Game Changer

     If you’re a political junkie or a sports fan, last weekend brought you a game changer.

     In the world of politics, South Carolina’s primary election last Saturday was a game changer.  The winner surprised everyone and the former front-runner was left trying to figure out what happened.

     For the football world the two championship games came down to a field goal.  One team made theirs and the other did not.  In both cases a field goal was the game changer.

     In the game of life some events can become a real game changer while others we thought were important fade in comparison.  Sometimes we are surprised at how much was changed.

     My life has seen several game changers.  What about yours?

    The first game changer in my life was a decision I made as a child about how to interact with others.  Because I was not the firstborn, my older sibling was always two steps ahead of me–stronger, smarter and better spoken.  It was hard for me to win an argument or a game of chess!

     As a result I made a decision to collect facts and evidence, as well as develop my ‘debate’ skills.  That way I had a chance at winning!  And that decision shaped my thinking throughout my youth.

     Other game changers included my choice of which college to attend (a Christian University), my decision to propose to my girlfriend (she said “Yes!”) and the birth of our first child.

     But the most significant game changer was something else that happened to me while still a child. It was my decision to follow Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 

     “Now hold on, just a minute!” you may say.  “I know a lot of religious people and they don’t seem that much different from me.”

     That may be true.  But in my case, I didn’t just become more religious or ‘get religion.’ 

     After learning the Ten Commandments I knew I had broken God’s Law.  And I knew that I needed the forgiveness and the new life that Jesus offered.  But what struck me most was the relationship God promised to have with me.

     God not only gives us a new way to live through Jesus Christ, he also promises to give us a new ability to please him.  He’s not just interested in rule-keepers but in children he can have a personal relationship with through the Bible and prayer.  That’s why he is called our ‘Father.’

     Jesus said that eternal life came through knowing his Father, “the only true God.” The Bible adds that we become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

     One of the benefits of faith in Christ is the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in us.  Jesus said he would guide us into all truth.  He also gives us peace and a new ability to please God.

     No longer did I wonder if God accepted my good works or was pleased with me.  No longer did I fear death or standing before God.  Because the Bible says that Jesus will claim me as his own, that God forgives all my sin and that Jesus would stand with me at the judgment of God.

     God also promises to give me wisdom if I ask.  He offers guidance through the Bible.  And Jesus said he would even give me words to speak should I be called on to defend my faith.

     Following Jesus Christ didn’t make my life perfect, but it did relieve a lot of stress!

     I don’t know what’s going on in your life right now.  But I do know that following Jesus Christ was the best decision I ever made.  And it could be the game changer in your life that you are hoping for. 

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Power to Choose

     I had a difficult choice to make.  And it was one I’d made before:  “Was I going to get it or was it going to get me?”

     In tenth grade the ‘it’ was Geometry.  It college and grad school ‘it’ was learning difficult foreign languages (Greek and Hebrew).  And in every case, choosing to ‘get it’ meant giving up personal time to memorize a great deal of information.

     Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  Not only did I end up doing well in those subjects, but I also learned to think logically and to read the Bible in its original languages.  As an added bonus I became more self-disciplined and more confident.

     So let me ask you: “Are you committed to making better choices now than you did last year?”

     Some folks never learn. They repeat the same mistakes over and over. What they don't seem to understand is that the power of choice is the power to change. To become better.

     The easy choice is to complain.  Or to blame someone else for life’s trials.  That way we can avoid difficult choices and the path of responsibility.

     But while difficult choices are often painful in the immediate future, they can be the path to growth, maturity and blessing if we learn to be patient.

     “Now hold on just a minute!” you may say. “What if I choose wrong?”

     Then you have a choice.  To learn from the mistake is to grow wiser and choose better. To not learn from the mistake is to choose ignorance and avoid responsibility.

     The celebrated artist and author Thomas Kinkade wrote, “Life, if you have eyes to see the whole picture, brims with meaning, with purpose.” Then he added, “The best things in life are yours for the choosing.”

     That is never truer than in the realm of faith.  God has revealed himself through the world he created and through his written word, the Bible.  And down through history he presents people with the choice to trust, obey and follow him.

     The alternate choice is to follow a false religion.  And there are plenty to choose from.  So, to help us, God has given us the Bible, his written word and his Son, Jesus, the living Word.

     Today, instead of religious rules and laws, God has made it clear he wants a relationship with us through his son, Jesus Christ.  Because of Jesus’ death on the cross for our sin and resurrection from the dead to give us life, we now have direct access to God.

     No longer is it necessary to go to him or listen to him through a mediator such as a priest or prophet.  Instead, the Bible says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

     So God says, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”

     If we follow Jesus and trust in him, he also offers to help us with other difficult choices in life.  The Bible says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

     Thank God he didn’t make us robots that can only do what they’re programmed to do.  He created us with the power to choose.  And with it the power to change and become something better than we’ve been by trusting in him.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Bad Behavior

     Do you have a problem with your behavior?  I do.  And I’ll bet you do, too.  That’s why it’s popular to make New Year’s resolutions.  Because we’re not the people we should be.

     We know what we should do but we don’t do it.  Children and adults both face this struggle.  It must be human to think we’re exempt from the rules others should keep.

     Like what?  Well what about texting on your cell phone while driving?  Or driving over the speed limit?  What about eating too much food with salt or sugar?   We all break the rules.

     People often pursue with abandon behaviors that have serious consequences.  Addictive behaviors.  Self-destructive behaviors.  Behaviors that steal time and maybe a bit of their souls.

     Part of the problem is that, while we’re often given the correct information, we don’t use it to change our lives.  We haven’t learned a thing.

     “Hold on just a minute!” you say.  “What’s the benefit of knowledge if it doesn’t change us?”

     Nothing. 

     In college I took a class on Principles and Methods of Teaching.  One thing I never forgot is this principle: “Teaching hasn’t occurred until learning has occurred and learning hasn’t occurred until there has been a change in behavior.”

     For me it was one of those rare “Aha!” moments.  In a flash I realized that most of my education was just a transfer of information.  Information that, by itself, changed nothing.

     But the Bible wasn’t given to us for information alone.  It was given for our transformation!

     Only the Bible contains the words of life.  Its words are living, active and powerful enough to transform the worst criminal into a godly saint.

     God’s solution is to change us through faith in Jesus Christ.  He changes us from the inside out. 

     When we accept that Jesus is the Son of God, Lord of all and that his crucifixion was for our sin, God forgives our failures, removes our guilt and gives us a totally new outlook on life.

     Then God begins the process of renewing our minds.  To do that, he uses his Word, the Bible.

     Jesus’ final instructions to his followers include one that said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

     Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Teaching them everything I have commanded you.”  That IS what many churches do.  But it’s NOT what he said.

     Jesus said, “Teaching them to OBEY everything I have commanded you.”  Big difference!

     It’s all about the behavior.  About bringing our obedience level up to our knowledge level.

     Don’t take my word on it.  Find out for yourself.  Pick up a Bible and check it out.  Start in the New Testament Gospel of John and then keep reading.

     You’ll discover that God can speak to you through the pages of his book.  That’s why the Gideons put Bibles in hotel rooms around the world.  To see lives transformed.

     When I give talks about the Bible, my goal is to see lives changed.  Sadly, not everyone who hears God’s Word allows it to change his or her behavior.  But that doesn’t diminish its power. 

     God changed my heart and his Word changes my behavior.  I work with him on it every day.  And if you’re troubled by your bad behavior, the Bible can transform your life, as well.

     Understanding this can transform church attendance from a pleasant past time to a life-changing event.  The truth will set you free if you obey it!

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Savings Plan

     This is the time of year some people are afraid of their mailboxes.  Why?  Because December is the month for overindulgence.  We overeat and we overspend.

     January is the month for ‘facing the music.’  It’s the ‘moment of truth’ when the credit card bills arrive and we realize we spent more than we could afford on Christmas.  Again.

     For many it’s a vicious cycle.  In January we vow we’ll never do it again.  Then the Christmas season hits and we get caught up in the spirit of buying.  Before you know it–it’s January again and we’re miserable when the bills arrive.  Why do we do it?

     Well hold on just a minute.  If it happens every year, why not do something about it this time?  Pay off the credit cards and come up with a reasonable savings plan.

     If you start now, you can save a little each week.  And when the 2012 Christmas catalogs begin to arrive you’ll have the cash.  No credit cards needed!  Just think of the wonderful January you’ll have in 2013!

     Unfortunately Americans aren’t big on planning ahead.  We like to live for today.    Part of the reason we do it is fear of the future.

     Some people are too afraid to invest.  They don’t trust banks or the stock market.  And if they were to save cash at home they’re afraid someone might break in and steal it.

     Others “invest” in possessions.  Their motto is “Buy now because tomorrow never comes.”  But depreciation can make that a bad deal.  And here’s the worst part:  One day you’ll leave it all behind.  Permanently.  Then who benefits from all your hard work?  

     So what can you do?

     Jesus Christ gives us advice that makes sense both financially and spiritually.  He said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

     It makes sense to plan for the future.  It’s also good advice to put your treasure in something (and somewhere) that will last.  Something truly valuable and significant.

     Most people plan to retire some day.  Many have a retirement or savings program in place.  But what about forever?  We’re all going to spend forever somewhere.  It makes sense to think about it now and send something ahead. 

     First you need a plan to get to heaven.  Jesus took care of that when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”  Trust in him.

     Then invest in things with eternal dividends.  Since people are the only thing you can bring to heaven, support organizations that help people with their physical and spiritual needs.  Especially those agencies that bring people the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That’s how they get to Heaven!

     Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”

     Don’t kid yourself. One day your wealth will be gone. What will you have to show for it?

     Christmas Clubs and savings accounts can relieve January stress.  But don’t settle for just money.  One day, by planning ahead, you can have ‘treasure’ that will last forever.  By trusting in Christ and pointing others to him you can have an eternal saving plan.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!