Admonitions Concerning Obedience
The Word of God is full of verses which connect faith with action. For example, we are admonished to do the following:
Continue in the faith.
"If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel"
(Colossians 1:23). "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (I Timothy 4:16).
Hold fast our profession of faith.
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised" (Hebrews 10:23).
Keep faith to the end.
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (II Timothy 4:7). "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:12).
Resist the devil steadfast in the faith. "Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world" (I Peter 5:9).
Earnestly contend for the faith.
"Ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 1:3).
Keep our eyes on the Author and Finisher of our faith. "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).
Be diligent in the faith to inherit the promises.
"That ye be not slothful [idle], but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises"
(Hebrews 6:12).
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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
NFL Week 11 Picks: Express Edition
NFL Week 11 Picks: Express Edition
M.D. Wright
11.12.08
The NFL goes to Thursday Night games at this time of the year, so I have to get my picks out three days earlier. This, of course, increases my likelihood of being erroneous. You don't know who is injured, who's practicing all week, and how that will ultimately affect the games. However, I'm going to give it a go. I have to finish this season strong. My goal is to pick 'em at a .667 clip this year, YE DIIIIIG???
Let's do it.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
*Thursday*
OK, so the Vegas line is NE (-3). Whatever. The Patriots aren't convincing with that 6-3 record. The Jets have been stomping teams even when the game has been close (except their losses, in which they've looked atrocious). That should make Jets' fans nervous, except they're already Nervous Nellies by nature.
The Patriots look like a 40 & Over League at the Y on defense. The Jets run the ball very well and play great defense. I'm picking them, because as I've been saying lately: NEW YORK SPORTS 2008-2009 = COMPLETE DOMINATION.
Call:
NY Jets 24
New England 17
---
Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Broncos are going to get killed the rest of this season with that sieve of a defense. Cutler can't win games alone. They got by last week because the Browns are a weekly Choke-In-Waiting.
The Falcons are for real. Michael Turner should have a FIELD DAY (at least he better, for fantasy purposes) and so should Roddy White (for the same reason hah). Who is going to stop either one of them? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!?!
Call:
Denver 20
Atlanta 31
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Iggles have proven they cannot get it done in the NFC East. They don't run the ball well enough, and Donovan McNabb just isn't clutch anymore (arguable if he ever was, with his skip-hop throws 3 yards short of the WR). They will handle the Bengals, though. They've put up 40+ points against the sorry teams they've played this year.
Call:
Philadelphia 41
Cincinnati 24
---
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
The Bears are still solid, but their defense isn't as good as its reputation has been. The Packers get a lot of INTs/Returned INTs for TDs, but otherwise, they don't scare you on either side of the ball. HOWEVER, Kyle Orton has been a stabilizing force for the Bears' offense and even Rex Grossman played semi-decently vs. Tennessee. Matt Forte will get his 100 yards.
Call:
Chicago 17
Green Bay 13
---
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
I hereby give up on the Texans.
Plus, the Colts know they pretty much have to win out in order to ensure that they make the playoffs. They don't HAVE to, but they are going to play like it, while we will all be at home wondering when 1) Andre Johnson is going to skip town 2) Steve Slaton is going to go off in Fantasy after everyone who picked him up TRADES him and 3) We will see Sage-copter again lmao. The Colts' defense is BACK, BTW.
Call:
Houston 14
Indianapolis 31
---
New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
The Saints COULD lose this game. The Chiefs have been playing very inspired football of late. This is my upset special of the week. Herm Edwards once again proved last week that he plays to win the game, and they will do that this Sunday.
Call:
New Orleans 23
Kansas City 27
---
Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
The Raiders will leave Miami with a tan, a few skrippas and CLAWS in their backs from the Wildcat offense (and less than 150 yards of their own... again. hah.)
Call:
Oakland 2
Miami 17
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
I will admit, I am nervous about this game. Not because of the Ravens' defense; because we've played a half dozen good-to-great ones this season thus far. It's because they have been scoring roughly 35 PPG in the past four weeks -- something that is UNHEARD OF from them. Despite having the stingiest run defense in the NFL, no one has been able to, nor CAN stop the Giants from running it. Even if not for the 160 yards per game that they are accustomed to, they will run it for the sake of running it and put a stranglehold on the time of possession (Giants in TOP = COMPLETE DOMINATION).
Flacco will make mistakes and it will be the difference in the game. But if Ray Rice plays and they break out the Wildcat offense with Troy Smith, watch out. The Giants' defense is particularly vulnerable when the front four cannot get to the QB and they have to blitz, leaving the secondary on islands (although they are BETTER than the haters suggest). The real nervous point is the average-speed LBs who have to cover downfield. Antonio Pierce gets beat deep quite a bit by very good TEs. The Ravens might have something in the works, using Todd Heap. This is going to be a good game. But the Giants will pull it out due to their poise, moxie, experience and the 12th man in East Rutherford.
Call:
Baltimore 17
NY Giants 30
---
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
The Bucs are the most boring team to watch in the NFL. I almost wonder how they win. Adrian Peterson is going to carry the Vikes for the rest of the season. He's going to possibly broach his single-game rushing record and YES I'm saying that vs. Tampa's defense.
Call:
Minnesota 20
Tampa Bay 17
---
Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
0-16, B!!! Jake Delhomme sucks once a month, but he got that out of the way last week.
Call:
Detroit -5
Carolina 34
---
St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
This game does not warrant mentioning. Neither team has players you even want to see play. However, Head Coach Mike Singletary has the Niners playing hard. That is SOMEWHAT palpable. The Rams have mailed it in after two good games -- they've played two STINKERS in a row.
Call:
St. Louis 6
San Francisco 24
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks
Qwest Field
Seattle, Washington
OK. The Cards do not possess a killer instinct yet. They commit too many silly penalties and turnovers. However, these ARE like your Father's Seabags...
Call:
Arizona 41
Seattle 8
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
If the Jags are EVER going to put a two-game winning streak together, they MUST do it now. They will play their beset game Sunday, while the Titans will finally suffer that loss they've been flirting with the past three weeks.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Jacksonville 16
---
San Diego Not-So-Super Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Chargers stink on defense. Offensively, they can compete with anyone. Philip Rivers leads the NFL in QB Rating, ya know...
However, Tomlinson is only ever going to reach 85% this season with that toe. I just hope he isn't like Deion Sanders after he had turf toe (at the same age, virtually) in 1998. Now that I mention it, the guy who ran by Prime on that play where he injured his toe is dropping passes more often than Braylon Edwards right now. I'll let you look up who that guy is who basically sent Deion's career slowly spiraling downward after a meteoric rise from 1989-1998.
Anyway. The Steelers are smarting (as Hubie Brown would say). The Chargers, along with their ability to seize the AFC West lead and having a chip on their shoulder, will pull this out.
Call:
San Diego 38
Pittsburgh 24
---
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
*SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*
The Cowboys will come out with the full arsenal after their bye week. The Redskins have been reeling of late. Clinton Portis lost his lead in the NFL in rushing and I think he's peaked, as far as great games go this season. He may be in better shape, but I don't see Portis being able to keep up this pace, especially since teams have figured out Jason Campbell's tendencies.
I hate both teams, so I have no bent when it comes to the prediction. I just think Dallas has more to prove and are eager to prove it.
Call:
Dallas 31
Washington 23
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Orchard Park, New York
*Monday Night Football*
Why is this game on Monday Night? Jamal Lewis already said the Browns have mailed in their season... Buffalo is fighting for their playoff life here.
Call:
Cleveland 17
Buffalo 31
---
More later...
M.D. Wright
11.12.08
The NFL goes to Thursday Night games at this time of the year, so I have to get my picks out three days earlier. This, of course, increases my likelihood of being erroneous. You don't know who is injured, who's practicing all week, and how that will ultimately affect the games. However, I'm going to give it a go. I have to finish this season strong. My goal is to pick 'em at a .667 clip this year, YE DIIIIIG???
Let's do it.
New York Jets vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
*Thursday*
OK, so the Vegas line is NE (-3). Whatever. The Patriots aren't convincing with that 6-3 record. The Jets have been stomping teams even when the game has been close (except their losses, in which they've looked atrocious). That should make Jets' fans nervous, except they're already Nervous Nellies by nature.
The Patriots look like a 40 & Over League at the Y on defense. The Jets run the ball very well and play great defense. I'm picking them, because as I've been saying lately: NEW YORK SPORTS 2008-2009 = COMPLETE DOMINATION.
Call:
NY Jets 24
New England 17
---
Denver Broncos vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Broncos are going to get killed the rest of this season with that sieve of a defense. Cutler can't win games alone. They got by last week because the Browns are a weekly Choke-In-Waiting.
The Falcons are for real. Michael Turner should have a FIELD DAY (at least he better, for fantasy purposes) and so should Roddy White (for the same reason hah). Who is going to stop either one of them? ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!?!
Call:
Denver 20
Atlanta 31
---
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium
Cincinnati, Ohio
The Iggles have proven they cannot get it done in the NFC East. They don't run the ball well enough, and Donovan McNabb just isn't clutch anymore (arguable if he ever was, with his skip-hop throws 3 yards short of the WR). They will handle the Bengals, though. They've put up 40+ points against the sorry teams they've played this year.
Call:
Philadelphia 41
Cincinnati 24
---
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
Lambeau Field
Green Bay, Wisconsin
The Bears are still solid, but their defense isn't as good as its reputation has been. The Packers get a lot of INTs/Returned INTs for TDs, but otherwise, they don't scare you on either side of the ball. HOWEVER, Kyle Orton has been a stabilizing force for the Bears' offense and even Rex Grossman played semi-decently vs. Tennessee. Matt Forte will get his 100 yards.
Call:
Chicago 17
Green Bay 13
---
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium
Indianapolis, Indiana
I hereby give up on the Texans.
Plus, the Colts know they pretty much have to win out in order to ensure that they make the playoffs. They don't HAVE to, but they are going to play like it, while we will all be at home wondering when 1) Andre Johnson is going to skip town 2) Steve Slaton is going to go off in Fantasy after everyone who picked him up TRADES him and 3) We will see Sage-copter again lmao. The Colts' defense is BACK, BTW.
Call:
Houston 14
Indianapolis 31
---
New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
The Saints COULD lose this game. The Chiefs have been playing very inspired football of late. This is my upset special of the week. Herm Edwards once again proved last week that he plays to win the game, and they will do that this Sunday.
Call:
New Orleans 23
Kansas City 27
---
Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
The Raiders will leave Miami with a tan, a few skrippas and CLAWS in their backs from the Wildcat offense (and less than 150 yards of their own... again. hah.)
Call:
Oakland 2
Miami 17
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Football Giants
Giants Stadium at the New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
I will admit, I am nervous about this game. Not because of the Ravens' defense; because we've played a half dozen good-to-great ones this season thus far. It's because they have been scoring roughly 35 PPG in the past four weeks -- something that is UNHEARD OF from them. Despite having the stingiest run defense in the NFL, no one has been able to, nor CAN stop the Giants from running it. Even if not for the 160 yards per game that they are accustomed to, they will run it for the sake of running it and put a stranglehold on the time of possession (Giants in TOP = COMPLETE DOMINATION).
Flacco will make mistakes and it will be the difference in the game. But if Ray Rice plays and they break out the Wildcat offense with Troy Smith, watch out. The Giants' defense is particularly vulnerable when the front four cannot get to the QB and they have to blitz, leaving the secondary on islands (although they are BETTER than the haters suggest). The real nervous point is the average-speed LBs who have to cover downfield. Antonio Pierce gets beat deep quite a bit by very good TEs. The Ravens might have something in the works, using Todd Heap. This is going to be a good game. But the Giants will pull it out due to their poise, moxie, experience and the 12th man in East Rutherford.
Call:
Baltimore 17
NY Giants 30
---
Minnesota Vikings vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raymond James Stadium
Tampa, Florida
The Bucs are the most boring team to watch in the NFL. I almost wonder how they win. Adrian Peterson is going to carry the Vikes for the rest of the season. He's going to possibly broach his single-game rushing record and YES I'm saying that vs. Tampa's defense.
Call:
Minnesota 20
Tampa Bay 17
---
Detroit Lions vs. Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte, North Carolina
0-16, B!!! Jake Delhomme sucks once a month, but he got that out of the way last week.
Call:
Detroit -5
Carolina 34
---
St. Louis Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers
Candlestick Park
San Francisco, California
This game does not warrant mentioning. Neither team has players you even want to see play. However, Head Coach Mike Singletary has the Niners playing hard. That is SOMEWHAT palpable. The Rams have mailed it in after two good games -- they've played two STINKERS in a row.
Call:
St. Louis 6
San Francisco 24
---
Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks
Qwest Field
Seattle, Washington
OK. The Cards do not possess a killer instinct yet. They commit too many silly penalties and turnovers. However, these ARE like your Father's Seabags...
Call:
Arizona 41
Seattle 8
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida
If the Jags are EVER going to put a two-game winning streak together, they MUST do it now. They will play their beset game Sunday, while the Titans will finally suffer that loss they've been flirting with the past three weeks.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Jacksonville 16
---
San Diego Not-So-Super Chargers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Chargers stink on defense. Offensively, they can compete with anyone. Philip Rivers leads the NFL in QB Rating, ya know...
However, Tomlinson is only ever going to reach 85% this season with that toe. I just hope he isn't like Deion Sanders after he had turf toe (at the same age, virtually) in 1998. Now that I mention it, the guy who ran by Prime on that play where he injured his toe is dropping passes more often than Braylon Edwards right now. I'll let you look up who that guy is who basically sent Deion's career slowly spiraling downward after a meteoric rise from 1989-1998.
Anyway. The Steelers are smarting (as Hubie Brown would say). The Chargers, along with their ability to seize the AFC West lead and having a chip on their shoulder, will pull this out.
Call:
San Diego 38
Pittsburgh 24
---
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins
FedEx Field
Landover, Maryland
*SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*
The Cowboys will come out with the full arsenal after their bye week. The Redskins have been reeling of late. Clinton Portis lost his lead in the NFL in rushing and I think he's peaked, as far as great games go this season. He may be in better shape, but I don't see Portis being able to keep up this pace, especially since teams have figured out Jason Campbell's tendencies.
I hate both teams, so I have no bent when it comes to the prediction. I just think Dallas has more to prove and are eager to prove it.
Call:
Dallas 31
Washington 23
---
Cleveland Browns vs. Buffalo Bills
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Orchard Park, New York
*Monday Night Football*
Why is this game on Monday Night? Jamal Lewis already said the Browns have mailed in their season... Buffalo is fighting for their playoff life here.
Call:
Cleveland 17
Buffalo 31
---
More later...
Black Mentors?
Black Mentors?
M.D. Wright
11.12.08
I have been fortunate to have had my father in my life for my entire life. Even now, as I transition (again) from graduating college to moving back to New York and potentially getting married in the not-too-distant future. I've had other mentors such as Minister Terence Franklin, Pastor Kevin B. Lee, financial mentoring by William V. Thompson and a few other family friends who helped me plot out my life. However, not every Black male has that.
One thing that I do see quite a bit is High School coaches or people who are family friends and spot talent/ability in a Black guy who can possibly make it "big" in sports, they'll do whatever it takes to get him through high school, into college and potentially into the pros. You know what? That's great, and a lot of guys in the NFL and NBA have that as a testimony. It's GREAT and it's NECESSARY. But one question persists.
WHY ARE THEY THE ONLY BLACK MALES WHO HAVE MENTORS?
And no, I am not ignoring Black females. For the most part, women have fewer problems reaching out for help from one another or anyone in general and aren't as prone to trying to "go it alone" as men are.
But again, why are Black males lacking mentors in the area of Science/Medicine, Legal Education, Attorneys, Entrepreneurs, Record Label Executives-in-the-making, CEOs of major companies-in-the-making and just learning how to OWN things. That has been my motto all my life. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and indeed, there have to be people who work for those companies (the common myth I hear from people who want to start businesses with the wrong motives is the thought that they will no longer have to "work for someone else" -- not true, you work for your clients and oftentimes twice as hard as you would on ANY job). But I digress.
I am again fortunate that I had people teaching me about the foundational things in life (my father), or real estate (Min. Franklin), leadership/ministry (Min. Lee), financial investing (Wm. Thompson) and I had my coaches who saw my potential to become a great cornerback/wide receiver in football, a great right fielder, due to my cannon of an arm in baseball, and everyone who knows me knows my "J" is lethal, along with my basketball IQ and always being the captain of the teams I've been on. I had options. I still do, because I was given an outlook on life PAST sports. But you rarely hear of Black men who had mentors in areas outside of sports.
I do not seek to answer this question myself. I just want you think about it.
M.D. Wright
11.12.08
I have been fortunate to have had my father in my life for my entire life. Even now, as I transition (again) from graduating college to moving back to New York and potentially getting married in the not-too-distant future. I've had other mentors such as Minister Terence Franklin, Pastor Kevin B. Lee, financial mentoring by William V. Thompson and a few other family friends who helped me plot out my life. However, not every Black male has that.
One thing that I do see quite a bit is High School coaches or people who are family friends and spot talent/ability in a Black guy who can possibly make it "big" in sports, they'll do whatever it takes to get him through high school, into college and potentially into the pros. You know what? That's great, and a lot of guys in the NFL and NBA have that as a testimony. It's GREAT and it's NECESSARY. But one question persists.
WHY ARE THEY THE ONLY BLACK MALES WHO HAVE MENTORS?
And no, I am not ignoring Black females. For the most part, women have fewer problems reaching out for help from one another or anyone in general and aren't as prone to trying to "go it alone" as men are.
But again, why are Black males lacking mentors in the area of Science/Medicine, Legal Education, Attorneys, Entrepreneurs, Record Label Executives-in-the-making, CEOs of major companies-in-the-making and just learning how to OWN things. That has been my motto all my life. Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and indeed, there have to be people who work for those companies (the common myth I hear from people who want to start businesses with the wrong motives is the thought that they will no longer have to "work for someone else" -- not true, you work for your clients and oftentimes twice as hard as you would on ANY job). But I digress.
I am again fortunate that I had people teaching me about the foundational things in life (my father), or real estate (Min. Franklin), leadership/ministry (Min. Lee), financial investing (Wm. Thompson) and I had my coaches who saw my potential to become a great cornerback/wide receiver in football, a great right fielder, due to my cannon of an arm in baseball, and everyone who knows me knows my "J" is lethal, along with my basketball IQ and always being the captain of the teams I've been on. I had options. I still do, because I was given an outlook on life PAST sports. But you rarely hear of Black men who had mentors in areas outside of sports.
I do not seek to answer this question myself. I just want you think about it.
Biblical Examples of Obedience
Biblical Examples of Obedience
The Lord commanded Abraham to leave his country and go to a land that was foreign to him (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham did so, thus putting his faith into action. Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:20). Many years later, God asked Abraham to offer up his son Isaac on the altar. Again, Abraham obeyed, knowing that the Lord was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Such acts of obedience were counted to Abraham for righteousness (see Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; James 2:23).
Abraham's faith was perfected (made complete, not lacking) when he obeyed God. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ... Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:21-24). Like Abraham, we are called to demonstrate our faith in God by walking in obedience to God. This is how we come under Abraham's blessing (see Galatians 3:7-9), for he and his wife Sarah are the spiritual parents of those who have faith: "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well" (I Peter 3:6).
Jesus perfectly demonstrated a life of obedience. "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:7-9). While Jesus was in human flesh, He cried out to His Heavenly Father Who was able to save Him from death, yet Jesus submitted His will to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42). Notice that Jesus was "made perfect" through His obedience. That word perfect means complete, fulfilled, and finished. Although our Lord Jesus was sinless, He was perfected by completing His walk of obedience. In doing so, He became the High Priest and Author of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him (see Hebrews 5:9; I Peter 1:9).
The Lord commanded Abraham to leave his country and go to a land that was foreign to him (Hebrews 11:8). Abraham did so, thus putting his faith into action. Abraham "staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God" (Romans 4:20). Many years later, God asked Abraham to offer up his son Isaac on the altar. Again, Abraham obeyed, knowing that the Lord was able to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Such acts of obedience were counted to Abraham for righteousness (see Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3; James 2:23).
Abraham's faith was perfected (made complete, not lacking) when he obeyed God. "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? ... Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (James 2:21-24). Like Abraham, we are called to demonstrate our faith in God by walking in obedience to God. This is how we come under Abraham's blessing (see Galatians 3:7-9), for he and his wife Sarah are the spiritual parents of those who have faith: "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well" (I Peter 3:6).
Jesus perfectly demonstrated a life of obedience. "Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:7-9). While Jesus was in human flesh, He cried out to His Heavenly Father Who was able to save Him from death, yet Jesus submitted His will to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:42). Notice that Jesus was "made perfect" through His obedience. That word perfect means complete, fulfilled, and finished. Although our Lord Jesus was sinless, He was perfected by completing His walk of obedience. In doing so, He became the High Priest and Author of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him (see Hebrews 5:9; I Peter 1:9).
Does God Guide or Do We Decide?
Does God Guide or Do We Decide?
Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck
National Certified Career Counselors and Life Calling CoachesSM
Bored with his desk job, Glen was thinking seriously about becoming a fire fighter. His wife was deeply concerned about his proposed career change. He took a walk one winter morning, and found a child’s toy in the snow. He picked it up, and was astonished to see that it was a fireman action figure. Although he didn’t usually think thoughts like this, he wondered if God was trying to tell him to go ahead with his plans in spite of his wife’s reservations.
The Dilemma of Decision Making
When we are faced with making a decision about which direction to go with our lives, many Christians aren’t sure how to choose a path to pursue. People may become hyper-sensitive to circumstances as they seek to perceive divine guidance. Or, they may hope others can tell them what they should do.
In our career counseling and coaching practice, we have found that people often resist taking responsibility to make big decisions. Why? Because decision-making can be difficult. There is often a lot at stake. Our decisions have the power to change our lives for the better—or for the worse. Making a decision inescapably means taking a risk. We may fear not succeeding, experiencing disapproval from family or friends, or being ultimately disappointed by our choice.
Also, many people have never been taught specifically how to make decisions, especially decisions about their vocational calling. When we are unsure what criteria to use in choosing a career, for example, we may look primarily at objective factors like salary and benefits, or ultimately make decisions based on our intuition or feelings about the options. We may know that there are other things we should consider, but not be sure what they are.
To further complicate the situation, we want to do what God wants us to do with our lives. So how do we take His will into account when contemplating a career choice or change? Is it up to God to guide or up to us to decide? The key to resolving this dilemma is realizing that it is both: God promises to guide and you are called to decide.
Called to be a Decision-Maker
God certainly can indicate supernaturally which job or career path you should pursue. At times, He may choose to do so. More typically, however, He calls us to take responsibility for making good decisions about how to use our gifts in the world. In the absence of direct supernatural guidance, we need to assume that God wants us to prayerfully and thoughtfully decide which work or ministry/service option is the best choice. “It is possible to pray, read God's Word, seek counsel, and still not feel led by God,” says Dr. Bruce Waltke. “That's the time to rely on sound judgment. God gave each of us a brain, and He expects us to put it to good use.”
Scripture illustrates that even biblical “superstars” like the Apostle Paul saw making decisions to be a natural, normal and necessary part of life. While Paul did receive divine guidance (see Acts 16:7 and 20:22), he and others also made decisions (Acts 19:21, 20:16, and Titus 3:12). Developing the ability to make wise decisions is a critical skill for Christian life and ministry. A track record of making good, biblically-grounded decisions is evidence of spiritual growth and maturity.
Guidance for Your Career Decisions
How can the Bible be helpful to you in making career decisions and other life calling choices today? After all, you won’t find a Bible verse that tells you specifically which college major to choose, whether you should change jobs in mid-life, or which career option will be best for you. In addition, the world of work in biblical times was very different from our own.
In Jesus’ time, for example, most men went into the family business whether it was becoming a merchant, rabbi, carpenter or shepherd. Most women married early, had children and took care of their home and family. “What should I do with my life?” was not a burning question of the time. The biblical world was very different than our own, yet the principles revealed in Scripture for making career and life decisions are still relevant for our contemporary lives.
The Bible plays a critical role in our decision-making by showing us what is important to God. For example, the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) clearly illustrates that God calls us to proactive stewardship of our gifts. To apply this biblical principle to making decisions about work and ministry/service activities abilities, we need to ask ourselves a question such as: At this time in my life, how can I best use my gifts, abilities and other resources to further God’s purposes in this world? God gave you your gifts to do His work on earth, not for your own career success and advancement.
God uses His Word to enlarge the frame in which we see our work and our lives, transforming our perspective from the temporal to the eternal. The Holy Spirit within makes it possible for us to understand God’s revealed will and apply it to the specific circumstances of our lives. God can also guide us through the wise counsel of others who help us put biblical principles into practice within the decisions we face.
We partner with God in discerning our calling when we work through a reasoned process of evaluating options in light of Scripture and our design. With each step, we seek God’s guidance in His Word and through prayer. We remain receptive to the Lord’s instruction should He choose at any point to indicate specifically what He wants us to do. When we are willing to be obedient, regardless of what God calls us to do, we become people He can guide and use to fulfill His purposes here on earth.
Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck are the authors of Live Your Calling: A Practical Guide to Finding and Fulfilling Your Mission in Life. They are National Certified Career Counselors and recognized experts in helping people identify their giftedness and find their purpose in life. Their websites, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com and www.ChurchJobsOnline.com, feature hundreds of job listings from churches, ministries, and Christian employers; a resume bank; career articles; and a free consultation session for individuals interested in career counseling/coaching and testing to discover work that fits their God-given design.
Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck
National Certified Career Counselors and Life Calling CoachesSM
Bored with his desk job, Glen was thinking seriously about becoming a fire fighter. His wife was deeply concerned about his proposed career change. He took a walk one winter morning, and found a child’s toy in the snow. He picked it up, and was astonished to see that it was a fireman action figure. Although he didn’t usually think thoughts like this, he wondered if God was trying to tell him to go ahead with his plans in spite of his wife’s reservations.
The Dilemma of Decision Making
When we are faced with making a decision about which direction to go with our lives, many Christians aren’t sure how to choose a path to pursue. People may become hyper-sensitive to circumstances as they seek to perceive divine guidance. Or, they may hope others can tell them what they should do.
In our career counseling and coaching practice, we have found that people often resist taking responsibility to make big decisions. Why? Because decision-making can be difficult. There is often a lot at stake. Our decisions have the power to change our lives for the better—or for the worse. Making a decision inescapably means taking a risk. We may fear not succeeding, experiencing disapproval from family or friends, or being ultimately disappointed by our choice.
Also, many people have never been taught specifically how to make decisions, especially decisions about their vocational calling. When we are unsure what criteria to use in choosing a career, for example, we may look primarily at objective factors like salary and benefits, or ultimately make decisions based on our intuition or feelings about the options. We may know that there are other things we should consider, but not be sure what they are.
To further complicate the situation, we want to do what God wants us to do with our lives. So how do we take His will into account when contemplating a career choice or change? Is it up to God to guide or up to us to decide? The key to resolving this dilemma is realizing that it is both: God promises to guide and you are called to decide.
Called to be a Decision-Maker
God certainly can indicate supernaturally which job or career path you should pursue. At times, He may choose to do so. More typically, however, He calls us to take responsibility for making good decisions about how to use our gifts in the world. In the absence of direct supernatural guidance, we need to assume that God wants us to prayerfully and thoughtfully decide which work or ministry/service option is the best choice. “It is possible to pray, read God's Word, seek counsel, and still not feel led by God,” says Dr. Bruce Waltke. “That's the time to rely on sound judgment. God gave each of us a brain, and He expects us to put it to good use.”
Scripture illustrates that even biblical “superstars” like the Apostle Paul saw making decisions to be a natural, normal and necessary part of life. While Paul did receive divine guidance (see Acts 16:7 and 20:22), he and others also made decisions (Acts 19:21, 20:16, and Titus 3:12). Developing the ability to make wise decisions is a critical skill for Christian life and ministry. A track record of making good, biblically-grounded decisions is evidence of spiritual growth and maturity.
Guidance for Your Career Decisions
How can the Bible be helpful to you in making career decisions and other life calling choices today? After all, you won’t find a Bible verse that tells you specifically which college major to choose, whether you should change jobs in mid-life, or which career option will be best for you. In addition, the world of work in biblical times was very different from our own.
In Jesus’ time, for example, most men went into the family business whether it was becoming a merchant, rabbi, carpenter or shepherd. Most women married early, had children and took care of their home and family. “What should I do with my life?” was not a burning question of the time. The biblical world was very different than our own, yet the principles revealed in Scripture for making career and life decisions are still relevant for our contemporary lives.
The Bible plays a critical role in our decision-making by showing us what is important to God. For example, the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25) clearly illustrates that God calls us to proactive stewardship of our gifts. To apply this biblical principle to making decisions about work and ministry/service activities abilities, we need to ask ourselves a question such as: At this time in my life, how can I best use my gifts, abilities and other resources to further God’s purposes in this world? God gave you your gifts to do His work on earth, not for your own career success and advancement.
God uses His Word to enlarge the frame in which we see our work and our lives, transforming our perspective from the temporal to the eternal. The Holy Spirit within makes it possible for us to understand God’s revealed will and apply it to the specific circumstances of our lives. God can also guide us through the wise counsel of others who help us put biblical principles into practice within the decisions we face.
We partner with God in discerning our calling when we work through a reasoned process of evaluating options in light of Scripture and our design. With each step, we seek God’s guidance in His Word and through prayer. We remain receptive to the Lord’s instruction should He choose at any point to indicate specifically what He wants us to do. When we are willing to be obedient, regardless of what God calls us to do, we become people He can guide and use to fulfill His purposes here on earth.
Kevin Brennfleck and Kay Marie Brennfleck are the authors of Live Your Calling: A Practical Guide to Finding and Fulfilling Your Mission in Life. They are National Certified Career Counselors and recognized experts in helping people identify their giftedness and find their purpose in life. Their websites, www.ChristianCareerCenter.com and www.ChurchJobsOnline.com, feature hundreds of job listings from churches, ministries, and Christian employers; a resume bank; career articles; and a free consultation session for individuals interested in career counseling/coaching and testing to discover work that fits their God-given design.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
My NFL Week 11 Power Rankings
My NFL Week 11 Power Rankings
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
1. New York Football Giants. Yes, the Titans are undefeated, but they are reading their own press clippings and teams are gunning for them. They have come close to losing (but haven't, so give them credit). The Giants have the best rushing attack and no one can touch that, along with the best offensive line in the NFL. They are also the most well-rounded/complete team in the NFL. The Titans are not going to be able to pass the ball when they need to in the playoffs with Collins. The Giants have proven they can (seek 2007 Playoffs).
2. Tennessee Titans. They are 9-0. But this isn't New England 9-0 (neither because they aren't cheaters but it is an uninspiring 9-0, they're not destroying anyone, and they've eeked out their last three wins). They run the ball nearly as well as the Giants and Falcons, and have an EXCELLENT defense, but Collins is STILL their QB. He's going to kill them like he killed us in 2000 in the Super Bowl.
3. Atlanta Falcons. They go this high because they are consistent. Yes, they have three losses, but one of them was directly attributed to the refs (vs. PHI). They don't make mistakes and Michael Turner and Roddy White are playing out of their minds. I thought Ryan was NFL-ready because of the pro-style offense he ran at BC. Trust me, as an FSU fan, I saw it first-hand. The Falcons are no fluke. Mike Vick just did 10 more sets as I typed this paragraph.
4. Carolina Panthers. Jake Delhomme was due for that stinker of a performance vs. OAK (7-27, 72 yds, 4 INT). Although I didn't think he would play THAT bad, he's got one of those in him every 4-5 games. This is why people are not completely sold on them... yet.
5. New York Football Jets. Hey, I'm playing Cee-Lo here. Part of this ranking is banking on their momentum carrying them to a win over New England and sole possession of the AFC East, 10 games into the season. Who saw that coming? The Jets are like a wave in Hawaii in regards to their yearly records. Go back and look at their records from 1995-present.
6. Arizona Cardinals. I don't care if they didn't blow out the 49ers like Vegas wanted (or myself) but they won, and that's all that matters. They have a 4-game lead in the NFC West and are very good. If they win consistently on the road, then you can be convinced.
7. Washington Redskins. Campbell is looking shaky, and I think Portis has peaked for the season.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers. I am reaching by even putting them this high. They stink when they play good defensive teams. All three of their losses came against fast defenses. Doesn't that spell doom for them?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... but you can't discard them.
10. Indianapolis Colts.
11. New England Patriots. You cannot put New England ahead of Indianapolis just based off records. The Colts beat the Patriots head to head and the Patriots are doing it with smoke and mirrors. Smoke and mirror teams don't win. Ask Green Bay last year.
12. Baltimore Ravens. I was tempted to put them at 7, but that will depend upon how they play vs. the Giants this Sunday.
13. Miami Dolphins. WILDCAT OFFENSE!!!
14. Chicago Bears. Hey, even Rex Grossman is playing well right now. The Bears very well could have beaten Tennessee last week.
15. Philadelphia Eagles. They better find out who they are ASAP, because finesse football never wins in the NFC East.
16. Buffalo Bills. They stink right now. Dick Jauron blew the game early on by not challenging a play that would have at least held the Patriots to a FG on their opening drive. It's the little things like that which have kept Jauron from winning and the Bills from getting over the 7-9/8-8 hump.
17. San Diego Chargers. You keep waiting for them to go on a run, but until they play better defensively (obviously NOT Ted Cottrell's fault, but none of his defenses have ever been great, now that I think of it), they aren't going to do anything but win the AFC West with an 8-8 record.
18. Minnesota Vikings. They are always alive with Adrian Peterson and always on the verge of being KILLED by Gus Frerotte's age and INTs/fumbles.
19. Dallas Cowboys. Hard to justify putting them any higher than this. If they lose to Washington on Monday Night they are DONE.
20. Denver Broncos. Their defense is a SIEVE. That, plus Cutler will have off days and they are not going to win more than 7 games. I had them at 6 preseason, so they are overachieving.
21. Green Bay Packers. They score on defense more than on offense it seems. That's not good in the NFL and it's not good as I have Aaron Rodgers in Fantasy Football.
22. New Orleans Saints. The Saints are like the 2003 Rams or something.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars. They finally came back to life after a bizarre week where the best LB on the team gets sent home over nonsense and then brought back before the game. ???
24. Houston Texans. I have given up on them.
25. San Francisco 49ers. Hey, Singletary has them fighting. Just last week he said "you can't play with 'em, can't coach with 'em, can't win with 'em... CAN'T DO IT!"
26. Cleveland Browns. What can Brown do for Romeo Crennel? Ship his boxes back to Richmond or East Rutherford, or wherever he plans to go after getting fired at the end of this season.
27. Cincinnati Bengals. *Hocks and spits on logo*
28. St. Louis Rams. Right when you think they are building, they get smacked by the other New York team. They have given up 88 points to the Giants and JETS in two games.
29. Seattle Seahawks. Sorry to see you go out like this, Mike (not really, I hate Green Bay).
30. Kansas City Chiefs. You go for 2 at the end of the game when you're down 1 because YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!! HELLO!!!
31. Oakland Raiders. They showed a pulse this week, hanging with the Panthers whose quarterback actually looked worse than JaMarcus Russell did the previous week (which is VERY HARD TO DO IN THE NFL).
32. Detroit Lions. 0-16 and drafting... you guessed it, ANOTHER WR #1 overall in the 2009 Draft -- Michael Crabtree. Who could make this up???
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
1. New York Football Giants. Yes, the Titans are undefeated, but they are reading their own press clippings and teams are gunning for them. They have come close to losing (but haven't, so give them credit). The Giants have the best rushing attack and no one can touch that, along with the best offensive line in the NFL. They are also the most well-rounded/complete team in the NFL. The Titans are not going to be able to pass the ball when they need to in the playoffs with Collins. The Giants have proven they can (seek 2007 Playoffs).
2. Tennessee Titans. They are 9-0. But this isn't New England 9-0 (neither because they aren't cheaters but it is an uninspiring 9-0, they're not destroying anyone, and they've eeked out their last three wins). They run the ball nearly as well as the Giants and Falcons, and have an EXCELLENT defense, but Collins is STILL their QB. He's going to kill them like he killed us in 2000 in the Super Bowl.
3. Atlanta Falcons. They go this high because they are consistent. Yes, they have three losses, but one of them was directly attributed to the refs (vs. PHI). They don't make mistakes and Michael Turner and Roddy White are playing out of their minds. I thought Ryan was NFL-ready because of the pro-style offense he ran at BC. Trust me, as an FSU fan, I saw it first-hand. The Falcons are no fluke. Mike Vick just did 10 more sets as I typed this paragraph.
4. Carolina Panthers. Jake Delhomme was due for that stinker of a performance vs. OAK (7-27, 72 yds, 4 INT). Although I didn't think he would play THAT bad, he's got one of those in him every 4-5 games. This is why people are not completely sold on them... yet.
5. New York Football Jets. Hey, I'm playing Cee-Lo here. Part of this ranking is banking on their momentum carrying them to a win over New England and sole possession of the AFC East, 10 games into the season. Who saw that coming? The Jets are like a wave in Hawaii in regards to their yearly records. Go back and look at their records from 1995-present.
6. Arizona Cardinals. I don't care if they didn't blow out the 49ers like Vegas wanted (or myself) but they won, and that's all that matters. They have a 4-game lead in the NFC West and are very good. If they win consistently on the road, then you can be convinced.
7. Washington Redskins. Campbell is looking shaky, and I think Portis has peaked for the season.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers. I am reaching by even putting them this high. They stink when they play good defensive teams. All three of their losses came against fast defenses. Doesn't that spell doom for them?
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... but you can't discard them.
10. Indianapolis Colts.
11. New England Patriots. You cannot put New England ahead of Indianapolis just based off records. The Colts beat the Patriots head to head and the Patriots are doing it with smoke and mirrors. Smoke and mirror teams don't win. Ask Green Bay last year.
12. Baltimore Ravens. I was tempted to put them at 7, but that will depend upon how they play vs. the Giants this Sunday.
13. Miami Dolphins. WILDCAT OFFENSE!!!
14. Chicago Bears. Hey, even Rex Grossman is playing well right now. The Bears very well could have beaten Tennessee last week.
15. Philadelphia Eagles. They better find out who they are ASAP, because finesse football never wins in the NFC East.
16. Buffalo Bills. They stink right now. Dick Jauron blew the game early on by not challenging a play that would have at least held the Patriots to a FG on their opening drive. It's the little things like that which have kept Jauron from winning and the Bills from getting over the 7-9/8-8 hump.
17. San Diego Chargers. You keep waiting for them to go on a run, but until they play better defensively (obviously NOT Ted Cottrell's fault, but none of his defenses have ever been great, now that I think of it), they aren't going to do anything but win the AFC West with an 8-8 record.
18. Minnesota Vikings. They are always alive with Adrian Peterson and always on the verge of being KILLED by Gus Frerotte's age and INTs/fumbles.
19. Dallas Cowboys. Hard to justify putting them any higher than this. If they lose to Washington on Monday Night they are DONE.
20. Denver Broncos. Their defense is a SIEVE. That, plus Cutler will have off days and they are not going to win more than 7 games. I had them at 6 preseason, so they are overachieving.
21. Green Bay Packers. They score on defense more than on offense it seems. That's not good in the NFL and it's not good as I have Aaron Rodgers in Fantasy Football.
22. New Orleans Saints. The Saints are like the 2003 Rams or something.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars. They finally came back to life after a bizarre week where the best LB on the team gets sent home over nonsense and then brought back before the game. ???
24. Houston Texans. I have given up on them.
25. San Francisco 49ers. Hey, Singletary has them fighting. Just last week he said "you can't play with 'em, can't coach with 'em, can't win with 'em... CAN'T DO IT!"
26. Cleveland Browns. What can Brown do for Romeo Crennel? Ship his boxes back to Richmond or East Rutherford, or wherever he plans to go after getting fired at the end of this season.
27. Cincinnati Bengals. *Hocks and spits on logo*
28. St. Louis Rams. Right when you think they are building, they get smacked by the other New York team. They have given up 88 points to the Giants and JETS in two games.
29. Seattle Seahawks. Sorry to see you go out like this, Mike (not really, I hate Green Bay).
30. Kansas City Chiefs. You go for 2 at the end of the game when you're down 1 because YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!!! HELLO!!!
31. Oakland Raiders. They showed a pulse this week, hanging with the Panthers whose quarterback actually looked worse than JaMarcus Russell did the previous week (which is VERY HARD TO DO IN THE NFL).
32. Detroit Lions. 0-16 and drafting... you guessed it, ANOTHER WR #1 overall in the 2009 Draft -- Michael Crabtree. Who could make this up???
ESPN's Week 11 Power Rankings
ESPN's Week 11 Power Rankings
1 (1) Titans 9-0-0 Has a team ever set franchise records for most rushing yards in a game and fewest in a game within four games? The Titans nearly did. They had to throw to beat the Bears and they did, to great effect. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 8-1-0 This is a Super Bowl team. No way anyone in East catches the Giants. (MM)
3 (4) Panthers 7-2-0 Survived a challenge from the mighty Raiders. Next up: Detroit. Panthers have to load up on wins before schedule turns tough. (PY)
4 (3) Steelers 6-3-0 "Big Ben" is struggling, and so are the Steelers. Suddenly Pittsburgh has dropped two of three. (JW)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 They need Clinton Portis to play Sunday. He'll answer the bell. (MM)
6 (7) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Bucs should be pretty healthy coming off the bye, and they might have Cadillac Williams back. But Adrian Peterson will be most talked-about runner in Tampa this week. (PY)
7 (12) Patriots 6-3-0 The Patriots keep marching forward. Matt Cassel has established himself as more than a proxy for Tom Brady. He's a legit NFL starter. (TG)
8 (10) Falcons 6-3-0 Still think they're a fluke? The Falcons seem to get better every single week. (PY)
9 (11) Jets 6-3-0 The Jets' defense is among the NFL's elite. The Jets stop the run, sack the quarterback and create huge turnovers. (TG)
10 (15) Colts 5-4-0 The Colts impressed with back-to-back wins over New England and Pittsburgh, results that could be monumental when wild cards are sorted out. (PK)
11 (8) Cardinals 6-3-0 Sloppy play wasn't enough to cost the Cardinals against the 49ers, but Arizona must improve. (MS)
12 (13) Ravens 6-3-0 Is this an offense-first team or a defense-first team? The Ravens are averaging 33.5 points the past four games. (JW)
13 (6) Eagles 5-4-0 Now 0-3 in the division. And that game against the Giants wasn't as close as the score indicated. (MM)
14 (9) Bears 5-4-0 Even Rex Grossman would fare well against the Bears' pass defense. (KS)
15 (17) Dolphins 5-4-0 The Dolphins escaped with a 21-19 victory over the Seahawks in their first of three straight home games. Dolphins have won three in a row for first time since 2006. (TG)
16 (19) Cowboys 5-4-0 The bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Tony Romo should give them a big lift. (MM)
17 (14) Bills 5-4-0 They've lost three straight divisional games and four of their past five overall. An advantage they have is one more "home" game than every other AFC East team -- except they're playing one in Toronto. (TG)
18 (20) Vikings 5-4-0 Minnesota faces a tough task this week in Tampa Bay, where the Vikings haven't won since 1997. (KS)
19 (22) Broncos 5-4-0 The Broncos are battered on defense and they have no running game. But they do have Jay Cutler. Will it be enough? (BW)
20 (21) Chargers 4-5-0 The Chargers were lucky to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. They'll need more than luck to beat Pittsburgh this Sunday. (BW)
21 (16) Packers 4-5-0 Something is missing this season in Green Bay. (KS)
22 (23) Jaguars 4-5-0 The Jags go from facing winless Detroit to undefeated Tennessee in the span of a week. With the likelihood of a playoff berth fading, the Jags handing the Titans their first loss could be a season-maker. (PK)
23 (18) Saints 4-5-0 Injuries keep piling up and it seems like the Saints are on the brink of having their season fall apart. But they do have a trip to Kansas City. (PY)
24 (24) Browns 3-6-0 Despite its season going down the drain, Cleveland has some solace: Brady Quinn shows great promise. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-6-0 The Texans just haven't figured out how to hold onto the ball. Odds are their best chance to beat the Colts came in the first matchup, when they folded late and gave the game away. (PK)
26 (28) 49ers 2-7-0 Offensive adjustments seemed to make the 49ers more competitive, a positive step despite MNF defeat. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-7-0 Seahawks must emphasize running game even after Matt Hasselbeck returns. (MS)
28 (26) Rams 2-7-0 Last two games offset any progress the Rams made in their first two games under Jim Haslett. (MS)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-8-0 One of these days the Chiefs are going to win another game. Really. We think. (BW)
30 (29) Bengals 1-8-0 The bye gave Cincinnati two weeks to celebrate its first victory. But how long will it take to get win No. 2? (JW)
31 (30) Raiders 2-7-0 It's been three weeks since Oakland last scored a touchdown. It's also been three weeks since Oakland won a game. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-9-0 Who will the Lions call out of retirement this week? Eric Hipple? (KS)
1 (1) Titans 9-0-0 Has a team ever set franchise records for most rushing yards in a game and fewest in a game within four games? The Titans nearly did. They had to throw to beat the Bears and they did, to great effect. (PK)
2 (2) Giants 8-1-0 This is a Super Bowl team. No way anyone in East catches the Giants. (MM)
3 (4) Panthers 7-2-0 Survived a challenge from the mighty Raiders. Next up: Detroit. Panthers have to load up on wins before schedule turns tough. (PY)
4 (3) Steelers 6-3-0 "Big Ben" is struggling, and so are the Steelers. Suddenly Pittsburgh has dropped two of three. (JW)
5 (5) Redskins 6-3-0 They need Clinton Portis to play Sunday. He'll answer the bell. (MM)
6 (7) Buccaneers 6-3-0 Bucs should be pretty healthy coming off the bye, and they might have Cadillac Williams back. But Adrian Peterson will be most talked-about runner in Tampa this week. (PY)
7 (12) Patriots 6-3-0 The Patriots keep marching forward. Matt Cassel has established himself as more than a proxy for Tom Brady. He's a legit NFL starter. (TG)
8 (10) Falcons 6-3-0 Still think they're a fluke? The Falcons seem to get better every single week. (PY)
9 (11) Jets 6-3-0 The Jets' defense is among the NFL's elite. The Jets stop the run, sack the quarterback and create huge turnovers. (TG)
10 (15) Colts 5-4-0 The Colts impressed with back-to-back wins over New England and Pittsburgh, results that could be monumental when wild cards are sorted out. (PK)
11 (8) Cardinals 6-3-0 Sloppy play wasn't enough to cost the Cardinals against the 49ers, but Arizona must improve. (MS)
12 (13) Ravens 6-3-0 Is this an offense-first team or a defense-first team? The Ravens are averaging 33.5 points the past four games. (JW)
13 (6) Eagles 5-4-0 Now 0-3 in the division. And that game against the Giants wasn't as close as the score indicated. (MM)
14 (9) Bears 5-4-0 Even Rex Grossman would fare well against the Bears' pass defense. (KS)
15 (17) Dolphins 5-4-0 The Dolphins escaped with a 21-19 victory over the Seahawks in their first of three straight home games. Dolphins have won three in a row for first time since 2006. (TG)
16 (19) Cowboys 5-4-0 The bye week couldn't have come at a better time. Tony Romo should give them a big lift. (MM)
17 (14) Bills 5-4-0 They've lost three straight divisional games and four of their past five overall. An advantage they have is one more "home" game than every other AFC East team -- except they're playing one in Toronto. (TG)
18 (20) Vikings 5-4-0 Minnesota faces a tough task this week in Tampa Bay, where the Vikings haven't won since 1997. (KS)
19 (22) Broncos 5-4-0 The Broncos are battered on defense and they have no running game. But they do have Jay Cutler. Will it be enough? (BW)
20 (21) Chargers 4-5-0 The Chargers were lucky to beat the Chiefs on Sunday. They'll need more than luck to beat Pittsburgh this Sunday. (BW)
21 (16) Packers 4-5-0 Something is missing this season in Green Bay. (KS)
22 (23) Jaguars 4-5-0 The Jags go from facing winless Detroit to undefeated Tennessee in the span of a week. With the likelihood of a playoff berth fading, the Jags handing the Titans their first loss could be a season-maker. (PK)
23 (18) Saints 4-5-0 Injuries keep piling up and it seems like the Saints are on the brink of having their season fall apart. But they do have a trip to Kansas City. (PY)
24 (24) Browns 3-6-0 Despite its season going down the drain, Cleveland has some solace: Brady Quinn shows great promise. (JW)
25 (25) Texans 3-6-0 The Texans just haven't figured out how to hold onto the ball. Odds are their best chance to beat the Colts came in the first matchup, when they folded late and gave the game away. (PK)
26 (28) 49ers 2-7-0 Offensive adjustments seemed to make the 49ers more competitive, a positive step despite MNF defeat. (MS)
27 (27) Seahawks 2-7-0 Seahawks must emphasize running game even after Matt Hasselbeck returns. (MS)
28 (26) Rams 2-7-0 Last two games offset any progress the Rams made in their first two games under Jim Haslett. (MS)
29 (31) Chiefs 1-8-0 One of these days the Chiefs are going to win another game. Really. We think. (BW)
30 (29) Bengals 1-8-0 The bye gave Cincinnati two weeks to celebrate its first victory. But how long will it take to get win No. 2? (JW)
31 (30) Raiders 2-7-0 It's been three weeks since Oakland last scored a touchdown. It's also been three weeks since Oakland won a game. (BW)
32 (32) Lions 0-9-0 Who will the Lions call out of retirement this week? Eric Hipple? (KS)
Bailouts? Hmmm...
Bailouts? Hmmm...
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
I don't know how I feel about this. Of course we, the taxpaying public, have to foot the bill for all the predatory and immoral lending that banks, mortgage loan companies and credit card institutions engaged themselves in. When I was little, you couldn't even THINK about getting a line of credit, buying a house for more than double your income or buy a car that cost 30% of your take home pay (which has become very commonplace) unless your credit score was pushing 800, you were white and had plenty of collateral. Now, a homeless person can get a $50,000 line of credit with no questions asked.
I have watched several people (first-hand) acquire a mortgage on a $200,000+ house and they were making less than $50,000 a year (with several thousand in other debts, mind you). I don't get it. How does this happen?
Meanwhile, throughout the 90s, people just became more and more loose with their spending, eventually resorting to running up credit cards and lines of credit, taking out second mortgages on their homes and robbing themselves of their 401(k)s and other savings. Now, a lot of those same people are being foreclosed upon. It's sad.
I sat and watched with my Real Estate buddies around 2000-2001 and we all shook our collective heads (pause) at the people who were getting ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and Interest-Only loans on houses. While the market is good and property values increase (and while there is relatively little variance in the FED rate and mortgage companies being bought out -- as is customary), this is a moderate-risk, potentially high-reward venture. When the Housing Market bubble began to lose air around 2002, 2003, then those people (if they were wise, they would have prepared at the time) began to pay exorbitant mortgage payments, in some cases QUADRUPLING what they were previously paying while the Housing Boom was taking place. In other words, you had people paying $900/mo. on a mortgage, paying, in some cases, nearly $3,000/mo. Naturally, as many middle class families are, they were close to the break-even point when they signed the mortgage, so such a swing would kill their wallets.
Likewise, with credit cards. Everyone had 3-5 credit cards in 2000. Many with over $7,500 balances (yours truly included, although I was debt-free in 2003 and again ran up thousands in business and education debts later... along with the purchase and subsequent blind costs of owning a brand new Nissan 350Z at the time). Most figured as long as they were working, they'd be fine. Not true. Just like the housing situation, as long as the economy is good, there's no problem. When the minimum payment due increase took place in February 2006, the minimum payment tripled for many people who were already in the red.
Credit crunch + Housing Crash = COMPLETE DOMINATION when you are living check to check.
All I know is I want a bailout for all this student loan debt and credit cards, since General Motors, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Circuit City (and probably Starbuck's with their 97% losses in the 3Q) along with any other company that did not make their outrageous "bottom line" by bending everyone over with their crazy prices and moving jobs overseas. Do not get me started. I feel very strongly about this.
I feel no pity for these companies who have made a living from getting over on consumers by predatory and reckless lending.
In the midst of all this, the New York MTA is claiming losses (huge shock), even though rideship is up, more than ever -- up from an already skyrocketing number since July 2006 -- and therefore they think raising fares again. What is it going to be now? $2.50/ride? $6 for the express? $12 for the Verrazano? When I first started college, the train was $1.50. Perspective. When I was 9 and we still used tokens and what not, it was 75¢!!!
I WANT MY BAILOUT SO I CAN WIPE MY DEBTS CLEAN, BARACK OBAMA!!!
M.D. Wright
11.11.08
I don't know how I feel about this. Of course we, the taxpaying public, have to foot the bill for all the predatory and immoral lending that banks, mortgage loan companies and credit card institutions engaged themselves in. When I was little, you couldn't even THINK about getting a line of credit, buying a house for more than double your income or buy a car that cost 30% of your take home pay (which has become very commonplace) unless your credit score was pushing 800, you were white and had plenty of collateral. Now, a homeless person can get a $50,000 line of credit with no questions asked.
I have watched several people (first-hand) acquire a mortgage on a $200,000+ house and they were making less than $50,000 a year (with several thousand in other debts, mind you). I don't get it. How does this happen?
Meanwhile, throughout the 90s, people just became more and more loose with their spending, eventually resorting to running up credit cards and lines of credit, taking out second mortgages on their homes and robbing themselves of their 401(k)s and other savings. Now, a lot of those same people are being foreclosed upon. It's sad.
I sat and watched with my Real Estate buddies around 2000-2001 and we all shook our collective heads (pause) at the people who were getting ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and Interest-Only loans on houses. While the market is good and property values increase (and while there is relatively little variance in the FED rate and mortgage companies being bought out -- as is customary), this is a moderate-risk, potentially high-reward venture. When the Housing Market bubble began to lose air around 2002, 2003, then those people (if they were wise, they would have prepared at the time) began to pay exorbitant mortgage payments, in some cases QUADRUPLING what they were previously paying while the Housing Boom was taking place. In other words, you had people paying $900/mo. on a mortgage, paying, in some cases, nearly $3,000/mo. Naturally, as many middle class families are, they were close to the break-even point when they signed the mortgage, so such a swing would kill their wallets.
Likewise, with credit cards. Everyone had 3-5 credit cards in 2000. Many with over $7,500 balances (yours truly included, although I was debt-free in 2003 and again ran up thousands in business and education debts later... along with the purchase and subsequent blind costs of owning a brand new Nissan 350Z at the time). Most figured as long as they were working, they'd be fine. Not true. Just like the housing situation, as long as the economy is good, there's no problem. When the minimum payment due increase took place in February 2006, the minimum payment tripled for many people who were already in the red.
Credit crunch + Housing Crash = COMPLETE DOMINATION when you are living check to check.
All I know is I want a bailout for all this student loan debt and credit cards, since General Motors, AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Circuit City (and probably Starbuck's with their 97% losses in the 3Q) along with any other company that did not make their outrageous "bottom line" by bending everyone over with their crazy prices and moving jobs overseas. Do not get me started. I feel very strongly about this.
I feel no pity for these companies who have made a living from getting over on consumers by predatory and reckless lending.
In the midst of all this, the New York MTA is claiming losses (huge shock), even though rideship is up, more than ever -- up from an already skyrocketing number since July 2006 -- and therefore they think raising fares again. What is it going to be now? $2.50/ride? $6 for the express? $12 for the Verrazano? When I first started college, the train was $1.50. Perspective. When I was 9 and we still used tokens and what not, it was 75¢!!!
I WANT MY BAILOUT SO I CAN WIPE MY DEBTS CLEAN, BARACK OBAMA!!!
Disobedience Has Consequences
Disobedience Has Consequences
Jeremiah 7:13-15
"And now, because you have done all these things,' declares the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, . . . I will cast you out of My sight . . ."
Remember Lot's Wife
While God was gracious enough to rescue her from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, she dared to look back, and lost her life because of it. Her looking back was a sign of dissatisfaction with what God had provided. She was willing to obey Him, but she still had a place in her heart for her old sinful life. This is a slap in God's face, and in a way, a rejection of Him and of the salvation He was offering to her. We need to obey Him, and be happy with it, because He truly has our best interests at heart, and our circumstances will always be better when we choose to follow His commands.
Sometimes, we don't obey Him because it will make us uncomfortable
In the first four verses of 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul warns Timothy, a young church leader, to preach the truth, even if the recipients of the message don't want to hear it. In verse three, he says: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth . . . "
Paul obviously is implying that these believers who want their ears tickled are not pleasing God, and if you and I truly wish to please God, we need to be willing to hear Him speak, even if He is speaking through a fellow believer, and even if it hurts to hear it. The truth of the matter is that God never called us to be comfortable. According to 2 Corinthians 4-5, any comfort we get comes from Him. We are called to glorify Him with our lives, a task which will often require us to step out of our comfort zones.
Experiencing Him should cause us to want to obey Him
Peter was an apostle who, as you may know, messed up several times during the time Jesus was walking the earth. He cut off a guard's ear. He lost faith while walking on water, and had to be rescued by Jesus' hand. And, of course, he denied association with Jesus just before the Crucifixion. When listing all of Peter's bonehead moves, however, it is interesting to note that none of them occur after the Resurrection. That is, once Peter had seen the risen Christ, he was all of a sudden able to keep his eye on the prize. He had singleness of purpose, and could no longer let his own will get in the way of doing God's will.
If you have a difficult time obeying the Lord's voice, you should consider that maybe you have not really experienced Him. Not that you aren't saved, but that you haven't been in a place where you truly connected with God. Once you have, you will never be the same, and obedience will come easier for you, just as it did for Peter. The idea of how to cross this line is beyond the scope of this little lesson, but I recommend Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God for more on this.
Jeremiah 7:13-15
"And now, because you have done all these things,' declares the Lord, "and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you but you did not answer, therefore, . . . I will cast you out of My sight . . ."
Remember Lot's Wife
While God was gracious enough to rescue her from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, she dared to look back, and lost her life because of it. Her looking back was a sign of dissatisfaction with what God had provided. She was willing to obey Him, but she still had a place in her heart for her old sinful life. This is a slap in God's face, and in a way, a rejection of Him and of the salvation He was offering to her. We need to obey Him, and be happy with it, because He truly has our best interests at heart, and our circumstances will always be better when we choose to follow His commands.
Sometimes, we don't obey Him because it will make us uncomfortable
In the first four verses of 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul warns Timothy, a young church leader, to preach the truth, even if the recipients of the message don't want to hear it. In verse three, he says: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth . . . "
Paul obviously is implying that these believers who want their ears tickled are not pleasing God, and if you and I truly wish to please God, we need to be willing to hear Him speak, even if He is speaking through a fellow believer, and even if it hurts to hear it. The truth of the matter is that God never called us to be comfortable. According to 2 Corinthians 4-5, any comfort we get comes from Him. We are called to glorify Him with our lives, a task which will often require us to step out of our comfort zones.
Experiencing Him should cause us to want to obey Him
Peter was an apostle who, as you may know, messed up several times during the time Jesus was walking the earth. He cut off a guard's ear. He lost faith while walking on water, and had to be rescued by Jesus' hand. And, of course, he denied association with Jesus just before the Crucifixion. When listing all of Peter's bonehead moves, however, it is interesting to note that none of them occur after the Resurrection. That is, once Peter had seen the risen Christ, he was all of a sudden able to keep his eye on the prize. He had singleness of purpose, and could no longer let his own will get in the way of doing God's will.
If you have a difficult time obeying the Lord's voice, you should consider that maybe you have not really experienced Him. Not that you aren't saved, but that you haven't been in a place where you truly connected with God. Once you have, you will never be the same, and obedience will come easier for you, just as it did for Peter. The idea of how to cross this line is beyond the scope of this little lesson, but I recommend Henry Blackaby's book Experiencing God for more on this.
When & How To Terminate A Relationship - Part V
When & How To Terminate A Relationship - Part V
Neil Clark Warren
eHarmony.com
Over the past four articles we've been examining relationship termination. There is no way for a good person to feel pleased when it's time to end a relationship with someone they like, especially if it's clear that they really like you.
But in order to marry the right person, you need to avoid marrying the wrong person. That means understanding when a relationship isn't going to work and ending it.
As a quick review, here are the points I've touched on previously.
If you have doubts, set a six-month limit to make a decision.
Some problems require an immediate termination of the relationship.
Understand the importance of chemistry to a relationship.
Assess your ambivalence.
In the final installment we look at your enthusiasm.
Idea Number Five
The fifth area that I want to talk to you about is when there is a low level of certainty about the wisdom of investing more of yourself in the relationship. You just aren't sure at all that this is the right relationship for you.
"She's a nice person, he's a nice guy, and you know, I like his mother, I like her mother, and they have a really nice family and he's always been very kind and considerate to me but I don't know, I just don't get excited about it." You've got a kind of a low level of drive.
Making a marriage work takes energy – boy does it take energy! You've got to fill your energy tank on a frequent basis, and the more natural it is the better off you are.
If you need to fill your energy tank and work hard just to understand the other person or work hard to feel good about the other person, that's tough. So if you have kind of a low level of energy in relation to another person, here's what I'd suggest. I would suggest that you go see someone like myself, a psychologist, who's been at it for a long time and who can see you for five sessions. All I want you to do is see this person for five sessions.
Don't make a career of seeing this person, and here's what I'd like you to talk about. I'd like you to say, "Here's what I like about this other person and here's what I don't like about this other person." My suspicion is that, on this low level of energy, your list will be short on both sides. There will be some things you like, but not very many. There will be some things you don't like, but not very many.
It's kind of like you just don't have much drive to be with them. The big questions I would ask you are these:
"What would it be like five years from now if you say no to this person right now?"
"What do you think you would look back and feel?"
If you say, "You know, I think I'll look back and say, I think he was a good person, and I know that she's married now, but I don't think I'd have many regrets," there's your answer.
How long would you go with this nice person? How long would you go with this low level of interest? I'd say again, six months or so if you want to. I mean, when you get married, make sure it's a big emotional thing for you. Make sure that you just love this person so much. Marylyn and I were in different parts of the country during parts of our courtship and I can still remember that everything about my mind was on her.
I was in the east going to graduate school and Marylyn was in the west, a stewardess for an airline. We wrote to each other two full typewritten pages every day, and I would look out the window of the classroom I was in, waiting for that mailman to come because I could just not wait to get her letters. That energy has served me well. Her energy was similar and served her well through these long years of our marriage. That's what I want for you: Plenty of energy in the relationship.
Well, those are the five ideas. Remember this: The likelihood is, if a relationship is going to get good, it will get good early on because ultimately most relationships get good pretty early and you have a little bit of a tough time holding on to the goodness over the years. If the relationship takes quite a while before it gets good, it's quite an unusual relationship. Six months is probably long enough to wait.
Neil Clark Warren
eHarmony.com
Over the past four articles we've been examining relationship termination. There is no way for a good person to feel pleased when it's time to end a relationship with someone they like, especially if it's clear that they really like you.
But in order to marry the right person, you need to avoid marrying the wrong person. That means understanding when a relationship isn't going to work and ending it.
As a quick review, here are the points I've touched on previously.
If you have doubts, set a six-month limit to make a decision.
Some problems require an immediate termination of the relationship.
Understand the importance of chemistry to a relationship.
Assess your ambivalence.
In the final installment we look at your enthusiasm.
Idea Number Five
The fifth area that I want to talk to you about is when there is a low level of certainty about the wisdom of investing more of yourself in the relationship. You just aren't sure at all that this is the right relationship for you.
"She's a nice person, he's a nice guy, and you know, I like his mother, I like her mother, and they have a really nice family and he's always been very kind and considerate to me but I don't know, I just don't get excited about it." You've got a kind of a low level of drive.
Making a marriage work takes energy – boy does it take energy! You've got to fill your energy tank on a frequent basis, and the more natural it is the better off you are.
If you need to fill your energy tank and work hard just to understand the other person or work hard to feel good about the other person, that's tough. So if you have kind of a low level of energy in relation to another person, here's what I'd suggest. I would suggest that you go see someone like myself, a psychologist, who's been at it for a long time and who can see you for five sessions. All I want you to do is see this person for five sessions.
Don't make a career of seeing this person, and here's what I'd like you to talk about. I'd like you to say, "Here's what I like about this other person and here's what I don't like about this other person." My suspicion is that, on this low level of energy, your list will be short on both sides. There will be some things you like, but not very many. There will be some things you don't like, but not very many.
It's kind of like you just don't have much drive to be with them. The big questions I would ask you are these:
"What would it be like five years from now if you say no to this person right now?"
"What do you think you would look back and feel?"
If you say, "You know, I think I'll look back and say, I think he was a good person, and I know that she's married now, but I don't think I'd have many regrets," there's your answer.
How long would you go with this nice person? How long would you go with this low level of interest? I'd say again, six months or so if you want to. I mean, when you get married, make sure it's a big emotional thing for you. Make sure that you just love this person so much. Marylyn and I were in different parts of the country during parts of our courtship and I can still remember that everything about my mind was on her.
I was in the east going to graduate school and Marylyn was in the west, a stewardess for an airline. We wrote to each other two full typewritten pages every day, and I would look out the window of the classroom I was in, waiting for that mailman to come because I could just not wait to get her letters. That energy has served me well. Her energy was similar and served her well through these long years of our marriage. That's what I want for you: Plenty of energy in the relationship.
Well, those are the five ideas. Remember this: The likelihood is, if a relationship is going to get good, it will get good early on because ultimately most relationships get good pretty early and you have a little bit of a tough time holding on to the goodness over the years. If the relationship takes quite a while before it gets good, it's quite an unusual relationship. Six months is probably long enough to wait.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Jesus Was/Is Obedient
Jesus Was/Is Obedient
John 5:30
"I [Jesus] can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
Luke 4:43
"but He said to them, I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's [Jesus'] obedience many will be made righteous."
Examples of the correct way to practice obedience to His commands
Matthew 4:18-22
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
Examples of the incorrect way to practice obedience to His commands
Exodus 3:10
[God speaking from the burning bush] "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:11
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'"
To make a long story short, Moses spends the rest of Chapter 3 arguing with God, and the Lord has an answer for every one of Moses' excuses to get out of the job. Finally, in Chapter 4 verse 13, Moses asks God to send someone else. God's reaction is in the next verse:
Exodus 4:14
"So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses."
OUCH! I don't know about you, but the absolute last thing I would ever want is to have the Lord angry with me.
In Matthew 19:16-23, we are told of a man who wanted to come and follow Jesus, but he was not willing to follow Jesus' command to sell everything. Actually, he might have done it if he had taken the time to think about it, but the Lord wanted him to do it immediately, just as Simon, Andrew, James and John had dropped their fishing equipment without hesitation to dedicate their lives to the Lord.
The story of this man, often referred to as the Rich Young Ruler in modern discussions, is applicable to us for that very reason: he was expected to obey God immediately, without worrying about his possession or other worldly concerns. Sadly, this man is not alone. He lost a chance at salvation. You and I may have salvation, but we are still called to immediate obedience, and the thing that will keep us from this is the worries of the world, and possessions, both of which are temporary anyway. This is why Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there is your heart also.
One final point here can be made if we will remember what was said earlier about the definition of obedience. The Greek and Hebrew words translated into "obedience" both are centered around the concept of trust. If you don't obey God when He speaks to you, you are essentially saying, "God, I don't trust Your will for my life. I don't think You have my best interests at heart. I know better than You, so I will handle this one myself." As you can imagine, this sort of attitude can upset the Lord greatly. Which leads us to His anger being kindled against us and I'm sure none of us want that, now do we?
John 5:30
"I [Jesus] can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
Luke 4:43
"but He said to them, I must preach the Kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent."
Romans 5:19
"For as by one man's [Adam's] disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's [Jesus'] obedience many will be made righteous."
Examples of the correct way to practice obedience to His commands
Matthew 4:18-22
"And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him."
Examples of the incorrect way to practice obedience to His commands
Exodus 3:10
[God speaking from the burning bush] "Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Exodus 3:11
"But Moses said to God, 'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?'"
To make a long story short, Moses spends the rest of Chapter 3 arguing with God, and the Lord has an answer for every one of Moses' excuses to get out of the job. Finally, in Chapter 4 verse 13, Moses asks God to send someone else. God's reaction is in the next verse:
Exodus 4:14
"So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses."
OUCH! I don't know about you, but the absolute last thing I would ever want is to have the Lord angry with me.
In Matthew 19:16-23, we are told of a man who wanted to come and follow Jesus, but he was not willing to follow Jesus' command to sell everything. Actually, he might have done it if he had taken the time to think about it, but the Lord wanted him to do it immediately, just as Simon, Andrew, James and John had dropped their fishing equipment without hesitation to dedicate their lives to the Lord.
The story of this man, often referred to as the Rich Young Ruler in modern discussions, is applicable to us for that very reason: he was expected to obey God immediately, without worrying about his possession or other worldly concerns. Sadly, this man is not alone. He lost a chance at salvation. You and I may have salvation, but we are still called to immediate obedience, and the thing that will keep us from this is the worries of the world, and possessions, both of which are temporary anyway. This is why Matthew 6:21 says that where your treasure is, there is your heart also.
One final point here can be made if we will remember what was said earlier about the definition of obedience. The Greek and Hebrew words translated into "obedience" both are centered around the concept of trust. If you don't obey God when He speaks to you, you are essentially saying, "God, I don't trust Your will for my life. I don't think You have my best interests at heart. I know better than You, so I will handle this one myself." As you can imagine, this sort of attitude can upset the Lord greatly. Which leads us to His anger being kindled against us and I'm sure none of us want that, now do we?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
NFL Week 10 Picks: Regular Edition
NFL Week 10 Picks: Regular Edition
M.D. Wright
11.8.08
OK, I'm back on track. After a busy Friday and running all day on Saturday, I am finally getting an opportunity to put my thoughts together for Week 10. Let's get it.
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Saints are a .500 for a reason: they have a great QB who puts up pinball-like numbers and a defense, that despite adding several free agents (who have all been busts, while letting go players like Darren Howard), that still sucks.
The Falcons are for real. And given that Matt Ryan came into the NFL with four years of running a pro-style offense, he's going to flourish against the Saints' shaky secondary. Add to that the fact that the Saints are a turnstile against the running game, and you can envision Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood gaining 200+ yards between them
Call:
New Orleans 24
Atlanta 30
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
This is going to be a bloodbath, and an enjoyable one at that (unlike watching Roy Jones, Jr. further convince us boxing experts that he should've retired in 2002 -- that was a PAINFUL-T0-WATCH bloodbath... ufff). Anyway, if Orton plays, the Bears are in good shape to possibly pull this out. If Gross Man plays, well, the Bears chances are gross, man... (you like that Cam-like wordplay right? hah).
The Titans don't wow you with their passing game. Collins just makes the plays when he needs to. But I really do FINALLY see him killing them with an INT. It's going to be close and I am going to go out on a limb and call the Bears for this one.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Chicago 17
---
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
The Jags are pissing me off. They've cost me three losses in a row with their uninspired play. The Lions suck royally, like the '07 Dolphins (who had an excuse) and the '89 Cowboys, who also had one -- I forget which year it was that the Jets went 1-15, but those teams had inept GMs/Head Coaches or a general lack of talent. The Lions had enough talent on offense to AT LEAST win three games by now. But nooooo
The Jags miss their offensive linemen and they really miss Marcus Stroud on defense. That release of Byron Leftwich and Garrard's (poor) Game Manager play this year might cost Del Rio his job. I am only picking the Jags because I want the Lions to go 0-16 lmao
Call:
Jacksonville 26
Detroit 21
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
Seabags in a 1 ET game in the east? With THAT squad right now? Wildcats are more vicious than birds hah
Call:
Seattle 10
Miami 27
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota
This game doesn't have the same buzz that it had from 1992-2007, but it's compelling, because all of these teams being bunched together atop the NFC North. I still think the Vikes are dangerous because of Peterson. However, I think Rodgers will find a way to get it done with JUST ENOUGH from Grant and Jackson, along with the defense bending and not breaking against Aging Gus.
Call:
Green Bay 31
Minnesota 27
---
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
It would do me no better than to see the Pats get sent into a full-blown tailspin in a loss here. They very well SHOULD win, but Trent Edwards' mind-numbing turnovers this season is making me cautious. The Pats are slow on defense, but they make timely plays. Time is catching up with Cassel, and his stage coach is turning into a pumpkin.
Bills will win this one, going away actually.
Call:
Buffalo 28
New England 19
---
St. Louis Rams vs. New York Jets
Giants Stadium at The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Jets need to win this game; a fact that is not lost on Mangini nor Favre and the rest of the team. I think they will do it, even though the Haslett-led Rams defense is all of a sudden playing well... hmmmm.
Call:
St. Louis 14
NY Jets 20
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
The Ravens are smart by playing Ray Rice now. McGahee is finished; sad to say, and McClain is good in a complimentary role -- not starting or being the feature 'back. The Texans? I've given up on them. They are at home, yes, but they stink.
Call:
Baltimore 27
Houston 21
---
Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
Do you really think I am going to waste words here? The Raiders will probably have negative yardage for the ENTIRE game this week instead of just the first half (vs. Atlanta last week).
Call:
Carolina 31
Oakland 0
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Colts are still on life support. They cannot win the AFC South unless both the Titans' running backs get injured for the season and Albert Haynesworth stomps Jeff Saturday senseless or something hah... but the Steelers aren't going to roll over easily. It APPEARS as if Willie Parker is not going to play. Or is he going to? Who's on first? What's on second? I dunno.
The Colts' desperation (see: last week vs. NE) will win out in an eeker.
Call:
Indianapolis 24
Pittsburgh 19
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
The Chargers are desperate, and the Chiefs are down to their 14th string QB and RB, respectively.
Call:
Kansas City 2
San Diego 31
---
New York Football Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*GAME OF THE WEEK*
The Eagles are playing very well. I must give them credit, because I counted them dead when Westbrook began piling up his injuries a few weeks ago. McNabb cannot hold onto the ball like he has been in the past couple of games against the Giants, however. Eli Manning, likeise, cannot get caught up in the Eagles' relentless blitz packages and start throwing the ball off his back foot. MARK MY WORDS, IF MANNING DOES THIS, THE GIANTS WILL LOSE.
No one (only the Steelers have come close to doing so) can stop the Giants' running game, and until the Eagles are a threat to run the ball more than 12 times a game, they can't expect to beat the Giants, all else being virtually equal.
Call:
NY Giants 31
Philadelphia 27
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Head Coach Mike Singletary has tried out for the next round of Coors Light commercials with his post-game rant following his first game as coach -- AFTER benching their 2nd best offensive player (TE Vernon Davis) and reportedly dropped his pants while cursing out the team before that press conference. Let's just hope he doesn't openly whizz on the defense as Kurt Warner chops them to shreds with a 34-41, 483 yard, 5 TD performance. Oh yeah. He's going to do that. I'm not making this stuff up. I wish I had a Cardinal on my fantasy squad.
Call:
San Francisco 6
Arizona 41
---
More on Monday!
M.D. Wright
11.8.08
OK, I'm back on track. After a busy Friday and running all day on Saturday, I am finally getting an opportunity to put my thoughts together for Week 10. Let's get it.
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, Georgia
The Saints are a .500 for a reason: they have a great QB who puts up pinball-like numbers and a defense, that despite adding several free agents (who have all been busts, while letting go players like Darren Howard), that still sucks.
The Falcons are for real. And given that Matt Ryan came into the NFL with four years of running a pro-style offense, he's going to flourish against the Saints' shaky secondary. Add to that the fact that the Saints are a turnstile against the running game, and you can envision Michael Turner and Jerrious Norwood gaining 200+ yards between them
Call:
New Orleans 24
Atlanta 30
---
Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears
Soldier Field
Chicago, Illinois
This is going to be a bloodbath, and an enjoyable one at that (unlike watching Roy Jones, Jr. further convince us boxing experts that he should've retired in 2002 -- that was a PAINFUL-T0-WATCH bloodbath... ufff). Anyway, if Orton plays, the Bears are in good shape to possibly pull this out. If Gross Man plays, well, the Bears chances are gross, man... (you like that Cam-like wordplay right? hah).
The Titans don't wow you with their passing game. Collins just makes the plays when he needs to. But I really do FINALLY see him killing them with an INT. It's going to be close and I am going to go out on a limb and call the Bears for this one.
Call:
Tennessee 13
Chicago 17
---
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Detroit Lions
Ford Field
Detroit, Michigan
The Jags are pissing me off. They've cost me three losses in a row with their uninspired play. The Lions suck royally, like the '07 Dolphins (who had an excuse) and the '89 Cowboys, who also had one -- I forget which year it was that the Jets went 1-15, but those teams had inept GMs/Head Coaches or a general lack of talent. The Lions had enough talent on offense to AT LEAST win three games by now. But nooooo
The Jags miss their offensive linemen and they really miss Marcus Stroud on defense. That release of Byron Leftwich and Garrard's (poor) Game Manager play this year might cost Del Rio his job. I am only picking the Jags because I want the Lions to go 0-16 lmao
Call:
Jacksonville 26
Detroit 21
---
Seattle Seahawks vs. Miami Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium
Miami, Florida
Seabags in a 1 ET game in the east? With THAT squad right now? Wildcats are more vicious than birds hah
Call:
Seattle 10
Miami 27
---
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
Minneapolis, Minnesota
This game doesn't have the same buzz that it had from 1992-2007, but it's compelling, because all of these teams being bunched together atop the NFC North. I still think the Vikes are dangerous because of Peterson. However, I think Rodgers will find a way to get it done with JUST ENOUGH from Grant and Jackson, along with the defense bending and not breaking against Aging Gus.
Call:
Green Bay 31
Minnesota 27
---
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts
It would do me no better than to see the Pats get sent into a full-blown tailspin in a loss here. They very well SHOULD win, but Trent Edwards' mind-numbing turnovers this season is making me cautious. The Pats are slow on defense, but they make timely plays. Time is catching up with Cassel, and his stage coach is turning into a pumpkin.
Bills will win this one, going away actually.
Call:
Buffalo 28
New England 19
---
St. Louis Rams vs. New York Jets
Giants Stadium at The New Jersey Meadowlands
East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Jets need to win this game; a fact that is not lost on Mangini nor Favre and the rest of the team. I think they will do it, even though the Haslett-led Rams defense is all of a sudden playing well... hmmmm.
Call:
St. Louis 14
NY Jets 20
---
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
Reliant Stadium
Houston, Texas
The Ravens are smart by playing Ray Rice now. McGahee is finished; sad to say, and McClain is good in a complimentary role -- not starting or being the feature 'back. The Texans? I've given up on them. They are at home, yes, but they stink.
Call:
Baltimore 27
Houston 21
---
Carolina Panthers vs. Oakland Raiders
McAfee Coliseum
Oakland, California
Do you really think I am going to waste words here? The Raiders will probably have negative yardage for the ENTIRE game this week instead of just the first half (vs. Atlanta last week).
Call:
Carolina 31
Oakland 0
---
Indianapolis Colts vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Colts are still on life support. They cannot win the AFC South unless both the Titans' running backs get injured for the season and Albert Haynesworth stomps Jeff Saturday senseless or something hah... but the Steelers aren't going to roll over easily. It APPEARS as if Willie Parker is not going to play. Or is he going to? Who's on first? What's on second? I dunno.
The Colts' desperation (see: last week vs. NE) will win out in an eeker.
Call:
Indianapolis 24
Pittsburgh 19
---
Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego, California
The Chargers are desperate, and the Chiefs are down to their 14th string QB and RB, respectively.
Call:
Kansas City 2
San Diego 31
---
New York Football Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
*GAME OF THE WEEK*
The Eagles are playing very well. I must give them credit, because I counted them dead when Westbrook began piling up his injuries a few weeks ago. McNabb cannot hold onto the ball like he has been in the past couple of games against the Giants, however. Eli Manning, likeise, cannot get caught up in the Eagles' relentless blitz packages and start throwing the ball off his back foot. MARK MY WORDS, IF MANNING DOES THIS, THE GIANTS WILL LOSE.
No one (only the Steelers have come close to doing so) can stop the Giants' running game, and until the Eagles are a threat to run the ball more than 12 times a game, they can't expect to beat the Giants, all else being virtually equal.
Call:
NY Giants 31
Philadelphia 27
---
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Arizona
Head Coach Mike Singletary has tried out for the next round of Coors Light commercials with his post-game rant following his first game as coach -- AFTER benching their 2nd best offensive player (TE Vernon Davis) and reportedly dropped his pants while cursing out the team before that press conference. Let's just hope he doesn't openly whizz on the defense as Kurt Warner chops them to shreds with a 34-41, 483 yard, 5 TD performance. Oh yeah. He's going to do that. I'm not making this stuff up. I wish I had a Cardinal on my fantasy squad.
Call:
San Francisco 6
Arizona 41
---
More on Monday!
Friday, November 7, 2008
God Delights In Obedience
God Delights In Obedience
If we love Him, we will want to make Him happy
-- 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, ''Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice . .'"
--John 14:21,23
"He who has My [Jesus'] commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and He who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."
Obedience Will Make Your Relationship With Him Better
-- James 2:21-26
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
We could go on about what "justified" means, but without trying to stir theological debate, I must state here that I am one who believes man cannot lose salvation. Therefore, this passage describes the importance of obeying God in respect to our walk with Him beyond our initial salvation. What James is saying, then, is that our obedience does have a significance. Once we are saved, we can choose not to pursue Him aggressively, but we are the worse off for it.
If you are truly saved, and over time, you choose to follow the world instead, you will still have enter eternal life, but your walk with Him while in this life will not be rewarding. You will be missing out on all the joy and peace that comes packaged with a relationship with Him. You will try to replace that joy with the world's imperfect substitutes, which cannot satisfy. The question is, what kind of walk do YOU want to have?
If we love Him, we will want to make Him happy
-- 1 Samuel 15:22
"And Samuel said, ''Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice . .'"
--John 14:21,23
"He who has My [Jesus'] commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and He who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."
Obedience Will Make Your Relationship With Him Better
-- James 2:21-26
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,' and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
We could go on about what "justified" means, but without trying to stir theological debate, I must state here that I am one who believes man cannot lose salvation. Therefore, this passage describes the importance of obeying God in respect to our walk with Him beyond our initial salvation. What James is saying, then, is that our obedience does have a significance. Once we are saved, we can choose not to pursue Him aggressively, but we are the worse off for it.
If you are truly saved, and over time, you choose to follow the world instead, you will still have enter eternal life, but your walk with Him while in this life will not be rewarding. You will be missing out on all the joy and peace that comes packaged with a relationship with Him. You will try to replace that joy with the world's imperfect substitutes, which cannot satisfy. The question is, what kind of walk do YOU want to have?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
NFL Week 10 Picks: Rushed Edition
NFL Week 10 Picks: Rushed Edition
M.D. Wright
11.6.08
11:19 PM
I promise you, I meant to do this earlier, and forgot there was a Thursday game until DK reminded me as he posted his picks earlier.
And I promise ANYONE who doesn't trust me, regardless of what happens in the CLE/DEN game, I was picking CLE all the way. It is 11:19 PM as I type this.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
I think the Browns are scratching and clawing for a boost. Putting Quinn in reeks of desperation for Romeo Crennel. It could backfire, or Quinn could play well. I honestly thought he'd be in the middle, but what do I know? I figured the game would be loosey-goosey and high scoring. I had Cleveland picked in the beginning.
Call:
Denver 41
Cleveland 43
---
The rest of the picks coming tomorrow.
M.D. Wright
11.6.08
11:19 PM
I promise you, I meant to do this earlier, and forgot there was a Thursday game until DK reminded me as he posted his picks earlier.
And I promise ANYONE who doesn't trust me, regardless of what happens in the CLE/DEN game, I was picking CLE all the way. It is 11:19 PM as I type this.
Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
I think the Browns are scratching and clawing for a boost. Putting Quinn in reeks of desperation for Romeo Crennel. It could backfire, or Quinn could play well. I honestly thought he'd be in the middle, but what do I know? I figured the game would be loosey-goosey and high scoring. I had Cleveland picked in the beginning.
Call:
Denver 41
Cleveland 43
---
The rest of the picks coming tomorrow.
What Is Obedience, Anyway?
What Is Obedience, Anyway?
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated into English as obedience means "to hear." The New Testament agrees with this, and gets more detailed. The Greek word means "to hear or listen in a state of submission" or "attentive hearkening." Another use of the same word means "to trust."
Obedience
All believers know that obedience is part of the Christian experience. God expects His people to obey Him. We have several reminders of this. There are those two stone tablets made famous in the Charlton Heston movie. There is the picture of God as Father and us as His children. There is the account of Adam and Eve eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We all realize that God has every right to expect certain behavior of us, and throughout the Bible, He exercises that right. We all realize that there are commandments He has given us which apply to us as a whole. We should love each other. We should all abstain from immoral behavior. We should give. We should not get drunk. We should pray. We are accountable to Him for the way we raise our children.
These and many other truths are universal, applying to everyone. Since we all have a basic understanding of that concept, I am going to skip over it, and focus on one aspect of obedience, that of obeying Him on an individual basis.
Besides those commandments which we should all obey, there are times when He gives us commands on a more personal basis. He may tell an individual that He wants him or her to handle a situation a certain way.
NOTE: This is a good time to interject that when I say tell or speak, I have never heard an audible voice from God, yet I know there are times when He has impressed upon me that He wants me to do something (or, many times, He wants me NOT to do something). It is a feeling I get inside, and I know it's Him speaking. In the past, He has told me to confess and apologize when I have done something to offend someone. He has told me to pray for a friend. He has told me that He wants me to fast for a particular time period. He has told me to say a certain something to a friend who needed to hear it. I realize this may be new to some readers, and some will be skeptical when they hear someone talk of God speaking to them. I can tell you that it does happen, and when it happens to you, you will know it's Him.
Having said all that, it is important to know that just because we may know it's Him speaking to us on an individual basis, there is no guarantee that we will act in obedience. Jonah is one example. He knew it was God telling him to go to Nineveh to preach; there was no doubt in his mind. He did not say to himself: "Maybe that's not God. Maybe it's just random thoughts popping into my head." Yet he chose to disobey Him.
In that case, God chose to use radical methods to bring Jonah around to His way of thinking, but He doesn't always do that to individuals. However, I can guarantee you that if you know it's Him telling you to do something, you are better off in your own personal circumstances obeying Him. He simply knows better than you and me what lies ahead, and many times He impresses upon us to steer our lives in a particular direction because He knows what's going to happen.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated into English as obedience means "to hear." The New Testament agrees with this, and gets more detailed. The Greek word means "to hear or listen in a state of submission" or "attentive hearkening." Another use of the same word means "to trust."
Obedience
All believers know that obedience is part of the Christian experience. God expects His people to obey Him. We have several reminders of this. There are those two stone tablets made famous in the Charlton Heston movie. There is the picture of God as Father and us as His children. There is the account of Adam and Eve eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
We all realize that God has every right to expect certain behavior of us, and throughout the Bible, He exercises that right. We all realize that there are commandments He has given us which apply to us as a whole. We should love each other. We should all abstain from immoral behavior. We should give. We should not get drunk. We should pray. We are accountable to Him for the way we raise our children.
These and many other truths are universal, applying to everyone. Since we all have a basic understanding of that concept, I am going to skip over it, and focus on one aspect of obedience, that of obeying Him on an individual basis.
Besides those commandments which we should all obey, there are times when He gives us commands on a more personal basis. He may tell an individual that He wants him or her to handle a situation a certain way.
NOTE: This is a good time to interject that when I say tell or speak, I have never heard an audible voice from God, yet I know there are times when He has impressed upon me that He wants me to do something (or, many times, He wants me NOT to do something). It is a feeling I get inside, and I know it's Him speaking. In the past, He has told me to confess and apologize when I have done something to offend someone. He has told me to pray for a friend. He has told me that He wants me to fast for a particular time period. He has told me to say a certain something to a friend who needed to hear it. I realize this may be new to some readers, and some will be skeptical when they hear someone talk of God speaking to them. I can tell you that it does happen, and when it happens to you, you will know it's Him.
Having said all that, it is important to know that just because we may know it's Him speaking to us on an individual basis, there is no guarantee that we will act in obedience. Jonah is one example. He knew it was God telling him to go to Nineveh to preach; there was no doubt in his mind. He did not say to himself: "Maybe that's not God. Maybe it's just random thoughts popping into my head." Yet he chose to disobey Him.
In that case, God chose to use radical methods to bring Jonah around to His way of thinking, but He doesn't always do that to individuals. However, I can guarantee you that if you know it's Him telling you to do something, you are better off in your own personal circumstances obeying Him. He simply knows better than you and me what lies ahead, and many times He impresses upon us to steer our lives in a particular direction because He knows what's going to happen.
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