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Fighting the good fight

^{2 Timothy 4:6}For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,^£ and the time for my departure is close. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸In the future, there is reserved for me the crown^£ of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge,^£ will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.^£


So, recently I've joined a new gym...a boxing gym. I know, unbelievable for some that may be reading this - for others that really know me - you've expected it for years. I've taken a real liking to Muy Thai (like the photo above)...not that I look or even resemble the photo at all. My form is more something to laugh at rather than fear. But, the new experience has been nothing short of the most fun and physically demanding time I've ever had. The challenge of being able to last even a few minutes ,beating a heavy bag while your lungs feel like they are going to explode and your shins are beet red and glowing from the repeated kicks, your elbows are burning from slamming into the pad...this is when you begin to learn where your limits are and where you're willing to push past them.

Not unlike those moments in life where our limits are reached and we see just how strong our faith is, where we're willing to keep trusting God or shrink back, relax our hands and back away from the fight. We know that during this writing, Paul is in Jerusalem, in prison and alive only because of that reason (if you remember how he was greeted when he entered the city). He knows his time is near and he recalls the good fight he's fought. So many times this scripture has been recited to people like me to incite the attitude of rebellion against those who oppose our faith viewpoint or some use it to justify their cause of going against the 'machine'...but Paul uses it here not describing any physical fight, but the risk of living life to the full. Taking hold of the abundant life in every moment and letting our hearts be so full of purpose that we do it all for the glory of our God. Do you get it? The fight is life and he's fought the good fight...he hasn't let the circumstances defeat him - he's disciplined, trained and prepared his spirit for the battles of life...
It doesn't mean he got it all perfect, or didn't even have regrets to a point - but he does show us to push past the past and live now, not just for the moment but for the future. Your enemy is not the smart mouthed foe or the distastefully dressed young lady... Paul was chained to a smelly soldier - he still sang praises and shared the joy God had given him.

Quit whinin' and put your gloves on...life throws some mean elbows sometimes. A life with Christ is worth everything.

Hungry Christian

Several years ago I had an idea to 'test' the youth group. I took a cardboard sign and wrote HUNGRY CHRISTIAN on it. Then I handed it off to my buddy Chris. This is where it got interesting...
We took off to the local costume shop, even though it wasn't open, and they let us in! We browsed around looking for the perfect outfit. Then we saw it! A ratty looking long haired wig complete with a beard and mustache. We paired that up to a ball cap, dirty flannel shirt, faded jeans and threw on some extra dirt and it was complete. Chris took on the burden of becoming the 'homeless man' and wore the duds with pride. He stood at the edge of the rural highway that led up to our church one Wednesday afternoon holding the sign you see above. He looked awful! He stood there and waited.
You see each Wednesday night we had supper prepared for all the members and any guests that may come...it was a tradition. So, in a place where 90% of our members would be passing by, there stood homeless beggar Chris. We had some serious lookers, only a few that interacted. One guy, on his nightly run, passed Chris by and slapped a $20 in his hand! Only to have Chris yell seconds later, "Hey, I'm not homeless, it's just a trick!" What a look that guy gave! But it gave him the chance to explain just what we were doing.

I tell you all this simply to tell you a little about Chris himself. The stunt of holding a sign was just a small dose of what he was like. He had the kind of humor that fit into everything. He was tall, thin and just wanted to experience life. He would help so much in the ministry preparing and giving devotions at events, helping set up and clean up. Nothing was too big or too small for Chris.

Then, about a year and a half later, a couple of weeks went by with no Chris. I mean, he just didn't show up to any of the events, wouldn't return calls, like he had disappeared. He hadn't gone away but he was depressed. He had pulled away from his relationship with God to pursue other pleasures in life. The typical stuff that any young guy would deal with; the girl, the job, money, a place of his own...nothing that we don't go through. But he had totally (long before the 2 weeks absence) stopped pursuing God. He knew the truth...that is he knew Jesus. He understood what it was to share the one hope we all can have through Him. But he got lost in all the confusion this world dishes out. A few months later, on a clear afternoon while Chris was home alone, he put a loaded .22 pistol to his chest and pulled the trigger. His life ended that day. His legacy tainted with despair. I've kept that cardboard sign to remind me that even as a Christian we can be hungry. Hungry for things of God, but choosing to eat the pleasures of the world. An old saying goes like this, "That which you want to live, you feed. That which you want to die, you starve." What are you feeding your spirit?

Matthew 13:22 rings clear when I think about this story. I can think of so many times I let my own emotion rule the day. Times when I, understanding the truth, still fight with my own selfishness.

Today, if your wondering "is it all real?" Then take a moment, stop and consider how faithful Jesus has been to you. The moments that when you look back you can notice the mercy and grace and providence of our Lord. He wants you to rest in that when the present moment is in turmoil (Mark 4:35-41). Rest in that promise.

By His Wounds We Are Healed

There are things that just make a statement.

This is one of those things.