Over the past few weeks I have been sending out an email each Wednesday titling it "Mid-Week Encouragement" to some co-workers. I have had good feedback and have been challenged to try and continue this on a weekly basis. It encourages me that people are forwarding my emails to their friends but most importantly they are finding encouragement in the word of God. Here is what was sent today:
“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.”
-Matthew 27:51a
This verse comes in the next to last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, more specifically it describes something that happened immediately after Jesus died on the cross. The significance of this torn curtain is life changing.
As you may know the temple was split into various sections. The key to understanding the importance of this verse though, comes from the knowledge of two sections in particular: the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. In the Holy Place only the Priests could enter. Within the Holy Place was another section, the Holy of Holies, which was separated by a veil/curtain. Within the Holy of Holies sat the Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy Seat. The Holy of Holies was God’s special dwelling place, entered only by the High Priest and even the High Priest only entered once a year. The day in which the High Priest entered was the Day of Atonement, in which he would sprinkle blood over the Mercy Seat to atone for the sins of God’s people.
So, the fact that this curtain which separated everyone from God’s presence was torn in two means we all could now have direct access into God’s presence anytime. It was only because of Christ’s death that this took place. He (Christ) has given us direct access to God. John 14:6 says that no one can come to God except through Christ and Colossians 1:15 says that He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God. Be encouraged to know you can come to God at any time or any place. Hope you all have a good rest of your week!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Headwind: Final Thoughts
I wanted to mention one more thing about headwind, and that is going through it with others. Over the weekend I went out to do a group ride with some guys at a local bike shop called "Bike Beat." The ride started off with three of us and grew to around nine after the first few miles. It was on this ride that I realized just how much more conditioning I need. This group rides at an A to A+ pace (21-25 mph) and will go almost 50 miles every Saturday morning. I was doing fine up until mile 17.5 and we started to go up a relatively small hill. At this point I was leading and had to pull off and drop back into the line to rest up. Unfortunately, I slowed down too much and could not muster enough strength to get back into the draft. My mind was yelling, "Go, Go, Go!" but my legs were replying, "No thanks, I've had enough for this week." As I was struggling to get back in line the group just slowly began creeping away. Eventually they went around a corner and by the time I came around the corner they were completely out of sight. So, for the next 32.5 miles I rode alone and analyzed what went wrong.
On the bright side, this is when I thought about going through headwind with others. Clinging to your brothers and sisters in Christ when you are facing trials is a lot easier than trying to face things on your own. Sometimes you will lead and take on the brunt of the wind and sometimes you will put your trust in someone else to lead you while you rest up. The first 17.5 miles with the group went much easier than the next 32.5 miles all by myself. You can bet the rest of my Christian journey I will seek community with fellow believers to not only encourage others, but to receive encouragement from them as well.
Next weeks goal: Stay with the group longer than 17.5 miles!
On the bright side, this is when I thought about going through headwind with others. Clinging to your brothers and sisters in Christ when you are facing trials is a lot easier than trying to face things on your own. Sometimes you will lead and take on the brunt of the wind and sometimes you will put your trust in someone else to lead you while you rest up. The first 17.5 miles with the group went much easier than the next 32.5 miles all by myself. You can bet the rest of my Christian journey I will seek community with fellow believers to not only encourage others, but to receive encouragement from them as well.
Next weeks goal: Stay with the group longer than 17.5 miles!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Expositional Preaching Traditional?
In conversation a few days ago with another individual about church, I was describing the type of preaching my wife and I were looking for while visiting churches last year. During conversation the question was asked, "So you guys were looking for something with a little more orthodoxy?"
ME: "Well, we were looking for a preacher who believed in expositional preaching, not someone who preached their opinions and random bible verses to fit the topic. We wanted a preacher who would use the Bible as the main focus and teach us how to interpret and apply it to our spiritual walk."
OTHER: "O, ok, so you were wanting something more traditional?"
ME: "Sure..."
This conversation made me wonder: Has expositional preaching become something of a "tradition?" The proof is there that many churches today do not practice this style of preaching, but I wonder if it would truly be considered "traditional.?" Many of us would agree most people are not looking for "traditional" style churches these days, which is somewhat alarming. Therefore, if expositional preaching is considered "traditional," and "tradition" is something the current generation is not to fond of, then this is a frightening thing. Our generation is no different than past and even future generations with regards to a need for hearing the word of God taught and preached properly.
The goal of expositional preaching is to "expose" the meaning of the Bible verse by verse. It is the opposite of what most churches do today which is topical preaching. With topical preaching a preacher will choose a topic, let's say laziness, and find verses that support points of that topic. With expositional preaching the preparation goes as such; we will study a specific passage, examing the historical context, grammar, and original intent in order to comprehend it and apply it to our walk with Christ.
Can you see the difference? If not, find a church who believes in expositional preaching and spend a few Sundays listening to the teaching. I will warn you, expositional preaching is not always the most entertaining, but if approached with an attitude of worship you will experience tremendous growth. A true expositor does not want to hear how good the sermon was, they want to know that you now understand what the text truly means. I guarantee once you hear solid expositional preaching you will not want anything else. If it means being "traditional" then be "traditional!" You will not be alone!
ME: "Well, we were looking for a preacher who believed in expositional preaching, not someone who preached their opinions and random bible verses to fit the topic. We wanted a preacher who would use the Bible as the main focus and teach us how to interpret and apply it to our spiritual walk."
OTHER: "O, ok, so you were wanting something more traditional?"
ME: "Sure..."
This conversation made me wonder: Has expositional preaching become something of a "tradition?" The proof is there that many churches today do not practice this style of preaching, but I wonder if it would truly be considered "traditional.?" Many of us would agree most people are not looking for "traditional" style churches these days, which is somewhat alarming. Therefore, if expositional preaching is considered "traditional," and "tradition" is something the current generation is not to fond of, then this is a frightening thing. Our generation is no different than past and even future generations with regards to a need for hearing the word of God taught and preached properly.
The goal of expositional preaching is to "expose" the meaning of the Bible verse by verse. It is the opposite of what most churches do today which is topical preaching. With topical preaching a preacher will choose a topic, let's say laziness, and find verses that support points of that topic. With expositional preaching the preparation goes as such; we will study a specific passage, examing the historical context, grammar, and original intent in order to comprehend it and apply it to our walk with Christ.
Can you see the difference? If not, find a church who believes in expositional preaching and spend a few Sundays listening to the teaching. I will warn you, expositional preaching is not always the most entertaining, but if approached with an attitude of worship you will experience tremendous growth. A true expositor does not want to hear how good the sermon was, they want to know that you now understand what the text truly means. I guarantee once you hear solid expositional preaching you will not want anything else. If it means being "traditional" then be "traditional!" You will not be alone!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
50 Miles!
Just got home from my Saturday ride, which is what most cyclists look forward to. Saturday is the day you go for the long ride, testing and pushing your endurance. My first goal since coming back to cycling was to be able to complete a 50 mile ride, and today I did just that.
Now I am going to eat cause 50 miles has made me hungry! Lucky for me, my wife was out shopping and was kind enough to bring home Chick-Fil-A!!! Thanks baby!
Now I am going to eat cause 50 miles has made me hungry! Lucky for me, my wife was out shopping and was kind enough to bring home Chick-Fil-A!!! Thanks baby!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Headwind: Part 1
In the headwind intro I discussed the reality of sin; how we must realize we are sinners and have "missed the mark" so to say. With that being said, how can we get through the sin and temptation in our lives.
First, if we position ourselves rightly we can cut through the headwind easier. Just as making ourselves more aerodynamic on the bike can ease the ride, so can positioning our minds spiritually. If we study God's word regularly, and are constantly in prayer, we will as Ephesians 6:11 says, "...be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." If you have time to read Ephesians 6:10-20 I would encourage you to do so. Romans 12:2 also tells us "Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Transformation comes through spending time with God. Position yourself when you feel the temptation coming!
Another interesting tip in cycling is to drop down to an easier gear, thus increasing your cadence (pedal rotations per minute). Basically what you are doing is letting the mechanics of the bike do the work for you as opposed to staying in a higher gear and wearing yourself out faster. Often times we need to get out of our legalistic minds and realize Christ has done the work for us. If we think we can fix ourselves all we will do is tire ourselves, just as if we stayed in the high gear. Titus 3:5 tells us "He (Christ) saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy..." Don't wear yourself out! Christ has already done the work and He wants you to rest in Him!
First, if we position ourselves rightly we can cut through the headwind easier. Just as making ourselves more aerodynamic on the bike can ease the ride, so can positioning our minds spiritually. If we study God's word regularly, and are constantly in prayer, we will as Ephesians 6:11 says, "...be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." If you have time to read Ephesians 6:10-20 I would encourage you to do so. Romans 12:2 also tells us "Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Transformation comes through spending time with God. Position yourself when you feel the temptation coming!
Another interesting tip in cycling is to drop down to an easier gear, thus increasing your cadence (pedal rotations per minute). Basically what you are doing is letting the mechanics of the bike do the work for you as opposed to staying in a higher gear and wearing yourself out faster. Often times we need to get out of our legalistic minds and realize Christ has done the work for us. If we think we can fix ourselves all we will do is tire ourselves, just as if we stayed in the high gear. Titus 3:5 tells us "He (Christ) saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy..." Don't wear yourself out! Christ has already done the work and He wants you to rest in Him!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Headwind: Intro
First of all, I was not able to get up at 5 AM and ride this morning due to my alarm clock choosing to snooze on me. However, my loving wife held me accountable by suggesting I go for an evening ride after dinner settled. So, that is what I did. And this is what came of that.
Headwind. This is something that is close to one of the least enjoyable things in cycling (crashing is easily the least enjoyable). Headwind is when the wind blows in the opposite direction you are trying to ride. In the past three days, headwind has seemed to consume most of my ride time. However, as painful as these past three rides have been, God has used this opposition for my spiritual growth. Metaphorically speaking, headwind is present in the Christian life as well. We as Christians are pursuing holiness, but our own sinful desires push in the opposite direction.
We must understand that headwind is always going to be a factor. As Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-." Sin has been around since Adam and Eve and it will not go away until Christ comes back again, establishing a new heaven and a new earth. We must recognize sin in our lives. While many will never hear the reality of sin preached on Sundays, I can assure you it is real. The first step to even becoming a Christian is understanding our depravity and our need for a Savior (Romans 3:23). And even after we give our lives to Christ, sin does not disappear. Sin is the headwind in our walk with Christ. These next few posts will examine headwind in the Christian's journey. Stay tuned!
Headwind. This is something that is close to one of the least enjoyable things in cycling (crashing is easily the least enjoyable). Headwind is when the wind blows in the opposite direction you are trying to ride. In the past three days, headwind has seemed to consume most of my ride time. However, as painful as these past three rides have been, God has used this opposition for my spiritual growth. Metaphorically speaking, headwind is present in the Christian life as well. We as Christians are pursuing holiness, but our own sinful desires push in the opposite direction.
We must understand that headwind is always going to be a factor. As Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned-." Sin has been around since Adam and Eve and it will not go away until Christ comes back again, establishing a new heaven and a new earth. We must recognize sin in our lives. While many will never hear the reality of sin preached on Sundays, I can assure you it is real. The first step to even becoming a Christian is understanding our depravity and our need for a Savior (Romans 3:23). And even after we give our lives to Christ, sin does not disappear. Sin is the headwind in our walk with Christ. These next few posts will examine headwind in the Christian's journey. Stay tuned!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my blog! I have been watching my wife over the last few months as she has been blogging about her thoughts and our life together and decided to give it a try. Today as I was out riding I thought blogging would be a good way to share my random thoughts, things I learn about in the sport of cycling, and most importantly just a means to share what the Lord lays on my heart while I am out riding. I also thought it would be a great way to hold me accountable to continue my workouts.
I began cycling about 4 years ago, trained for/rode in one event, and have not really gotten into it ever since. Last summer (2009), I went to Conte's Bicycle Shop in Newport News looking for an inexpensive road bike to get back into the sport. Well, $750 later and I was out the door with my new bike ready to get started (sounds like a lot, but believe it or not I got a deal).
So now I am in the midst of a second summer of cycling and really enjoying the sport. As I said before, my main intention of this blog is to share how the Lord is working in my life and the thoughts He lays on my heart as I am out riding. I would also like for this to be an encouragement for cyclists I meet and to share with them about the grace of Jesus Christ.
That's all for tonight! Heading to bed now so I can get up for my 5 A.M. ride!
I began cycling about 4 years ago, trained for/rode in one event, and have not really gotten into it ever since. Last summer (2009), I went to Conte's Bicycle Shop in Newport News looking for an inexpensive road bike to get back into the sport. Well, $750 later and I was out the door with my new bike ready to get started (sounds like a lot, but believe it or not I got a deal).
So now I am in the midst of a second summer of cycling and really enjoying the sport. As I said before, my main intention of this blog is to share how the Lord is working in my life and the thoughts He lays on my heart as I am out riding. I would also like for this to be an encouragement for cyclists I meet and to share with them about the grace of Jesus Christ.
That's all for tonight! Heading to bed now so I can get up for my 5 A.M. ride!
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