Category: Faith (Page 22 of 24)

How Long?

July 3, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

When faced with the prospect of preaching to people who refuse to respond in a nation that refuses to change, Isaiah asks the Lord, “How long?” (Isaiah 6:11). Daniel asks the same question toward the end of the 70-years of exile, “Lord, how long?” (Daniel 8:13). The souls under the altar in John’s end time vision repeat the same question, “How long, Sovereign Lord?” (Revelation 6:10)

Surrounded by the problems of this world, confronted daily by the mystery of evil, a powerless spectator as sin and Satan and death and violence and disease seemingly have their way, we’re left to ask the same question.

“How long?”

I don’t know. Nobody knows.

However, you can be certain of this: the darkness of whatever present circumstance you’re enduring cannot adequately hide the glimmer of hope in the promises of our all-powerful and all-loving God.

Our Father is compassionate and gracious. slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion, and sin. He will turn our mourning into dancing. He will remove our sackcloth and clothe us with joy. He will shine light into darkness. And he will bring life out of death.

Trust him. Seriously. It’s what he does.

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There are 72 hot summer days left until the Cowboys kick off their 2009 season. And in our countdown of the second-best players in Cowboys history by jersey number, today we honor offensive lineman Tony Liscio.

Liscio came out of Tulsa in 1963 and played eight full seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, mainly as a backup offensive tackle behind Ralph Neely and Forrest Gregg. In fact, 1966 was the only season Liscio started all 14 games. The Cowboys lost the NFL title in the Ice Bowl in Green Bay the following season and came up three-points shy in Super Bowl V in 1970. It was during the off-season between ’70 and ’71 that the Cowboys traded Liscio to San Diego for Lance Alworth, the move that brought “Bambi” to Dallas for his final two years.

But Liscio never played a down for the Chargers. He strained both hamstrings in stretching drills at the San Diego training camp and they shipped him to Miami. But his back was killing him, he was limping and in constant pain, so he just retired.

Until halfway through the ’71 season.

In the middle of November, the Cowboys were desperate for help at left tackle. Ralph Neely had broken his leg in a motorcycle accident. Don Talbert had broken his foot. And Forrest Gregg was too old to carry the load. So Tom Landry called Liscio on Monday November 15. He was at the Cowboys practice on Wednesday. His right leg was heavily taped from his ankle to his hip. Both shoulders were aching. His right knee hurt. But he was the starter against the Redskins that Sunday, a 13-0 win over Washington that gave Dallas the division championship.

(By the way, Liscio was wearing #64 during this “comeback” because Talbert had been given #72 after the trade.)

Liscio didn’t allow a single sack during his eight starts in the last half of that season and post-season of 1971. In fact, the Cowboys never lost another game that year, running the table to go on to capture their first NFL championship, routing the Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. Lance Alworth actually scored the first points in that Super Bowl, a quick toss to the left side. Liscio’s side. Cool.

Happy Fourth,

Allan

The Holy Stump

July 2, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

“If even a tenth — a remnant — survive,
it will be invaded again and burned.
But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down,
so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
~Isaiah 6:13

God calls Isaiah to preach to people who will hear but never understand, to a nation that will see but never perceive. Their hearts will be calloused, their ears will be dull, their eyes will be closed. And this ministry of failure is to continue until all of Israel is wiped clean. Isaiah is called to a faithful proclamation of God’s Word — non-negotiable repentance and commitment to the Lord and his ways — until the enemies haul everything away and there’s nothing left but stumps.

A desolate land of stumps.

Barren. Lonely. Empty. Devastated. Hopeless. Forgotten. Desolate. Ravaged. Destroyed.

How do you feel when the doctor diagnoses cancer and gives you or your loved one just a short time to live? What does it do to you to learn that you’re now unemployed? When your spouse says, “I want a divorce”? When your children leave our Lord and his Church? When physical pain dominates your existence? When loneliness pushes in on you? When your faithfulness to the Lord seems to only result in bad news? How do you feel when your own life — to you and to everyone who sees you — resembles a stump in a vast field of stumps?

Barren. Hopeless. Forgotten.

Please remember the stump is holy. Keep in mind that there’s seed in the stump. Holy seed. Our loving and powerful God is working right now to produce something beautiful from the ugly stump. His plan is to bring salvation from the stump.

The same God who brings order out of chaos in the opening lines of Scripture, who raises a mighty nation from a 90-year-old barren womb, who lifts the ruler of Egypt from the bottom of a well, and delivers his people to the Promised Land through a desert is the God who brought the Savior of the World from the stump of Israel. The holy shoot from the holy stump of Jesse!

Stay strong. Be faithful. You may not see it. But the stump is holy.

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73 days now until the Dallas Cowboys kick off their 2009 season. And we’re counting down the days with what we’re calling the Red Ribbon Review, a look at the also-rans when it comes to the best ever Cowboys. The second-best Cowboys player to ever wear jersey number 73 is big, huge, massive, large, offensive lineman Larry Allen.

Allen played 12 seasons in Dallas during the Jimmy Johnson-induced “big is beautiful” era of offensive linemen. According to his bio, Allen stands 6’3″ and weighs 325. It was more like 345. Or 375. It appeared to fluctuate wildly. But he wasn’t just big. He was super strong. Allen bench-pressed an even 700 pounds during the 2001 training camp in Wichita Falls, an NFL record that still stands. At the time the team was boasting that Allen had only 11% body fat, translating to 300 pounds of pure muscle and bone.

An eleven-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, Allen started in 170 games for the Cowboys between 1994 and 2005, a dominant force on some pretty bad teams during the Gailey and Campo stints. Allen certainly benefitted from Emmitt Smith’s skills and stats. He also got a lot of mileage out of John Madden’s hyperbolic descriptions of Allen’s size, his blocking, and his value to the team. Still, when the Cowboys cut him going into the 2006 season, he was the last remaining player to have participated in a Cowboys post-season win.

Peace,

Allan

What Does God Want To Do?

April 30, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

I know what you want to do at your church. Your shepherds know what they want to do. Your preacher also has some great ideas. The leaders at your church attend seminars and retreats, they plan and they pray, they know what their vision is.

Probably.

But what does God want to do with your church? What do you think God sees at your church for the next 20, 30, or even 50 years? What’s his vision? When God “calls things that are not as though they are,” what is he seeing for your congregation?

Well…what would be really huge? What would seem nearly impossible?

How about a Body of Believers that really reflects the message of the Gospel? A church that brings together and unites all colors, all social classes, all economic groups, all ethnic peoples in one congregation? Impossible?

How about a church that has a 24-hour presence of people praying and ministering at your local hospital? How about a church that operates a 24-hour soup kitchen or homeless shelter? How about a church that establishes congregations at apartment complexes? More than we can ask or imagine?

How about a church that holds annual revivals and baptizes hundreds? How about a church that offers free oil changes in the parking lot every month? How about a church that buys TV time or sponsors a community-wide dodgeball tournament to raise money for an at-risk school or sends Christian missionaries to every nation on the planet?

Is that too big? It it too much? Is it outside the box?

Good! Because those are exactly the kinds of areas where our God really likes to operate!

We can’t out-think our God. We can’t over-shoot him. We can’t out-imagine, out-dream, or out-vision our mighty and sovereign Lord.

Just try.

Peace,

Allan

Great Power For Us Who Believe

April 20, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

“…far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.” ~Ephesians 1:21

Because Jesus is Lord, because he is King, because he is above all for ever more, we do not lose hope over any temporary, earthly setbacks. Those things, we understand, only contribute more to that ultimate victory for our Savior and the Kingdom.

Any failings, any struggles, any dark valleys, all of our temporary trials just make the victory of our Lord and Savior that much more magnificent. It makes it that much more huge. It gives us that much more confidence and joy!

Our attitude is, “You can’t do anything to me. The world can’t do anything to me. The world can’t do anything to us because we belong to the resurrected and exalted King!”

Jesus is Lord.

He is Lord over all the nations. He is Lord over all our schools. He is Lord over all the churches. He is Lord over every economic system. He is Lord over every form of government. He is Lord over your street and your family and your career. He is Lord! He is Lord over your greatest thrills and your darkest fears. He is Lord over all! There is nothing that is above him. There is nothing not under his authority and control. No situation, no circumstance, no power, no bully, no disease, no layoff, no relationship, no nothing. You name it! Name anything! There’s nothing over our Christ. There’s nothing too big or too strong for him to control. There’s nothing too small or insignificant for him to be concerned about. The Scriptures say all rule, all authority, all power, all dominion! And every title that can possibly be given, now, today, in this present age, and in the age to come for ever and ever. Amen!

And that’s great news! It’s wonderful news! It’s earth-shattering, history-changing, mind-blowing good news for us who believe. Because our Holy Scriptures make it very clear that his incomparably great power is for us. It belongs to us and to all who believe. Resurrection power. Exaltation power. Holy Spirit power.

That power is in you.

It’s in you giving you the courage to defend someone being picked on or insulted or attacked. It’s in you giving you the strength to endure one more chemotherapy treatment, one more day without a job, or a spouse. It’s in you — this great Resurrection power — giving you the boldness to say you’re not going to that party this weekend because you know what’s probably going to happen. It’s in you, empowering you to teach, to give aid, to encourage, to make peace, to sacrifice and serve and love. It enables you to live like our King, to live with our King, to live in our King; to live the fullness of this new life.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” ~Ephesians 1:18-19a

Peace,

Allan

Sufficient Grace

March 2, 2009 / Allan / 4 Comments

“My grace is sufficient for you.” ~2 Corinthians 12:9

What kept the apostle Paul going? Seriously.

The Holy Spirit would tell him to go preach in this town or in that city and they’d beat him half dead. They’d stone him and throw him in prison. God would tell Paul to get in a boat and it would wreck. The Lord would send Paul on a mission to establish a church and a year later that church and its leaders would turn on him. It was constant with Paul. One thing after another. Paul never had any relief.

And I know he must have thought about quitting.

As the flesh on his back was shredded by lash #37.

As his energy and strength waned on day 12 without any food or water, hanging on to a wrecked-out ship in the middle of the Adriatic Sea.

As his heart was ripped out by the biting criticisms and harsh condemnations coming from his own brothers and sisters he had just recently baptized.

As his body wasted away in a dark and damp dungeon under the downtown streets of Rome.

What kept him going?

Paul was not able to endure, he was not able to fight the good fight and finish the race, because he somehow was able to muster up the strength and the courage and the energy to run one more lap. Paul hit the wall and ran through it over and over again. But he never claims one time to have done it by his own power. Paul’s ability to persevere is a divinely granted gift from from God. The power to endure, the power to persevere, the power to run through the wall, “this all surpassing power is from God, not from us.”

My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is enough for you. My power is plenty for you.

It’s easy to believe in grace for the past and the future. Past grace is what saved me from my sins. Past grace is what redeemed me and brought me into God’s Kingdom. Future grace is what’s going to get me to heaven. Future grace will lead me home. Or at least, this is how we view it most of the time.

True faith is resting in God’s grace to provide us with the strength we need to endure every immediate need; God’s grace to provide us with the power to persevere through all our present circumstances. That’s faith. Right now, at this very moment, and in every moment you’re going to have between now and the end of your race, God’s grace is sufficient for you.

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Never ask a man where he’s from. If he’s from Texas, he’ll tell you. If he’s not, there’s no sense in embarrassing him.

173 years ago today, 48 delegates from the 48 territories of Texas gathered for a convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos to sign a Declaration of Independence. Santa Anna’s Mexican army had more than 180 Texans trapped in the Alamo. But with the signing of this document, Texas was on its way to becoming “a free, Sovereign, and independent Republic, fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations.”

Happy Texas Independence Day! God bless the Republic!

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Happy Birthday, also, to my little brother, Keith. In your honor, bro, I’m listening to an Enrico Palazzo album and eating a bowl of split-plea soup.

Peace,

Allan

Faith Underdogs

February 10, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

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)…

Category: Faith (Page 22 of 24)

How Long?

The Holy Stump

What Does God Want To Do?

Great Power For Us Who Believe

Sufficient Grace

Faith Underdogs

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