From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 2 00:23:37 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 00:23:37 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Third Person Message-ID: "The Holy Spirit", "being filled with the Spirit","Spirit-led people" These are all phrases that can be very confusing. I remember always thinking that anything having to do with God and Spirit meant that the person involved was going to be acting weird. I have seen folks drinking poison, messing around with snakes, speaking in so-called angelic language, and otherwise acting oddly. For a very long time for me, it was God, Jesus, and that other guy. I have come to regard the Holy Spirit as an atomized Jesus. He is someone God sent for me to internalize. He is the guy that gets inside and sets my dials, tunes my hearing, and squeegees my eyes from the inside. He is the inside Jesus and there is nothing weird about Jesus. I don't find anywhere in Scripture that Jesus drank poison, played games with dangerous vipers, or spoke anything but Hebrew. I do find plenty of places where He took weird-acting people, people with infirmities, and dead people and made them act normally again. In Acts, we understand where our power comes from: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you." Acts 1:8 The Holy Spirit is the nitro in your carburetor. Floor it! Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 3 00:09:55 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 00:09:55 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Transformed...and Wet Message-ID: <0A07941D-9EA1-424A-957B-251C2A8C2692@clanwebb.com> My curiosity was pinging away and caused me to wonder the following. If the Jews thought John was a little strange when he was preaching in the wilderness, wearing unfashionable clothes, and eating honey and bugs, what did they think about him dunking people in the river? As it turns out, the Jews were no strangers to this practice. They would baptize as part of a purification ritual. So, it is logical that it may have been an attraction that drew them to the event. We often tend to relegate the act of being baptized to a single purpose, but if you look at the definition, the root word from the Greek is transliterated as"baptivzw" which means to plunge, immerse, sink, or wash. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit." 1 Corinthians 12:13 The Holy Spirit then plunges, immerses, sinks, and washes us into one body. It sounds like a very complete transformation and gives us an image as to the completeness of a Godly action. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 3 23:46:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 23:46:58 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Imitation Message-ID: <3A21601E-2FF3-4E07-92D3-3F3DF985D9E4@clanwebb.com> My son and I were at a video game store the other day and got to talking about the games we've played in the past. He pointed to one game on the shelf and said, "That's the game that started it all for me." I chuckled and asked him, "Do you know what game started it all for me?" He shook his head and I answered, "Pong". I quickly graduated to the Atari 2600 and other variations after that, but my favorite games were in the arcades. Nowadays, arcades only have games that cost a dollar or more and only seem to involve dancing, shooting guns, or fighting. I have fond memories of lining up quarters on a machine to play Battle Zone, Omega Race, Galaga, Donkey Kong, Joust, Frogger, Centipede, and many others. Every time you played one of those games, though, there seemed to be a crowd of people watching. I didn't have the guts to try a new game with an audience, so I would just hang around and observe for days and days. I wouldn't try a game until I'd watched better players play dozens of times. My reasoning at the time was to avoid embarrassing myself, but the results were good. I had begun to see the nuances and strategies even before I knew the basic controls. Once I did start to play, I picked up the best strategies very quickly. I soon noticed other guys watching me play and I suspect they were doing the same thing I had done. Imitation is the easiest way to learn something. Making your muscles (physical or mental) go through the same process as someone doing it successfully is an easy way to see how it works and feels. You can skip the stupid mistakes and start refining your technique right away. It works spiritually, too. "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul is putting himself out there as an example to follow. Christ, of course, is our ultimate example and we should mimic His actions and think His thoughts to know what the holy life feels like. At times, we need to see it in action, though, and Paul was acting as that example for the church body he was feeding. In our lives, we need to seek out the people we know that are walking with Christ. We need to mimic Christ and mimic them. They'll make mistakes, but it's better to learn from them than from the myriad of people around us that are walking a different direction. If you want to learn to play Galaga, don't watch the guy playing Frogger. The strategies are completely unrelated and you'll be wasting your time. Which game are you watching? Which player will you be imitating when it comes time to play? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Oct 5 00:10:13 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:10:13 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Taking the Mold Message-ID: <90671597-24B4-46F6-8A32-67A9C8B5177C@clanwebb.com> "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Romans 8:29-30 Once in a while, it is a good thing to take a shot at putting into words an explanation of a Bible principle or principles so that when God places you in the appropriate situation, you feel more comfortable stepping up. This attempt is the product of table discussions with four other guys and I invite any responses to fine tune this explanation. Question: If God knew before I was born that I would accept Jesus and be saved from Hell, why do I have to do anything different in my life in order to go to Heaven? Now, whether he knows it or not, the questioner is asking about justification, sanctification, glorification, predestination, foreknowledge, and freewill. The first step is to mentally gather up some tools and invite the questioner to do the same. 1. A child's play dough mold (this is God's plan) 2. Two lumps of play dough (this is man) 3. A rubber stamp (this is God's intervention) 4. A small box (this is Heaven) Stay with me, now. Take one lump of play dough and work it into the mold. Remove it and set it aside. Now, you are ready. The dough removed from the mold represents what God has predestined all men to look like. In other words, that's the plan God has for us. Taking the second lump of dough and stamping it with the rubber stamp represents God's foreknowledge before time of who would accept Jesus. When that event happens, the lump of dough (the man) is justified. Taking that same lump of dough and working it into the mold to conform to the plan is sanctification. How the play dough either resists or cooperates to being conformed to the mold represents freewill. Taking the lump out of the mold, completely conformed or not, and placing it in the box is glorification. The "why" of the question is simple: Changing your life is submitting to the mold and being more like Jesus. Being more like Jesus moves you toward having the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23 There you have it... Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Oct 6 00:21:30 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 00:21:30 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Merit Badges Message-ID: <86AA740C-DDA9-45C3-8086-C94571849C7B@clanwebb.com> "You don't get saved on merit badges" - Newsboys, Real Good Thing You may not have heard of this band or this song, but this line communicates my point very well. Let me elaborate: I did the Cub Scout thing and I remember working through the little guide book doing different activities. I remember the pine box derby cars that I (meaning my dad) built each year. Each time you did a particular activity, you earned a little sew-on patch for your uniform. At that time, they were little pieces of a circle that would go around a large circular patch below the right pocket. If you earned enough you could complete a ring around the patch. If you earned more, you could make another ring and another. I was pretty excited when I completed one ring. But, it was disheartening to see another kid who had three and was working on his fourth. It felt like being good enough was going to be awfully hard work. I eventually realized that my value wasn't determined by the number of patches on my shirt. Because so much of the world is based on ratings, titles, earnings, accomplishments, and trophies, it's hard for people to understand that God doesn't grade people that way. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20 You can't get into Heaven by just obeying the law. First, it's impossible to never slip up. Second, just obeying the law doesn't mean you've got the right heart. Jesus wants your heart, and He'll help you follow the law. "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Romans 3:21-24 Don't let yourself slip into the merit badge race again. Help others stuck in that cycle understand that one ring or five rings isn't going to make a difference. The question that will make all of the difference is: Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 7 00:24:52 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 00:24:52 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] No Shortcuts Message-ID: <98CFA740-B417-462E-B8D4-EBEDC8DA7091@clanwebb.com> Sometimes the spirit of the law gets lost in the letter of the law. Sometimes, the letter of the law can even seem to be encouraging the opposite behavior. There is a story bouncing around the high tech industry that carries the whiff of truth, but I cannot confirm it. It demonstrates this problem perfectly. In an effort to encourage his engineering team to produce more stable software, one supervisor came up with a reward system that was sure to work. Just as sales managers may offer gifts or rewards for reaching certain sales goals, this supervisor decided to reward his engineers for meeting easily tracked metrics. His brilliant idea was to pay the engineers for every bug fixed. His thinking was that this would drive them to fix more bugs and perhaps put more effort and time into the project. The result would be more stable software and a better product. Right? Um, no. You see, all this has done is set up a system where an engineer can get money for fixing a bug. There's no incentive to minimize bugs. Since bugs come from the code written by those very same engineers, it doesn't take long to come up with a system. One can intentionally create several easy-to-find bugs that will quickly be reported by QA. Then, the same engineer then fixes them all in a day to increase his total number of fixed bugs. The supervisor is ecstatic because the number of fixed bugs is going up quickly. The engineers are happy because they're getting more money. But, the product is probably less stable because everyone is screwing around with these fake bugs and not finding real ones. The team ignored the spirit of the rules. Paul realized some people would try to exploit an apparent loophole with God in the same way. "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more," Romans 5:20 Paul doesn't wait long. Two verses later, he shuts down those smart alecks who think they figured out a trick move. "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Romans 6:1-2 Paul's basically saying, "Nice try, guys." It's a fundamental theological point that God's grace will always outpace sin. But, that doesn't mean we're doing the world a favor by sinning more so that there's more grace. Nope. The letter and spirit of the law, now, is to live a life without sin. "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." Romans 6:12-14 Even if Paul hadn't been explicit, the Spirit lives within you. Deep down you know better than to look for a side door. The narrow path is clearly marked, but it takes all of your concentration to stay on it. Don't go looking for the shortcut. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 7 23:59:50 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2007 23:59:50 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Being Right Can Be Wrong Message-ID: <9F6142E5-5589-4C06-B491-F7B789595592@clanwebb.com> "Why can't we all just get along?" There are plenty of examples in this world of people not getting along. Some are for good reason in that their spiritual beliefs are fervently in opposition to one another. There's the "My way or death" kind of philosophy that can be hard to negotiate with. In the case of two or more Christians not getting along, the reason can very often be that one or both are not in the Word. It is obvious that Christians are not very attractive when they are fighting amongst themselves. It hurts individual and corporate relationships. Worse, it puts Jesus in a bad light to a world that needs Him. The message cannot be "Come be like us so you too can wound one another in the name of Jesus." Getting along means being obedient to the Word. Therefore, if you are not in the Word, then how do you know how to act? The truth is that non-believers don't want to be in the Word for fear that they will have to change their lives. Ironically, that's the same reason many believers stay out of the Word, too. It's hard to be humble, to compromise, to adjust, to make allowances, to unify, and to place the needs of others above our own. Please notice that I do not advocate becoming a doormat. Fellowship, by it's definition, does not mean just occupying the same building. It means to partner and to share with God and one another. Christians cannot attract non-believers by acting poorly toward them or each other. "that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." John 17:21 Insisting on being right all the time is stupid because it is impossible. Imposing your will on somebody because you can is just being a bully. If you are smart and strong, your mandate is to help those that are not. There is very little pleasure in standing on a pile of fellow believers and planting a flag in their backs. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than ourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4 Don't look at changing your mind as a choice between winning or losing. Think of it as doing the right thing. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 9 00:17:09 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 00:17:09 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Cut Them Off...Witness Message-ID: <6713B2D8-8D4C-45F3-8838-8C23B0A2530A@clanwebb.com> "Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?" 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 These verses are a good example of one of the many reasons to be in the Word. I have seen this verse used to justify cutting off relationships with people and causing a wound that may never heal. the message here goes to the heart of the definition of fellowship, which is "to partner or share a common belief about God." It does not mean you can't have a burger and fries with them. Paul was talking about what appears to be some charismatic and persuasive false teachers. The use of this verse to argue that you can't associate with people "living in sin" seems to be based on the premise that we need to take a stand. We are all living in sin! How about something more like saying, "No, I don't celebrate a lifestyle that includes homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, pornography, or immoral behavior," but say it in love followed by, "Please pass the salt." Hang around and see what they say next. Be in the Word and ready to give a reason for why you believe what you believe. If anybody is going to do any shunning, let it be the other fellow. Always be ready to discuss, but not to argue. From time to time, there will be those people that are so blind that there will be nothing you can say that will open a door at that moment. Learn to back off. "Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Matthew 7:6 Pick your battles and you battlefield whenever possible. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 10 00:04:44 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:04:44 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Beware the Stumbling Stone Message-ID: <75E38132-F512-4855-944D-E011A8740DC9@clanwebb.com> As you deepen your study of Scripture you'll discover an important point of theology having to do with the covenant of God with His chosen people. Through Moses, God gave the Israelites the Law. The Law is exactly what it sounds like. It's pages and pages of rules and regulations about how to live a holy life. What the law really showed, though, was what a holy life looked like. It was used differently. The Israelites decided that if they could obey every point of the Law (and offer sacrifices to atone for the times they didn't), then the would be holy and could go to Heaven. The problem is that this was all centered around actions and not the heart. If you didn't believe in your heart that God was God and serving Him was your purpose, then the rest felt like drudgery. Still, people decided they could earn their way in by scoring high on the Heavenly report card. Then Christ came and offered a new covenant with the Israelites. If they would simply believe that He was the Son of God and called Him Lord (which means declaring your servant-hood to Him), then He would atone for all of their sins once and for all with His blood and they could go to Heaven. Christ explained that His salvation was about the heart. You had to believe. You had to have faith. You had to be a follower from the depths of your soul, not just your actions. This was a revolutionary idea and many didn't buy it. Paul called them out on it: "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone." " Romans 9:30-32 This is a warning to not attempt to get in through works. It's also pointing out that when we do get caught up in our works, we shouldn't compound the problem by pointing to those who are saved and complaining that they aren't acting "Christian" enough. If they are caught in sin, then you should offer your help in love. If they just aren't living according to what you approve of, then you've become like a group of Jewish leaders during the time of Jesus. They were known as Pharisees. Jesus didn't think very highly of them. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Oct 11 00:02:41 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:02:41 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stupid Sin Message-ID: <5223147F-B815-410F-BC34-F2ECC953FC6D@clanwebb.com> "You shall not murder." Exodus 20:13 Is it wrong to kill someone? Most would say yes. But, what if it is in self-defense? Again, most would say that's an exception to the rule. Our law even considers that a valid reason to end a life. "You shall not steal." Exodus 20:15 What about stealing? That's never good. But, what if it's the proverbial man stealing bread to feed his child? It's still stealing, but you have compassion and sympathy for the situation. Perhaps you give a light punishment and teach the man how to visit the food bank and other charities. These are not things you should seek to do, but there may be extenuating circumstances to consider when they happen. Then there's what I call the stupid sin. That's the stuff you do that can't be explained or justified in any way, shape, or form even with our faulty man-made logic. You flat out decided to defy God just because. Sex outside of marriage qualifies as a stupid sin. There is no real- life reason in the world to engage in this behavior other than pure selfishness and pleasure-seeking. "Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself." Proverbs 6:30-32 Now, notice that even the sympathetic thief must suffer the consequences of his actions. The adulterer just looks dumb and is being self-destructive. Like I said, a stupid sin. "But, wait," you say, "I have been faithful, so this isn't a problem for me." Oh, yeah? Jesus had something to say about that: "You have heard it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28 So, even you can commit a stupid sin with your clothes on. This is a sin you can commit with your eyes by surfing the web, watching cable TV, or looking at a magazine. It's a sin with consequences. It's a sin that comes from pure selfishness. Don't kid yourself. It's a stupid sin. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Oct 12 00:36:10 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:36:10 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Eyeballs! Message-ID: During my ROTC mini boot camp, the trainers had the goal of breaking down the psychological barriers we all had to military training and building them back up their way. This has the effect of promoting loyalty and camaraderie with your fellow recruits due to a shared trauma. It also makes it easier for us all to respond in a similar way whether it was during drills or in learning something about gas turbines. Now, the average kindergarten teacher as a few tricks up her sleeve to get the kids to quiet down and pay attention. She might raise her hand or clap a few times or just say "shh". Our drill sergeant trained us like police dogs to respond to some simple short commands. For example, when he yelled "Eyeballs!" we were to immediately look at him and respond back in unison, "Snap, sir!" and then keep our mouths shut and wait for instructions. We got really good at it, too. Within a couple of days, a noisy, rowdy group of thirty or more young adults could be turned into quiet, attentive students in about two seconds. Before that training, it would have taken longer, maybe even minutes. That happens to me even now with adults in meetings at work. Time was lost and the message could be muddled if we didn't snap to mental attention immediately. I liked it so much, I've been looking for an opportunity to use it myself. I'm just not sure it would work well with the guys I manage or with my family. That said, it seems obvious that we should train ourselves to respond like that when God calls. How often do we hear His call or know where He's leading us and we pretend like it never happened? We dawdle around where we are and miss part of the message (or pretend we did). God gives us a clear answer, but we don't like it so we wait around hoping for a different one. "You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing." Isaiah 42:20 "If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea." Isaiah 48:18 "But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward." Jeremiah 7:24 Did you catch that last part? Backward and not forward. So, ignoring God doesn't just delay you, it actually sets you back. It's like climbing halfway up the mountain and ignoring God's guidance on how to finish the hike. Then you find yourself back at the trailhead with the entire hike in front of you again. God speaks in different ways than my drill sergeant did, but He still speaks. You know it when He does. Pay attention. Eyeballs! Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Oct 13 00:12:36 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:12:36 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Followship Message-ID: <0AB4F4D0-C5A2-44AE-9772-27C67BC4EFDC@clanwebb.com> We were having a discussion about acceptance. The premise was about how everyone deserved a pass on how they dressed and acted because it was about their heart and actions that we should make decisions. It took me back to the 60s when I was growing up and going to high school. "Hey, Dad, Jesus had long hair and wore sandals," some kid would say. To which, Dad would reply, "Right, and when you can feed five thousand with a couple loaves of bread and a stringer of fish, then you won't have to worry about going on an interview and getting a job." Of course, the real point is again position and reality. Position says everyone should be treated equally, but the reality is that the nicest guy in the world dressed in black, sunglasses, and with a hooded sweatshirt pulled low over his eyes gets my radar pinging. I have a right to be sensitive to that which I have been indoctrinated. Watching TV and going to the movies has taught me that this is how bank robbers and muggers dress. That is the reality of the world. The same goes for women who dress with their skirts up to wherever and their necklines down to the same place and then ask indignantly, "What you are staring at?" Any guy trying to work on purity of thought knows what it is to walk down the street like a dog with a shock collar afraid that his next move will get him zapped by his conscience or, worse, by the woman with him. I was reminded this past week that mixing and matching in the world is described with a noun, not a verb. Fellowship requires more than just hanging out together. One has to drop barriers and make an effort to be identified with one group or another. You most certainly affect your fellowship by how you dress and act. How you dress and act brings position and reality closer together. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;" 1 John 1:6 We don't have to be clones or clowns. Just remember that it's called fellowship, not followship. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 14 00:25:33 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:25:33 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Move Closer Message-ID: <1421A614-B4B3-4813-85A3-745A04103D8C@clanwebb.com> There's a scene Star Wars where the young Luke Skywalker is beginning to learn about the ways of the Force from his newly found mentor, Obi Wan Kenobi. They're all sitting around watching Luke try to defend himself from a drone with his light saber. Ben realizes that Luke's problem is that he's placing too much emphasis on what he can see. He puts a helmet on Luke's head with an eye shield down such that he can't see. Kenobi tells him to stretch out with his feelings and use the Force to guide the saber. This proves to be more successful. Aside from all of the pseudo-New Age mumbo jumbo, there is a lesson there. The idea that what we see and interact with every day can distract us from tapping in to something deeper and more powerful. That is certainly a problem we all have from time to time when we find ourselves drifting away from God. More importantly, when we drift away, we are no longer connected to the source so it's harder to know what His plan for us is. Then we're not only off course, but directionless as well. I find it ironic to see people living a worldly life and being frustrated that they don't know what God's plan is. How can He communicate His plan if you aren't on speaking terms? Were you expecting an email? Or, worse, those people who are getting directed from many different sources and can't tell which are good and which are bad. Again, you can't discern God's truth without being connected to God. "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is?his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 So, put on the blindfold and ignore the world around you. Build up your relationship and lines of communication with God. Then, and only then, will you be able to sort out the messages being thrown at you from all angles. If they are coming from the world, they'll fade away as you draw closer to God. If they are coming from God, they'll get stronger. If you can't figure out what God wants you to do, try moving closer so you can hear Him better. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 14 21:59:15 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:59:15 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Worth the Sweat Message-ID: My usual exercise regimen is about as exciting as cleaning the garage or doing yard work. In other words, it's something I'd really prefer to skip. In all of those cases, however, the benefit is seen after the fact. Of course, with exercise, it may take a while and it's easy to counteract the benefits with one bag of chips or a handful of cookies. Still, I'm happy to find some excuse to avoid it if at all possible. For example, I suspect I could weasel my way out of some exercise with this verse: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8 Unfortunately, the truth of this verse is that there is some value in physical training, it's just that we can't pursue that to the exclusion of our spiritual training. That's clearly more important. Just how will it help to be able to bench press 400 pounds when you're facing God at the judgment seat? How will it help to be able to run a 4.4 40-yard dash when sin comes knocking at your door? Taking care of our body is of value, but don't let it obscure the real value in life. If you want to exert effort and expend some sweat on something worthwhile, give this one a shot: "This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:9-10 Labor and strive for full acceptance of the gospel. That's worth some sweat. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 16 00:22:25 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:22:25 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] One Coat Message-ID: <092377A6-1159-49DA-90B9-E971DF20849C@clanwebb.com> We took the weekend to travel and see my daughter. As we left, I chose a couple of coats to take not knowing what the weather would be like in the higher elevations. I was struck by how many times I had different Christian coats in my closet. Depending on where I was going and what the spiritual and political atmosphere was going to be would dictate which coat I would wear. It is very important to be consistent in your walk because of a simple Biblical truth: You might fool people, but you'll never fool God. If you want what God offers, you can't claim Him and deny Him at will. "therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them." Matthew 23:3 The Pharisees were a bunch that knew the law, but did not reflect it in their own lives. They were rather like the judge that gets convicted of a crime. "Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." 1 Peter 2:12 How many worldly hits will Christians take because of the preacher who commits adultery, the TV evangelist that steals, the business that displays the fish symbol and then takes advantage or gives poor service, or the neighbor that professes to be one way, but when it comes to money, property, or gossip, acts another? "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;" Philippians 1:27 If Jesus comes back during our lifetime or He just sees us from where He is, He wants the same behavior. It is good that we are reminded that when we waffle in our faith, there are consequences. "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:33 Think of it this way, "You put Jesus down as a reference, so I gave Him a call. Unfortunately, He said He's never heard of you." Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 16 23:28:49 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 23:28:49 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Servant to Debt Message-ID: <6C7854F3-7416-4F3C-AB44-95CC0D67FC70@clanwebb.com> My wife and I can laugh now about the relative poverty in which we lived while I was going to school. She worked as an office assistant and I did technical support on campus between classes. We usually had to get by on about ten to fifteen dollars a week for food. I convinced the financial aid department to help me pay the rent on our apartment and most of my books. One semester, the money just didn't fall right and we did not have money to buy books before classes started. One of my buddies was in better financial shape and rescued me by buying those books. I think it was only about $150, but it seemed like a mountain of money at the time. It took us several years, but we did finally pay him back. Being in his debt put me at a disadvantage. He could have easily hassled me about it or even demanded interest after such a long delay. Fortunately, he was a good friend and never mentioned it. Still, it was on my mind and, as far as I was concerned, there was an imbalance in our relationship that I had to correct. "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 That is Scripture. That is truth. And yet our upside-down world would tell you that you need credit cards and debt to live like a king. That's not real wealth, that's a mirage. And you then become a servant to the debt. You spend all of your money paying it off. You spend all of your time either earning that money or stressing about where to find more. Is it a sin to be in debt? Not all by itself. But like anything else, in excess it gets in the way of your relationship with God. Is it a sin to incur debt you don't need? I believe so. Some will say, "But what about the emergency medical procedure that leaves me with $10,000 in bills?" Well, if you've been good about your debt beforehand, you'll be able to work out a payment plan. If you were up to your eyeballs already, then that last hit wasn't what killed you. Sure, there are inescapable debts, but the question really is whether you are being a good steward with your riches. Are you making good decisions about when and how you incur debt? All debt sets you up to be a servant. Just recognize that up front and plan on being in that imbalanced relationship until you pay it off. That humility about your debt and a sense of responsibility with what God has given you is the starting point. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 17 23:43:32 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:43:32 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Life Profile Message-ID: <52C37EE4-5341-4ECB-A63F-9CA5C794842E@clanwebb.com> I've done my share of tech support over the years. First, it was to make some extra money during college. Then, as I became the only professional "computer guy" in my family (and my wife's family), I become the first call for most of those issues. Most tech support calls start the same way, "I did the same thing I've always done and now it doesn't work. What's wrong?" Well, being an engineer, I know that if everything is exactly the same, the software will perform the same way. So, if it's acting differently, then something changed. So, my next question is, "What did you do recently? What did you change in the last five minutes? the last hour? the last day? When did it work last?" All those things help me narrow down where the problem could have come from. Sometimes, the source of the problem seems completely unrelated to the problem itself. Maybe someone played a new game for the first time and that caused the hard drive to fill up which then caused the new problem. Or, maybe the anti-virus software updated, which caused it to search different parts of the computer, which slowed the machine down, which caused the problem. It seems bizarre when you don't understand the connections. When I really need to see what's going on, I will have the person calling me send a system profile. This is just a summary of the computer's specs, the software installed, various driver versions, and more. Then, when I can examine the entire picture of the computer, I can see more connections and diagnose the problem. Our lives are the same way when it comes to our relationship with God. We call God up and complain, "Why is this a problem? It wasn't a problem yesterday," and His first question should be, "What else have you changed recently?". Of course, being smarter than God, we will usually reply, "Well, I know I slipped up over there, but that is unrelated!" Um, no. It's not. "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." John 9:31 If you've sinned anywhere and haven't confessed, any other requests are ignored. That tends to have a negative effect on your relationship. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16 If you confess, you can be healed. If you were healed, that means you had previously been unhealthy. Unhealthiness permeates your whole body. Unconfessed sin will affect everything. Furthermore, if you have unconfessed sin, you are not a righteous man and so your prayer is not powerful and effective. Sin makes you powerless and inert. Confession restores the power and gives you strength to do more for Him. When God looks over your life profile what does He see? If He were to examine every aspect of your life at this moment in time when you're asking about one small area, will He say, "Aha! Your problem is something that appears unrelated, but it isn't."? When you begin to wonder what's going wrong, step back and analyze the situation. What has changed in your life? It's all connected. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Oct 18 22:26:42 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:26:42 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Who's Okay? Message-ID: <4AC862ED-7D4F-4F9D-96E6-226D406E072B@clanwebb.com> Self-esteem is not a self-help issue. The title of the book should be,"I'm Not Okay and Neither are You". Our ability to reconcile is not an issue with the world and the people in it, but an issue of being reconciled with God. I don't care what your life looks like or if you think I am jealous of your life for saying so, but unless you are right with God, you are not okay. "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 There is nothing so wrong in your life that it cannot be reconciled if you are in Christ. "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him In love" Ephesians 1:4 "But as many as received him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" John 1:12 Furthermore, there is no rank or hierarchy in self-esteem in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you all are one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 If you are standing on your wealth, possessions, or position for your self-esteem, take note to the following: "For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith." Romans 12:3 There comes a time or times when you must face the question, "Who am I and am I okay in God?" Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Oct 19 22:52:01 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 22:52:01 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Too Focused Message-ID: <2B698B98-1C07-4D32-A573-9BF941B6A5B0@clanwebb.com> While working on software, it's easy to get caught up in the details. To complicate things, being an engineer, I constantly want to make things better. So, invariably, I will be adding a new feature to the product and find some little detail I don't like. I will then spend days trying to make it work just so, but usually I have to move on to other things before I'm really happy with it. Sometimes, those things will nag at me for weeks and I'll keep thinking about what I can do to make that little corner of the product work perfectly. That's a fine idea, but it's easy to get lost in these rabbit holes. By the end of the process, I've spent many days on a tiny little thing that 99 percent of the customers will never use. Worse, my attitude about the product may have changed for the worse because I've lost sight of the fact that the new feature I started with is still a big selling point and is well-liked. Losing focus on the real goal can steal my opportunity to enjoy the success of my work and my project. It can make me less productive and unprepared for what comes next. Losing focus on the real goal in life will steal your joy and you'll find yourself unprepared for the temptations of the world and eventually mired in sin. You've had your head down and the blinders on and had no idea where you were headed. When you finally looked around you are shocked to find yourself in a pit and distant from God. As you might expect, this is not a new experience. David felt this very way after Nathan confronted him about his adultery. David looked around and realized how far away he had drifted and where he had ended up. He did the only thing anyone can do (and what we should do in the same situation). He cried out to God: "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12 Now, we have a choice at these times. We can go into denial and pretend we didn't notice our situation. We can ignore the consequences and continue on. Or, we can admit we've blown it and call out to God. He will lift us up and place us on the right path again. He will return your joy and He will give you a spirit of enthusiasm and willingness to serve Him. If you feel like you're missing out on the joy and your enthusiasm is waning, lift your head up and look around. Have you been focused on Christ? Or something else? Have you wandered off the trail? Do you know how to get back? At these times it's good to do something very unmanly. Ask for directions. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 21 00:22:47 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:22:47 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Out of Words Message-ID: <305F7A0D-4C93-476F-8877-B34C42589680@clanwebb.com> Many years ago I witnessed my wife asking her father an innocuous question and getting a reply that has lived in infamy in family lore ever since. We were visiting my in-laws' home and my wife happened to ask where one of her brothers was since he was usually there. After some thought, her father's reply was, "Oh, he went somewhere with someone to do something. He'll be back sometime." He wasn't trying to be flippant. He was simply dropping in placeholders for the things he couldn't remember at that moment, which turned out to be everything. The complete lack of information in his reply is exactly what made that a moment of comedy gold for us. It was only enhanced by the fact that he answered with no intention of being funny. That said, using words like "somewhere" and "someone" when you can't find the right word is no different from saying "thingamajig" or "whatchamacalit". Sometimes, I find myself falling back on those not only when I can't remember, but when it's too hard or too complex to explain. When there's just too much information to cram into a few words, we fall back to placeholders. I can appreciate how it must have felt to those who wrote Scripture when they found themselves in that place. "Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." Psalm 40:5 "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." John 21:25 You get the sense that even though David and John had written so many beautiful and descriptive words about God and Christ that they still had moments of being overwhelmed. They still had moments when they were reduced to being tongue-tied and just being unable to put what they saw into words. I figure that if I can completely describe all that God has done for me and all that He means to me in English, then I haven't really scratched the surface. I want to experience God such that I cannot describe it. I want to know Him and not be able to summarize it. I want to be out of words. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 21 22:15:12 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 22:15:12 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Peering Through Glass Message-ID: I saw a child with his face right up against a big aquarium. Then, he placed his hands on either side of his cheeks. It was obvious that he was trying to put himself in the environment of the colorful fish, the old sunken pirate ship and, of course, the treasure chest that opened and closed with each burst of bubbles from the filter pump. I was struck about how we are like that. We press our faces up against the unreality of the world. The fake environments and the fantasy treasure just waiting in crystal waters for us to find. The reality is that the world is at odds with itself from the people to the animals to the environment. Mathew Henry's Commentary says it like this: "The sufferings of the saints strike no deeper than the things of time, last no longer than the present time, are light afflictions, and but for a moment. How vastly different are the sentence of the word and the sentiment of the world, concerning the sufferings of this present time! Indeed the whole creation seems to wait with earnest expectation for the period when the children of God shall be manifested in the glory prepared for them. There is an impurity, deformity, and infirmity, which has come upon the creature by the fall of man. There is an enmity of one creature to another." There is no true fulfillment in this world. It is never enough. Our thirst is never quenched. "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." Romans 8:19 The whole world is out of sorts and is waiting to be put right. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Oct 22 23:10:12 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 23:10:12 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Sober Truth Message-ID: <4AD37B4E-EC2D-4C85-B96F-9B417C2C2D09@clanwebb.com> The argument about drinking alcohol or not will not be resolved anytime soon. The result of too much drinking is all too obvious. Over-drinking and becoming addicted is part hereditary and part poor judgment. The fine line between wine with dinner and no wine at all is a judgement call for every person and I will not look down my nose at either point of view. We have much bigger battles to fight together to let this one keep us apart. "Those who linger long over wine, Those who go to taste mixed wine. Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it goes down smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent And stings like a viper." Proverbs 23:30-32 Solomon must have been around many a party when the wine flowed and the good times rolled. He, like many of us, has seen a person drink too much, talk too much, and become way out of control. The morning after is the bite and the sting. The king is just giving out some good advice. Namely, if you get caught up in the sparkle and the easy access of drink, you will pay a price. All sin is best avoided by not getting too close to the rapids. If you have seen it or done it, you know the best thing is to know your limit. If your limit is in doubt, then don't do it at all. All sinful behavior comes to a bad end and most sinful behavior is entered into with a false sense of the outcome. "But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth." " Acts 26:25 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 23 23:48:35 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:48:35 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Jesus Club Message-ID: <4B9BA299-79E1-41A3-A339-A984CC0379EE@clanwebb.com> I have belonged to some interesting clubs in my lifetime. In elementary school, I was in a chess club. We played in the cafeteria while the other kids played outside. In high school, I was a member of the National Honor Society. I also helped start up the computer club. Yes, you can all point and laugh at the nerd now. Each club I belonged to had a set of rules of some kind. For example, the NHS required a certain grade point average to get in and you had to maintain it. The computer club basically required that you liked computers and wanted to show up, once in a while, to play with them. I belong to another club now with an odd rule. You have to have a certain qualification to get in, but once you're in if you continue to have the same qualification, we have to kick you out. For the sake of discussion, I'll call it my Jesus Club. Now, don't be confused. This is different than being saved. That's the club Jesus founded. I'm talking about a Club based on the Christians that I choose to associate with and who I will allow my family to be around. You see, if you're not saved, then I want you in my club. I want you to be saved and I hope you'll become one of those people I can have deep spiritual discussions with. I will seek you out and tell you about Jesus. If you are saved and have turned your life around, you're in my club. I want my wife and son to see good examples of Christian living. Now, there are ones who get saved (and so get to join), but then don't change their life or who have fallen back into old habits and refuse to change. Those folks I have to kick out. You see, if you're unsaved, you don't know any better and I want you to go to Heaven. If you are saved, but not living like it, then you'll still go to Heaven, but now you're just a bad influence on me and my family. Paul explains the Jesus Club this way: "I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave the world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." " 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 Do you love that brother and encourage him to get right with God? Of course you do. But, if he continues to refuse, then you must separate them from you. This is what church discipline is about in the larger body, but the rules apply to your circle of friends, too. Notice that this is how Jesus lived. He sought out the sinner to tell him the good news. But the Pharisees should have known better. He accused them of hypocrisy and never hung out with the ones who refused to hear the truth. If you have a Christian friend who is not living for God, then love him, encourage him, and tell him the truth. And, if he refuses, leave him, but be ready for his return. Does your Jesus Club need to be cleaned out? Or, are you the guy that needs to be expelled? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 24 22:05:58 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:05:58 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Borrowed Living Message-ID: <6117B93A-42AC-481A-864F-11CC4BEEDAAE@clanwebb.com> When you borrow a car, a tool, or even a CD, you tend to be a little more careful with it. Why? Well, obviously, you're more careful because it's not yours. You want to enjoy driving the car, using the tool, or listening to the CD, but you don't want to do any damage. Whether it's because you don't want to pay to fix it or just because you know it's the right thing to do, you act differently with borrowed items than with your own. Now, if you borrowed something from God, wouldn't you want to be even more careful? Wouldn't you consider it very important to use the thing properly and return it in good shape? So, why exactly, do we abuse ourselves with bad choices and wrong paths? Would you choose to make someone else commit the same sins you do? Probably not. But, we forget that we don't even own ourselves, anymore: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 You have been purchased. You do not belong to yourself anymore. You need to treat yourself with more respect by honoring the will of the Owner. Also, remember that you are owned by God. Would you drive the borrowed car differently if the owner was in the passenger seat? So, how will you live differently knowing that your Owner is living inside of you? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Oct 25 21:20:09 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:20:09 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] In the Last Days Message-ID: <81D475B0-8922-489F-9B5D-B4A84B5C1D70@clanwebb.com> There has been much written about the state of the world and how we are going downhill. During a study a certain heading jumped out at me. Just before 2 Timothy 3 it said: "Godlessness in the last days." Here's a little exercise you can do. Pick up your TV remote and at the same time you are channel surfing through the news, MTV, reality shows, and various network shows read the following: "For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:2-4 I am grateful that I'm on the train that is passing through town on the way to a better place rather than those folks stuck without a ticket. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Oct 27 00:15:14 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:15:14 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Co-ownership Message-ID: I'm always taken aback when I run into folks who measure your worth by how much power you wield. I remember telling someone about a recent promotion I had just been given and his first question was, "So, how many people are you in charge of?" It was asked in way that carried the connotation of "How much control do you have?" Through the years I've had jobs where I was the lowest man on the totem pole and other times, when I've been in the inner circle of the CEO. It doesn't measure my worth, just my job. In reality, these folks aren't too different than you and I (in fact, some of us still think that way at times). That fleshly desire to have control, power, and influence is part of our sin nature. It's bad enough when it springs up in friends and coworkers. It's downright dangerous when it comes up in marriages. Paul was commenting on this possibility in his letter to the Corinthians: "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him along but also to his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:4 Now, I guarantee that 99 percent of the married men who read that pick up on the first sentence immediately. If you take it all alone, it naturally follows that your wife should simply feed your whims. Her body is not her own, so you should have some say about when, where, and how often. However, the measure of a godly man is how seriously he takes the second sentence. If your body is not your own either, then she has some say about what goes on in your life, too. She has some say about when, where, and how often, as well. More to the point, Paul isn't playing some kind of shell game where you gain control of her, but lose control of yourself. He's trying to explain that you cannot think of yourself alone... ever. Every decision, every plan, and every desire should be a joint exercise. If you revert to Lone Ranger mode, things will not go well. Again, realize that Paul is not giving you rules that he thinks are a good idea. He is revealing the way things are. You can try a different way, but it will never work as well as God's way. Do you derive satisfaction from being king of your castle? Do you lord it over your wife? Be careful. It won't end well. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Oct 27 23:33:32 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:33:32 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Preemptive Acceptance Message-ID: <27347067-FE89-4CEC-9104-4C34FB1A876D@clanwebb.com> I run into many believers that spend a lot of time trying to figure out what God wants them to do. That's a great idea, but very often they are standing still with the answer staring them in the face. They just don't like what they see. Here's the deal: we have to accept God's answer before we get it. It isn't a matter of, "God, I need an answer. Send me one and I'll look it over and get back to you." It's more like, "God, let your will be done." "Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the Lord our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the Lord our God." Jeremiah 42:6 Our enthusiasm to do great things sometimes gets ahead of our capabilities. We think we are ready to do something, but we are not the ones that hand out the diploma. "How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save." Habakkuk 1:2 Our frustration comes from not looking inward to our relationship with Him, but spending too much time and effort pointing to the obvious injustice of the world. He sees it! He is aware! God does not need us to point it out to Him. Have, and work diligently on, your faith that God knows what He is doing. "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:9-11 I believe that 90 percent of what God has to say to us has to do with our direct relationship with Him, not dealing with questions of, "Where should I go?", "What should I do?", or "With whom should I associate?". Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Oct 28 22:28:30 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 22:28:30 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Approaching Satisfaction Message-ID: I was answering some computer questions for a family in our church the other day when the father, who does not know much about computers, asked why the computer that worked fine two years ago now needed an upgrade. I explained the technical details about how the operating system had been patched and more software had been installed on the computer and all of that was causing it to need more memory and more hard drive space. I think he realized I wasn't pulling his leg, but he wasn't convinced. He was concerned that he'd have to put more money into it a couple of years from now. He will. Computers are only the extreme case of how our whole society functions. Whatever cool, new thing, activity, or idea comes around won't last forever. After a while it will need replacing, upgrading, altering, or "re-imagining". Nothing on this earth is good enough to suffice forever. It's all temporary. It's all slowly degrading. And yet we continue to chase it. It's like trying to scoop sand into a funnel until it's full. No matter how fast you scoop, it'll never stay full! "Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35 Jesus can satisfy. Jesus changes the whole equation. Instead of madly trying to fill our funnel, He immediately satisfies our needs. We are full and complete the moment He enters our life. But, that's not the end. Instead of having to chase after the world just to approach satisfaction, that's now the lowest point of our experience. We are satisfied as a starting point. Then, we desire more of Him and it only gets better. So, are you working hard to just taste satisfaction? Or, have you set your foundation on Christ so that you can experience what plans He has for you after that step? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Oct 30 00:14:16 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:14:16 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] You are not the Main Event Message-ID: <975D788C-D049-49BF-BD83-C33E2B49A49C@clanwebb.com> There was a TV show in the fifties where the opportunity was given to a person to stand inside an eight-foot paper bag. The object was to see if they could "punch their way out of a paper bag." There was a lot of frustration involved as, with each punch, the bag with give to the impact of the thrust. The boxer was in a losing battle to break the barrier. I don't believe I ever saw one person beat the bag. I feel like that boxer much of the time as I live in the world with my own nature. I want to deliver blows for Christ. I want to give a real knockout punch that leaves evil sprawled out with little Xs in its eyes and cartoon start in orbit around its head. The truth is that the world is not susceptible to the wild punches of a well- meaning hero. I am working on my ability to replace my punching at the world with sweating out my own nature. I want to replace the effort with faith. It is simple to read and espouse faith, but very difficult to put it out as my shield. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world ? our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" 1 John 5:4-5 We are the champions and we must learn to live with the fact that the world disputes and despises the decision. We must not react to the taunts from evil to get into the ring and punch it out on Satan's terms. We must remember that it isn't important what is shouted out in public because, face to face, evil knows our faith just as it knew Jesus in the synagogue at Capernaum. "Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are ? the Holy One of God!" Mark 1:23-24 At the appointed time, Christ will enter the ring. And, when He drops the hood from His head: "For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." " Romans 14:11 Until that time, maintain your position, don't break the ranks, arm yourself with the Word, and be ready to give a reason why you believe. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 31 00:32:08 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:32:08 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Shut Up Message-ID: Have you ever said something you wanted to take back the minute it came out of your mouth? It usually starts out as a minor idea or a throwaway line that you think will get a laugh. As you are forming the words of the sentence, you can see how your listeners are responding and even before you're done, you're wishing you hadn't started. I pulled one off that I get reminded of frequently by my family. One day, my wife and I were having a friendly disagreement when I slowly began to lose my temper. I thought she was being stubborn and that she didn't realize just how serious I was about the issue. In an effort to communicate both my passion and at the same time inject a touch of humor, I thought I'd call her by her first and middle name like your mom did when you were young. It probably would have worked, too, if I hadn't used the wrong middle name. As you can imagine, it went downhill from there. I could not apologize enough to convince her that it was a slip and that I did know her real middle name. I lost all hope of winning that tussle that night. There are those moments when you just know you're getting into a danger zone. You know that any minor slip will be worth days or weeks of suffering. Those are the moments to just shut up and let it go. Now, what makes all this worse is that it's usually the case that you're making a case for your idea or belief at the time. Not only do you not convince the other person, you end up making it less likely that they'll ever convert! The root of the problem is always self. If you are angling for something selfish, it will almost always blow up in your face. "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth! For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." Proverbs 30:32-33 When your intentions are misplaced, you are likely to stir up something and it'll catch you in the end. Save yourself the trouble and just shut up now. You can start talking again when you have your priorities straight. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Oct 31 23:23:31 2007 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 23:23:31 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stay Out of the Swamp Message-ID: <66696857-2157-4B3A-8EBA-F1C81C2FD1AE@clanwebb.com> I was often confused between testing and temptation. I thought that when I was tempted, it was a test from God to see if the check my mouth had written could be cashed when presented or if it would be returned marked "insufficient will". The truth lies in the fact that God will not tempt us to sin, but He will test our faith and character in order for us to grow. The ugly truth about us is that when we sin, we do it in collaboration with Satan. That's right. It is as if we sit down with him at the table and ask his help to justify doing what our nature tells us we want, or worse, what we need. He is a great helper in that he has a whole book of excuses and justifications. He will help us formulate plans that, for the moment, seem so logical that we don't think about anything but the pleasure we are about to experience. But, make no mistake, we do this by choice and not trickery sent from God. Tests, on the other hand, are obvious in that the obstacle in our way is something to be overcome and usually involves pain, not perceived pleasure. "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:3 "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:6-7 Granted, our nature wants us to blame God for giving us a trial that leads us to sin, but it just ain't so, brother. Failing a trial and getting up stronger to try again is different than falling to sin and becoming weaker. I would rather be struggling upward to the summit than trying to get hold of a root to pull myself out of the quicksand. The best direction to be headed is towards the mountain. Stay out of the swamp. Allen