Morning Moments

I get some pretty interesting responses to MY Morning Moments. I remember sharing one once that was filled with spiritual principles, but had no Scripture verse in it and receiving a response like this: THERE IS NO SCRIPTURE IN THIS!

Another responded to one I did on John's Gospel directing me to a book of evidence that John did not write the Gospel of John. Okay, God did!

Another once commented on my reference to the Super Bowl and made it clear that he did not watch the Super Bowl. Big deal, neither do I.

It just goes to prove that people are funny and different! I honestly appreciate both positive and negative comments, but sometimes I share "in the trenches" stories, sometimes Bible book studies, sometimes passage studies, and sometimes comment on a certain verse or verses. And sometimes some people just have the gift of criticism:)

In all of the "Morning Moments", my desire is to reach the heart, not the head - some heads are too hard to reach:). Even God cannot reach your heart unless you allow Him to do it. You can harden your heart until God hardens your heart.

I have said all this because this morning I was reading about athletics in the Bible from Manners and Customs, which most Christians know little about, but this is what I read about that and it was an encouragement to me.

"The Apostle Paul was fond of making use of athletics to illustrate truth. To the Philippians he spoke of "striving together for the faith of the gospel" (Phil. 1:27). The words striving together actually mean "acting as athletes in concert." In the language of modern athletics, he was thinking of the importance of "team spirit" in church work. And when Paul wanted to give a gentle rebuke to two women at Philippi who were not of the same mind, he also complimented them by referring to them as "those women which labored with me in the gospel" (Phil. 4:3). The reference here again is to athletics. "These women were spiritual athletes." He was saying that they had worked with him like young men labor together to win an athletic contest. When Jude urged his readers to " earnestly contend for the faith Which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3, A. R. V.), he was using "another athletic word." Manners and Customs of Bible Lands."

My point is that no one cares if you like or watch or participate in athletics, but the fact is that all around are clear snapshots in life that can be used to demonstrate or illustrate the Christian life, so just chill, ask God what he has in this for you. If nothing, fine, but if something receive it and go on with you life. If there is doctrinal error, correct me, but be able to defend your position Biblical and contextually, and if it there is just your opinion, it is no more valuable than mine or anyone else's. I do try to respond respectfully and gratefully.

Paul said, "This one thing I do", not a hundred, just one thing and that is what I do praying that each who reads this blog will be comforted, convicted, challenged, converted or somehow further changed into his likeness.

BLESSINGS!