The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

AllanStanglin.com

Category: John (Page 27 of 30)

Pray Big!

September 16, 2009 / / 2 Comments

When Christ gives us the gift — the privilege — of praying to our Father in his name, he tells us to ask for anything.

ANYTHING!!!

 He wants us to pray big. And in order to pray big, we’ve got to think big. We have to dream big. Most of us, though, think small. We pray small. You hear it when we pray together on Sunday mornings, in our homes on Sunday nights, in our Bible classes, and in our own family settings. Most of us pray little.

Help me to have a good day.
Keep us safe on this trip.
Help us to get a good night’s rest.
Forgive us our sins.
Help the elders make good decisions.
Bless our Give Away Day.

These prayers just sound so anemic, so puny, when compared to the language Jesus uses when he talks about asking God for help. Whatever you ask! Anything, he says. Everything in heaven and earth belongs to him. Ask for it. Anything!

Pray Big!“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we have asked for.” ~1 John 5:14-15

This willingness for God to be so over-the-top generous and gracious as to give us anything we ask challenges our logic and tests our faith. But Jesus says it three times around the table at the end of John. And the apostle repeats it several times in his letters. Whatever you ask. Anything you ask.

The truth is that God has much more to give than we’re normally willing to ask.

What is your wildest possible dream for your family? Pray for it!

What’s the most outrageous huge thing you could possibly imagine for your congregation? Ask God for it!

What’s the biggest mind-blowing, earth-altering thing you could ever hope for your neighborhood or your community or the whole world?

Are you asking for it?

Peace,

Allan

Pray Big!

September 16, 2009 / / 0 Comments

When Christ gives us the gift — the privilege — of praying to our Father in his name, he tells us to ask for anything.

ANYTHING!!!

 He wants us to pray big. And in order to pray big, we’ve got to think big. We have to dream big. Most of us, though, think small. We pray small. You hear it when we pray together on Sunday mornings, in our homes on Sunday nights, in our Bible classes, and in our own family settings. Most of us pray little.

Help me to have a good day.
Keep us safe on this trip.
Help us to get a good night’s rest.
Forgive us our sins.
Help the elders make good decisions.
Bless our Give Away Day.

These prayers just sound so anemic, so puny, when compared to the language Jesus uses when he talks about asking God for help. Whatever you ask! Anything, he says. Everything in heaven and earth belongs to him. Ask for it. Anything!

Pray Big!“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we have asked for.” ~1 John 5:14-15

This willingness for God to be so over-the-top generous and gracious as to give us anything we ask challenges our logic and tests our faith. But Jesus says it three times around the table at the end of John. And the apostle repeats it several times in his letters. Whatever you ask. Anything you ask.

The truth is that God has much more to give than we’re normally willing to ask.

What is your wildest possible dream for your family? Pray for it!

What’s the most outrageous huge thing you could possibly imagine for your congregation? Ask God for it!

What’s the biggest mind-blowing, earth-altering thing you could ever hope for your neighborhood or your community or the whole world?

Are you asking for it?

Peace,

Allan

Just Ask!

September 15, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Just Ask!Before we can expect our God to give us the things we need, we have to ask. It’s super obvious. But I think we sometimes need to be reminded. We need to ask.

Around the table during that last meal with his apostles, Jesus told them several times, just ask. “Whatever you ask.” “You may ask me for anything.” “Whatever you ask.” “Whatever you ask.” “Ask and you will receive.”

The question for Jesus and his disciples — the question for us — is never, “Does God have the power to meet my needs?” The question always is, “Do I have the dependence on him and the presence of mind to ask?”

But that sounds too simple. Just get on my knees and recite my needs? That’s it? There’s gotta be more to it than that. Don’t I need to be doing something else? Something more? And if we’re not careful we wind up sounding like Naaman at the Jordan River: “This is it? If this is it, I’m outta here. Never mind.”

That’s why a lot of the times prayer is our last resource. We want to exhaust all of our own resources first. We want to do everything we can first — something tangible and practical. And if that fails (WHEN that fails), then we pray. You walk into a hospital room and say, “Let’s pray” and the patient panics. “Oh, no, has it come to that?!?” No, prayer is the first thing we do, not the last thing we try when everything else has failed.

See, I think Satan loves that. As long as he can keep us from asking God, as long as he can keep us depending on ourselves and not God, he’s got us.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” ~1 Chronicles 29:11-12

The only uncertainty as it relates to prayer is in our willingness to ask. God knows what we need. And he can’t wait to give it. But we have to ask. It’s the asking that displays our dependence.

Peace,

Allan

Just Ask!

September 15, 2009 / / 1 Comment

Just Ask!Before we can expect our God to give us the things we need, we have to ask. It’s super obvious. But I think we sometimes need to be reminded. We need to ask.

Around the table during that last meal with his apostles, Jesus told them several times, just ask. “Whatever you ask.” “You may ask me for anything.” “Whatever you ask.” “Whatever you ask.” “Ask and you will receive.”

The question for Jesus and his disciples — the question for us — is never, “Does God have the power to meet my needs?” The question always is, “Do I have the dependence on him and the presence of mind to ask?”

But that sounds too simple. Just get on my knees and recite my needs? That’s it? There’s gotta be more to it than that. Don’t I need to be doing something else? Something more? And if we’re not careful we wind up sounding like Naaman at the Jordan River: “This is it? If this is it, I’m outta here. Never mind.”

That’s why a lot of the times prayer is our last resource. We want to exhaust all of our own resources first. We want to do everything we can first — something tangible and practical. And if that fails (WHEN that fails), then we pray. You walk into a hospital room and say, “Let’s pray” and the patient panics. “Oh, no, has it come to that?!?” No, prayer is the first thing we do, not the last thing we try when everything else has failed.

See, I think Satan loves that. As long as he can keep us from asking God, as long as he can keep us depending on ourselves and not God, he’s got us.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.” ~1 Chronicles 29:11-12

The only uncertainty as it relates to prayer is in our willingness to ask. God knows what we need. And he can’t wait to give it. But we have to ask. It’s the asking that displays our dependence.

Peace,

Allan

Knowing Christ, Knowing God

August 27, 2009 / / 0 Comments

“I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you.” ~John 15:15

Knowing Christ, Knowing GodWhen you meet a stranger, when you shake somebody’s hand for the very first time, you’ll probably tell them your name, what you do for a living, and how many kids you have. When you bump into a friend, you might tell them a little more about your job or your spouse or your children. But when you sit down for a talk with your very dearest and closest friend, you tell him everything. Everything. You don’t hold anything back. You talk to him about the burdens of being who you are at work. You share with her the intimate details of your marriage, the wonderful things and the awful things. You open up to him your deepest feelings and your wildest dreams for your children. No reservations. No holds barred.

Everything.

Jesus totally opens himself up to us. He completely pulls back the curtain on his thoughts and motives so we can fully know him. Through Jesus, we’re able to fully know God. And that’s huge. That deserves serious and careful consideration.

Trust and love and loyalty — true friendship — is what leads to really knowing one another. In a marriage. In any kind of relationship. In EVERY kind of relationship. In the same way, knowing one another is what leads to trust and love and loyalty and true friendship. And when people really share that, there’s nothing they can’t survive together. There’s no situation, no circumstance, no event that can destroy that relationship.

I think that’s why Jesus prays, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

Doesn’t this sum up everything? All our problems and all of God’s solutions in this one sentence: Knowing God and knowing God through his Son.

When Jesus calls us his friends, he’s telling us, “I want you to know me. I’ve held nothing back from you. I’ve given you everything I have. There’s no door I won’t open for you. There’s nothing I won’t do for you. I’m wide open to you. You don’t have to worry about any surprises with me or any sudden changes with me. I’ll never pull the rug out from under you. You know me too well for that. You are my friends.”

Jesus loves you. He defends you. He protects you and gives to you. Jesus saves you and gives you access to the eternal riches of our Father in heaven. He died for you.

It’s good to have a friend like Jesus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JasonGarrettThe Red Ribbon Review is my attempt to pass away the days until football season. We’re looking at the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number. And today’s #17 is backup quarterback Jason Garrett.

Garrett was an undrafted free agent out of Princeton, bouncing around from the Saints to the World League and the CFL, before landing in Dallas where his dad, Jim, was a scout for the Cowboys. And for seven years, Garrett was one of the most popular Cowboys in town.

Garrett played in 25 games as Troy Aikman’s backup from 1993-1999. He started nine of those games, going 6-3 and keeping the team together during Super Bowl and playoff runs. And while his numbers aren’t gaudy (come on, he was a backup!) he had quite the penchant for the big play.

An 80-yard touchdown pass to Billy Davis in a big win over the Giants in ’98. A 43-yard scoring strike to Ernie Mills in a victory at Washington that same season. A 37-yard TD to Rocket Ismail in a home win over the Packers in ’99.

The second-best #17 in Cowboys historyOf course, his biggest win came on Thanksgiving Day against Green Bay in 1994. The Cowboys were down 17-3 early in the second quarter, 17-6 at the half. But Garrett, who started that day in place of an injured Aikman, rallied Dallas to 36 second-half points for a huge 42-31 win. Garrett racked up 311 yards passing that day, including two second-half touchdown bombs to Alvin Harper (45 yards) and Michael Irvin (35 yards). He also won the eight-legged turkey or the metal turkey or whatever the network was giving away that day.

Now Garrett serves as the Cowboys offensive coordinator / assistant head coach, pulling down almost three-million-dollars a season. His career track reminds me of Danny Reeves’. I don’t think Garrett will be a head coach in Dallas. But he’ll always be the second-best #17 in Cowboys history.

Peace,

Allan

In Christ Jesus

August 20, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Salvation In Christ“You are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.” ~1 Corinthians 1:30

All the doctrine of the Bible is made personal is Jesus. God’s wisdom is Jesus. Our righteousness is Jesus. Our holiness is Jesus. Our redemption is Jesus. Our resurrection is made personal and real in Jesus. Everything we need, and indeed have, for salvation and a right relationship with God is in Jesus.

When you’re down two scores in the fourth quarter you need a Pro Bowl quarterback, not a good playbook. When you’re being sued you need a good lawyer, not a comprehensive law encyclopedia. When you’re sick you need a good doctor, not a user-friendly medical website. And when you’re facing your greatest enemies — sin, death, Satan — you need the Savior of the World!

God’s wisdom and righteousness and holiness and redemption are gifts to you from him. They are benefits, yes. But they’re more than that. They are actually aspects of a relationship with Jesus. It is him in you. For all of us who were baptized into Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ.

When you belong to Christ Jesus you have all you’ll ever need in life and death, in time and space, and for eternity.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Unity

A look back at Thomas Campbell’s Declaration and Address which he began writing in August 1809, 200 years ago this week inspires the reader to carefully and prayerfully consider our Lord’s call to Christian unity. Scripture’s picture of unity. Our God’s will for unity.

The opening lines — one sentence with tons of commas — goes like this:

“That it is the grand design, and native tendency, of our holy religion, to reconcile and unite men to God, and to each other, in truth and love, to the glory of God, and their own present and eternal good, will not, we presume, be denied, by any of the genuine subjects of christianity.”

The whole thing is a call to unity. Reconciliation. The kind of reconciliation Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 5. Reconciliation between God and man. Between man and man. The kind of reconciliation that drives God’s eternal plans. The very ministry he’s given those of us who’ve professed our faith in him and put his Holy Son on in baptism. Campbell’s words in this document are bold. Aggressive. And they ring with beautiful and undeniable truth. The Declaration and Address, the charter document of our Churches of Christ, calls for a swift end to all divisions among those who claim to be followers of Jesus.

“Has the Captain of Salvation sounded a desist from pursuing, or proclaimed a truce with, this deadly enemy that is sheathing its sword in the very bowels of the church, rending and mangling his mystical body into pieces. Has he said to his servants, let it alone? If not, where is the warrant for a cessation of endeavors to have it removed?”

Campbell claims that tearing down the walls and uniting again with our brothers and sisters in Christ is a “matter of universal right, a duty belonging to every citizen of Zion, to seek her good.” And while the work will be difficult and the opposition will come mainly from within the church establishment, Campbell says it is God’s will. It is the Church’s will. It is the will of those who’ve gone before us. And our efforts will be divinely rewarded.

“…both the mighty and the many are with us. The Lord himself, and all that are truly his people, are declaredly on our side. The prayers of all the churches, nay, the prayers of Christ himself, John 17:20-23, and of all that have ascended to his heavenly kingdom, are with us.”

I thank God for the Campbells and the Stones and other giants of the faith who latched onto God’s holy will as revealed to us in Scripture and. would. not. let. it. go. They lived to obey God rather than man. They swore to use only the Bible as their guide. And they vowed that, despite the opposition, they would remain loyal to their King and his Kingdom. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. We owe them the effort to carry on the difficult work they started 200 years ago.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red Ribbon Review24 days until the Dallas Cowboys kick off their historic 50th NFL football season. 24 days from now they’ll be battling the Bucs down in Tampa. And we’re counting down the days with the Red Ribbon Review, a look at the second-best players in Cowboys history, according to jersey number. (This countdown becomes much more important with every Rangers loss. If they lose tonight, I’m blaming it on Lewin’s “1999-ish” comments on Tuesday.)

Larry Brown #24The second-best ever #24 in Cowboys history is a Super Bowl MVP, cornerback Larry Brown. The Cowboys stole him with a 12th round pick in 1991 and got a starting right corner for five straight seasons, three of them Super Bowl championship seasons. Brown is best known for picking off two Neil O’Donnell passes in the second half of Super Bowl XXX which led directly to the points the Cowboys needed to win their third title in four years. Yes, the balls hit Brown right in the chest. Yes, it looked like one of them would have to be surgically removed after the game, O’Donnell threw them right at him so hard. But a lot of people forget what a great ’95 season Brown had leading up to that game.

The former TCU star collected six picks that season, racked up 124 return yards, and ran two of them back for TDs. All of this just a few months following the tragic death of his young son. It was a great story that year. But most people have already forgotten.

Brown used his three rings and his MVP trophy to cash a huge paycheck in Oakland with the Raiders. That only lasted two years. He came back to Dallas in ’98 and played just parts of four games for the Cowboys before hanging it up for good. He finished his Cowboys career with 13 total picks and 279 total tackles. He played in 13 playoff games, four NFC Championship Games, and three Super Bowls as a Cowboy. And he’s the second-best #24 in Cowboys history.

Peace,

Allan

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑