2014 08 24 – Communion - Offense vs. Defense

Offense vs. Defense

Of’fense – attack; assault; attempt to take ground

Of-fense’ – a source of annoyance, displeasure, or anger

Our culture has become a defensive culture. At the first hint of opposition we head for the bunker, batten down the hatches, bar the door, so no one can hurt us with their barbs hurled our way. We refuse to be exposed to negative agendas intent on bringing us down to a lower level.

The greatest challenge we face living life in the bunker is our inability to effectively change the outcome of the conflict. As we lob our grenades to chase off or destroy our attackers we cannot engage them in conversation that might lead to a better outcome. My high school basketball coach told us repeatedly, “The best defense is a good offense.” When you score points the pressure is then placed on the opponent to match the score.

Even though the church is not a competition to be weighed in the end by points, for or against, our posture is determined by the approach we choose to take. Do we attempt to take ground – offense, or do we hunker down and wait on Jesus – defense?

Scripture is clear.

Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God created … - offense.

John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave … - offense.

Matt. 16:18 - The gates of hell will not prevail against the church – offense.

John 12: 32 - If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto Me! – offense.

Rom. 10:9 - Confess with your mouth, and believe in your heart … – offense.

Ministers like Josh McDowell, and more recently, Kris Valloton, have shifted their argument for encouraging people to wait until marriage to have sex. Touting the evils of sex outside of marriage, including going to hell, is no longer a deterrent to this behavior. Defense isn’t working. Instead, offense should be the emphasis. Focus on the benefits of living a pure lifestyle. Realize that God loves you and wants to provide a blessed life for you.

Joel Osteen has come under fire for his “positive” gospel. To put it simply, he has taken an approach of offense vs. defense. Instead of preaching condemnation for sin, which everyone already knows they are condemned, he focuses on the grace of God, the love of God, which, according to scripture, is what leads men to repentance. (Rom. 2:4)

Craig Hill, the author of the Ancient Paths seminars, teaches that blessing is God’s chosen position to deal with His creation, not curses. Sin brings the curse. God does not have to curse us. We were born cursed because of sin.

To counter this curse in the earth, God introduced a process of blessing to bring people back to proper fellowship with Him.

According to Craig Hill, even when bringing correction make it based on behavior and outcome. If you violate the “law” there will be consequences. If you stay in fellowship you will enjoy the blessing. The goal then becomes staying in fellowship, not obeying laws.

He gave the example of a rebellious teenage son. His dad asked him to be home at a certain time. He got home late. The next morning the dad greets him with, “Hello son. Did you sleep well? I love you, son! I hope you have a great day.”

The son then leaves the house to only return quickly, yelling, “Dad, the wheels of my car are gone.”

The dad calmly replies, “Oh, that. You see, having wheels on your car is a privilege, not a right. Since you chose to not do as I asked, you will be walking for a while. Have a great day son. I love you!”

Matt. 11:6 – And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

Matt. 9: 10-13  And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

One reason defense is often the position of choice is because it takes little forethought. Offense has to plan, to be creative, to take chances, to be proactive, to be positive, to be vulnerable. Defense is reactive. The only goal is to prevent someone or something from touching us.

If the offense does not score it has failed. Fear of failure keeps most Christians on the bench, or playing defense, because they do not want to “disappoint” God.

Communion is a type of pre-game meal. We gather as the Body for preparation to go out and do the work of the ministry. It draws us toward one another. It lets us know that we are not facing life alone. He is with us. The other Believers are with us. Let’s become vulnerable and be bold enough to not retreat when attacked. Stay on offense and see what God will do.

2014 08 12 | My Perspective on the Police Shooting

Greetings!

I felt compelled to respond to the recent incident near St. Louis involving a young man that was shot by a police officer. I am not taking sides because I do not have any information regarding the incident. My comments are aimed at those that take what they hear from the media and assume all of it is 100% accurate. This is NOT a race-related comment.

My father lost his life serving as a police officer in Birmingham. He was shot by someone that was attempting to steal goods from a trucking transfer station in North Birmingham. I often wish he had let them have the goods. Nothing they stole could be worth his life. But he could not. He took an oath to protect and serve, even if it meant paying the ultimate sacrifice.

When a police officer makes an arrest it is based on suspicion. The one taken into custody is presumed innocent by the law until proven guilty. The police become the go-between for the innocent and the guilty. They make choices based on the circumstances that are presented and the training they receive. Many times their decision must be made in microsecond time, and that choice can be the difference between life and death; for them and the suspect.

Even though the suspect is presumed innocent, the police officer is held to a much higher standard. If he discharges his weapon, whether anyone is hit or not, his actions come under scrutiny by a review board. If he does shoot a person he is relieved of his weapon and placed on alternate duty until a review of the incident is completed. The officer is presumed guilty until proven innocent.

I have never served as an officer. I can only imagine what it must be like to always be under a microscope, not only from the public, but also by your employer. I have always found it interesting that people that hate the policemen still dial 911 when they are in trouble. They still expect the police to respond, and they do respond. The police protect the haters with the same loyalty to duty as any other citizen.

Please try to reserve judgment until you know the facts. You have no idea what went on because you weren’t there. Even those were “there” didn’t see things from the perspective of either party involved in the incident. Google this if you don’t believe me: people make the worst eyewitnesses. Our memories immediately become clouded by our belief system and opinions of others. 

Please be part of the solution to this tragedy and not part of the problem.

Thor’s Day Thundering | 31 July 2014 – I Change Not

Another facet of the diamond called “faithful” we looked at on Monday is the attribute that God is immutable; He never changes.

Malachi 3:6 (KJV)

6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Hebrews 1:3 (KJV)

3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 6:13 (KJV)

13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

When God gives His word He keeps it! When He promised Abraham He had to sware by Himself because there is none greater. Hebrews 1:3 says everything that exists is upheld by “the word” of His power. Malachi 3:6 says the Lord, God, never changes. If He did the world would dissolve, consuming the sons of Jacob.

Here’s the problem. What do you do with the dialog between Abraham and God concerning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah found in Genesis 18? When Abraham learned of God’s plan to destroy the cities Abraham began to negotiate a settlement to save the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

“If there are fifty righteous people will you spare them?” God said He would.

Abraham countered, “What about forty? Would you spare them?” God said He would.

“Thirty?” Yes. “Twenty?” Yes. “Ten?” Yes.

Even though there were not even ten righteous, God still allowed Lot and his family to flee before the destruction. So, looking at this story can you still say the God did not change? YES. God did not change because it is His nature to extend grace! God showing mercy on Lot and others simply expresses an attribute of God: He is merciful.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV)

8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

The grace and mercy of God is still available to us through Jesus. Thank God today for His mercy and grace constantly being extended toward you. Thank God that He does not change.

Wednesday Wit | 30 July 2014 - And Then the Fight Started

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels.
She asked, 'What's on TV?'
I said, 'Dust.'
And then the fight started...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."
He said, "Aren't you worried about mad cow?""
Nah, she can order for herself."
And then the fight started...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband,
'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly.
I really need you to pay me a compliment.'
The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's near perfect.'
And then the fight started.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95.
Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95.
I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.
And then the fight started....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
My wife asked me if a certain dress made her butt look big. I told her not as much as the dress she wore yesterday
and then the fight started.....

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

A man and a woman were asleep like two innocent babies.
Suddenly, at 3 o'clock in the morning, a loud noise came from outside.
The woman, bewildered, jumped up from the bed and yelled at the man
'Holy crap. That must be my husband!'
So the man jumped out of the bed; scared and naked jumped out the window. He smashed himself on the ground, ran through a thorn bush and to his car as fast as he could go.
A few minutes later he returned and went up to the bedroom and screamed at the woman, 'I AM your husband!'
The woman yelled back, 'Yeah, then why were you running?'
And then the fight started.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
My wife and I are watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"
"No," she answered.
I then said, "Is that your final answer?"
She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying "Yes."
So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And that's when the fight started..

Tuesday Thrombosis | 29 July 2014 – Unfaithfulness

Yesterday’s post looked at the faithfulness of God. Today let’s look at what happens when man is unfaithful.

I love the forthright way that Solomon went about articulating the wisdom that God shared with him. Remember, Solomon asked for wisdom. In turn, God gave it to him.

1 Kings 4:29 (KJV)

29  And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.

1 Kings 5:12 (KJV)

12  And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him: and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a league together.

1 Kings 10:24 (KJV)

24  And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

You’ve got to admit the man was wise. When all the earth sought after Solomon because of his wisdom he clearly must have had something to say.

Look at what he had to say about unfaithful men.

Proverbs 25:19 (KJV)

19  Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

If you have ever experience tooth pain you just cringed when you read that. When I was about 11 or 12 years old my brothers and I were playing in our backyard. Tim had one of my friends pinned to the ground tickling him. I ran toward Tim with the intent of lunging toward him to knock him off of my friend. Just about the time I leapt he raised up. My face met his shoulder and broke my front tooth off at the gum line. I cannot remember ever having such pain before or since.

When you commit to someone and then go back on your word it is like snapping a tooth off at the gum line. The primary affect of a broken tooth, besides the pain, is you cannot eat properly. Your ability to consume proper nutrition is impeded. You whole body suffers because of it.

What about a foot out of joint? I guess the closest I’ve ever come to having a foot out of joint was a sprained ankle. If a foot out of joint is worse than that, then OOOCH! The problem caused by a foot injury is mobility is limited. You cannot go where you need to go. You cannot bear the weight that you could normally bear. Productivity is diminished.

So today’s thrombosis is a double-threat. When you are unfaithful, those who were counting on you are deeply affected. Their diet and mobility experience potentially irreparable loss. If you have a difficult time keeping your word then seek help from the Lord. Begin with repentance. Consider the ramifications of your actions. Realize that others need what you have to offer, but can only benefit from it when you can be trusted. God is faithful! He can teach you how to be faithful.

Monday Mooring | 28 July 2014 – God Is Faithful

There are few things that count more than being faithful. When God came to give us His life through the promises He made to Abraham, God made this bold declaration:

Hebrews 6:13 (KJV)

13  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,

When you receive a promise from the most powerful force that exists there is no one that can prevent that promise from being kept. When that most-powerful-force is also one that cannot go back on their word, you now have a guarantee that whatever has been promised will come to pass!

Hebrews 10:22-23 (KJV)

22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

When you commit your life to God it is in hands that cannot mishandle it. He cannot loose it. He cannot be anything but Himself: faithful.

2 Timothy 1:12-13 (KJV)

12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

13  Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

Let this become the anchor for your soul: HE IS FAITHFUL. Know your God, the One in Whom you believe. Become fully persuaded of His ability to keep you. Then commit your life to Him with no reservations.

He is able! He is faithful!