Page 492 of 493

The Power of Prayer

June 19, 2007 / Allan / 1 Comment

“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the powers of the world.” ~Karl Barth

In Exodus 17, Joshua is fighting the Amalekites at Rephidim. Moses has taken Aaron and Hur to the top of a nearby hill where Moses lifts his hands to God in prayer on behalf of Israel’s warriors. As long as his hands are up, God gives his children the victory. When his hands fall, the enemy prevails. It doesn’t take long for Aaron and Hur to recognize this. So they position themselves on either side of their aging leader and hold his arms up for him until Joshua and his army have defeated the foe.

Two pictures of the power of prayer are obvious here.

One, while the battles and skirmishes and fights are taking place in the valley, the real war is being waged on the hill. That’s where the ultimate outcome of the conflict is decided. God is the one controlling the entire situation. And his response is directly, unambiguously, related to the attitude and the practice of continual prayer.

Two, prayer is a team effort. It’s never just one person praying on behalf of the whole congregation of God’s children. It’s all of God’s people working together to lift up the arms of those who are weary, to pray with those who are burdened with the fight, to support those who love us and intercede for us with our own prayers.

After the battle with the Amalekites, Moses calls the place “The Lord is my Banner” because “hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.” May our lives reflect a constant attitude of prayer to our Father on behalf of those in the fight.

72 days until football season. And my greatest all-time #72 is NOT the flash-in-the-pan Fridge. To me, William Perry stands for everything that has corrupted professional football. Mike Ditka’s single worst coaching decision was to allow Perry the TD plunge in Walter Payton’s only Super Bowl. Perry became literally and figuratively bigger than his team and larger than life.

It’s also not long-time Cardinal Dan Dierdorf whose TV analysis and commentary aren’t quite bad enough to detract from his outstanding Hall of Fame playing career.

My #72 will always be Ed “Too Tall” Jones.

The first time Jones ever played organized football was in college at Tennessee State. He was a 6’9″ basketball player! But the Cowboys drafted him #1 overall in 1974 and he dominated the defensive end position in the NFC East for 15 seasons. He still today holds Cowboys records for most starts (203), most games played (224), and most fumble recoveries (19). Opposing quarterbacks couldn’t see over him and couldn’t run around him. He singlehandedly changed the other team’s gameplan. He racked up 106 career sacks despite playing ten years before the stat became official. He blocked seven field goals, collected 1,032 tackles, and in his one year out of football to try his hand at professional boxing he went 6-0 with 5 knockouts! One of my most prized possessions is an autographed practice jersey that Jones wore during the ’83 season. It’s been washed. Too Tall Jones had one of the best nicknames in sports. And he’s the all-time #72.

Peace,

Allan

More Cowbell!

June 18, 2007 / Allan / 2 Comments

“Prayer does not equip us for greater work, prayer IS the greater work.”

~E. M. Bounds

I miss a lot of things about Marble Falls. Roy Swann’s smile and encouragment. Yoko Ezell’s sweet spirit. Brian Jamar’s dry humor. Jim Dobbs’ vision and wisdom. Marti Futrell’s laugh. I could go on for pages about the things I miss. The thing I miss most, however, is the 30-minutes before Bible class every Sunday morning. Jim Gardner and I would pray together every Sunday morning in one of our offices. Jimmy joined us once he moved in. And the three of us together would pour out our thanksgiving to God and ask his blessings on the entire church. We would pray for each other’s wives and children and families. We would ask God to be present in our assembly. We would ask for courage and boldness and confidence as we preach / teach / lead singing that day. And it was always a powerful way to begin each Sunday. I always left those times of prayer feeling so uplifted and so certain of the Lord’s blessings and presence with us.

With two Sunday morning worship services at two different times, it hasn’t been as easy to get that same kind of thing going with the ministers here. Our two youth ministers, Jason and Lance, are only here for Bible class and the second service. Our involvement minister, Jim, needs to spend that 30-minutes before the first service meeting and greeting those who are coming in the doors. So I’ve been praying on Sunday mornings with that day’s worship leader. And I must say that praying with Gordon and Howard and Lance those days has been special.

And then Friday night at the Cotton Belt (that’s another story, hang on) Mark Richardson and Paul Brightwell approached me and asked if I would join them Sunday morning for prayer. They had a group of half a dozen men who had committed to praying for 30-minutes every Sunday morning and wanted me to be there with them. What a blessing! I’m never more encouraged than when I’m praying with a small group of godly men. I accepted their invitation with much enthusiasm and anticipation. And Sunday morning we sat together in the conference room and one-by-one poured our hearts out to our Savior. I’ve always said you can learn more about a person praying with them than in doing just about anything else. And it’s true. I’ve come to love and appreciate each of those six men after just one 30-minute prayer session, listening to them open up to God and express their feelings and dreams and concerns and desires. I’m so grateful for their friendship and for their invitation. I’m amazed at how our God keeps putting great men of faith into my life to encourage me and push me and walk with me.

There are several members of the Legacy church family who play in various bands. Ronnie Bates, the brother of my good friend from college, David Bates, has a band. Kent Garrison, the son of one of our elders, Russ Garrison, just signed a record deal with the Universal / Motown label and is touring the midwest and northeast, doing something like 60 shows in 75 nights. And Friday night we were blessed to take in the band “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” led by our own Vic Akers and Shanna Byrnes with Kevin Hart on drums and Sam Anderson on guitar and vocals. The Cotton Belt has a great family-friendly outdoor venue for concerts. And we had a blast with all of our new friends. At one point Vic got Carrie-Anne and Carley up on the stage to sing backup vocals on “Mustang Sally.” It was easy getting Carley up there. And if you know C-A, it was murder getting her up there. Being on a stage anywhere in front of any kind of crowd is not her cup of tea. But she finally gave in and belted out “Riiiiiiiiiiiide, Sally, Ride!” with the rest of them. And Carley played the cowbell. Not quite as enthusiastically as Will Ferrell in the “More Cowbell” sketch from SNL fame. But almost.

JohnHannah 73 days until football season. #73 in our countdown is longtime New England Patriots guard John Hannah. Coming out of Alabama where Bear Bryant called him the “greatest lineman I ever coached,” Hannah was a ten-time All Pro during a 13-year career with the Pats. He was their #1 draft pick in 1973 and retired immediately after the Patriots loss to the Bears in Super Bowl XX. He was the first ever Patriot to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And he was certainly one of the best, if not the best, run blocker to pull out on a sweep ever. If you’re younger than 30 years old, you don’t even know what a pulling guard leading on a sweep is. And that’s a shame.

Getting caught up from the weekend: #74 is Mr. Cowboy, Bob Lilly. The Dallas Cowboys’ first ever draft pick, out of TCU where he was a two-time All-America, Lilly made eleven straight Pro Bowls, played in five NFL or NFC title games, and two Super Bowls. He only missed one game in 14 years. It was Lilly who chased Bob Griese down for that long sack in Super Bowl VI. He was the first Cowboy inducted into the Ring of Honor and the first Cowboy in the Hall of Fame. Longtime Lion Doug English and old Houston Oiler Bruce Matthews get honorable mention. But Lilly is a no-brainer at #74.

Finally, #75 is Mean Joe Green. He was the Steelers #1 pick out of North Texas State in 1969 and became the cornerstone of the great Steel Curtain defense that dominated the decade of the ’70s. He was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, went to ten Pro Bowls, and won four Super Bowl trophies. Even with his Hall of Fame career, Green is probably best remembered for the Coke commercial he filmed in the tunnel at old Three Rivers Stadium. Remember? The kid offers Green his Coke and, after Green reluctantly accepts, he smiles and tosses the kid his jersey. “Here kid, catch!” They made a movie off that commercial.

Peace,

Allan

Concerning Fin, Dad, and The Toe

June 15, 2007 / Allan / 7 Comments

The picture says it all. OK, not all. I’ll say something more. I love Michael Finley. And I’m so happy today to know that he now owns an NBA Championship ring. More than Dirk and Nash, I’ve always liked Fin. I’ve always admired his humility and his attitude and his hustle. Nobody worked harder, nobody practiced longer, and nobody took it more personally when they lost than Finley. For as long as he was in Dallas, the Mavericks were his team. Maybe it’s because he was the best player during those years when the Mavs were the Tampa Bay DevilRays of the NBA. Maybe it’s his maturity and leadership skills. Maybe it’s that it was so obvious he was the only one for so long with any talent on that squad. He was just so intense. Dedicated. Passionate. He could score a double-double, but if the Mavs lost, he’d blame himself for not doing more. He could also go 2-20 with 10 turnovers and he’d still be one of the first ones in the lockerroom to answer questions and talk with us about his performance. I was calling for the Mavericks to cut him or trade him a year before they did. He was becoming more frequently injured, his injuries were taking longer to heal, and it was taking him longer and longer each time to find his shot. They needed to get younger and more athletic. And they did. And I’m glad. But I’ll always love Michael Finley. And I was so glad last night to see him get the ring. And he got it before Dirk and Nash.

I didn’t watch hardly any of the series. It’s been way too busy at church and at the house. But we all sat down and watched the 4th quarter of last night’s clincher. Whitney’s my sports buddy. She watches it all and eats it up. Valerie and Carley will only watch when they can sense it’s something important, when a “big trophy” is involved. At one point last night, when the Cavaliers’ crowd was chanting “Deee-fense! Deee-fense!” Carley asked me, “Are they saying Cheetos?” That’s what it’s like watching a game at our place.

Four titles in nine years. The Spurs are the oldest team in the NBA. How do they keep doing it? And why can’t the younger, more athletic, more talented Mavs do it? Concentration. Intensity. Passion. With 30-seconds to play and the game virtually over, there’s Manu Ginobili diving into the bench to save a ball off the baseline. Tim Duncan had done the same thing on the sideline a couple of possessions earlier when they had an eight-point lead. It was just the opposite of watching the Mavericks get outhustled and outefforted (I just made that word up) against Nellie’s Warriors. The Spurs are not my favorite team. I’m not a big Duncan or Popovich fan. But they play ball the right way.

Now let me introduce you to my dad.

Dad loves talking about the weather and gas prices. He’s the one who taught me the importance of having a rain gage in the backyard. He taught me how to throw a spiral, how to shoot a free throw, and how to hold a tennis racket. He taught me how to drive and how to change the oil in the car and the filter in the air conditioner. My dad taught me how to lead singing and how to pray. He showed me how to love my wife and how to care for my children by the selfless way he loved my mom and showered us kids with blessings. He faithfully studied the Bible with us every morning and night. I’m so thankful for my Father and for the legacy of his name and his faith that I diligently strive to uphold. I love you, Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

There are 76 days until football season. And #76 is Lou “The Toe” Groza, the best kicker to ever wear double-digits on his uni. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1946 – 1967—a 21 year career during the time pro football was in the formative stages. He played in nine NFL championship games and won three. He’s still the all-time leading scorer in Browns history. He’s a pro football Hall of Famer. And it’s the Lou Groza Award that every year goes to the best kicker in college football. The Toe was the NFL’s first great kicker. And he’s our #76.

Finally, our coyote is still at-large. I saw her at 7:15 this morning crossing Mid-Cities Blvd coming onto church property near our sign. She likes to hang out in the amphitheater area on the west side of the building. I don’t think she’s there to pray.

Peace,

Allan

Sunday Night Fever

June 14, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

The average attendance on our Sunday nights at Legacy for the 21 weeks from January to May was 349. And maybe (from what I’ve heard, remember, I’ve only been here for less than a month) nearly half of that number were not in the worship center with everyone else. They were up in the Attic, our youth facility, teenagers and adults, worshipping with the Youth Group.

We’re making a push this summer to reunite our church family on Sunday nights. A letter went out to all 556 family units last week, inviting everyone to come together on Sunday evenings for a time of worship and fellowship. And the response to what happened last Sunday night has been overwhelming! The place was packed with an official count of 440. There was hardly an empty seat. There was a “Sunday Morning” energy and excitement in the air that had us grinning from ear to ear. And it seems that everyone there was inspired by the beautiful singing, uplifted by the Scripture reading, and moved by the prayers. I’ve received emails, phone calls, and pats on the back all week. People who had not been to a Sunday night assembly in months were encouraged. Those who only come sporadically have vowed to never miss again.

I’d like to take credit for it. I’d like to say it was me. (This honeymoon period is really nice, by the way.)

But it’s our God.

Something special happens when ALL of God’s people come together to pay honor and glory to him. Something significant always happens when the ENTIRE family of faith gets together—young & old, men & women, babies & teenagers & parents & grandparents & great-grandparents—to praise our Father.

See, when we’re doing our own thing, we’re doing our own thing. And there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s certainly a time to get together with your own peer group and your own age group and your own economic group to worship and study and fellowship. And maybe Sunday night is a good time for that. I don’t know. But I think too much of that and too little of ALL OF US together can inadvertently foster feelings across the age groups of “if it doesn’t speak to me and it’s not planned with me in mind and if it’s not geared toward me and my group and serving my needs, I’ll go somewhere else. I’ll do something with my group that we’ll get something out of.”

Again, I think there is a time for that. But look at us now. We have two services on Sunday mornings, separate Bible classes on Wednesdays, and until last week, separate worship services on Sunday evenings. There was never a time when the ENTIRE church family was together in the same room doing the same thing together at the same time. Sunday night is our only opportunity to do that. And we were all moved by the experience.

A family is only a family when the members of that family give and sacrifice for each other. The more we’re together, the more family we become. I don’t think it’s a generational thing. Older people blame the younger people and younger people blame the older people for whatever they perceive is wrong with the church. But it’s always surprising to me that when everybody sits down at a table together and just talks, we all think alike on just about everything. We just don’t realize it because we don’t do as much together as we used to. The more we’re together, the more we’ll see and feel and experience just how alike we all are. Our differences become small and insignificant when I’m sitting right next to you and singing with you to our God. Whatever our differences in age, background, race, or economics, they disappear in our worship.

Our Life Groups will begin meeting again once school starts in September. And I’m convinced that those small groups are wonderful for forming meaningful relationships with brothers and sisters in Christ. I’m excited about the evangelism potential and the disciple-making possibilities of a reworked and rebooted Life Groups Ministry. Let’s do it.

But this summer, I hope to see you with us at the building on Sunday nights.

OK, I’ve spent so much time and space on this, I have little room to go on and on about #77 in our countdown to football season. The greatest player to ever wear the #77 is the Galloping Ghost, Harold “Red” Grange.

Grange the very first professional football “star,” drew enormous crowds for the Chicago Bears in the 1920s. One could argue that, without Grange, the NFL never would have gotten off the ground. He made it. He was what people paid to see. He single-handedly beat the Giants in the very first ever NFL Championship Game. A charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Red Grange is the best player to ever wear #77.

Peace,

Allan

"I AM"

June 13, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

We began Monday’s weekly staff meeting with a look at a couple of the more familiar call narratives in the Old Testament—Jeremiah’s appointment as a prophet to the nations in Jeremiah 1 and Moses’ call at the burning bush to lead God’s people out of Egypt in Exodus 3. I’m certain every single person in ministry, generally most of you reading this article, and definitely all of us around the table Monday, feel some sense of a call from God to be doing what we’re doing for him and his Kingdom. “Call” is a tricky concept. We all have different definitions and different feelings about the idea of being called or ordained or sent by God to perform a particular task for him. But we all at least feel some sense of it, I’m sure.

And we all, at some points, can feel overwhelmed or intimated by the tasks before us or inadequate or even incompetent to perform them. But listen to the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah. “Do not be afraid for I am with you and will rescue you.” Every single time Moses gave God an excuse at the bush—five or six depending on how you count—the excuse centered on Moses’ shortcomings. And each time God answered with something along the lines of, “It’s about me, dummy, not you!”

Moses asks, “Who am I?” And God says, “It’s me, not you.”

“I will be with you,” God says in Exodus 3:11. “I AM WHO I AM,” he says in verse 14. And then the kicker in Exodus 4:11, “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

I think it’s Wiersbe who said God’s “I am” is more than my “I am not.” Great words of encouragement and comfort and a source of confidence and courage to anyone who feels the call of the Lord.

Messy Games Day yesterday with the Legacy Youth Group. Egg volleyball, water slide, mustard, ketchup, oatmeal, flour—a truly disgusting display of what a little imagination and a lot of condiments can do to a teenager. Whitney looked and smelled like a salad bar gone bad. I’m really impressed by what Jason & Lance come up with to stay involved in these kids’ lives and their dedication to being with our teens. It’s non-stop around here. With no breaks. They’re gearing up to host the area-wide Summer Youth Series here at our building tomorrow. Praise God for the energy and enthusiasm of our young people for the Kingdom!

Finally, there are only 78 more days left until football season. And #78 in the countdown is longtime Oakland Raiders offensive lineman Art Shell.

Shell and Gene Upshaw anchored the left side of Al Davis’ Rai-duhs OL for 14 seasons from 1968-82. Shell was named to eight Pro Bowls, he played in nine AFL/AFC Championship Games, and won two Super Bowls. His single greatest accomplishment may have been holding the great Alan Page and Jim Marshall to zero tackles and zero assists in the Super Bowl XI win over the Vikings. Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and Colts & Cowboys great Big John Dutton receive honorable mention. But the best player to ever wear #78 is Art Shell.

Not Leon Lett.

Peace,

Allan

The Lamb of God

June 12, 2007 / Allan / 0 Comments

What a great night together Sunday evening with God’s children at Legacy! I’ve received several emails and phone calls from a lot of you, telling me how much you appreciated the time of focused worship to our God and reflection on his Word and his will. A young mother of two small boys wrote me yesterday (I’m trying to talk her into letting me use her letter publicly) to say how much she enjoyed worshipping together, everybody at the same time. Her comment, specifically, was that we always see the kids and we always see the parents, but we rarely see them together. Singing the contemporary songs, she says, takes her back to her time at Harding. And singing the classics takes her back to her time growing up in the church. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragment.

The singing was really good, wasn’t it?

We spent our time Sunday night exploring in Scripture and song and prayer the concept of the Lamb of God. You know, the term actually ties the entire Bible—all the people, places, history, promises, stories—into one beautiful picture. Young Isaac asks his father Abraham in Genesis 22, “Where is the lamb?” The prophets all proclaim, “The Lamb is coming.” The Gospels declare, “The Lamb is here!” And then Revelation just explodes with the eternal praise of everyone who seeks and finds and trusts in the Lamb, singing “praise and honor and glory and power for ever and ever!”

The sermon—a lot of you are asking—was inspired by a sermon I heard preached a little over two years ago by Ray Vander Lann. I was further encouraged by Mark Shipp, my OT professor at Austin Grad, to explore the history and the richness of the lamb imagery. Looking at sacrifice rituals and covenant ceremonies of the ancient Near East, including those of the Israelites and Hittites and the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires, and seeing how the culture of that time opens up the Genesis 15 and Jeremiah 34 passages led to my exegetical paper on Genesis 15. And finally to Sunday night’s sermon.

Understanding that God walked the path in our place, that God promised to pay for our sins, and that his people for centuries sacrificed a lamb twice every day—at 9am & 3pm every day—to remind each other and the Lord that the promise had been made, and then realizing that the Gospels tell us that Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9am and he died at 3pm……that speaks to me. And it apparantly spoke to many of you Sunday evening. Praise God for the way he works his Word and his will into our lives. And give him honor and glory for his faithfulness to his promise of salvation in Christ!

There are 79 days until football season. And today’s #79 is Forrest Gregg.

He was born in Birthright, Texas; played his college ball as an offensive lineman at SMU; and was the #2 pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1956. Vince Lombardi called him “the greatest player I ever coached.” He played on ten NFL championship teams: seven of them before the Super Bowl era, the first two Super Bowls with the Packers, and the Cowboys first Super Bowl championship team of 1971. It was with the Cowboys that year he wore the #79. He was, admittedly, #75 with the Packers. Gregg went on to coach SMU and to serve as that school’s Athletics Director. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977. And while the “Beautiful” Harvey Martin of Doomsday II fame deserves runner-up status, Forrest Gregg is the all time best ever to wear #79.

Peace,

Allan

The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

Page 492 of 493

The Power of Prayer

More Cowbell!

Concerning Fin, Dad, and The Toe

Sunday Night Fever

"I AM"

The Lamb of God

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