Another Great Man!

Another Great Man

Dear Champions,

 

The excerpt below was sent to me by Mr. Jim Mancke who is celebrating his birthday today.  He shared with me that not only did President Kennedy die on this day but also C.S. Lewis.  His response to my birthday greeting today is worth sharing with you.  The Scripture is James 4:6.  God opposes the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.

 

Thanks for remembering this special day that is actually more special this year than ever. 50-years ago today, November 22, 1963,  I was in junior high school as a 9th grader. It was my birthday and with my being a young office worker, the office staff had surprised me with a very special birthday cake. As we were readying ourselves for the cake cutting, the announcement of President Kennedy being shot was made on the radio. Not long after that announcement came the more shocking news of our President's death. 

 

I was asked to go up the narrow stairwell leading to the roof of Evans Junior High School where the flag of our country was flying. My task was to lower that flag to half staff. As young as I was, I still considered it to be a very powerful moment in my life. I will remember it forever!

Interestingly, another great man passed away on that same day. His passing was obviously overshadowed by our President's death. His name - C.S. Lewis. His powerful writings have touched an untold number of lives and especially mine. He was able to express God's love for me in a way no one else has. One of his more moving writings reminds his readers to this day that a great "stumbling block" for mankind is our pride. As he phrased it -  

 

"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free," Lewis wrote, "which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else . . . The vice I am talking of is Pride . . . Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind …

"As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

 

The Message of Reconciliation-Part 2

The Message of Reconciliation-Part 2

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the scripture is Romans 12:17-18 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.    If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Reconciliation became an unavoidable reality for me years ago when my relationship with my Dad was dead and dying.  I was going to see a counselor because I kept talking to my wife about it.  Finally she said, "You've said that 25 times.  I can't help you.  You need to tell someone else."  That's what we do.  We take all of our dysfunction from one relationship, and we just dump it on a new one.  Our husband and wives and kids are like, "What did we do?"

Finally I went to see a counselor.  During this time, a friend of my Dad called me and told me that I was wasting my time trying to reconcile with my Dad.  He said, "Your Dad is from a generation where he is not going to come around, and you need to stop trying."

That was all I needed to hear, so I went to my counselor.  "I've done all I can do.  I've done all I'm going to do, and even one of his friends said that I ought to be done."  My counselor wasn't buying it, so I asked him, "How long do I have to do this?  When can I finally give up on this?"  He said, "Andy, you can give up on your relationship with your father when your heavenly Father gives up on His relationship with you." 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

The Message of Reconciliation

The Message of Reconciliation

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Andy Stanley, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.

One of the worst lies that you can tell yourself when it comes to family is, "I don't care."  You were born to care, and if you don't care, there is something wrong with you.  There is a big old bungee cord attached to your belt loop.  You run and all of a sudden that bungee cord yanks you back to that time of your life when you walked away and decided that you didn't care anymore.  This applies to all family members, but where this comes most dramatic is in our relationship with our father. 

Christ followers can't live with the excuse that I don't care because Christ's love compels us, and we are convinced that one died for all and that those that live should no longer live for themselves (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).  Christ did for you something that was uncomfortable for Him, and now He is requiring for you to do something for Him that is uncomfortable for you.  

If you are a Christ follower your entire life is to be a message that says, "Did you know that you can be reconciled to God?"  Reconciliation is in spite of your sin.  God says that you have to reconcile with others in spite of their sin because I reconciled with you in spite of your sin.   Romans 5:8 While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  

If we are not careful our message is this.  You can be reconciled to God in spite of your sin, but you can't be reconciled to me because of your sin.  I have standards, and my standards are higher than God.  When you became a follower of Jesus you died to yourself.  Jesus said yes to you so that you can now say yes to Him. 

You are to carry the message of reconciliation.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

All Stories Point to Jesus

All Stories Point to Jesus

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the scripture is in the excerpt.

It's interesting that the two English authors who are the most read authors in the English speaking language in the 20^th century were friends.  One of them led the other one to Jesus Christ.  One was an atheist (C.S. Lewis), and one was a Christian (J. R. Tolkien).  They took a long walk one day on the grounds of Magdalen College in Oxford, and Tolkien led Lewis to Christ by talking about heroes.  Lewis said, "I love the old stories of ancient heroes.  They really stir me up.  What a shame they're all myths."  And Tolkien responded, "But they're not all myths.  You know the story of Sleeping Beauty.  It points to the truth that true love can break the most powerful evil spell.  The story of Beauty and the Beast points to the truth that sacrificial love can transform the greatest horror.  And Jesus -- what a great story!  He's born in a manger, and the king tries to kill Him but He's saved at the last minute, snatched away, and escapes.  Then He grows up, and He takes on the great oppressive forces of life and of the world.  They take Him on, and they kill Him.  But, no -- He's raised from the dead! 

Here's what the wonder of the gospel is.  Jesus Christ is not one more story pointing to those great truths.  Jesus Christ is the truth to which all the great stories point.  In other words, Jesus Christ comes into the world saying, "I am the Prince who can break the spell with My kiss.  I am the Beauty who can transform the beast.  I'm the Hero of heroes, and I've entered into the world's story.  I'm going to put down every villain, and someday every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4).  So come with Me, and I will enter into your life and be the Hero of your story.  Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will take the pressure off you -- and I will give you rest."(Matthew 11:28-30)

Believe the true story of Jesus.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining