by Angela Sanders | Dec 4, 2018
I am not an addict. At least, I don’t think I am.
There are some things that bring me pleasure, though, and I’ll admit that I sometimes go to lengths I shouldn’t to enjoy them the way I want to, trading in God’s long-term best for temporary satisfaction.
Sometimes I realize my mistake in the moment, and sometimes I don’t, but I always end up regretting it.
God is faithful, you see, so His Holy Spirit doesn’t let me get by with a thing. When I step outside of God’s will for me, He pokes my heart. If I ignore Him, He gives it a squeeze. If I hold my hands over my ears and sing “la, la, la,” He takes more drastic measures, not to be mean, but kind.
God understands better than I do what the relational static my sin creates will do to my peace of mind sooner or later. Anticipating the fear and confusion I’ll feel as child of God no longer able to hear my Father clearly, He gives me the opportunity to confess and repent at the get-go, to turn around and get back on track before I wander farther and feel even more alone.
Trouble is, the Enemy is out there, too. Not poking, but jabbing. Not squeezing, but crushing. His weapon? Guilt.
“Well, here we are again!” he jeers. “What would they think if they saw what you just did, huh? What if they heard what you just said? What if they knew what you just thought? Some leader you are! You fake. You weakling. You selfish loser. And you thought God could use someone like you!”
At least that’s how it goes in my head.
I must admit, this sad little speech used to trip me up, slow me down, stall me out, but not anymore. One day, flinching under just such a tongue-lashing, I realized that while the choice I had made was admittedly wrong, as it failed to glorify God, or show people who He was and what He’d done for me in Jesus, the desire behind it wasn’t.
Full disclosure? I was guilty of gluttony, communicating through my actions that what God intended for me to have wasn’t sufficient and that my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, wasn’t worth stewarding well, but I didn’t really believe those things. In that moment, I just wanted to stop wanting.
Upon further reflection, I realized much of the sin in my life—anything that doesn’t match God’s will and character—was driven by similar desires.
I wanted to belong. I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be free.
Wanting these things is not wrong, but going outside of God’s will to get them is.
God’s plan is perfect. It may not bring what we want in the moment, but it always yields what we need in the end.
Someday, those of us who have put our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation from the consequences of sin and so been permanently adopted as His children will come fully into our inheritance, the Kingdom of God. On that day, we will not only see the purpose behind our struggle and what it accomplished, but we will also receive what is ours by re-birthright and be satisfied.
Surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ, we will know we belong. Tears wiped away by the Father, we will be happy. No longer slaves to sin, we will be free. Finally made perfect, we will lack for nothing, and the longing that opened us up to temptation here on earth will be a distant memory.
Until then, we wait. Not passively, but actively.
Holding up this future hope as a shield against present temptation, we keep moving forward toward Christ-likeness by the power of His Holy Spirit, not so people will be impressed with us, but so they will see God for Who He really is—the One who holds His children close, the One Who restores them gently when they wander, the One Who meets their every need—and put their faith in Him, for our collective good and the Father’s well-deserved glory.
by Emily Howsden | Dec 3, 2018
Over the weekend, President George H. W. Bush died at the age of 94. Previously, I didn’t know much about President Bush, considering the fact that he was president before I was born. But after doing some studying, and seeing the reactions of people, liberal and conservative, what a legacy he left.
I was listening to a radio show this morning that said H. W. served the United States of America for most of his life, starting when he served in World War II as a pilot. He flew 58 combat missions for the Navy, and was shot down in 1944. He survived the plane crash as a 20-year-old aviator and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts.
Then, he attended Yale University, and was first basemen and captain on the university baseball team. I heard someone say about that fact, “Could he be any more American?” It also was reported that H.W. was the first president to throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game from the pitcher’s mound.
He lost not once but twice when running for Senate after moving his family to Texas and working in oil related jobs. He did a lot of work in oil, founding many companies, to put it lightly. Shortly after his defeat in the senate race, H.W. was appointed by President Nixon as an ambassador to the United Nations, and later he would become chairman of the Republican National Committee.
H.W. served in the CIA, and then finally announced his candidacy for president, but later announced his support for Reagan. Some may not know that he served as President for eight hours when President Reagan was shot.
According to Britannica.com, some of his biggest Presidential accomplishments included the end of the Cold War. “Bush’s presidency coincided with world events of large proportion, including the collapse of communism in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and the reunification of Germany. In November 1990 Bush met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in Paris and signed a mutual nonaggression pact, a symbolic conclusion to the Cold War. They also signed treaties sharply reducing the number of weapons that the two superpowers had stockpiled over the decades of Cold War hostility.”
I heard also that he went skydiving for his 75th, 80th, 85th and even 90th birthdays. What??
But what grabbed my attention most out of all of his accomplishments as the leader of our nation, was a note that he wrote. This note was one that he wrote to Bill Clinton, who took over as President in 1992.
Clinton defeated H. W. in the Presidential election. He was his opposite, his competition, and someone who in today’s version of politics, Bush would likely slander and spew hate towards. But in fact, it was quite the opposite. Here is what he said to President Clinton in a letter dated January 20, 1993:
“Dear Bill,
When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt years ago. I know you will feel that, too.
I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described.
There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. I’m not a very good one to give advice; but just don’t let the critics discourage you or push you off course.
You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well.
Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you. Good Luck—George”
In an article by the Washington Post it says, “Years later, Clinton did the same for his own successor, George W. Bush. Clinton wrote in his memoir that he ‘wanted to be gracious and encouraging, as George Bush had been to me.’”
H. W. displayed the character I think the leader of the free world should display. He was respectful and gentlemanly. He was an American hero, a husband, father, grandfather and more. Our country is privileged to call him a President, and I respect any man who treats someone whom they lost to with such dignity and respect.
Attitude reflects leadership, to quote the great movie “Remember the Titans.”
I think because our leadership isn’t quite like it was with H.W., that is one reason our nation is more divided that it has ever been. I hope our country can return someday to behaving like H.W. did in his final statement to Clinton, “Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you.”
Rest in Peace, Mr. President.
by Chris Doyle | Nov 30, 2018
Greetings!
I’m back covering a wide array of topics. Thank you for taking time to read this week’s Doyle’s Half Dozen.
- Former NFL player now a church planter
Eddie Miller played five years as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns. He now is a church planter in San Francisco. Check out “Why I left the NFL to plant a church.”
This is a great read. I was impressed with Eddie’s story, especially how he was involved in church plants wherever he was playing. And then to hear him describe his experience about overcoming comfort to plant a church was challenging and encouraging.
Church planting is growing. The Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma is very much involved in training and supporting church planters. Check out the BGCO’s church planting page.
- Recalling DHD’s Christmas lists
Two years ago I did a DHD series with a Christmas theme. For the next few week’s I’ve decided to reminisce about those lists. Check out “Six Underrated Characters of Popular Christmas Shows.”
- Loving The Briefing
All of Al Mohler’s topics in today’s edition of The Briefing are excellent. I loved the analogy of celebrities politicking for candidates, concerns of current media consumption trends, lack of conservative late night hosts and the reporting on an odd new show “God Friended Me.”
It’s worth the 25 minutes of listening.
- Stetzer on missionary’s death
News broke last week about the death of John Chau, a missionary who was killed by natives of an Indian island. The best perspective of this tragedy is offered by Ed Stetzer, and I encourage you to read his “story on his story” on the Christianity Today website.
I have no position to criticize, but I pray that God will intervene and make Himself known through the attempt Chau made to share the Gospel with these people.
- ERLC lists State Southern Baptist Resolutions
I appreciate the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission featuring a list of resolutions that were presented at the annual meetings of different Southern Baptist state conventions. You can read the list here.
Resolutions don’t have any legal or binding power, but I find them interesting to read and to understand what we as Southern Baptists hold as important viewpoints with today’s society. One of the resolutions that passed at the recent BGCO annual meeting got major responses around the state. The resolution addressed recreational marijuana and drug abuse, encouraging Oklahomans to oppose legalizing recreational marijuana and to pray and support those dealing with drug abuse.
Many responded to this resolution that also reached national attention. Other state conventions also approved resolutions against marijuana.
- District 5 take note
I watched a video put out by the New York Times about the Oklahoma City metro is turning blue – meaning becoming more favorable to the Democratic Party platform and electing Democrats in public office. This video has some “eye-opening” elements, but I want to be sure that I don’t come across as angry or disgusted. Rather, I consider it informative of the area in which I live.
by Michael Foust | Nov 30, 2018
The film Creed II (PG-13) continues the Rocky tradition, but it isn’t just about boxing. It’s about family.
Adonis Creed is a boxer in his prime who just won the heavyweight championship. He also just got engaged.
Creed, though, isn’t happy. For 30 years he’s heard how his father – Apollo Creed – climbed to the top of the heavyweight mountain before being killed in the ring by a Russian boxer, Ivan Drago. That tragedy left Adonis fatherless and placed an emotional scar on him that he’s carried for life.
And now Ivan Drago’s son – the undefeated Viktor Drago – is No. 1 on the list of competitors for Creed’s championship belt.
Creed’s trainer, the legendary Rocky Balboa, doesn’t want him to fight Drago. Others share that sentiment, believing he will get killed while boxing, just like his father was.
But Adonis Creed is determined to avenge his father’s loss and to heal his emotional scars. The only question is: Will he live to tell about it?
The film Creed II (PG-13), now in theaters, continues the story that Rocky I, II, III and IV began and that the movie Creed picked up in 2015: of former champion Rocky Balboa – now older and wiser – training the son of his former friend, Apollo Creed. Adonis Creed (played by Michael B. Jordan) wins the heavyweight title early in the movie but is then faced with a choice: defend his belt against a lesser opponent or fight Viktor Drago – the stone-faced boxer who is every bit as tough as his dad. It was Ivan Drago who famously told Balboa before a fight in Rocky IV: “I must break you.”
The good news for Rocky fans is that the veteran actors and actresses are back. Sylvester Stallone plays Rocky Balboa, Dolph Lundgren returns as Ivan Drago, and Brigitte Nielsen – Ivan’s romantic interest and wife in Rocky IV – is back as Ludmilla Drago.
The best news, though, is that Creed II is more than a movie about boxing. It’s a film about fatherhood, with great messages every dad should hear.
Of course, Creed II includes quite a bit of violence and some language, too. Let’s examine the details.
Warning: minor/moderate spoilers!
(Scale key: none, minimal, moderate, extreme)
Violence/Disturbing
Moderate/extreme. The movie gives us an up-close and somewhat lengthy view of three boxing matches. For the squeamish, it can be difficult to watch. Punches land squarely on jaws. Blood flies out of mouths … in slow motion. Boxers fall to the ground and struggle to get up. One boxer goes to the hospital following a match and is told he has a ruptured kidney, cracked ribs and a concussion. Later, he urinates blood.
Sexuality/Sensuality/Nudity
Moderate. Adonis proposes to his girlfriend, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), in a touching and sweet moment. They then begin kissing and hop onto the bed. The scene lasts but a few seconds – and very little is seen – but sex is implied. It ruins an otherwise positive moment in the film.
Coarse Language
Minimal/Moderate. About 13 coarse words: s–t (11), h–l (1), b–ch (1).
Other Positive Elements
Rocky and Adonis are decades apart, but their friendship and bond is genuine. Rocky teaches Adonis the skill of boxing, and Adonis reciprocates it by taking care of an aging Rocky, who is a widower. It is implied that Adonis has given Rocky a major financial boost – almost like a wealthy NFL star buying his parents a new home.
Other Stuff You Might Want To Know
Adonis and Bianca discover they are pregnant before they are married. At first they are terrified – Bianca wonders how it will impact her singing career – but Adonis does the right thing in pledging his love and support for Bianca and their baby.
Life Lessons
Creed II provides several lessons. Among them: Championships and success don’t bring joy. Happiness is found in the simpler things of life. Family is preeminent. We also learn it’s never too late to be reconciled to someone.
Worldview/Application
The best movies remind us what life should be like. They celebrate the beauty in life. They inspire us. Despite its violent backdrop, Creed II does that. It is among the most pro-fatherhood films I’ve seen, with three father-centric angles: Rocky and his estranged son, Adonis and his deceased father, and Ivan Drago and his son (Ivan is living vicariously through him, pushing him beyond his limits). Not surprisingly, we see resolution before the credits roll. Creed II is a feel-good movie that makes you want to be a better father (Ephesians 6:4) or grandfather – perhaps even to be a father figure for the fatherless.
“I don’t want you making the same mistakes I made,” Rocky tells Adonis, referencing the son he hasn’t spoken to in years.
Then there is the subject of boxing, a sport that divides Christians. Many sports have an element of violence, but only boxing (and its MMA and UFC cousins) make violence the sole purpose. The goal, after all, is to knock out the opponent. There is no ball, no hoop, no helmet, no goal line. But you don’t have to be a boxing fan to enjoy the Rocky and Creed films. That’s because – at their core – they’re not about boxing. They’re about family and life. On those subjects, we can find agreement.
What Works
The father-centric story. The crowd and arena shots. It looks real.
What Doesn’t
Most proposals don’t end in the bedroom. It was a disappointing addition to the film.
Discussion Questions
- What does Creed II teach us about fatherhood?
- What led Rocky to want to reunite with his son? Why had they become estranged?
- Are fathers essential in the rearing of children? What unique qualities do they provide?
- Is boxing ethical?
Entertainment rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Family-friendly rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
Rated PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality.
by Hannah Hanzel | Nov 29, 2018
With a firm grip on His sovereign knitting needles, the Almighty transposed Himself into a young woman’s womb. She was a virgin, untouched by a man, and yet, somehow became the temple of the Greatest Love of all. He created Himself inside the body of the woman He created. A.W. Tozer put this profound happening this way, “Was there anything lovelier than to be the Creator of His own mother, to have made the very body that gave Him protection and bore Him at last into the world?”
God, with every stitch and loop, having already created His precious mother’s womb years earlier, created Himself there in that blessed space. God of all area and time contained to the shape of a small baby. Can you imagine the baby’s kicks, movements Mary must have felt like any other mother? Except, this baby had already experienced and, even more, created the world that awaited Him outside the womb.
Psalm 139:13 says, “For it was You that created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” The verse has a whole new weight when thoughts of the unborn Christ Child are infused in it. Perhaps God spoke as He knitted, “For it was I who created My inward parts; I knitted myself together in My mother’s womb.” At the finished work, was it a smile or a tear that came upon the Father’s face?
God knew, once He created the tiny body, that Mary would then give birth to Him, and the weight of human life would fall on the child’s small shoulders. He would grow to be a young man when his shoulders would hold the weight of wise instruction in the temple. Then He would develop into a mature man when His shoulders would hold the weight of the world’s sins.
Even as God created Himself as Christ in a young woman’s womb, just as delicately and just as lovingly does He form every unborn child. He breathes life into the quickly developing lungs. He pumps the heartbeat to a steady pace to sustain the rest of the delicate figure.
The Lord God loves babies.
Did you know that? He smiles at their joy. He weeps at their neglect. He comforts their already sinful hearts. He binds their wounds with compassion. He sees every born and not yet born baby, and He loves them.
At Christmas time, it can be easy to picture this God that loves babies. It can be easy to picture Mary holding the baby Savior as we pass countless nativities in the store and at church. I can vividly remember the last time the Lord allowed me to cradle and love on a little baby.
One Friday afternoon as I volunteered at the hospital near my house, a pediatrics intensive care unit nurse asked me to come hold and feed a 7-month-old baby. We’ll call him John. John had been abused. His little hands and feet were bandaged, concealing the cruel burns forced on his helpless body. Little John, even at 7 months old, had little trust for people, having only felt pain and fear in the arms of an adult. He fought sleep. He fought food. He fought me.
I began singing to John. I sang every hymn and worship song I could think of, and before long, his small body began to relax, and his fearful shaking subsided. His dark brown eyes finally had the courage to meet mine as he grasped the milk bottle in my hand. As he drank, I could see tears build in his eyes. “What have you seen, my little brother?” I thought to myself. “Be still and feel the presence of God fall on you, little one, for you are not invisible, and you are valuable.”
These words leapt from my heart and slipped from my lips to John’s tiny ears. As I whispered them, I mourned the injustice of it all. Why should one so innocent suffer so greatly? How could God allow the precious child in my arms to bear so much of the world? Could these be the very things Mary prayed in her heart?
As she cradled the tiny Savior, did she mourn the injustice of it all? Why should Christ, so perfect, suffer for the sins of the world?
Can you picture Mary in your church’s nativity, wrapping the Christ Child in her arms? Or have you missed it? Many have already been hurtled into the “full steam ahead” mentality, with families, duties, lists and tasks in tow. I feel compelled to encourage you to love the babies in your life. Here are three ways you can reflect God’s compassion to the children around you:
- Volunteer. Your holiday time is valuable, but perhaps one Saturday afternoon you could give up the time you would have spent watching a movie or go shopping to volunteer somewhere. Hospitals, crisis pregnancy centers and your church’s nursery are teeming every week with parents and babies in need of Christ’s compassion. Would you consider calling one of those places to see how you could give of your valuable time? You could ask your church staff if there is a single parent of whom you could babysit.
- Give. Maybe you’re too busy to organize a crisis pregnancy center’s closet or to hold a baby for an hour or two at a hospital near you. That’s okay! Do you have a penny under the seat of your car or a $20 bill left over from your Christmas present fund? Reach out to places like the Hope Pregnancy Center, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree, Samaritan’s Purse and your church’s nursery to provide the donation you’re able to offer!
- Sacrifice. Spend time with the babies in your life. Invest in their futures and in their walk with the Lord. Does your neighbor have a baby? Do you have your own baby? Do you have little ones in your extended or mediate family? Is one of your friends pregnant? When was the last time you told them that they’re loved? Sacrifice whatever it takes to let the babies in your life know they are valuable. Sacrifice your pride, your time, your attention, your arms, and your words.
This December, consider the reality that you will never again live out the 2018 Christmas season. This is your chance to make this year different. What will you do this holiday to show the love of Christ to the precious babies around you? For it was only a couple thousand years ago that God Himself unfurled the yarn of heaven to knit together the transposed Savior… Emmanuel, God with us.
by Caleb Moore | Nov 28, 2018
At Christmas time, we always give attention to Christ being born. But what I always like to think about is that moment just before Mary became pregnant. Where was Jesus right before he entered into his mother’s womb?
We know that Jesus prior to coming to earth was fully God, sitting at a position of authority along with God the Father. Jesus was ruling and reigning as God, and then suddenly, He is transformed and implanted into Mary’s womb.
The amount of humility Jesus showed in this act is impossible for us to comprehend. Before coming to earth He is fully understood by all the angels. He is worshiped for who He truly is, and His every command is obeyed without hesitation.
When that planned hour finally arrived, Jesus does something totally unimaginable. He steps away from His throne. There is no vocabulary to describe what the trip from His throne into the womb would look like. It likely happened in the blink of an eye, but it is still the farthest journey imaginable.
Jesus leaves behind a realm where He was totally understood and totally obeyed to a place in space and time where He became totally dependent on His family to provide for Him. Nine months later, God in the flesh would need to cry when He was hungry. God himself would need to be changed and held.
As He grew, He would be misunderstood, betrayed, mocked and eventually killed. Jesus entered our world amongst the blood and pain of childbirth, and He left among the blood and pain of crucifixion. That is the way we treated the King of Kings. But the pain of death was not the final bookend to His earthly life. He would be raised again in victory.
The question I always ask myself is why did Jesus have to come so far? Why did he have to traverse such a great distance?
The truth is because that is how far away from God I was. It’s good to recognize and celebrate the birth of Jesus, but let us not forget the tragedy that caused Him to come to save His creation. I pray you are humbled as I am, whenever I think about that moment right before Mary became a mother.