He is Holding On To You

He is Holding On To You

 

The short excerpt was sent to me by a friend, and I don't know who wrote it.  This is a little longer than usual, but it is pretty good.  The Scripture is John 10:28-29 I (Jesus) give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
 
Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.  In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could. Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

 

P.S.  I give two thumbs up for the movie playing at the theaters now, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone.

 

Love Changes the Heart

Love Changes the Heart

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the Scripture is Hosea 11:4 I led them with ropes of human kindness, with ties of love. I lifted the load from their neck and went down to feed them.
 
Fear of Hell and damnation will never change the fundamental structures of your heart.  What's wrong with you and me and the world is self-centeredness and self-absorption.  Me over you, and me instead of you.  That is what is wrong.  When you scare people and say, "You'd better be good because of the fear of Hell and damnation," why are they being good?   Are they being good for God's sake to please Him, or are they being good for their own sake?  They are using God saying, "If I live a really good life, then God will have to give me success.  He will give me a family, a man or woman of my dreams, and He will take me to heaven."  In other words, God is still the means to an end to get the things that you have really been building your identity on. 
  
Love will change the fundamental structures of the heart!  Radical unconditional love is the only thing that will take our mistrustful, in denial, conniving little hearts and shock them into a whole new way of living and being.  Jesus Christ was the judge of the earth who came not to bring judgment but to bare judgment and to go to Hell for His enemies.  Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd.  You can be sure that I will do anything for you because I have done anything for you.  I lost everything, so that I wouldn't lose you."

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining 

Use Words If Necessary

Use Words If Necessary

Dear Champions,

 

The scripture is Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or conceit but in humility count others better than yourself.  Let each of you look not only to your own interest but also to the interest of others.

 

My wife, Beth, and I often like to ask our waitress or waiter to tell us about their life. Usually they are shocked that we would even care.  In the last week three encounters stood out.  A middle aged waitress explained to us that she had recently run away from her husband who was abusing her.  Her adult son actually had to come and get out of that situation.  The neighbors had called him.  A young waitress at a different restaurant explained to us that she was separated and about to be divorced from her husband. He was spending all of their money on drugs.  At a perfume store the clerk broke down and cried.  She asked Beth to go to the corner of the store and pray for her.  

 

All three received a big hug.  They needed a word of encouragement and the knowledge that there are people out there that care.

 

Francis of Assisi said it best.  "Share the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words."

 

Champions, have a Merry Christmas!-David Vining

 

P.S.  The surgery for Elizabeth Meier lasted 6 hours.  They removed 10 blockages.  There was internal bleeding afterwards that was a setback.  They found no more cancer!  She was able to go home with her family on the 22^nd in time for Christmas.  They are hopeful that her bowels will start working again and that the scar tissue will not reform.

 

Prayers for Elizabeth Meier

Prayers for Elizabeth Meier

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is from my friend Elizabeth Emmons Meier.  She is a wife and mother of 4 that is having surgery tomorrow (Wednesday, December 14) and requests prayer.  Below is an excerpt from her caring bridge journal.  It is applicable for us.

 

Living in Orange County has shown me that it's very easy to get wrapped up in the latest, the greatest and the best. Why is it when we have a lot, we still want more?  Lately, my life has been the opposite. I have found that when you are going through difficult times, you typically want just a few things. I know for me and my journey with cancer, my prayers have been simple; I want to live, I want the pain to stop and I want the cancer to leave and never return. When my sister was in town last week, she wanted to take me shopping for my birthday present. For the first time in my life, I had a hard time thinking of anything I really wanted other than healing. There have been times that the pain was so intense, all I could say in my prayers was, "Help"! Romans 8:26 states, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we are to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans". Even when we don't have the words to express our wants, God is there, fulfilling the desires of our hearts.

 

So, on this eve of my surgery, my wants are still rather simple - a successful surgery, no cancer and no pain. Matt 18:19 says, "if two or more of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven". This is why I ask you to pray for me. God promises us, your prayers of healing for me will be answered.

 

Champions, for those that pray for Elizabeth, thank you!-David Vining

Sacrifice Our Life?

Sacrifice Our Life?

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the Scripture is Romans 12:1 Therefore,I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God which is your spiritual act of worship.  

June 30th 1859 Charles Blondin, the famous aerial French tightrope walker, stretched a rope across the Niagara Falls and walked across it with a crowd of 10,000 people watching.  He and his manager, Harry Colcord, promised them a bigger stunt every week.  The crowds grew, and one week he went across with a sack on his head.  Another week he bicycled across.  Another time he put in a stove with a fire in it in a wheelbarrow.  He took it out to the middle and he made himself an omelet and ate it and came back.  One time he stood on his head, and another time he did somersaults.

It was getting near the end of the summer, and he said that he had to do something to get the biggest crowd of all, so he came up with an idea.  I'll carry a man across on my back.  They announced that Blondin was going to carry a man across the Niagara Falls on his back, and 100,000 people came this last time.  First, however, they had to find someone who was willing to do it.  They advertised in the paper and said that $1000 would be paid to any man who will come and be recruited to go across.  $1000 was a lot of money and a lot of people showed up for the recruitment trial.  They had to find the ones that weren't too big, and finally they had a whole slew of them that they thought would be possible candidates.  Blundin went out on the rope and carried a 200-pound sack to prove that there was no problem with him doing this feat.  Then he came back and went down the line, and he asked this question to all of the candidates.  Do you believe that without a doubt that I can carry you across?  One after the other said, "Absolutely, no doubts."  Then he went down the line and asked, "Will you let me carry you across the Niagara Falls on the rope?"  Every one of them one by one said, "Not on your life!" 

Our problem is not just intellectual, but it is this.   Are we willing to sacrifice our life? 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Thy Will Be Done

Thy Will Be Done

 

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller and the scripture is Mark14:36  "Abba,Father," Jesus said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

 

If you believe that you are saved by works, you will say, "There is a minimum standard of life that God owes me.  God can let me have a few problems but not major problems.  I've paid my dues.  I go to church.  I just say no to all of these sexual impulses that I used to give into. Therefore, God owes me.  Saying "Thy Will Be Done" is impossible if you believe that you are saved by works.

 

Thy Will Be Done means, "I obey you no matter what.  I owe you everything, and you owe me nothing."  That statement is only logical if you are saved by grace.   God has the right to contradict and confront and the right to send things into my life that I don't understand.  He has the right to do that with no explanation, and I must submit to Him as gladly as I possibly can.

 

An awful lot of people today I meet are very interested in being spiritual, but here's one of the things that they always say.  "I want to meet God and be spiritual, but don't you tell me what's right and wrong.  I have to decide what's right and wrong for me."  You can't have a personal relationship with God unless you are willing to say, "Thy Will Be Done."  If you have a personal relationship with someone in good friendships or marriage you're constantly having to say, "Not my will but your will be done."  

 

In the garden of Gesemane Jesus wrestled with God.  Blood was coming out of His pores, and He finally said, "Thy Will Be Done."  This melts our hearts so that we can say, "Thy Will Be Done" too.  To say that we have to look at Someone who has wrestled more than we have until it melts our heart with love, joy and gratitude.  "Lord, if You said 'Thy Will Be Done' for me like that then I can say 'Thy Will Be Done for You.'"  

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

If I Live Right

If I Live Right

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is from Tim Keller, and the scripture is Matthew 5:45   God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

 

Over the years I have seen people getting completely destroyed by the troubles in their lives.  And here's why.  There's a premise underneath our lives that's so deep that we don't even realize it is there.  And the premise is this.  "If I live right, my life should go right."  So if your life goes wrong, you either say "Something's wrong with me.  I hate myself, because I must be a failure."  Or the other possibility is, "I hate God, because He's not treating me like I deserve."  Then, every mode of the experience is either going to lead you into self-hatred or God-hatred.  If that becomes a sustained theme in your life, you will be poisoned.  Something has to destroy the premise.  

 

Jesus Christ was a perfect, loving man anointed with the Spirit.   He went into the wilderness where He was tested and tried.  He was absolutely obedient, and He did it for us.  He was living the life we should have lived.  Years later this perfect Man ended up on the cross.  He says, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"  That's the only time in His entire life when He doesn't call God Father because on the cross He was losing His Sonship and relationship with His Father.  He was getting the punishment we deserved, so we can have it.  

 

We are accepted not because of the life that we have lived but because of the life that Jesus lived.  We must come and say, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling."  We must not come saying, "I have lived a pretty good life, and you owe me."  Instead, we have to say, "You have every right to send me to Hell, but I want your mercy because of what Jesus Christ did.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining