Losing Team?

The image you see to the left is the end of a championship soccer match. The guy you see is one of the world's greatest players. If you follow soccer then you know him, but if you don't his name is Lionel Messi. He plays for Barcelona. They played Real Madrid. This just happened on April 20. The score was 1-0.

The look on his face is just devastating. I imagine this is the look that all of Jesus' followers had when they saw Him dying on the cross.


Can you imagine following someone or something for so long and then all of sudden they are gone?

All of Jesus' disciples disappeared when he was arrested. Even Peter fled and then followed Him from a distance, only to deny that he ever knew Jesus or even followed Him. Reminds me of bandwagon fans. They follow a team that is hot and upcoming only to flee when they are losing. This happens all the time in sports everywhere.

The disciples were pulled from their everyday jobs right on the spot. Jesus said, "Come follow me." Guess what, they did!! They joined the team. Jesus recruited to create a diverse team that would go out and preach the Gospel. Jesus was the ultimate coach. He gave strict instructions on how to execute the game plan (Read Matthew chapter 10; Mark 6:7-13; Luke 9:1-9). The best coaches don't waiver from their rules they set. This has made some coaches very successful. Take a look at John Wooden's coaching career. He had set rules the team followed. If they didn't they were not welcome there. He had a very successful coaching career.

It is a good thing God does not kick players off the team otherwise no one would make it to Heaven. He forgives our actions without explanation. We mess up and he says it is alright I forgive you. No questions asked. We don't have to run laps or do pushups. We just have to get back to His game plan and we will succeed in life.

If you notice within the picture above Messi is being consoled by a coach. I am sure this coach has been with the team for a while and knows Messi on a more personal level. The coach is the one that consoles you when you are down. He picks you up. He gives the pep talks. He gets you going when nothing else will. Before going into the playing field, the coach gives one last talk. Even during All-Star games the coach will still give pep talks to the players to get them ready. No one wants to lose, but it happens. It is a part of being human. You will lose more than you win. Winning is what keeps you going. Winning that one championship, that one case, that one job....it is what keeps you coming back to do it again.

The disciples weren't on the losing team, even though in that 12th round they got the wind knocked out of them and they were stammering. But Jesus came back. In John 20:19-31, Jesus appears to the disciples after his death. This let them know they were on the winning team. They had a "losing" streak for a little bit, but now He is back. Jesus is alive!!

God's Timing

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23

The verse above is in a holder next to my bed. Within this holder are numerous verse cards. Also, I can set the date just by changing the month and date card out.

On April 8th, last Friday, I changed out the verse card that morning. The verse above is what came next. Coincidence? I think not.

I felt really good about this day. I was expecting some news and wasn't sure when this news would come. The board of Sports Crusaders was voting for me to be apart of their staff.

I put in a previous post that I had been praying about this day. Some of you even prayed with me. Thank you. All I knew is the meeting started around 9:30a.m.

I have always felt a tug in my heart towards Sports Crusaders. Obviously I hadn't been "grown-up" enough to fully commit to God's calling until now. I feel it is time to take that step of faith. A lot like how Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade comes to an opening and can't see the bridge that connects the 2 mountain sides. He just decides to jump. I have that feeling. The movie reference is really the only way to describe it. For the longest time I have gone back and forth with taking the jump.

The thing is it was never really my choice. It has always been the Holy Spirit guiding me back to the path that God set out before me. So I wait for the phone call letting me know what the vote is. I receive the call at about 4pm that afternoon. The board still has some questions and wants me to meet with a committee at the end of May. So I still wait. All indications even from the executive director is that everything is good to go. All in all it was really good news. There were a few details that I left out, but overall everything is moving as God wants it to.

So I ask for more prayer until this time arrives. Thank you in advance to those that really will pray for me and my family.

I came up with the title for a couple of reasons. There is a guy on the board that is from Texas. He flew in just for this board meeting. Also, at the church this board meeting was held at there was another guy from Dallas Theological Seminary out of Dallas, TX. I don't believe these are coincidences. I believe it was all in God's Timing and it still is.

Makrothumia

You probably opened this post just to see what in the world is that word, or you are thinking he must have spelled something wrong. Believe me it is rare that I spell wrong, just ask mom or Shawn(my brother).

More than likely you have googled the word, wikipediaed(sp?) it, or looked at dictionary.com to find the meaning to that word. I found this word today, April 4, while in Sunday school. I will get to the meaning of this word in a bit.

Since writing my last post I have felt great anticipation for this coming Friday, April 8. I believe I noted before that Sports Crusaders is having a board meeting to "vote" me in. Even though, according to Bobby Shows, "Once a Crusader, always a Crusader." I am excited about what is lying ahead for my family and what God will be doing through us.

As the saying goes: The anticipation is killing me!! I can't wait to get the phone call letting me know it is official. I feel once that happens I can move onto what I feel I am intended to do.

I believe one reason people don't realize what God wants them to do is because they are stuck in their past. I realize I am not very old, but I have had life experiences that some older than me have not had, and I hope they don't ever have to experience either. If I ever look back to those times then I can not move forward to where God wants me to be.

Phillipians 3: 13b says,"but one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead".

The only way to move on is to be able to forgive yourself. Forgiveness of the self is probably the hardest thing to do. It is easier to forgive someone else because you have let go of what they did. When trying to forgive yourself you have to be able to let go of everything from memories to actions. Memories are the hardest thing to delete. Not as easy as deleting the history of your internet or hitting back before sending a text.

Funny side note, the song 7 x 70 by Chris August came on while typing this. Just go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5-Q1zAhqpA

Once you have forgiven yourself then God will start doing some miraculous things within your life and it will overflow into others. Since being able to move past my past I have been anticipating what God will do.

Now this is where the title comes in, Makrothumia. It is said ma krah thew MEE ah. It is a Greek word that is used 14 times in the New Testament. It means patience. I found this word in the Bible that my grandpa Roger gave me for Christmas and it is very helpful and informative.

God does things in his timing and this is what I have had to learn. This week will be a long week I am sure, but it is in God's timing and I am looking forward to it.