches cause one to fail? Because it will let you down. "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:5 If you have wealth, don't let it control you. If you don't have wealth, don't let the desire for it control you. There's nothing to trust in wealth. Trust in Christ. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 28 23:57:56 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Mar 28 23:58:37 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Rebuke or Flatter Message-ID: <1A9CE089-A79B-4414-A207-C41CCF895D39@clanwebb.com> It's so much easier to just go with the flow. Less pain. Less disruption. This was my general attitude throughout school. I tried not to rock the boat. I just sat in the classroom and did the best I could. I got enough heat for busting the curve as it was. I found friends with similar interests, but when those differed, I just tagged along. Now, if "the flow" was counter to my values, I'd try to just step back and stay out of it. This was really clear to me during my ten days of ROTC training. It was like a mini boot camp. I learned quickly to blend in. It was better to just roll with whatever was happening. Standing out meant more pushups or more laps. In real life, though, you can't always just go along with it. I was presented with a case at work where someone went around me and violated the proper chain of command. It would be easy to let it slide and just act like nothing happened. It would be easy to just try to massage that relationship by trying to build more trust with that person. However, I felt pretty strongly that I needed to make clear to this person that what happened was inappropriate. The proper reporting chain was clear and he should have followed it. It was an uncomfortable conversation, but it needed to be done. I'm sure there will be some tension between us for a bit, but in the long run it will be understood that cheating the rules won't fly. God doesn't want us to be yes men who just go with the flow because it's easier. "He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue." Proverbs 28:23 It is God's desire that we are willing to help our brothers by helping them recognize their missteps. We need to do this out of love and a desire to see the brother restored. That will always result in a better outcome than just ignoring the sin and acting like it's not there. Your brother will continue to be victim to the sin and you haven't done him any favors. It might be uncomfortable, but you'll both be better off in the end. God's way isn't easy, it's just right. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 29 21:49:43 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Mar 29 21:52:52 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Rely on Yourself Message-ID: <21BCB622-4E71-4839-8B63-78BBD2D059AD@clanwebb.com> "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6 This is a very powerful statement. In this one line, each one of us is reminded that the one thing that every man on this planet truly has in common is that we are all professional sinners. It's like that old test when your friend would say, "Don't think of a black dog." It happens every time. No matter how hard you try, you will think of a black dog in short order. It's like there is a little artist in your brain and the instant you hear "black dog" he runs to the easel and starts to draw a black dog. You could be screaming, "Pink cat!" on the outside, but the little fool just sketches a black dog on your brain and there's nothing you can do about it. We just can't be perfect. Heck, we can't even get close. We want to be. We know it would be great to be perfect. The Bible says we ought to be, but we just can't. If you profess to be a Christian, you need to dump any idea you have about self-reliance. Self-reliance is for the lost. It is all they have until they give their life to Christ, too. That's right. The more you love Christ, the less you will rely on yourself. "Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble." Proverbs 25:19 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:7 Good thing that last one is true because some things are just not that easy for men. Don't think of a fire truck... Gotcha! Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 31 00:19:39 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Mar 31 00:20:43 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fair Message-ID: <8E4C7D7B-1D03-471C-B741-14D0ED2E4B39@clanwebb.com> We want. We want quite a lot. But, the biggest thing a man wants is that the decisions he makes are the right decisions. Christian men want their decisions to be right in the eyes of God. Christian men have to work on bringing their wants in line with Godly wants. When we fail, we resort to making our decisions appear Godly. This requires us to change the character of God. We want an understanding God to understand why the decision we make is necessary and, therefore, allow it to be called Godly. We try to avoid suffering by changing the rules. We want to cheat. In doing so, we set aside what we know about God. "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" Genesis 18:25 If God made the rules, why would He not make them just? He is justice. "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Adherence to the rules implies that there will be resistance. Otherwise there would be no reason for the concept of rules. "How am I expected to adhere to all the rules when I don't have the capacity? That isn't fair!" Aha! There it is. Fair, in our minds, is what we want God to be like, not what He really is like. There is a reason for this seemingly never ending cycle of starting, stumbling, stalling, and repenting. The first reason is to make us more like Christ. Make us like Christ, not become Christ. The second is that there is an end to the cycle. "and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 That's fair, isn't it? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 1 00:06:45 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 00:06:45 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Philosophy of the Boat Message-ID: <81F48CE0-143B-4C8E-8D5F-356B1D953AF0@clanwebb.com> There's a classic philosophy question about a boat. It goes something like this: Imagine you have a simple rowboat. Each day you choose to replace exactly one board in the boat with a new board. You do this day after day until you've replaced them all. Now, is the boat you have at the end the same boat you started with? Or is it a new boat? If it's a new boat, at what point during this process did it change from the old boat to the new one? It's an interesting thing to consider. It's a mental exercise, really, but it challenges your idea of identity when an entity can be changed piecemeal. I'm reminded of this question when I consider the following passage: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 This is an odd passage for the unsaved to understand. Here they are looking at someone who is saved. Except this person looks much the same as before he was saved. What's with all this new creation stuff? "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 1:6 So, are we a new creation or are we under construction? To the unsaved, it's confusing and seems contradictory. To the saved, however, the meaning is much clearer. Let's remember that before we are saved, we are slaves to sin. We are incapable of being Christ-like and the Spirit is not working in us. When we accepted Christ, we were changed. We are now creatures that are servants of Christ and the chains of sin are broken. Not only do we have the ability to be Christ-like now, but the Spirit is actively working on us to do just that. So, although we may look the same on the outside and have the same mental abilities after being saved, our spiritual identity has definitely changed. Our spiritual self has died and a new creation is in it's place. So, we are new creations (just not such that you can see with your eyes). And, furthermore, the Spirit is guiding that new creation on a path to be like Christ. So, we are a new boat. We became a new boat the day we accepted the carpenter and allowed Him to start repairing and upgrading. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 1 22:12:01 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 1 Mar 2006 22:12:01 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Accepting Reality Message-ID: If I accept, even for the sake of argument, that God created the universe, why did He do it? We don't know. Nobody does. If you need to know the why of something before you accept the reality, your life is going to be very limited as you won't live long enough to find out about much of anything. Pick anything: a car, a rocket ship, a television, an iPod. These things are all realities, but the unanswered whys about them are endless. You would never know the bottom line reasons for every design decision or application. If you made the attempt, sooner or later you will reach a blind alley because whoever or whatever made the universe didn't think it important enough to ensure that all of the pertinent thought processes were preserved. Information is lost in every process. The trail is too long and varied, but the fact is that these things are reality! In any given search for an answer, one can only search until satisfied. At that point, one can accept without knowing everything. We learn this lesson soon after we pester our parents to the point of, "Because that's just the way it is," or, "Because I said so, that's why!" The point is that God created the universe for His purpose. Knowing the purpose is something to question, the reality that He's the one who did it is not. If I read the Bible, not necessarily believing it, it says He created it and that if He created it, He owns it. After all, if you could build something out of nothing without any help, wouldn't you own it? "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 The first line in the Bible. There it is, written down. The fact that it is written down makes the words a reality. The idea is reality, too. If you are searching for God, you'll have to deal with that. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 3 00:05:14 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 00:05:14 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Better Explanation Message-ID: <09D2FD3F-CE6E-4DBC-8A94-2D03A325B11C@clanwebb.com> Suppose, after giving it some thought, you decide that it is conceivable that a higher power created the first man and woman and that the human race didn't start because lightning struck a puddle of ooze causing the first protein to pop into existence. Why would he or she do that? Here is that old reality thing again. Nobody knows, but if you need proof that it happened just try to drive to the store without seeing one or more. The "how" is a big argument. The "why" we will never know. Some folks make a living on the premise that you don't need a reason, just live and study the components. Some, on the other hand, respond to something imprinted upon them that tells them there is a reason. They feel that they aren't just a walking, talking collection of chemicals. It sort of bursts out of them. So, they write it down, paint, sculpt, make music, and otherwise reach out to one another in hundreds of ways. Whatever makes them do it causes a branch in the road from pure math, chemistry, and biology. Science is good at identifying a particular part of the brain where some of this stuff is stored. But, they set aside the "why". They just concern themselves with the study and feel assured that when they get all the pieces together they will be able to step back and look at the completed puzzle to see the "why". "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 Again, ask yourself, "Is there really a better explanation?" When you walk through the world and see all there is in reality, do you think you are just an accident walking among millions of other accidents? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 4 00:31:52 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 4 Mar 2006 00:31:52 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] A Slight Correction Message-ID: I've had a good laugh over the last few weeks as I've watched more than one national newspaper humble itself. However, it may be the newsmen who have the last laugh. There have been a couple of instances lately of the following situation: A dramatic news story that has a political angle is plastered across the front page of a major newspaper. A few days or a week later, that same newspaper has printed a correction several pages away from the front page related to that story. The kicker is that the correction basically dismantles the entire original story. Chances are that there's no story at all when the facts are taken into account. A clear crime by an office holder turns into nothing much. A flat out lie by the President turns into a vocabulary mistake by the writer. It's funny to me because these folks are finally getting called out after years of being able to ignore these kinds of slants. The papers may have still succeeded, though, as they've promoted the big story and planted that in people's minds and then quietly altered the story to be more truthful. The result is that they can claim to be honest writers who want to get it right, but they've planted an incorrect idea and don't go out of their way to change public perception. It's frustrating to see such despicable behavior, but the only people who care are those who choose to seek the truth. While I'm not making any implications about the media, I do see a similar situation in how Satan works on the world. He'll pitch the big lie to hook the unsuspecting. He promises fun and pleasure. The Bible says that sin is enjoyable for a season. Satan just doesn't tell anyone the catch. "[...]He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." John 8:44b Some of those folks may even hear the truth later, but because they want to believe the lie they ignore it. Believing the lie means living the way they want. Believing the lie means defining your own morality and never having to deny yourself. However, believing the lie also leads to death. "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21 It is incumbent upon us to not trust the headlines. We need to do more reading and research. (I suggest you start with the Word since it's guaranteed to be truth.) Then, you can decide who to believe. You can decide who is trying to deceive you. Don't buy the lie. Dig for the truth and follow it. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 5 00:15:04 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 5 Mar 2006 00:15:04 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Following the Map Message-ID: <036FAA4B-D2BB-4B93-A4C5-699CFE9E82FA@clanwebb.com> Suppose you wake up one morning and you have been thinking about the big question. You know: "Why?" You soon realize that man's reasoning leaves a paper trail while the God thing is hard to get your arms around. After all, the world is full of religions, which one is right? Most religions have a paper trail of some nasty behavior: child abuse, human rights issues, genocide, greed, and of course, the big one: hypocrisy. How do you bypass all of that and get to the core of the issue? How do you find the right off-ramp, make the right turns, park, get out, walk up the path, ring the bell, and find God opening the door saying, "Welcome, come on in and let's discuss my plans for you."? Logic dictates that you have to get on the highway, start reading the signs, looking at the maps, and consulting the roadside information to help find the way. If you happen to be a woman, you will stop and ask for directions, too. But, of course, we're men and who needs that? The Bible says - doesn't matter if you believe it, it's still there - that remembering that you are the one who doesn't know where to look is a good place to start. "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."" Romans 10:9-13 There you have it. Simple really. No religion involved. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 6 00:15:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 00:15:05 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have Faith Message-ID: <0D6BD2BB-A469-421C-9F64-CA26E0BBCF88@clanwebb.com> We had a fascinating sermon today on the issue of worry. We read through the section of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus tells us not to worry because God will provide. He points out that no amount of worrying will change anything about the future. It's wasted time and effort. Our pastor pointed out one aspect that hadn't occurred to me before. Worry implies a lack of faith. Now, I don't consider myself a worrier, but I certainly do have times where I lack faith. That connected with me. Faith is hard. The unsaved will tell you that it's easy because there's no effort behind it. You don't have to do decades of research to have faith. I think it's harder. Look at the Bible's definition: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1 How certain are you of what you do not see? I'm positive that my keys are on the table by the front door (I just saw them two minutes ago). I'm very certain that my car it still parked outside (It's where I left yet several hours ago). I'm reasonably confident that there's a gas station open somewhere within five miles (I figure the law of averages works for me there). I think I've got enough cash in my wallet to fill the tank (I'm trying to remember how much I spent at Starbucks today). I have varying degrees of certainty of all these things because I'm basing it on when I last saw them. I can be certain of things I see. That's how we grow up. I can be relatively certain of things I can't see because I've seen them recently. However, being certain of things that I cannot see and that nobody else in the world can see is hard. It's easy to make yourself certain based on physical evidence and years of research. You can draw a logical line from point A to point B. When that line is made completely out of faith, it's hard. That means making a decision in your life based on information that you have no way of verifying or proving. You just have faith. That's much harder and scarier when you think about it. Sure, it takes less time, but that doesn't make it easy. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Faith is so hard that God has to give it to us just so we can accept his free gift. Guess what, though? You have faith now. You depend on it to maintain your relationship with Christ. Each sin in your life is a gap of faith. The sin of worry is a lack of faith that God will provide. Many sins are a lack of faith that God was telling the truth when He explained the consequences. Faith was given to you by God and your first step was to use it to accept His grace. That's not all it can do, though. Now, you need to keep having faith that God will provide for you, protect you, and lead you. Don't set that faith aside. Don't let it fail. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 6 23:43:55 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 6 Mar 2006 23:43:55 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] I Think Message-ID: <1A3A7CBE-3206-43E0-B5D8-D5018ECC920F@clanwebb.com> Once you start to think about God, the Bible, religions, and how it affects you, the road always leads to a couple of ideas. First, there is the "I think" approach. A wise man once said, "Be careful not to believe everything you think." How many times have you come to a conclusion about something only to find out that what you thought was wrong? Second, there is perception and reality. You may have the perception that you understand something only to find out that it is an illusion. It happens all the time. The great thing about reality is that it is the same for everyone. The only realistic approach is to not reinvent the wheel. Look at all sides of the issue from people that have plowed the ground before you. Use your brain and your heart and commit to what is revealed to you as an individual. It is okay to challenge God to work in your life because, according to those that have gone before, He will respond and let you know His requirements. In the end, it is only logical to explore the relationship because of what it offers: Eternal life after an earthly death. "I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details." "I am convinced that He (God) does not play dice." "God is subtle but He is not malicious." "My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals Himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind." "God does not care about our mathematical difficulties. He integrates empirically." These are the conclusions of a thinking, meticulous, curious, relentless mind: Albert Einstein. The reality, not perception, is that Jesus Christ was born, lived, taught, and died on earth. Now, either He was exactly who He said He was or the greatest fraud ever. The Bible, whether you believe it or not, tells us that He said this: "I and the Father are one." John 10:30 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 8 00:21:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 00:21:30 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reveal It All Message-ID: Today will be another interesting day in my life as a manager. The group I've been leading has completed a major milestone. To celebrate, I get to stand up in front of the CEO and the President and show them what we've done. As part of the process, I have to give a review of how the project has been going since we started. I have to clearly show what we promised to accomplish at the beginning and contrast that to what we actually accomplished. I also have to explain in detail all of the known problems that remain with the product and our best guesses as to how those should be resolved. The key in all of this is complete honesty. If senior management can clearly see what we've accomplished and what issues remain, then they have the best information to make decisions. If we try to cover up or misdirect to hide anything, then they will make decisions based on faulty data. Not to mention the consequences that will result when they discover any deception. Total honesty is necessary, but it's not easy. It's not easy to reveal your work to be imperfect. It's easy to crow about the successes, but it's difficult to clearly point out the faults when you can only blame them on yourself. That's uncomfortable, but it's the truth. There will come a time for those of us who have accepted Christ, when we will have to deal with the complete, unfettered truth of our entire lives. I have a feeling I'm going to cringe when it happens: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work." 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 Our life's work will be piled up and set aflame. What's left is the part of your life that was worthwhile. The part you did right in serving Christ. There won't be any hiding of anything on that day. It will all be known and made clear. No doubt left in anyone's mind of what was valuable. Since you know that day is coming, why bother trying to hide it now? It's like trying to hide the fact that you broke your Mom's favorite vase. It'll become clear soon enough, why even try? Reveal it all to Him. He gives clear direction when you do. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 8 23:32:35 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 23:32:35 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Walk the Walk Message-ID: <5BB60792-631C-4080-A9BE-409AA891A567@clanwebb.com> Him: "Where do you want to go for dinner tonight?" Her: "Anywhere is fine with me." Him: "Okay, how about Italian?" Her: "Oh, well, that'd be okay, I guess." Him: "Uhhh...okay. How about Mexican?" Her: "Hmm, yeah, I suppose that would be fine." Him: "Well, where would you like to go?" Her: "Anywhere. Really!" And so on... I predict that every last one of you is nodding his head. You likely have had a conversation very similar to this at some point in your life. Some of you have these conversations daily. My condolences. What is it about this very common exchange that drives us nuts? I think it's the frustration in knowing that we're taking the scenic route. For us, the goal is to get a good meal. We probably don't care where we go, but we want to just go now. We know deep down that she has a place in mind. For reasons that we will never understand, she refuses to simply tell us. No, instead we get to play twenty questions while allowing her to pretend that she really would be happy with any place you go. If you've ever believed that then you've learned that it's a trap. The veterans know it's just time to sit down and name every restaurant you've been to in the last five years until she responds differently. It's the same reason we hate to buy a car. We hate sitting in a little room for four hours when everything could have been sorted out in fifteen minutes if we'd just skip the scenic route. God speaks clearly to everyone on earth. I believe that He speaks to women in a way that they understand. He understands the scenic route and He doesn't mind. He also speaks clearly to us in short, crisp sentences that leave nothing in doubt. He knows how to speak to us, too. "Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:6 Not much wiggle room there. There's no scenery on this drive. Straight up God tells us (through John) that we cannot claim to be Christians if we won't walk the walk. That means that you should (among other things) care for the outcasts, witness to the lost, serve your brothers, and love sacrificially. These are very high standards and ones that we will miss from time to time. Those times are opportunities to confess, pray, and rededicate yourself. One thing is for sure: You can't claim to be walking the walk if you are parked on the couch when you should be doing something else. I think the Word is clear, men. Let your actions confirm your claims. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 10 00:25:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:25:26 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's Simple Message-ID: <10D68C3E-B9B6-4282-8EA4-F16CAF0EC52C@clanwebb.com> Of all the confusion in the world, the definition of a Christian has become more confused by this generation. To be sure, God has had nothing to do with the extra confusion. That honor goes to us men and women here on earth. God is perfect, the rest of us aren't. Thus the confusion. What does it mean to be a Christian? According to the Bible - I know of nowhere else to look - the elements are simple. 1. You must believe in the God of the Bible. 2. You must believe that Jesus Christ is the person the Bible describes. All the rest is the side effect or byproduct of these two things. The Bible is not confusing. People have taken the sixty-six books and made much of the details. However, the two key messages are so simple that any child can understand them. 1. God made it all and He will do with it what He wishes 2. God has a way to make sure that every individual has the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Him. Again, all the rest of the discussion is a byproduct. The only two questions every individual has to research are: What is He going to do and how is He going to do it? Can anyone know the mind of God? Not all of it, but enough to answer the two questions. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 11 00:11:29 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 00:11:29 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Right Tool Message-ID: Having the right tool can be critical. Just like every other guy, I've used a wrench to pound a nail, I've used a knife to turn a screw, and I've used the wrong size socket and hoped I don't strip the nut. Those are times you can slide by with the wrong tool, but many times you had better have the right one. When I'm disassembling a computer, I make sure to find the right hex wrench or screwdriver. Snapping something off or poking a hole in the case can turn $1000 of computer equipment into an ugly doorstop very quickly. When I'm wiring a new switch, I make sure to have a multimeter around to measure the power. I could always test the power by holding both wires in my hands, but doing that is a little unnerving and doesn't give a very accurate reading. When I'm repairing the gas line in my fireplace, I make sure to use the right size wrench and move slowly. A loose line or a torn hose is not a pleasant experience. When dealing with the world, we need the right tool, too. The world's hardware store is immense. There are thousands of tools to choose from. There are a variety of new age religions to try, self help books to read, life coaches to listen to, and pop culture philosophers to follow. They will all purport to give you the best tools to deal with life on earth. They will all promise the best results and the ability to make you a better person. There is such a variety, you will surely be able to find one that allows all of your particular cravings and yet still promises the tools to win the day. There are many choices in this store, but none of them will work. God's hardware store is very small. I imagine it to be about as big as one of those drive-through espresso stands. You open the door and there is one shelf with one tool. There aren't many choices. There isn't a variety to choose from. At first, using this single tool might make you uncomfortable. However, this tool will work. This is the right tool for working on life. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 I suggest you shop at the smaller store. Grab a copy of that book; that lone tool that He offers. Then use it work on yourself and to work on life. Get to it, Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 12 00:09:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2006 00:09:30 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Prepare Your Minds Message-ID: <4CF5AB82-9CF7-4172-B47F-0558F997EFFB@clanwebb.com> Elite athletes can often find that the last hurdle they have to overcome is not about strength or speed or training or nutrition. It's about their head. There is a whole industry built around sports psychology. It's for athletes who have mental blocks or who need help believing that they are really as good as they are. I experienced a lightweight form of this in high school when our coach talked about visualization. He spoke frequently about creating the strong mental image of a successful free throw or jump shot. There is something to be said about believing you can accomplish something before you try. That sliver of doubt can be enough to make you falter if you aren't sure. You read about the odd pre-game rituals many athletes go through so they have the right mindset during the game. Pitchers are usually left alone on their day to pitch as all of the other players know that he needs to be focused. Some football players are described as teddy bears off the field and complete animals on the field. It's all about your state of mind. Guess what? We need to be in the right state of mind as Christians, too. "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:13 Not only do we have to prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually, but we have to prepare for action. Peter isn't describing ten years in a monastery. He's talking about being in the state of mind that allows you to act on God's will. You must also be prepared to control yourself. Don't change the play. Don't freelance. Finally, you must visualize the reward of grace. You must be absolutely convinced of it's existence and the power it holds. All these things will help you prepare yourself to be used by God. Be on your toes and prepared in every way. Come to the huddle ready to go. He's calling the play. Ready...break! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 13 00:20:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 00:20:07 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Play Smart Message-ID: God has clearly commanded us to take the good news of the Gospel to the rest of the world. While contemplating that, I'm often amazed at how many terrible efforts are made to do that. Although it wasn't obvious, a little research in the Word shows that God has a pretty clear direction about who you share your faith with. I remember a guy who used to set up an easel outside the student center during my college days. He had a whole presentation put together where he explained the Gospel message by painting a picture with watercolors. As the picture formed, he would describe the fall, the separation from God, the gift of Christ, and salvation. When he was done, the final picture included all of the elements and displayed man's reconciliation with God. It was a clever visual to get the point across, but I don't know that I ever saw anyone actually stop and watch the whole message. Many of the students made fun of him. A few would call out insults or ask sarcastic questions. As a young man, I admired his courage to be standing there. But, now, I wonder whether that was time well spent. The audience was not prepared to hear the message. Worse, even if someone had been interested, they would have been too embarrassed to actually stop and listen. For all of the time he spent standing in the sun painting pictures, I have to think that the number of people saved was very small. Even companies that sell products to us know enough to target their advertising. College students aren't generally interested in hearing about how their new lifestyle is sinful and they need to change. Groups like Campus Crusade for Christ were doing a much better job of reaching out to my fellow students. You see, God wants you to be ready to share with anyone at anytime in any place. However, He also wants it to happen when the listener is ready, too: "Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words." Proverbs 23:9 "Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." Proverbs 9:8 God is not only warning us about wasting time by sharing with those who aren't ready, but He's warning us that we might endanger ourselves in the process. Remember that the Gospel is very threatening to those who don't want to give up their current life. Don't be afraid to share your faith, but pray that God will prepare those folks to listen before you begin. Pray for discernment that you will know when the time and place are right. Pray for the courage to follow through when the time comes. Be prepared, but pay attention. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 14 00:00:43 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:00:43 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be Bold Message-ID: <965B55E9-CDD2-4E4C-9F50-E885E2C6AE0B@clanwebb.com> Do you sometimes just shake you head when people respond to your faith like you were a six year old explaining quantum physics? Hell is an awful place, but God does not expect you to save anybody from hell. He just expects you to understand your relationship with Him. "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." 1 Peter 3:15 Keep your sense of humor. Jesus did: "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24 To be sure, God wants you to be bold. By bold He means being unafraid when you feel He is leading you to enter a conversation. He doesn't mean bold as in, "Hey you, hold up there, you are going to hell but I can tell you how to avoid it." "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold." 2 Corinthians 3:12 Be secure in your faith, study the word, know why you believe what you believe. Don't worry that it may not make sense to someone else. It is your relationship first and foremost. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 15 00:03:21 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:03:21 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Trust Your Compass Message-ID: I don't know what it is about driving directions that cause men to choose to be stupid. For some reason, we have an innate dislike for needing help to find a place that we have some idea about. I've since discovered Google Maps, but I once suffered from this condition. I remember going to a dinner party with my wife. I had never been to the house in question, but I recognized the street name and figured it couldn't be that hard. Famous last words. I think I realized we were in trouble when the street we were on went from nice houses to houses under construction to foundations to dirt lots and finally to a dirt road. I didn't stop at the dirt road. No, I drove another couple hundred yards before it became clear that it wasn't going to lead me to my destination. In fact, we could see that it was an unpaved, ungraded road with no guardrail that ran along a hillside. When injury becomes a likely result, I'm willing to give up and ask directions. We all need to make that same realization in life. The unsaved need to realize that they are on a dangerous road and it doesn't go where they think it goes. Those of us who are saved know our final destination, but we still need to be careful of the roads we're on until that time. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 The bottom line here is don't trust your faulty compass. When it comes to things here on earth, we are terrible judges of direction on our own. Consult the guide book. Make sure you know the right way there. Don't be afraid to ask for directions. I promise not to make fun. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 15 22:02:25 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 22:02:25 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's The Act That Matters Message-ID: Does God need my time and the money I have earned? "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains." Psalm 50:10-12 We often think we are buying something with our offerings, but the fact is that we are the only ones that place any value on our material goods. We give as an act of sacrifice. That is what has value to God. The act, not the stuff. It is the act that He has decided is required so we can receive. "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23 We don't buy anything from God. The earthly good that comes from giving is a byproduct. The act opens the door not to a warm feeling about what our time and money provides, but joy and relationship with God. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 16 23:58:37 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 23:58:37 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] It's Not So Different Message-ID: <05F54945-7433-4B05-BBA7-423FCE73170C@clanwebb.com> The more I read the Word, the more amazed I am at how it applies to me today. It seems impossible that rules for life written down a couple thousand years ago would still be so timely and applicable to this very high tech society. At first, I recognized that this was because of God's ability to speak things that are always true. This is certainly the case and His Word is nothing but eternal truths. Recently, though, I've started to see another reason. It's because life wasn't really all that different. Life back then had very similar problems. They struggled with lust, materialism, gossip, pride, jealousy, and the rest. Today I discovered that the early church had to deal with the same questions about the legitimacy of Christ as we do today. The only difference was that there was no doubt that the person in question had lived since believers and unbelievers alike had seen Him and heard about Him. Nonetheless, even the twelve who had walked side by side had to remind folks of who Christ was. "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." 2 Peter 1:16 Peter is reminding the believers that Christ did and said exactly what Peter had reported. Peter was there and had seen it all. Peter went to his death proclaiming Christ. Peter could have easily recanted and gone into a quiet retirement, but he knew that wasn't an option. He was being used by God and he wasn't going to stop. But it had only taken a few short years for people to start discounting and minimizing Christ. We see the very same thing now. He gives us all hope with the end of the chapter: "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:19-21 He's telling us that we have confidence in the Word because Christ confirmed it's authenticity. He's reminding us that the Word has authority because it is God-breathed. There is hope in knowing that Christ and the Word are the communication mechanism we use to commune with God. He's reminding us of the evidence that Jesus was Christ. Even Peter had to remind people who Christ was. We do, too. Keep doing it. Don't give up. Have confidence and hope. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 18 00:48:24 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 00:48:24 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Racing Message-ID: There is plenty of stuff out there. That includes a never ending supply of challenges. If God would grant us the ability to lift the top off the dispenser of life's stumbling blocks and misfortunes so we could see what was coming next, I'd wager we would respond with a big, "You have got to be kidding! Doesn't it ever stop?" I have tried to see a pattern in my life. That is, I've looked for some telltale sign that the next morsel out of life's gum ball machine is going to be a tasty juicy flavor burst or a jawbreaker. I have come to one conclusion: God made all natural laws including the law of happenstance. To this point I don't believe anyone has unlocked the mathematical formula that allows us to really prepare for the unforeseen event or string of events that seem to come along in life. I become weary at times and my legs give out and I feel like I've lost my wind. My son told me a story about the competitive atmosphere that prevailed at MIT. One day, in the stark quiet of the library, a student stood up and ran out yelling, "You're all getting ahead of me!" Sometimes as we look around at the other folks in the world, it seems as if they are driving brand new race cars and we are riding in a burnt out jalopy. I have concluded that I am not Superman. However, I know him. "To all perfection I see a limit; but your commands are boundless." Psalm 119:96 "but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." 1 Corinthians 13:10 "We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection." 2 Corinthians 13:9 In the NASCAR race of life, we may get lapped several times, but, in the end, those that do not know Jesus are just going 'round and 'round. No matter how many times they seem to pass us with more and more, there is no single checkered flag. The race is the thing and if we just get out and coax our jalopy back to life and get all we can out of it with what we have, we will win our race. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 19 00:27:02 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 00:27:02 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Real Me Message-ID: <57799A0F-7939-4C16-A695-2DB585268840@clanwebb.com> Most philosophies, in one way or another, refer to the inner man. I was quick to think I understood what that meant. After some contemplation, it dawned on me that there is someone in there. He makes all the decisions about how the world perceives the outer man. "My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. [Wow. Where is this place?] When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, [ Is there a factory down there somewhere?] your eyes saw my unformed body. [What exactly did He see if my body was unformed?] All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. [Somewhere there's a blueprint with all the tributaries mapped out, all my freewill decisions already exposed to God]" Psalm 139:15-16 He knew me before I was the body I see in the mirror. I wonder what that guy might look like? I wonder what you would think of me if you met him? There is much that all of us would not do if we could clearly see the great blueprint, to understand the glory of God fully, to know all there is to know. However if we could, it would not require faith. We must take the scripture as it stands, as it reveals what God wants us to know according to His wisdom. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 20 00:05:13 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:05:13 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Because He Loves You Message-ID: <7500273F-2CF9-40B0-9670-6605CD8ED05C@clanwebb.com> It's a common refrain of those who are still in the dark: "If Jesus is who He said He is, why hasn't He come back yet?" The correct answer is, "Because He loves you." Huh? In the darkened mind of the unsaved, that doesn't make any sense. They'll ask why Jesus doesn't just come back and take away all the pain and suffering that's going on. They'll ask why He doesn't come back to prove He's the real deal. They'll ask why He doesn't come back and save us all from this tainted life. Then they'll say that since He hasn't come back, that's proof that He never will. That's proof that Christianity is bogus. What they don't know is that the answer to all of those questions is, "Because He loves you." You see, Jesus is waiting because He loves us all. When He comes back, the offer for salvation ends. The day He returns is the day that everyone will have to show why we deserve to be in Heaven. For those who have accepted Him, the path is easy. For the rest, they will have to prove that they lived a perfect life. Unfortunately, nobody other than Jesus ever has. "First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, "When is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." [...] But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:3-4,8-9 Guess what? People scoff at the idea of Christ coming again. Those people still do not understand that He waits to allow more to be saved. You can tell them, "He waits because He loves you." I'm sure glad He waited for me. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Mar 20 23:36:27 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:36:27 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Beauty Message-ID: "Beauty is an innate and emotional perception of life's affirmative aspects ? vitality, health, fertility, happiness, and goodness ? within objects in the perceived world. In its most profound sense, the beauty engenders a sense of positive reflection on the meaning of one's own being within nature." From Wikipedia "Beauty is the wisdom of women. Wisdom is the beauty of men." - Ancient Chinese proverb Beauty attracts like a magnet. If something is beautiful to one of the senses, we are drawn to it. The problem is that man is always ultimately disappointed in anything which he can own that is of beauty. There is no renewing in an object. It, therefore, becomes stagnant. When the mystery is gone, what was beautiful is now boring. Real beauty must have the ability to grow and change. "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 Worldly beauty arouses. Godly beauty brings healing, peace, joy, contentment, honor, and fulfillment. One is never satisfied with worldly beauty. "when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:2-4 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 22 00:22:28 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:22:28 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Make Your Move Message-ID: <8E1695F3-4674-483C-9D86-D85BE5BC57B6@clanwebb.com> I am a very logical person. When presented with a problem, I prefer to understand the issue clearly and make a decision based on a predictable outcome. If it's not completely predictable, then at least go with the odds. This method only works as well as the completeness of information you have at hand. A great example of this problem is the classic programming problem of writing software to play chess. Whenever someone tries to write the logic for a computer player to play any game there are the same basic issues at hand. First, you have to be able to list all possible moves for the current player at any point in the game. Next, you have to decide how many steps ahead you are willing to look. You can choose to just look at the current player's possible moves. Or, you can look at those and the next player's possible moves. Or, you can look at those two and then the next one. And so on... Deciding how far you can look ahead is usually based on how fast your computer is and how much data you can store. If it's a fast computer with a lot of memory, you can usually look several moves ahead. If it's a slow, small chip for a handheld game, you can only do a few. However, if you can't look that far ahead, what appears to be a good move can, in fact, be a very bad move. Looking ahead is valuable. Finally, even if you can build a tree with all possible moves for several moves into the future, you have to have a way to evaluate whether one move is better than another. You do that by giving any particular game situation a value. If the move puts the game into a state with a higher value for that player than another move, then it's better. This is really the trick, though. Other than a game state where the player has won (i.e. checkmate), it's hard to tell whether it's better or not. Think about it. For chess: Do you just count who has more pieces? One queen is better than three pawns any day. Do you count higher value pieces? Having a queen doesn't mean you're going to win. Do you give value to putting the opponent into check? Sometimes the best move is to draw the opponent in by appearing weak before you trap him. Placing value on a given chess board is very hard. Different players will give you different values based on what their style is or who the opponent is. It's hard to pick the right move. They can all look equally valuable. "All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart." Proverbs 21:2 Ah, okay, so don't trust your own insight alone. The choices you make always make sense at the moment, but often turn out wrong. How do we make the right choice then? How do we know which move to make? "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 Do your research. Figure out what makes the most sense to you. But, be prepared to be guided by the Lord. Let Him make the course corrections and point out the right path. Go ahead. It's your move. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 23 00:29:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 00:29:05 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Other Gods Message-ID: <99BF5872-CA82-4849-B0B4-AD964D1E96BE@clanwebb.com> "You shall have no other gods before me" Exodus 20:3 As a child, this seems pretty clear. Don't be worshipping Buddha or Zeus or Gaea. As a new Christian, you realize the command has more subtlety. You need to avoid placing a higher priority on money, work, hobbies, etc. than your relationship with Christ. I'm now realizing there's a third level. God is warning me against tunnel vision. Let me demonstrate what I mean by telling a story outside of church. I have a coworker who has been tasked to research new technologies. His goal is to find new areas where we can sell our products and new ways to distribute our software to schools, which are our primary customers. Lately he's been working with some technology that would allow us to build a program that would work completely within a web browser. This would allow for distribution over the web (i.e. no need to ship CDs). We could even charge subscriptions or annual fees rather than a one time sale. There's quite a bit of potential here, but the technology is still pretty raw. He had the opportunity to demonstrate a small number of features in a simple demo to senior management. He left the meeting disappointed that they weren't more excited. They seemed upbeat and even began discussing how the product could be used. But, my coworker was annoyed that they weren't giving more attention to the project. He was expecting more energy around what he'd done and more resources allocated. I realized that he had succumbed to a kind of tunnel vision. The success of his small project became more important to him than the success of the company. If senior management were to dump significant resources into the project and take them away from current projects, we'd be in trouble. There is no current solid plan for how to sell with this technology and there is still a significant amount of work to be done to make it worth selling. They would be putting all of the company's eggs into a single, unproven basket. Senior management has the goal of making the company successful. As a result, the rest of us get to stay employed. My coworker lost sight of the big picture. I believe the commandment God gave me above warns me against this kind of tunnel vision, too. I can get so focused on attending enough Bible studies, listening to every sermon, and working with the youth group that I can start to leave God out of it. I can get focused on the actions around church and lose the reason I'm there. So, make sure you don't have any mythical gods, any materialistic gods, or any false gods around your church. Don't worship the teams you serve on or the groups you meet with. Those are evidence of your relationship with God. They are not the reasons themselves. Worship God. Don't let anything else get in the way. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Mar 23 23:28:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 23:28:59 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Forget Character Message-ID: We are in the age of information and technology. We are in the age of science. As great as we have become in solving some problems with chemistry and mathematics, the logic of our great American society does nothing to help the failures of our character. Prejudice, addiction, abuse, divorce, and the perversion of sex has not gone to a higher level, but to a lower pit. We blame our diets, our government, our leaders, our media, or our parents. The plain and simple fact is that our hearts have gone bad. Math and science cannot change that part of us that is spirit. We need Einstein to explain some parts of our lives and Freud for others. However, neither of them can speak to our spirit. Looking outward at creation is easy. Looking inward at creation is hard. When we lose sight of the development of our character while we focus on the development of technology we have indeed lost our sight. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man." Matthew 15:19-20 Where are we going so fast? What good will it do when we arrive if we have no character? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 25 00:39:02 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 00:39:02 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Interpreting Message-ID: <19A9BF55-4F9A-4851-8447-D84A35C33F36@clanwebb.com> Sports have been on my mind again this week. I've been watching a little college basketball. I've been preparing for my fantasy baseball draft. I've even been reading about the off-season moves of the Seahawks. I think one thing that appeals to me about sports is the idea of a fair game. The rules are clear before the game begins and each team has just as much opportunity to win as any other. The difference is in the collective ability of the team, the preparedness, and various uncontrollable issues like weather, injuries, and luck. But, overall, the game is well defined and fair. Of course, that whole fairness thing only works when everyone agrees on those rules. You don't ever see a basketball coach arguing with the referee about the meaning of traveling: "I've chosen to interpret traveling as three steps instead of two," or, "I've decided that if the first step is small enough, it doesn't count." Likewise, you don't see a manager telling the umpire, "I know that you guys have decided that a home run has to go over the wall, but we don't want to leave anyone out. So, for our team, home runs are when the ball gets to the warning track." The game would fall apart if people decided to "interpret" the rules differently. I'm amazed at how many people in this world choose to do this very thing with God. He's given us a clearly written rulebook for how to play the game. And, yet, we have so many who choose to "interpret" the rules differently because they don't like them. "I've decided that Christ wasn't really against homosexuality," or, "It seems to me that if God loves everyone, He won't send anyone to hell. Therefore, I can just live however I want." Guess what, folks? Just because you choose to interpret the rules differently doesn't mean you've actually changed them. The rules are fixed. You don't get to write them. You don't even get to vote on them. It's not a matter of negotiation. They just are. You can either play by them or live in chaos. "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:10-12 Grab the rulebook. Read up. Don't try to change them, just learn them. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Mar 25 22:24:47 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 25 Mar 2006 22:24:47 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Bummed Out Message-ID: <48DD3D48-413A-4109-8C51-3E40916B1B40@clanwebb.com> Do you ever get down? Blue? Depressed and hacked off? I do. And, I have a problem with sustaining joy and peace when my mind is preoccupied with the burden of "stuff happening". I don't get angry with God as much as I get exasperated. I want an explanation as to why I am not getting the results I want. I want to know why my efforts are not being rewarded. I keep asking, "Just show me what you want me to do and, by the way, let's shorten up the time between my request and the results." "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes." Psalm 37:7 Yeah, well, easier said than done sometimes. "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12 Oh, yeah. That's right. I remember. You are not alone, brother. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Mar 26 23:41:52 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2006 23:41:52 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Choose Wisely Message-ID: At the risk of sounding political, I want to make an observation. There are those out there that want to kill Americans because so many of us are Christians. They want to kill us for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that we are not of their faith. We don't believe the way their religious leaders ordain we should, so the solution is to eliminate us. Now, add to the mix that there are those Americans that want the Christians in this country to shut up because they are convinced that if we were to just stop talking about our faith and trying to evangelize the world, those that want to kill us would be appeased and peace would reign. We could all just get along. Uh, right. Here's the irony: Many of the things that cause these killers such consternation are not Christian behaviors at all. It's things like sex, drugs, drinking, lack of family values, perversion of marriage, filthy language, lack of respect for authority, and all the rest that set them off. These countries don't want their culture polluted with this stuff, so they choose to hate America because of our pervasive liberal attitudes. These are things non-Christians defend as freedoms. If these fanatics killed every Christian on the planet and the non-Christians were left, who do they think would be next on the list? This current fight is more cultural than economic. People need to drop the sophomoric platitudes about how religion is the cause of most wars and ask, "Why is religion the cause of most wars?". The short answer is that God is at war for us over His sovereignty. Get this: if you don't choose a side, you are sure to lose. "See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life I have wounded and it is I who heal, And there is no one who can deliver from My hand." Deuteronomy 32:39 Ok, that's what my side says. What's your story? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 28 00:15:33 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:15:33 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Trust Your Riches Message-ID: <968BFB99-36FD-415E-B50A-E293D4842869@clanwebb.com> "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." " Matthew 19:21-23 So, what does this really mean? I've heard it argued that Jesus is saying that rich people don't get to go to Heaven. I'm afraid not. He didn't demand that everyone who believed in Him to take a vow of poverty. I've heard it argued that you must give most of your income to the poor, or you cannot be a follower of Jesus. While it wouldn't hurt most of us to give more, it's not a requirement for salvation. I believe that Jesus could see into the heart of this young man. He knew that while this man obeyed the rules, he was gripped by his riches. He knew that this young man put more reliance and faith in his wealth than on Jesus. Jesus challenged him to demonstrate his faith and the young man failed. This isn't some legalistic verse about how we are to distribute our income. This is Jesus pointing out how easy it is for a person of wealth to get caught up with the material things and have weak faith. Jesus said "it is hard" not "it is impossible". It's just harder to see Jesus when you are surrounded by money. Why is that? Because we tend to place our trust in wealth. We feel safe when we have money in the bank. That's a false sense of security though. "Whoever trusts in his riches will fail, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf." Proverbs 11:28 Okay, but why does trusting in riches cause one to fail? Because it will let you down. "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle." Proverbs 23:5 If you have wealth, don't let it control you. If you don't have wealth, don't let the desire for it control you. There's nothing to trust in wealth. Trust in Christ. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Mar 28 23:57:56 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 28 Mar 2006 23:57:56 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Rebuke or Flatter Message-ID: <1A9CE089-A79B-4414-A207-C41CCF895D39@clanwebb.com> It's so much easier to just go with the flow. Less pain. Less disruption. This was my general attitude throughout school. I tried not to rock the boat. I just sat in the classroom and did the best I could. I got enough heat for busting the curve as it was. I found friends with similar interests, but when those differed, I just tagged along. Now, if "the flow" was counter to my values, I'd try to just step back and stay out of it. This was really clear to me during my ten days of ROTC training. It was like a mini boot camp. I learned quickly to blend in. It was better to just roll with whatever was happening. Standing out meant more pushups or more laps. In real life, though, you can't always just go along with it. I was presented with a case at work where someone went around me and violated the proper chain of command. It would be easy to let it slide and just act like nothing happened. It would be easy to just try to massage that relationship by trying to build more trust with that person. However, I felt pretty strongly that I needed to make clear to this person that what happened was inappropriate. The proper reporting chain was clear and he should have followed it. It was an uncomfortable conversation, but it needed to be done. I'm sure there will be some tension between us for a bit, but in the long run it will be understood that cheating the rules won't fly. God doesn't want us to be yes men who just go with the flow because it's easier. "He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue." Proverbs 28:23 It is God's desire that we are willing to help our brothers by helping them recognize their missteps. We need to do this out of love and a desire to see the brother restored. That will always result in a better outcome than just ignoring the sin and acting like it's not there. Your brother will continue to be victim to the sin and you haven't done him any favors. It might be uncomfortable, but you'll both be better off in the end. God's way isn't easy, it's just right. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Mar 29 21:49:43 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 21:49:43 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Rely on Yourself Message-ID: <21BCB622-4E71-4839-8B63-78BBD2D059AD@clanwebb.com> "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6 This is a very powerful statement. In this one line, each one of us is reminded that the one thing that every man on this planet truly has in common is that we are all professional sinners. It's like that old test when your friend would say, "Don't think of a black dog." It happens every time. No matter how hard you try, you will think of a black dog in short order. It's like there is a little artist in your brain and the instant you hear "black dog" he runs to the easel and starts to draw a black dog. You could be screaming, "Pink cat!" on the outside, but the little fool just sketches a black dog on your brain and there's nothing you can do about it. We just can't be perfect. Heck, we can't even get close. We want to be. We know it would be great to be perfect. The Bible says we ought to be, but we just can't. If you profess to be a Christian, you need to dump any idea you have about self-reliance. Self-reliance is for the lost. It is all they have until they give their life to Christ, too. That's right. The more you love Christ, the less you will rely on yourself. "Like a bad tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble." Proverbs 25:19 "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phillipians 4:7 Good thing that last one is true because some things are just not that easy for men. Don't think of a fire truck... Gotcha! Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Mar 31 00:19:39 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 00:19:39 -0800 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Fair Message-ID: <8E4C7D7B-1D03-471C-B741-14D0ED2E4B39@clanwebb.com> We want. We want quite a lot. But, the biggest thing a man wants is that the decisions he makes are the right decisions. Christian men want their decisions to be right in the eyes of God. Christian men have to work on bringing their wants in line with Godly wants. When we fail, we resort to making our decisions appear Godly. This requires us to change the character of God. We want an understanding God to understand why the decision we make is necessary and, therefore, allow it to be called Godly. We try to avoid suffering by changing the rules. We want to cheat. In doing so, we set aside what we know about God. "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" Genesis 18:25 If God made the rules, why would He not make them just? He is justice. "On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Adherence to the rules implies that there will be resistance. Otherwise there would be no reason for the concept of rules. "How am I expected to adhere to all the rules when I don't have the capacity? That isn't fair!" Aha! There it is. Fair, in our minds, is what we want God to be like, not what He really is like. There is a reason for this seemingly never ending cycle of starting, stumbling, stalling, and repenting. The first reason is to make us more like Christ. Make us like Christ, not become Christ. The second is that there is an end to the cycle. "and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 That's fair, isn't it? Allen