How Football Pain Points to the Gospel

Yeah- the sun came up today- but it didn't make me feel any better.

Man- it hurt deep last night. Great love and great investment and great hopes sets a heart to be cut deep- deep- and deeper still.

No one likes to see anyone cry- but there is something about a young man, handsome, so full of life- hugging his brother and shaking in tears that cuts me. It is not natural, but it is a reality.

My prayers are always interesting this time of year. They go something like this- Lord I want to celebrate after the game tonight, but if You appoint this time for me to minister....please give me Your grace and power.

And so last night, where we didn't quite play to the level we needed and the other team did- it was over. They survived and we died- and I went senior to senior, player to player- hugging them harder than I ever had- face to face- their sweat and tears- and I whispered words that I wish would take the pain away:

"I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm so proud of you. Your best days are in front of you."

People who read this and don't have some kind of connection to football won't quite get it. After all, it is just football...

No, if you are in it in any kind of investment- it is a microcosm of life.

The summer is new life.

The boys of summer push hard, everyone is undefeated. Yeah, we know that you only get to wear those pads for a short while- some lucky ones get 4 years of varsity football- most get 1 or 2.

The pictures are all smiles- the days are long- the pageantry is pure beauty.

Then comes the Fall.

 Football pain can be cruel. Physical pain includes wraps and ice and crutches and MRI's. Every player, starter or back-up, bears war wounds. I witnessed the most painful injury this season I have ever seen on a practice field. I still hear him screaming in pain- it is a haunting.

But there is spiritual pain as well. Losses, frustrations, 'I'm not playing', relationships can get strained.

I don't get to escape that as a coach. Long hours devoted to football- decisions- slips of the lip- sensitive ears. This life has pain.

But there is also the JOY! Thrilling plays and victories. Headlines and High fives!

But the sands trickle and the hour glass is getting full.

At some point there is a dividing line- some teams qualify for post season and some don't.

Time Change and Whispers of Winter


And then the death matches start- week by week- one is alive and one has died.

When you win those- the thrill is softened a tad as you stare into the faces of the vanquished.

The comes the potential for the biggest hurt of all- you win and win and win- and the big prize is within millimeters. Last night was the third semi-final loss I have experienced in 20 years of coaching. They were all on the road. The trip back home is hollow. You wake up the next morning and it just attacks you- aww man- it did happen.

Then the long winter of discontent.

So what do we make of this? Why expose yourself to this potential pain over and over?

Because of the gospel. The good news of Christ is the only reason I can keep doing it. It is the only reason I can keep doing anything in this world of vain and empty promises and broken hearts and dreams.

How about these tweats from our players last night:

"When we win we praise Him, when we lose we praise Him. As much as it hurts I still love my God, my team, and my school."

"...God will always be with us and we will be strengthened by Him"

"Never hurt or cried so much in my life. We fought hard! I love my team and I'm PROUD TO BE A LION!"

And I could go on and on.

Football mirrors life:
Relationships- complex- important- the need for forgiveness and service
Character matters
Work to a goal
Highs and Lows
Victory and Defeat
Joy and Pain
It has an end


Here is how I summarize it in a nutshell:

God made everything good, in love He gave man freedom- only in freedom is love possible- but it also makes selfishness and sin possible- man chose sin- and because of sin- we suffer.

Football exists in this world of sin. When we fail, we all think back to decisions, I think I could have done more....

If there were no gospel- then I would stay in this death spiral of thinking that  I have to measure up.

But I can't- I will say wrong things- I will do wrong things- life is not undefeated. In my 20 years, I have 3 state championship rings- and I am a LUCKY ONE! But 17 other years have fallen short of the ultimate prize.

One day, my hour glass will run empty- I will walk wounded and defeated to the gates of heaven. I could have done more.


AND STANDING THERE IS THE ULTIMATE CHAMPION- THE LORD JESUS- THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE.

He might say, "Why should I let you in?"

What can I say and be honest?"Lord, I don't deserve to be in. My only hope is Your mercy, Your love, and the sacrifice of the cross. I have nothing to add except my sin."

And from what the Bible says- He will wrap His arms around me and say "Come in my Son."

And all that pain will be gone. All the disillusionment and disappointment. All the hurtful words and lies. All the lost opportunities. All the mourning. He will wipe my tears, He will hug me cheek to cheek.

I will see my mom and grandmother with perfect bodies. I will see celebration. I will play football again with my brothers (or something similar but better).

Last night, one of my players, a young man of incredible talent and passion- just sat there in his pads. He did not want to take them off. I know the feeling.

But they recover- quicker than I do.

I had a final group chat with my receivers.

Jay M: It was a great honor to coach you guys this season. Love you and will be praying for you.
Player 1: Thank you coach... I'm sorry I didn't make the play .. it was fun
Player 2: Same here- love ya
Player 3: _____ man. I could not be more proud of you-ur nothing but a baller
Player 4: thanks for everything you did for us coach-loved playing with you guys- wish it didn't have to end
Player 2: yes coach...love you
Player 5: we still have a lot of senior year left. Hate it ended the way it did- but it was a lot of fun. Thanks bros.

SO I will take a break and before long the juices will start stirring- and I will once again work with high hope and big dreams.

And know that only the Lord makes it meaningful. I trust in His plan. Until He returns.

I Corinthians 15:58

Thankful

Give thanks with a grateful heart:

I'm sitting here overwhelmed with good feelings of thanks. I am thankful for the rich life the Lord has blessed me with. It starts with salvation- an understanding of eternal forgiveness- not of my own doing. It is the ultimate gift.

Then I have to go to my wife- my best friend of 23 years ( and close to 30 that I have known her). God chose her to be that constant companion through times of plenty and times of need. I have to think back to Dec 9 - the day I was fired- and my heartbroken drive to my wife's office to tell her the news. She gave me the sweetest response and the most solid support during that time.
Here I was- about to have a daughter graduate- and looking into a vast, dark unknown- in a woeful economy and high jobless rate- and she just celebrated. God will take care of us- and boy, did He ever!

Give thanks to the HOLY ONE:

 Who is like the Lord? He is completely HOLY and lives in unapproachable light. If I were to come into His HOLY presence I would be vanquished... obliterated. But I am covered... I am justified.... I am adopted- WHAT A SALVATION!

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son: 


Because of my sin- I was sentenced to a life apart from the HOLY ONE. But Jesus, because of deep love- became the sacrifice for me. It is Him and Him alone who deserves the thanks for this good news.

AND NOW- let the weak say "I am strong":


I am weak- I am able to do nothing good in my strength. I am lazy, and cold, and apathetic. I get down on myself and lose confidence. I let Satan fill me with doubts and fears- but IN HIM- I am a champion- Born again- adopted SON of the KING!


Let the poor say I am rich:


We struggle financially at times. We live month to month. We are completely dependent on God providing- but HE DOES! We don't live extravagantly, but I feel so wealthy. I have clothes, food, a nice house, my children are blessed with a world class education, my oldest daughter is excelling at a great university. We have health care and have experienced so many fun times. I don't know how we have done it, but He has always been faithful!

Because of what the Lord has done for us!

I sing, I praise, I celebrate- In Christ, there is great riches! In Christ, there is great blessing!

May we all enjoy Him more fully this thanksgiving day!

Thank you for:
My beautiful, loving family
My faithful friends
The blessing of Briarwood Christian School and Church- a steady, spiritual family!
A life of warm and rich memories
Excellent health
Food and shelter
More fun than a man should have
Hard times- that have made me stronger and wiser

I pray for: Our nation to be healed- we are divided and in deep debt and deeper sin
We need a revival of YOUR grace- we need an awakening of YOUR gospel.

Guest Blogger: David Haas

I have made recent contact with David Haas who has a great heart for encouraging cancer patients. He has written a number of blogs on this important topic and I am happy to lend space for his latest journal.

Energy Levels in Cancer Patients are increased through Moderate Exercise

by David Haas

Cancer patients face challenging ordeals as they begin to piece their lives back together once they have gone into remission. Remission in itself is a celebration, but the battle is not yet over. People who have fought and won against cancer still must deal with the challenging issues of feeling back to normal physically and emotionally and in trying to obtain a healthy amount of energy.

Mesothelioma is a common type of lung cancer that affects both men and women. This cancer, and other forms of cancer, can rapidly result in the need for chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation for the patient. If these treatments are successful and the person is able to enter into the remission stage, the person then is challenged with trying to redevelop healthy habits that can put him or her back into a good feeling of self, both physically and mentally.

A doctor for a cancer patient will often recommend mild to moderate forms of exercise for the patient to help the body to recover from the heavy burdens of treatment. Walking, yoga, light hiking, swimming, and mild aerobics are healthy forms of exercise that many doctors will recommend for their patients who are in remission stage from cancer.

Experts at the University of Rochester state that exercise for cancer patients is wise and should also be taken step-by-step. Gently getting reintroduced to a habit of exercise is the best possible way to begin reincorporating physical activity into someone’s life who has survived cancer, or for someone who is currently going through cancer treatments.

For the exercise to be consistent, it should be enjoyable so the person will be more motivated and more inspired to stick to a normal exercise regimen. Salsa dancing classes provide a fun but mild form of exercise. Golfing, bowling, and nature walking are also activities that can stimulate both the mind and the body and help the person to begin to feel and look significantly better.

These activities are socially effective as well and help the person to overcome issues of shyness or self-consciousness after many months or weeks of cancer treatments. Energy levels and confidence levels can be gradually increased with the incorporation of regular and appropriate forms of exercise into the weekly schedule.

Please read more about David:

Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance - http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/authors/david/bio.htm

You can also see his personal writing at http://www.haasblaag.blogspot.com/

OH WOW- Lessons Learned from the Life of Steve Jobs

A few quick references below: My analysis begins after the Issacason quote:

The repeated last words of Steve Jobs

Published On Mon Oct 31 2011

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“Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow,” said Jobs as he lay on his death bed.

DENIS SINYAKOV/REUTERS

Richard J. BrennanNational Affairs Writer

On his deathbed, Apple founder Steve Jobs stared into the future as he had so many times in life and uttered these final words, “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.”

LINK: STEVE JOBS COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT STANFORD 2005 (15 MIN)

FROM THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE STEVE JOBS BIO BY WALTER ISSACSON:

One sunny afternoon, when he wasn’t feeling well, Jobs sat in the garden behind his house and reflected on death.  He talked about his experiences in India almost four decades earlier, his study of Buddhism, and his views on reincarnation and spiritual transcendence.  “I’m about fifty-fifty on believing in God,” he said.  “For most of my life, I’ve felt that there must be more to our existence than meets the eye.”He admitted that, as he faced death, he might be overestimating the odds out of a desire to believe in an afterlife.  “I like to think that something survives after you die,” he said.  “It’s strange to think that you accumulate all this experience, and maybe a little wisdom, and it goes away.  So I really want to believe that something survives, that maybe your consciousness endures.”He fell silent for a very long time.  “But on the other hand, perhaps it’s like an on-off switch,” he said.  “Click!  And you’re gone.”Then he paused again and smiled slightly.  “Maybe that’s why I never like to put on-off switches on Apple devices.”

Jayopsis: I have been thinking a lot about Steve Jobs... how can I not? I use an iphone/ipad/ and imac every day of my life. I bought his bio on ibooks and I listen to itunes all the time.

I have been grieving his loss... and my faith makes me shudder at the potential consequences of his life. Beautiful, creative, driven, admirable- but like any human... deep flaws... rebellion, refusal to acknowledge the source of all his extraordinary gifts, seemingly selfish, sometimes cruel.

To borrow a technique- what if I am wrong and Steve Jobs is much better that I have outlined (or how his bio presents him)- what if he only committed 3 sins a day? In 40 years he would have committed over 40,000.

If sin is no big deal- then no problem- right?

But sin is a big deal- all men leave a wake of hurt and mayhem behind- false promises, hurt relationships, dream killing, addiction enabling, heart breaking, and God hating words, attitudes, actions- both passive and active.

When Apple went public when he was 25, Steve Jobs was worth 256 million. When Pixar went public, his 80% share was worth 1.2 Billion!

But how much money can you pay to wipe away a debt of sin? How many good deeds can appease a life that looks at the sacrifice of the Son of God and says.. 'No Thanks'?

This is where atheists/agnostics/ and non-believers get critical and skeptical... "How dare you to judge! How can you condemn him?" 

And I don't... I admire him. I miss him.

The ultimate question is- when a man stares into the dark abyss- what was in his possession to appease the True and Living God? What if Steve were wrong about the on/off switch?

See, at the root of the issue was Steve Job's determined fight for autonomy. His parents would ask him to not do something- He said "No- I will do what I want ..when I want" and he lived his life out that way. Dr's told him to get surgery and he said "No". 

And that is ultimately what Hell is- the place where people place themselves for a life of looking at the universe and saying- 'No one will tell me what to do'.

C.S. Lewis said it much better:

Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others . . . but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God 'sending us' to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE Hell unless it is nipped in the bud.

I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside.All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened. And yourself, in a dark hour, may will [a grumbling] mood, embrace it. Ye can repent and come out of it again. But there may come a day when you can do that no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood...
   —excerpted from The Problem of Pain and The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), included in The Quotable Lewis, 1989 Tyndale

Ultimately, it is not for any of us to know for sure the eternal state of Steve Jobs. He stepped out of his body and into the presence of God. I fully trust God to be fair and loving, just and compassionate.

The question is still before the living- What can wash away my sin?

Christians for 2,000 years have had a consistent message- NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

What are you going to do with the question?

For more info on the Biblical view of Hell please visit this article by Tim Keller:
The Importance of the Doctrine of Hell

HUMILITY: An Open Gate to Grace

Matthew 7:

• 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'

This is the passage I will be using to do the school wide devotional this Friday during our inservice. The theme for BCS this year is humility and have been asked to cover some aspect of the theme.

Speaking on humility is almost humorous- I can get real proud of my humility. I especially remember being asked to write a magazine article years ago for ACSI on teacher relationships and it was titled "The Heart of Humility" and when it came out- I WAS SO PROUD!

The above passage is a great pride tester. It is one of a few passages that create a sense of concern- a group of people who said 'Lord/Lord' but in the end are left out. 

Some verses in the Bible are scalpels and some are sledgehammers, many offer healing and hope- but some are designed for pain and discomfort. 

One pastor said, “My job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted”. 

So there are some powerful statements in Scripture that make us pause.. they don’t seem to fit... What is the purpose?

This particular passage is found within the famous Sermon on the Mount- a part of the gospels that you can read over and over your whole life and never seem to get it all. Its main message seems to be that religious leaders and institutions miss the mark of God's calling as soon as it becomes an outward show and not an inward disposition. The rituals of works righteousness is a compare and compete system that oppresses men and can actually inoculate them FROM the grace of God.

Sweet Jesus turns confrontational as he reveals how the Pharisee's of His day have turned God's good law into a spiritual status system.

And the key here is how the religious hypocrites respond to the Lord's critique.

In a word.... DEFENSIVE.

Christ says- 'Your heart is bad'.

And the sanitized dead man tries to self justify: "What!? Did I not do all this good stuff? I spoke up for you! I did many powerful things in YOUR NAME for pete's sake!"

• Defending your record, demanding your rights, MAY be symptomatic of a proud and lost heart. Salvation by works says- “Look at what I have done” and Salvation by grace says, “Look at what I have done” but the answers and attitude is an eternity apart.

I deal with this some as the Dean of Students at BCS. The hardest cases are the ones where the student refuses to say that he has done no wrong. He is a victim... He has an excuse... the charges are false..he is misunderstood... the teacher is mean... and he rages at the punishment. These are the ones that break my heart and I patiently pray for God given repentance.

But nothing is sweeter than an honest and humble declaration- "I am so sorry, I messed up." Though there is still punishment.. there is grace and hope for transformation.

A beautiful letdown and a proper attitude of repentance and humility open the floodgates of God’s goodness and grace. Gospel awakening is generated in the fragile moments of brokenness. What is impossible with me is very much possible with God.

At that point we are not an outsider seeking to promote ourselves- but a son, begging the Father to forgive and trusting in Him to make it right.

But our first instinct is to hide in the garden, then deny, then blame, then alibi, then self justify...

What if Christ says- "Hey Pharisee's you are hurting and oppressing my people by making yourself powerful in self righteous, outward show."

And instead of saying- 'Lord, did we not feed the poor and adopt and do missions and go to church..."

 We said- " Lord, I am so sorry that I always do it to make me look good. I'm so sorry that my heart is proud. I'm so sorry my heart is cold.  ... I can even screw up the gospel message because my heart is so wicked."

Do you think Christ would say "Depart from me?" 

I believe in that moment of true humility He would race to you and  wrap His loving arms around you and say... I understand.. It's OK my son"

Don’t be afraid .... allow Christ to ‘cut the heart’.

The worse the bad news- the greater the good news.

The gospel message is that good and God is that great!

The bottom line is that Christ did what we cannot do. He suffered our pain and shame. If we rely on His record, if we rest in His work- if we make it about His name- and offer no claim or stake but His... then we drink and rejoice in the everlasting fountain of His goodness and love.

May we stop proclaiming our goodness and continue to praise HIS! It is a life changing... it is world changing...

The Creator in the Little Things

It was in November of 2005.

I remember waking up on a cold morning and the darkness was nothing compared to the inner depression that pushed deep down in the cracks of my heart.

Most of my professional life has been involved with coaching and part of the darkness was still feeling the pain of an early end of the football season. It has always intrigued me how symbolic football is as a snapshot of life. The summer freshness, the youthful expectations, the time change - the season change - all pointing to a narrative of life to death.

But this was deeper and darker- On Tuesday Nov 1, 2005 I posted a blog called "Hurt"- and later on Nov 11, I posted these words in a blog called "Laboring in Vain":

I confess to You O Lord that I am powerless to do even 1 good thing. I cannot change a heart, I cannot build a family or a program- I desperately need You.

I am under some questiong now and results are not seen- Father- You must protect me, I cannot protect myself. I have stepped out and made decisions- these are mine and represent me.

In my deepest heart of hearts, I know I am doing right- I am willing to stand firm- but Lord- only You can change the hearts of parents and students in our school. I want to be Your man to stand for right- even if the whole world fights against me- If You are on my side- I will win.

It is dark- a winter of discontent- Lord I need the sunshine of Your smile- Only You can grant victory!

Sometime after that I was up and dressed for work- hurting, sad, lonely, doubting- and got in my old Mercedes Station Wagon- and drove in fog and darkness.

On the way to the school, I finally asked the darkest question out loud- "Father, what are you doing? I have moved my whole family and working as hard as a human can- but it seems so fruitless right now. I need help- I need to see you- I NEED to see you THIS MORNING"

The fog was thick- my radio was broken- it was bone chilling cold- the sun had just come up but was hidden in gray- I was in a crisis of faith.

I pulled around the front of our school and turned down to the football field house. I pulled up just in front of the garage entrance to our weight room. Turned off the key.. and.... I saw God.

We had a black chain link fence that went around the football stadium. And inside each of the cells of the chain link were hundreds of little spider webs. The fog had condensed in such a way that the invisible became visible.

I got out of the car and stared deeply into one of the webs. It was a perfect design. As was the next one... and the next one. These had been here for a long time- but the gray background and the dew covered silk threads were brilliantly outlined in complex, strong, and mosaic designs.

Then- a deep voice, unspoken, warmed a deep core in my being.

"I am here"

"I am always here- just as the webs have been here for weeks and weeks- you just don't see ME sometimes- but you need to walk by faith and not by sight."

It is the most intense experience with God I have ever had. It is my surest apologetic. I still remember the intensity of it 6 years later.

Do we see God in the little things?

The design of DNA? The beauty of a dewdrop? The detail of a clover?

The majesty of the mountains do no more to show the grandeur of the Creator than the dance of a water bug.

Let me ask you to thank God today for the little things. The warm steam of a good cup of coffee. A hug of your child. A happy tear of a grandpa. Music. Chocolate. A small red leaf. The symmetry of a crappie.

He quietly says... I AM HERE. No detail is beyond His care.

This post was made into a song:

Creator in the Little Things

The Ignominious End

"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." The Dark Knight


Just finished the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson. This is the 2nd bio by this author (I read Albert Einstein) and am just as amazed at this one as I was with that one. What a writer!


The experience was so mesmerizing.... but I have to confess a dark sadness that crept over me as I read the latter end of the story. Watching Steve Jobs grow frail and weak under the attack of cancer- without any real assurance of the afterlife- was heart breaking.


Questions of death and especially how we die has always been on the forefront of my gospel awakening. I became a Christian after we experienced the loss of a high school classmate and I stood looking into the great chasm of the mysterious permanence and knew I was not prepared.


But reading about and watching people pass away over the course of my life has deepened my conviction of the glorious message of the gospel- a simple hope and a solid security.


Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 
                        Dylan Thomas- Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night


It is quite OK to hate death- to despise cancer- to curse the curse- the key question is.... How do you approach death? Is it secure? Can you die with dignity?


I was first asked these questions by my spiritual mentor, Mr Bill Stegall, on a beautiful golf course on a brilliant fall day. Mr Stegall used to take me out, beat me in golf (he was in his early 70's and I was in my late 20's). During those rounds he would ask me questions... about marriage, the Bible, leadership, stewardship..etc. I would answer and he would clarify... every now and then he would say one word 'EXCELLENT' and I would feel a supreme satisfaction, like I had hit a home run to win the game.


One that beautiful day, Mr Stegall talked about the glory of the leaves changing for the Fall. And he hit me with the deepest question " Jay, all my friends are dying... these were men who built factories, developed businesses, led churches, strong men.. but now they just seem to wither like scattered leaves... so answer me this... How do you die with dignity?


I knew better than to give it a hasty or foolish response- "I'll have to think on that one Mr Stegall" and we played on.


ROMEO

Thou detestable maw, thou womb of death,
Gorged with the dearest morsel of the earth,
Thus I enforce thy rotten jaws to open,
And, in despite, I'll cram thee with more food!

There are some rather poor ideas in the world about this. This blog is named after the famous poem by William Cullen Bryant- THANATOPSIS (a view of death) that is the most futile and hopeless message that some men have. In that poem, Bryant says there is no life after death- you just die and get mixed back into the earth. Steve Jobs himself toyed with this idea... he likened it to an on/off switch. He even joked that maybe that is why he didn't like on/off buttons on his Mac products.

The sad reality though is that IF there is no life after death... then life has no real meaning. Thanatopsis agrees with this "and each on as before will chase his favorite phantom". The Bible agrees with this- Paul argues in I Corinthians 15 that "If there is no life after death... let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die".


If peasants, and Kings, and immoral, and young all go to the same end- why try to be unselfish? Why be noble? Why yield to any authority?


It was I Corinthians 15 where I found my answer for Mr Stegall......Paul says that there is a resurrection of the dead, found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Read the whole chapter sometime.


But death is a humiliation- we die in weakness and we are raised in glory.




I was on the golf course a few weeks later and Mr Stegall had not forgotten my assignment.


"Jay, have you been thinking about my question.. How do you die with dignity?"


"Yes Sir, I have... a lot."


"And?..."


"Well, Mr Stegall, I have been reading I Corinthians 15 and I don't think we die with dignity. Death is  sin's  last knockout blow- if we I've long enough we end in shame. We are a man once and a baby twice. Frail..weak...dependent.


But Paul makes it clear- we are sown in dishonor but we are raised in glory. We go down in shame, we are raised in victory. Christ has done so for us!


Our job is to fight like hell until that last dying breath, which is the great glorious trumpet call of God as He calls us home. If we die in Christ, we do die with honor."


He looked with deep eyes and a low voice.. EXCELLENT!


A few years later I held his hands and prayed. The robust 6'5 man of God had been withered by bone cancer, but he was ready for glory.


SIn causes ignominious ends- men get old and just slip away. No one escapes it. It happens to bodies, it happens to careers.


Joe Paterno, Tiger Woods, and Bobby Bowden all have faced or will face inglorious endings. The inevitable change is sad. It all fades in this life.


BUT.... there is hope. And that is why I never tire of telling the good news of Christ. Please reach out to Him while there is breath and a heart beat.


Longfellow said our heartbeats are muffled funeral marches to a grave. Do not go into that darkness, that mysterious realm of permanence without Jesus. The Lord of nail scarred hands- stretched out in love