Jesus is everything

Today's Bible study began with watching a few videos. The first of which is the video above.  It's a skit done to a song by Lifehouse called "Everything".

The video starts by God welcoming one of His creations into the world.  He begins showing her all of the great and wonderful things he made for her, because He loves her.

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love - 1 John 4:8

But then comes sin.  Just like in life, sin comes in a ruins and sabotages our relationship with God.  It could be money, boyfriends/girlfriends, our appearance, drugs, alcohol, it could be anything.  And often times it is a combination of things.

All of these things separate us from God.  In Romans 6:23 it says the wages of sin is death, which is why after she experiences all the world has to offer, she begins to hold a gun to her head.  Romans 6:23 ends with hope by saying the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Even through everything this world has to offer, everything that can take you down, all of the sin, Jesus is there.

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved us that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

Then, right at the point she is ready to end it all, she makes a choice and turns to Jesus.  We see her struggling to get back to Jesus.  Following Jesus is counter to what this world wants you to do.  This world wants you to live for yourself and do what ever pleases you.

Then, in my opinion, the best part of the video is when it shows Jesus coming in and standing between her and the world.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

He will come and provide a way out, as he did for that girl, so he will do for you.  When life seems like it is bearing down on you and you don't know how you can take another minute, know God loves you and you can always give your burdens to Him.

This video may play out differently because we are all unique, but the one thing always remains, God is always there for you.

The second video I showed was a speech given by a pastor name S.M. Lockridge.  Pastor Lockridge studied with Billy Graham and was the pastor at Calvary Baptist Church for 42 years.  In his speech, he basically describes Jesus.

"That's my King"

I couldn't agree with him more.

Humble Yourselves

This week I find myself being drawn back into the book of James.  I really love the way God directs the topics I’ll talk about in the Bible Study each week.  I end the week not having any idea where we are going and God always comes through with just what the team needs to hear.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.  James 4:6-7,10

The proud are those who have high self-esteem or who relish in their own importance, in other words, they think they’re above everybody else.  This could extend to anything; appearance, sports, strength, and even religion.  It also could extend to stuff that you own.  But don’t confuse this with feeling of knowing we excel in certain spots more than others.  It comes down to where your heart is and if you want to exalt yourself because of your position or if you want to exalt God. 

The opposite of being proud is to be humble.  When you humble yourselves before the Lord you are saying that you are insignificant and that your importance wanes in the presence of the Lord.  This is when the Lord can use you.

When you submit yourself to God you are letting God have full control of your life.  You aren't trying to do it by yourself because that will lead to pride and boasting, which we have already determined that God opposes.  This is easy to say, but hard to do because our earthly bodies want to revel in stuff that is pleasing to us. 

We want to make the decisions and we want to have the glory and we want to be accepted. 

How easy is it for a football player to exalt himself after a touchdown, or a baseball player after a home-run or even a student after getting an “A” on a test.  Again, it’s ok to be excited but we can’t let it define who we are.

The devil wants you to get excited and get lost in the moment.

In 1 Peter 5:8 it says the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  The devil only has lies and deception, nothing else.  He tries to make you think you are the reason for the way things are. If you resist the devil, he flees.  When you let God reign in your hearts, the devil has no place to go.  So when we draw near to God, meaning let God reign, the devil will flee because it’s all or nothing.  We can draw near to God by talking to him, by praying and by reading His word, the Bible.

I challenged the guys by asking them which they thought God wanted more...for the team to win or for the individual members to use their talents to honor God.  It's kinda sobering to realize that everything you are is because God gave it to you.

As a side note, I need prayer for my dad.  He is going in for a double bypass heart surgery tomorrow.  He doesn't know the Lord.  Please join me in praying for my dad’s recovery and that God would draw him closer.

Also, the varsity team has 13 players injured.  We have a parent’s prayer night on Wednesday @ 7:30pm in the Clovis West Teacher’s Lounge.  Come by and pray.

Ironmen Unite!!!

Transformation

How often do you look into the mirror and wish you could change your appearance.  Maybe you want to be in better shape, or change your hair color, or lose some weight.  I think we all struggle with how we look at various times in our life.

Retailers know we want to change ourselves and focus their message accordingly.  How many times have you seen pills that will shed pounds, or drinks that give you energy?  How often do you see ways to make tons of money overnight?

It is hard to change the outside, and even more difficult to change the inside.

But that’s part God cares about…

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2

Changing yourself isn't easy and it doesn't happen overnight.  It takes discipline and happens slowly.

God calls us to be “transformed”.  The Greek word for transformed is related to the English word metamorphosis.  Take for example a tadpole.  The tadpole starts its life swimming around the lake, but one day it will transform into a frog.  It will change its entire structure and morph from a swimmer that lives entirely in the water to a frog that lives entirely on land.  When the tadpole becomes a frog, it will be exactly as God intended.

We start to get transformed by the renewal of our minds.  Quite simply, renewing our minds by starting to think and ask ourselves WWJD (What Would Jesus Do).  When we start to pray and live for Jesus and have Jesus live through us, then we can be transformed in the person God wants us to be.

Today's Bible Study was packed, I counted 33 young men.  Before we talked about Romans 12:2, I played some videos for them.  The first two were music videos by a Christian rapper named Lecrae.  To be honest, rap music isn't my first choice, by Lecrae's music is powerful.  After those two videos, we watched a couple of i am second videos.

iamsecond.com has videos of athletes that have given their life to Christ and the videos share their story.  We watched Matt Barkley, QB @ USC and Bradie James, Inside Linebacker for the Houstan Texans.

Help me pray for these young men.

During the game last week, I witnessed one of them having a seizure on the sidelines during the game.  He is doing better today.  There were three young men total that left the game with concussions.

God is doing great things with this team.  The record is 1-5, but in God's eyes they are undefeated.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me - Phil 4:13

Never Give Up

The last week was emotionally charged.

Marquis Sutton, senior at Edison, was fatally shot and past away on Monday, September 24th.  Here we are, trying to get ready to play football, coming off a win at Bullard, and suddenly, the game takes a serious backseat.

I started to recap the season so far for the Golden Eagles Varsity team, it has been a season like no other so far.  The team started off the year with a great summer workout, with hopes and expectations held high.  Then, on the Wednesday before the first game, we lose our tight end for the season.  Not only did he break his ankle, he did it at Wednesday practice.  Not many weeks after, we lose another player, same injury, also at practice.  So now, the team has witness two players receive year ending injuries.  We then get a rest with the bye week and come back strong against Bullard with a win.  This is short lived because of the death of Marquis before the game.

I don't believe in coincidences, and I made sure to convey it with this weeks message.

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not detroyed;" - 2 Corinthians 4:7-8

Lets take the passage in four segments..

First, afflicted but not crushed.  The word afflicted means bodily pain, trouble or pressure.  So this life, there will be bodily pain and there will be trouble and pressure, but it won't crush us.  A better way to look at this is by saying "Pressure will not defeat us".  Lets take an example of a boxer.  he gets in the ring and takes a pounding for 12 rounds and endures the pain which goes along with it.  He doesn't stop when he feels the pain, he pushes through it.  If he did stop, he wouldn't be much of a boxer.

Second, perplexed or confused but not driven to despair or hopelessness.  Life will throw a bunch of stuff at you.  Sometimes you wont know what to do, but if you give those cares to God, you'll always have hope.  So confusion will not discourage us.

Third, we will be persecuted but never abandoned by God.  If you put your faith in God and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, never will He forsake you.  Jesus will always be with you.  "Never will I leave you, Never will I forsake you" - Hebrews 13:5.  Go back to our example of the fighter.  The opposition doesn't deter him from continuing his battle.  He goes into the fight knowing God is with him. 

Lastly, there will be time where you are struck down.  There will be times in your life when it feels like you can't go on, times where you just don't know how you are going to get through.  When these times occur, fully rest in the Lord and know that he is God. "Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10.

I've purposely used the example of the fighter, but you can easily see how any of life's examples can be substituted.  

Lets look at football...

1. The pressure of the game will not defeat us
2. Confusion of the outcomes will not discourage us
3. The opposition will not deter us
4. Hard hits will not destroy us

Remember, man's extremity is God's opportunity.  When we can't, God can.

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" - Phil 4:13

Hearing & Doing

This weeks Bible study was on the remainder of James 1, were he talks about hearing the word, receiving the word and then doing it.

In verse 19 he commands us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.  This is in direct conflict with how our earthly bodies.  We want to do the exact opposite.  We want to have the first and last word and if we don't get our way, we're upset.

I explained that listening was learned.  Everybody who has ears and isn't deaf can hear, but if you want to learn to listen, it takes practice.  First off, you can't possibly listen if your talking.  So, when your in a conversation that may not be going your way, instead of thinking of the next thing to say, actually listen to what is being said.

Not all anger is sinful.  Jesus was angry that they were defiling the temple to buy and sells goods, but He did not sin.  the difference is when we allow sin to control our emotions.  Anger is sinful when it leads us to lose control.  Look and Abel & Cain, sin manifested in Cain when he grew angry thinking that God favored Abel over him.  This lead to Cain becoming the first murderer.

James goes on to say that the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires so we should put away all filthiness and wickedness.  Another way to say it would be vulgarity, vile of dirty.  We must put away these things so that we can receive with meekness and humbleness the implanted word of God.  Again, something that is directly against our earthly bodies.  Meekness, gentleness is the exact opposite of harsh and angry.

Along with this knowledge, we must then become doers of the Word.  James says be the person that looks in the mirror and sees what he wants to be and then makes the change.  By looking into the perfect law, the law of liberty, the Word of God, we can do this.

***

Heading into the bye week, the varsity team was 0-3.  It wasn't because they didn't play well or because they aren't that good.  It all comes down to playing as a team, each person knowing what their individual roes are and executing them.


Every chance I get, I tell these young men how valuable they are in God's eyes.  I tell them to go out and play with the enthusiasm and joy that God made them for and show God how they use their talents and treasures.

Each week, I see the varsity team coming together more and more...


Last Friday, the varsity came together for their coming out party with a win over Bullard.  Playing more and more like the team that they want to be.  

I get so inspired by the calling God as lead me to and by watching these young men grow each and every week.  Just when I think God is at His limit, He reveals that He is so much more Awesome than I'll ever know.


I invited some of the guys to join me at church, not thinking that they would, but some did.  

After the last game, I had a mom come up to me and tell me she was talking with some of the other moms and they were inspired to start a Wednesday night prayer meeting.  She said they were going to get together and pray for the team.

This team will amaze many, not only by what happens on the field.

You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us; none can compare with You!! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told - Psalm 40:5

Trials & Temptation

Last week, the entire football program took a road trip to Encino to meet up with Crespi Carmelite.  Needless to say, the outcome wasn't pretty.  All three teams were saddled with a loss that day.

Before the varsity game started, I asked some of the players if they were ready for the game and they said they were a little worried.  I told them not to be worried but to trust in the abilities God gave them and be sure.

Fast forward to next week...

Before the Bible study, I knew that one of the topics was going to be worry.  I received a phone call and a suggestion that we spend the next 5+ weeks going through the book of James.

Last year, a pastor friend of mine gave me a box of new testaments.  I had planned on giving them out to the players, but then received FCA Bibles instead, so they have just been sitting in the trunk of my car.  Now I had a purpose for them.

Right off the bat in James 1:2 it says "Count it as joy, my brothers, when you meet trials..."  You will meet trials.

Guaranteed.  I told them they could have trials dealing with school work, homework, family, anything.

I could see they were listening, because the room was silent and they were all looking at me kinda stunned.

I continued..."testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:3-4

Football is an excellent example.  You practice all week long, lifting weights, getting stronger, putting on pads, hitting each other, tackling, until the game arrives.  Then during the game, you do the same thing, only with more intensity.  After its over, and your physically and emotionally exhausted, you are better because now you can learn from your mistakes.  They endure the pain of practice and games to be better more complete players.

Next, in James, he tells you how to "survive" the trials...

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God...But let him ask in faith, with no doubting.." James 1:5 & 6.

We have to pray for wisdom to help overcome the trials.  If our heart and mind are divided, the trials will tear us apart.  The cure for this is a whole-hearted commitment to God.  I told them true wealth is found in a persons spiritual life.

Lastly...temptation

I said it is very important to understand the difference between a trial and being tempted.  God tests you with trials to strengthen you not tempt you with sin to destroy you.

"Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one" James 1:13

There is no sin in God.  Romans 6:23 "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

I told them it was a choice.  They have the choice to follow Jesus, the choice to sin or not sin, the choice to worry or put their hope in Jesus.  I explained in closing about how if they fully relied on God, the amount of worry would be minimized.  For the simple fact, they wouldn't have time to worry because they were focusing on Jesus.

Prayer...it's what I do...

Last Thursday, the 2012 Football season was unleashed with the Freshmen team putting a beat-down on the Bears from Merced.  Long before the game started, I was preparing for this moment.  The moment when I could pray with the team.  This year we have a new head coach and a new coaching staff for the freshmen.

I approached Coach Garcia and asked him about praying with the team before the game and he said I could have the team for the last 2 minutes.  More than enough time.  Then something happened that I wasn't ready for...

Just when I think God has done the best, he raises the bar again.

Some of the coaches joined in the prayer.

Fast forward to the JV game...As the team is warming up, they always play music to get them fired up.  When we gathered in the endzone to pray and I noticed during the time I'm talking to the boys before the prayer the music stopped...

Then another young man asked if he could pray after me...Absolutely

Now the varsity game and the team is gathering in the locker room...and they are waiting for me to pray.  During that prayer there were three people praying, myself and two other young men.

Lastly, lets jump to today's Bible study.  I had my first Bible study of the year in Coach Parson's room.  I always wonder who is going to show up, will there be anybody there.  I had 23 young men and one coach.

One the way to the Bible study, I knew what I was going to talk about.  I was going to bring the Word and tell them what they needed to do to get to Heaven...Accept Jesus as their personal Savior.

I was just as nervous as last year, but had a sense of peace from God and just explained to them the good news about how Jesus came to this world, lived a sinless life and died on the cross so that we could have eternal life with him.

Then we prayed and I handed out 12 new Bibles to 12 new Christians...

I need more Bibles...

Join me and pray for these "Ironmen"

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" Romans 10:9

Ironmen

"Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another" - Proverbs 27:17

Blacksmiths used to make swords by taking steel and iron, heating it up and then pounding it into place.  They would pound and work the sword until it was just the right shape.  It was a pain staking process, but a process done with caring for what the finished product would be.

The correlation between sword making and team building on the football field is dramatically similar.  Young men go out each and every day, strap on pads and ram into each other trying to make themselves better.  They run 40's, do up-downs, lift weights...all to make themselves in better shape.  But something more has to happen if these young men want to be a team.

They need to strengthen each other.

Yesterday started the 2012 football season with a home scrimmage against Hanford.  the Freshmen and JV ran plays at the same time while the Varsity played 3 quarters of football.

Once again, I had the immeasurable pleasure of praying with all of the young men before yesterday's scrimmage.  God brought to mind the Proverbs 27:17 verse and I shared a little with them.

I tried to explain how not only is it acceptable to pick your teammate up when he's down, it's required.  Spurring each on and remind them of how great they are together...well that's a team.

Individuals are born but teams are formed.

The art of leading seems to be hard to find these days and I have been reminding key players at all levels of this fact.  It's kinda scary to lead because then people can point at you when you fail, but without leaders and accountability, there isn't a team.  God told us it takes accountability for us to get better.  When your on the field and you make a mistake, you feel bad and your teammates pick you up.  True accountability happens teammates accept nothing less than 100% effort.

I'm so looking forward to expanding on this topic in our first Bible study.  I'm grateful of this calling and this ministry.  Thank you God for this awesome responsibility.

As a side note, I've gotten some donations and printed some pretty sweet shirts.

My goal is to be able to give a shirt to everybody that attends the Bible study and all of the coaches as well.  So far I was able to purchase 50 shirts and I'm praying for more donations and more kids to give them to.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith"
2 Timothy 4:7

Time To Get Fired Up!!

Are you ready? (cue the Monday Night Football theme music)

It's time to get fired up!

Football season is closing in...yes, I know it's the middle of May...but you can't deny it.  Spring football starts tomorrow, the end of the school year is near and then Clovis East Football camp for the JV and Freshmen and Fresno State Football camp for the varsity...It's time to get fired up!

You may be thinking, what is he talking about?  Why should I get fired up about high school football when the school year isn't even over? What can I accomplish by getting fired up?

Well, I'll tell you...It's time to get fired up for God.  It's time to start praying for this football year.  It's time to start praying for the coaches and the players that will be representing Clovis West Football to the masses.  It's time to start praying for how God will use these young men, and some older men, to make Heaven grow and hell shrink.

I had a meeting with Coach Parsons today about the upcoming year and my role as team chaplain.  We talked about the chaplain program and how effective it was last year reaching kids and getting out the Gospel message.

You see, the reason I'm the chaplain is very simply, I love God and I want to share the good news of how his Son came and died for our sins so that we can have life eternal.  Ok, so yes I love high school football and yes I have two sons,(formerly three sons) playing football, but spreading the good news far exceeds those things.

This year, I'm going to try to be a little more organized and do some fund-raising so that every lunchtime meeting and bible study there can be pizza.  I want to reach these kids and an effective way to do it is through their stomach.  I'm also going to raise some money to get bibles and possibly some shirts made.  If your reading this and want to make a donation, you can call me (559) 917-1232 or email me frederick.mcintosh@sbcglobal.net.

Last year, I figured I reached about two-thirds of the total kids in the program.  This year, I want to reach them all.  I'm not settling for good enough.

Join me in praying for the football program.

It's time to get fired up!!!

"Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rarise against me, yet I will be confident" - Psalm 27:3

God Bless and Go eagles!!!

Mr. Mac.