The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

The blood of Jesus is what courses through our veins. It’s in our DNA. It’s the thing that unites us with all baptized believers who are saved by the grace of God through faith in the Son. The pouring out of his blood is what breaks down the barriers that divide us.

The moment our Christ died, the veil in the temple was ripped in two, torn in half from top to bottom. No more separation. The writer of Hebrews makes a pretty big deal out of this. The death of Jesus, his blood, opens up this new and living way by which we live an integrated life. We’re now integrated with God by total access to his throne in the Holy of Holies. And we’re integrated with one another to live in perfect Christian unity.

There’s an ancient communion prayer written by Hippolytus late in the 3rd century that speaks to the power of Christ’s blood:

“We render thanks to you, O God, through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, whom in these last times you sent to us as a Savior and Redeemer according to you will and in whom you were well pleased. And he was betrayed to voluntary suffering that he might destroy death and break the bonds of the devil and tread down hell and shine upon the righteous.”

Those are powerful words. Destroy. Break. Tread.

Those are fitting words, appropriate action verbs, worthy of what our crucified and resurrected Lord has accomplished for us by his great love and grace. Ephesians 2 tells us in no uncertain terms that when Jesus poured out his blood he “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” and he “abolished the certificate of debt that stood against us.”

He himself is our peace — our peace with God and with one another.

There’s power in the blood. Great power. Wonder working power.

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The Word FM — 100.7 on your radio dial — a local Christian talk radio station here in DFW, has designated Legacy as their Church of the Week. What it means for Legacy is a week’s worth of 60-second promotional spots that I recorded in their Irving studios a couple of weeks ago. I haven’t heard the edited versions yet, but they do focus almost exclusively on our outreach to our community. Specifically the spots mention our involvement with our local elementary schools. And I spend about 30 of those seconds talking up this Saturday’s 27th annual Legacy Give Away Day.

What it could mean for you is $250 cash. At 3:00 this afternoon Texas time, Janet Mefferd will begin her talk show and at some point during that first hour, between 3:00 and 4:00 today, she’ll ask callers to identify this week’s Church of the Week. The first caller to correctly identify the Church of the Week as “Legacy Church of Christ in North Richland Hills” wins the 250-bucks. The call-in number is 800-949-5973. Be ready for it.

And then you can take me to lunch on Friday. I’ll be listening for Janet to call your name.

Peace,

Allan

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener….every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” ~John 15:2

What about this pruning? Trimming back parts of the healthy branch to make sure the greatest energy of the branch goes into making bigger and better fruit? Cutting parts of the branch in an effort to produce more quantity and quality?

Ouch.

If the branches of the vine could speak, they’d tell us, yes, it’s painful. Yeah, it hurts to be cut. But they’d also rejoice because they’re able now to produce more and better fruit as a result of that painful pruning.

I can look back on my life and see how God has pruned me. You can, too. I can feel, I can point to, even now — this past week, today — things God is using to prune me, to trim away distractions, to really focus my life. Let’s not ever forget — and I need to be reminded of this all the time — that God uses painful and unpleasant things to prune us.

“You have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” ~Hebrews 12:5-7

What’s keeping you from bearing fruit? What is it in your life that’s distracting you or gets in the way of producing righteous fruit? Now, how is the gardener working, today, to prune it away?

Our trials and tough times need to always be appreciated as part of God’s pruning process. Pruning is the gardener’s job. And we need it. We don’t ignore it or curse it. And we shouldn’t be surprised by it. We grow from it.

John Bunyan wrote: “There are those that grow ill and well again like beasts, learning nothing from it.”

Let’s not let that be us. Submit to God’s pruning. And learn and grow. It’s a sure sign that God has accepted you and is actively working to transform you more into the image of his Son.

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We’re into the linebackers now as our countdown to Cowboys season heads into the 50s. There are 59 days left until the Cowboys kick off their historic 50th NFL season. And our Red Ribbon Review honors the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number.

Today’s #59 is the first Vietnamese-American to ever play in the NFL, Aggies linebacker Dat Nguyen. Highly decorated in the Big XII and across the nation — he still holds the A&M record for career tackles at 517 — Nguyen was still considered too small to be an impact player in the pros. So he slipped all the way to the third round where the Cowboys selected him in 1999. Nguyen led the Cowboys in special team tackles that rookie year. And by the middle of his second season, he had become the starter at middle linebacker.

A variety of injuries, mainly a neck injury in 2005, forced his retirement after just seven seasons. But Nguyen wound up with 665 total tackles and seven interceptions for his Cowboys career, including 172 stops in 2001, the second-highest season total in team history. His hustle and determination and huge smile made him a fan favorite. His work ethic and brains have made him a current Cowboys assistant coach. (His involvement in Michael Irvin’s “Fourth and Long” causes me to question his brains. And the advice he’s getting from counselors.)

I was there in the Dome, on the sidelines in St. Louis as a sports talk show host at WHBQ in Memphis, when Dat’s Aggies came from 17 down to beat K-State in double OT for the Big XII Championship. And I was hosting a morning show on KTUB in Wichita Falls by the summer of ‘99 when Dat made his Cowboys debut there at training camp at Midwestern State. Super nice guy. And the second-best #59 in Cowboys history.

Peace,

Allan

Picture the cemetery scene in John 11: the hysterical wailing and shrieking; unrestrained weeping and the chaos that must have been; the stench that was coming from more than one body in that dug out tomb; the utter hopelessness of the situation.

The hopelessness of the people.

Martha says, “Jesus if you had only been here…but there’s nothing you can do now.” Mary says, “If you had only been here, Jesus…but it’s too late now.” The friends and the mourners say, “What a shame Jesus didn’t get here sooner to keep Lazarus from dying.”

All hope for Lazarus — this great friend, this brother — is gone because he’s dead.

But Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Christ is the One who personifies victory and life and resurrection as powerful realities. And he’s standing right there! He’s angry at what death has done — and is doing — to his people, to his world, to his creation. His tears are not for Lazarus. He knows he’s coming up. Jesus’ tears, I’m convinced, are connected to deep anger. This scene is the result of sin and death. And Jesus is there — he’s here! — to reverse the damage.

They tell Jesus they believe. But they look at dead Lazarus and they feel hopelessness. It’s over. There’s no hope for Lazarus because he’s dead. They’re not expecting anything.

Satan uses our fear of death as a terrible weapon against us. Hebrews 2:15 says the devil holds the power of death and holds us in slavery by our fear of death. No wonder Jesus is so upset! He sees in this Bethany cemetery the ravages and devastation of sin and death and Satan in the people and the world he created.

Death is the enemy. But it’s no match for the Lord of Life. He tells the sisters the sickness will not end in death. He tells his disciples he’s going to wake Lazarus up. He tells Martha her brother will rise again. Even if you die, he says, if you believe in me you’ll live.

With Christ Jesus, death does not have the last word. Death does not have the final say. Death is not the bottom line. The Lord of Life is the ultimate power with the ultimate authority.

And as resurrected believers, we ought to live like it.

Afraid of death? No! Jesus has overcome death!

Dragged down by sickness or the other things that afflict us in this earthly life? No! Jesus has already defeated those things.

Is your hope stolen away by sin, by bad choices, by the destructive things you’ve experienced? No! Jesus has already obliterated it all.

So, why don’t we live like it? That’s what has Jesus so upset, that Satan causes the bad things that happen to us in this world to distract us from the reality that in Christ, we’ve already defeated all of it.

We are death-defeaters in Jesus. It’s already done. As baptized participants in the resurrection community, death has nothing on us now. And neither does sin.

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The Dallas Cowboys claim they don’t retire jersey numbers. But they do. Yes, there are some members of the hallowed Ring of Honor who have seen their numbers worn by other Cowboys. And that’s OK. But, whether they admit it or not, there are some numbers — an exclusive two or three — that are just sacred. They should be retired. And they are. Whether the Cowboys call it that or not, they are. #12 is one of those numbers. And so is #74.

So there’s no #74 in our Red Ribbon Review today. Only one player has ever donned that number in Cowboys history. And I will not desecrate him or his name by mentioning him in this space.

There are 74 days left until Cowboys season. But you’ll have to wait until tomorrow to get a second-best player.

Peace,

Allan

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” ~John 14:1

So many of us live in fear. I’m not talking about temporary fear like the feelings you get stepping into the car of a roller coaster or listening to strange noises coming from the garage in the middle of the night. Not that kind of fear. I mean actually living in fear. I mean growing accustomed to — or even comfortable with — that constant worry about your life. Or your eternal body and soul. I mean accepting an uneasy feeling that your salvation is not secure and your future may be in doubt. It’s this “Once saved, barely saved” mentality that makes inner peace, the shalom that is the will of God for his children, impossible.

Living in fear means giving up control. Our fears begin to direct our thoughts and actions. We adjust our routine to accomodate our fears and our fears become our masters. Our fears dictate what we do or say. Or don’t do or say. If we’re not careful, fear barges into our lives and just makes itself at home. Fear will clean out your pantry and track mud all over your carpets and, eventually, take over shaping you and controlling you into an image very different from that of our Lord.

Fear keeps us from doing what we’re called to do as children of God and followers of his Christ.

Talk to my neighbor about Jesus? Oh, no, I’d be afraid.
Confront my sister in Christ about her sin? I’m afraid I just can’t.
Stand up for Jesus in front of others? I’m too afraid.
Fear of hurting feelings may keep us from disciplining our children.
Fear of straining relationships may keep us from sharing our faith.
Fear of being vulnerable may keep us from confessing sin or admitting our own wrongs.

Fear is powerful. And fear gets its power when it causes us to look away from the strength of our God and focus our eyes and attention instead on the opposition around us and our own weakness.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.”

Jesus calms the storm and asks his apostles, “Why are you afraid?”
Jairus’ daughter is dead and Jesus tells him, “Don’t be afraid.”
Jesus tells his apostles around the table that last night — he tells us, his followers, today — “Don’t be afraid.”

Fear loses its power when we focus our eyes and attention on our God and his eternal nature to love and heal and forgive and provide and protect and rescue and save. Then, there’s no place for anxiety or fear. There’s no room.

Whatever you’re afraid of completely evaporates when our eyes are on our loving Lord. His presence dismisses the dread. His touch terminates the terror. His power prevails over fright and doubt. His perfect loves drives out fear.

“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” ~Hebrews 13:6

Peace,

Allan

The Gospels make it clear that our Savior was conceived by God’s Holy Spirit. When Jesus put on flesh and dwelt among us, he did so by the power of the Spirit. It’s beyond my feeble mind to understand how that works. I have no clue. I wouldn’t know how to even begin explaining it to somebody. However amazing and miraculous it is, I do know that this life conceived by the Spirit was not exempt from what happens to all of us living on this planet.

Jesus’ life didn’t skip any of the bad stuff. None of it. He was “tempted in every way, just as we are.” He felt pain. He grieved with friends and family. He bore the burdens of illness and death. He suffered physically and emotionally. He fought off temptation. He felt despair. Our Lord endured all the things we endure.

Life doesn’t give us any free passes. And Jesus didn’t get any either. But he endures — indeed he triumphs! — over sin and death and Satan by God’s provision and by the power of the Spirit who conceived him.

We, too, are conceived by the Spirit. We are a new creation, living in a Resurrection community, born by and empowered by and indwelled by God’s Holy Spirit. And not at all exempt from life’s cares and woes. Lost jobs. Illness. Family issues. Pain. Suffering. Emotional stress. Death. We see it all.

The grace comes in knowing that, as with our Savior, there is nothing in us that is inaccessible to or incapable of holiness. By God’s grace, Christ’s blood, and the Spirit’s presence, we too will endure. No, we will triumph!

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Congratulations, Cassie!

We love you. May our God bless you richly and accomplish in you and through you more than you could ever possibly ask or imagine. And may you walk with him always, faithful to the end.

Peace,

Uncle Allan

In 1912, Oswald Chambers wrote, “Prayer does not equip us for greater works — prayer is the greater work.”

Why do we pray? As a Christian community, as a church family, why do we pray?

We pray because our God invites us to pray. He desires that we speak with him, that we bring him our praise and thanksgiving, our confession of sin and our hurts, our petitions for others and ourselves — everything that concerns us. And the more we pray, the closer we become to God. In prayer, in real prayer, we begin to talk like God and think like God. We desire the things he desires, we love the things he loves, we want the things he wants. We begin to see things from his point of view when we earnestly pray.

And it’s critical that the church prays. It’s paramount to our faith that we pray together. Praying together binds us together. Praying for one another connects us. Praying promotes spiritual unity and brotherly love.

Charles Finney wrote in 1835, “Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer.”

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” ~Hebrews 4:16

Peace,

Allan

The 40 verses in Hebrews 11 tell us everything we need to know about great faith. All these great names, great stories, great exploits, great victories, great examples show us clearly that faith is defined by bold action related to unseen future events motivated by the promise of God.

In each one of these familiar stories the hero was facing overwhelming odds. They were each huge underdogs. From a human standpoint they had little or no chance to come out on top. But here’s what they did by faith: they each took their eyes off the obvious, they turned their eyes away from the physical things they could see and acted according to the invisible realities they couldn’t see.

Noah refused to focus on the clear skies and sunshine. He totally ignored the five-day forecast. Instead, he took God at his word and focused on the promise. Abraham refused to look at the 100 candles on his last birthday cake and, by faith, looked instead at God’s word. Moses didn’t zero in on the glitter and glamour of the Egyptian palace or the safety he could find in worldly security. He acted outrageously, motivated only by God’s promises to love him and reward him in the future.

God’s people weren’t paralyzed by the giant army coming up behind them. They looked past the archers and warriors perched on the Jericho walls. Daniel walked into a den of lions. The Hebrew exiles walked into a fiery furnace. Not based on what made sense right then. Not based on what seemed smart at that moment. Not based on anything they could see today. They were motivated solely by the greatest reality of all, the reality that we serve a faithful God, a God who makes promises and keeps them, a God who speaks and acts, a God who promises and fulfills, a God who is forever faithful to his word and forever faithful to his people. For the most part, that reality, the greatest reality, is invisible. But people of faith, God’s people of faith, we understand that just because we can’t see something doesn’t make it any less real. We fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

But those seen things—that seen reality—can be so powerful.

There are dozens of people here at Legacy who’ve lost their jobs in the past couple of months or are afraid of losing their jobs in the next couple of days. They see the unemployment numbers. They see the savings account dwindle. They see the empty offices and cubicles in their building.

There are people in our church family battling life-threatening diseases with everything they’ve got. They see the doctors’ reports. They see the test results. They see nothing but bad news around the corner. Every day is a little more painful than the day before. And less certain.

A lot of you are in a spiritual desert right now. The Bible’s not speaking to you. Your prayers aren’t getting through. Your church is no good. Nothing’s working. And you can’t shake it. You feel directionless. Lost. Maybe you’re caught up in sin. Whatever the case, you feel a long, long way from God.

You’re outnumbered, outmuscled, outsmarted, out of options, out of luck. You’re staring into the teeth of the lions. You’re tiny compared to the huge walls that are blocking you out. You’re walking into a furnace of fire. All these things.

Don’t you see? This is exactly the time for your faith to show itself in some bold action verbs!

By faith Abel offered…

By faith Noah built…

By faith Abraham went…

By faith Isaac blessed…

By faith Joseph spoke…

By faith Moses left…

By faith God’s people marched…

By faith David conquered…

By faith  (your name)  (your verb)…

We combined the great exhortation in Hebrews 10 to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” with the “great cloud of witnesses” imagery in Hebrews 12 in a warm display of affection and encouragement at the beginning of last night’s assembly. What a night it turned out to be!

We asked everyone in our church family who was baptized 50 years ago or longer to wait out in the foyer. We wouldn’t let them come into the worship center. While the rest of us gathered inside, our older brothers and sisters were outfitted with makeshift “runners tags,” big numbers to wear on their chests declaring how many years they’ve each been running the race. Meanwhile, I prepped those of us waiting on the inside for what would come next.

We had just preached through Hebrews 11, the Faith Hall of Fame, earlier that morning. My observation is that we are surrounded by our own cloud of witnesses right here at Legacy. There are faithful disciples right here in our church family who have endured, persevered, fought the good fight, and run the race marked out for us. We have wonderful examples of faith and courage and sacrifice and service right here in the building. And as they run the race before us, as they show us the way, as they wrap up their races by finishing strong and handing the baton to those of us who are coming behind, let’s really cheer them on. They deserve our encouragement. They deserve our affection. They deserve our love and respect. And they deserve to know how much we appreciate them.

At that point, Norman Williams opened up the back doors and here they came! Right down the long, long center aisle. 60 year Christians. 70 year disciples. A couple of 80+ year followers of Christ. And we let them have it! A standing ovation. Clapping. Cheering. Whistling. Stomping. High fives. Hugs. Pats on the back. Salutes. Yelling. Hollering. Smiling. Laughing. Nearly 70 of our dearest, sweetest brothers and sisters entering our place of worship to such a roaring welcome. 300 more of us cheering them on.

It took a little longer than I thought it might. But if it had lasted three hours, I’m convinced we would have kept clapping and whistling. And everybody in the room would have kept smiling.

As a Christian community, we’re called to lives of mutual encouragement. Christians have a high calling to care for one another spiritually and morally. Our attention should be riveted to always looking out for ways to encourage others within the community of faith.

I’m always strengthened when I consider those who’ve been faithfully running this marathon twice as long as me. And so much better. With more grace. And courage.

I pray we were able to return some of that strength and encouragement last night.

Peace,

Allan

Hebrews 11 takes our breath away. The Faith Hall of Fame. Shhhhh. Show some respect. Here’s Noah. Look at Abraham. Moses is just around the corner. Look at these godly heroes. What amazing men and women. Shhhhh. We’re in the presence of greatness.

If the writer of Hebrews is giving us the tour, I think he probably corrects us right away. I think he turns on all the lights and raises his voice to let us know it’s OK to talk out loud in here. He touches the heroes and encourages us to do the same. He laughs at the shortcomings of these exemplars of the faith even as he admires their devotion to God.

And he points us to the verbs.

Yes, look at these men and women. But, much more than that, look at the actions they took because of their faith in God. Let’s study the verbs.

Abel offered. Noah built. Abraham went. Isaac blessed. Jacob worshiped. Joseph spoke. Moses left. God’s people marched. Rahab welcomed. The judges and prophets conquered, administered, gained, shut, quenched, escaped, and routed.

And in each case, these persons of faith acted despite being unable to perceive the fulfillment of God’s promises. All they can see is the difficulty of their present circumstances. Apparently, this is normal behavior for people of faith; great action, bold action, even when the divine promises lie on the other side of glory.

Faith in God isn’t really faith if you’re just sitting there. A life of faith is a life lived in the verbs.

Peace,

Allan

“He is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” ~Hebrews 7:21

Nearly 90 men of the Legacy Church of Christ met in our worship center this past weekend to pray over 1,500+ requests from our church family and the North Richland Hills community. Groups ranged in size from two or three to seven or eight. Continuously for 24 straight hours. Lots of overlap as most of the groups needed much longer than an hour to pray for the 50-60 requests they were assigned and for each other.

We opened up the floor during our prayer breakfast Saturday morning to process the previous 24 Hours of Prayer. And the discussion was inspiring.

Everyone expressed a genuine sense of humility and awe as they sat down in the presence of God with that many requests from our brothers and sisters. What a responsibility. Some felt a great sense of unworthiness. What great faith our church family has in prayer and in our God to take the time to write down their pleas. What great trust they have in us to take those requests to the Father. It was said many times that they learned more about their own brothers with whom they prayed for one hour than if they’d spent all weekend with them doing something else. There’s something about listening and participating as someone pours out their heart to God. There’s a true bonding that takes place that can’t really be described, it can only be experienced. I know my life will never be the same after having spent 90-minutes praying with Quincy and Manuel Friday afternoon. And neither will our friendships. I see them differently now. I know them differently. Lord, bless Quincy. Your Word dwells in him. He is really living in you. Please bless him. We were all amazed to realize that people we run into in the halls of our church building two or three times a week, for years, are dealing with some of the things they’re dealing with. Who knew? It never would have occured to me. I see them differently now. I treat them differently now. What great ministry opportunities something like this creates. God, please give me the sensitivity to recognize those people who are all around me and the power to jump in and hug them and love them and minister to them. It’s amazing to read the requests of the strongest and most faithful people I know. They’re asking for forgiveness. They’re asking for strength. They’re asking for answers. They’re asking for the power to be better. And I can’t imagine them being any better. God, I’ve got such a long, long way to go. Please help me be more like your Son. More like them. Al Grant prayed with four different groups from 1:00 am to 5:00 am Saturday. And he began each of those hours by confessing his own sins to our Lord. He ended each of those hours by making all the men hold hands in a circle, encouraging them to feel the same love he was feeling. Father, please help me be more like Al.

The prayers were raw. And they were all for other people.

We are Christ-like when we pray for other people. When we bear one another’s burdens to God’s throne, we are being like Jesus. When we lift up our brothers and sisters, when we carry their concerns, when we take their problems to God, we’re imitating Christ.

When I mentioned at the close of our breakfast that the next 24 Hours of Prayer was already set for September 18-19 next year, we nearly had a revolt on our hands. We can’t wait that long. We need to do this at least twice a year. At least. They’re right.

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October 8, 2008

This week’s poll has the same ten teams at the top, just in a little different order. OU & Mizzou remain #1 & #2. LSU drops from #3 to #5. So Alabama, Texas, and Texas Tech all move up a slot. South Florida drops from #12 to #19. Auburn falls seven spaces to #20. And the undefeated Commodores bolt from #19 all the way up to #13. Wisconsin is out. Virginia Tech is in. Charlie gives us another Mangino crack. Steve has this week’s only prediction on the outcome of this week’s Shootout at the Cotton Bowl. I’ll throw mine in right now: Texas 52, OU 10.

1. Oklahoma (10 1^st place votes, 294 total votes) – “Last week for OU to be number one this year: Texas 29, OU 27.” SF; “Baylor will have to leave the Big 12 ‘Sooner’ or later.” JR; “Would love to see Texas whoop up on some Boomer Sooner.” JennG; “Winners of the Big 12.” JS; “Their defense will help them prevail in the Red River Shootout.” JimG; “Can they play defense against a real team?” PD; “Gotta vote ‘em high while I can.” RA; “Next poll, #12.” MH;   

9.  BYU (197) – “As a diehard Euless Trinity supporter, I’m obligated to vote for a team with players named Vakapuna, Latu, and Mahuika.” JR; “BCS-crashing party starts in SaltLake.” CJ; “Could BYU be QBU again?” MH; “They will enjoy conference play.” BW.  

10.  Georgia (166) – “Black, white, red, pink; whatever jerseys Georgia wears, the Vols are in trouble.” SF; “Still walking around with their tails between their legs.” CJ; “Have I said the SEC is overrated?” MH;  

11.  Florida (146) – “It was just Arkansas.” BW; “Don’t have quite the teeth they had three weeks ago.” CJ;  

18.  Virginia Tech (38) – “Starting to get going.” BW; “Bouncing back nicely as they always do.” CJ;  

20.  Auburn (21) –   Also receiving votes: