There were 2 huge sports stories today that involved Pete Rose and Michael Vick. New York Daily News reported that Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig was considering reinstating the All Time Hit King, Pete Rose. (MLB came out later and said nothing had changed in Charlie Hustle's status) Then, the NFL announced that they were partially reinstating Michael Vick to the NFL.
I was thinking about this on the way home tonight and the thought popped into my head....What if Jesus were commissioner of the National Football League or Major League Baseball?
It's the old question "What would Jesus do?" I think we could look no further than John 8 to see what Jesus would do.
A group of Pharisees and religious leaders brought a woman who had been caught in adultery to Jesus. Verse 4-5 states "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
Adultery in that day deserved death. Jesus knew the law. However, he comes up with a brilliant answer. Verse 7 states that Jesus "stood up again and said, "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!"
Jesus points out the same thing that Romans 3:23 points out....we are all sinners. I heard Hank Aaron say last night in his defense of Pete Rose that we all have done wrong in our lives and should be given a second chance.
God is a God of second chances. He gave a second chance to the woman that day. What she had done was horrible! According to the law, she deserved death. However, he gave her a second chance.
What these men have done is wrong.....Gambling on games you play is viewed as the unpardonable sin in Major League Baseball. Dog Fighting is a disgusting and heinous crime. However, I believe that Jesus would have given them a second chance. He wouldn't have put some sort of stipulation on it. If you act right, then we will reinstate you. We will let you back in, but you cannot manage or you have to sit out more games. No, I believe Jesus would've done the same thing that he did in John 8. He looked at the woman and he said in verse 10 "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" 11 "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more ."
He looked at the woman and said "Go and sin no more." I believe he would look at Michael Vick and Pete Rose and say "Go and sin no more."
God will do the same thing for you too. If you are away from God, ask for forgiveness and he will say the same thing to you....."Go and sin no more." God will not make you jump through hoops.....He doesn't say "If you act right for six weeks, then you will be forgiven."
1 John 1:8-9 (NLT) "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."
Go and Sin No More
Monday, July 27, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Unsolicited Advice
We all have people in our lives who give us unsolicited advice. Truth be told.....we probably all give unsolicited advice. How many have ever been driving down the road and have experienced "the backseat driver?"
Sometimes, the advice is good advice or a good warning. Sometimes, it is not. We can't wait many times for the person to walk away.....some try and tell us how to drive, how to make decisions, how to live our life, how to raise our kids, what jobs we should take, etc.
I'll be honest. I usually tell couples who are about to have a baby several pieces of unsolicited advice that helped Sasha and me or would've helped us.
1) Start buying diapers now while you still have money.
2) If the baby uses formula, try finding the formula on ebay. We did this for both girls and saved tons of money. You just have to be careful that you don't get burned. Check the seller's ebay history.
3) Enjoy sleep now because you won't get much when the baby comes.
This morning, I was reading from Isaiah. God was communicating to Israel through the prophet Isaiah and several things leaped out to me and I wanted to share them.
Isaiah 40:13-15 (NLT) "Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best?"
The Lord doesn't need our unsolicited advice. He can do his job just fine without us telling him how to do his. :) He knows how you need to be provided for. He knows when your healing needs to take place. He knows the path your lost family member needs to be on to get them to the point of salvation. He does not need us to be backseat drivers for our lives. Let me say this.....petitioninig and advising are two different things. We should as scripture tells us....present our requests to God. That's prayer. We shouldn't tell him how to do his job.
God takes it a step further a few chapters later.
Isaiah 45:9-12 (NLT) "Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you are doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be!' 10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father and mother, 'Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?' " 11 This is what the LORD, the Creator and Holy One of Israel, says: "Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command."
The creator of all things knows best. He can see where we're headed. He knows the path our lives need to be on.
When we are patient and we wait on God and his time. Look at the promise in Isaiah 40.
Isaiah 40:27-31 (NLT) "O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Wait on God! Stop giving him advice! See what happens in your life! :)
Enjoy the Journey! I am. :)
Sometimes, the advice is good advice or a good warning. Sometimes, it is not. We can't wait many times for the person to walk away.....some try and tell us how to drive, how to make decisions, how to live our life, how to raise our kids, what jobs we should take, etc.
I'll be honest. I usually tell couples who are about to have a baby several pieces of unsolicited advice that helped Sasha and me or would've helped us.
1) Start buying diapers now while you still have money.
2) If the baby uses formula, try finding the formula on ebay. We did this for both girls and saved tons of money. You just have to be careful that you don't get burned. Check the seller's ebay history.
3) Enjoy sleep now because you won't get much when the baby comes.
This morning, I was reading from Isaiah. God was communicating to Israel through the prophet Isaiah and several things leaped out to me and I wanted to share them.
Isaiah 40:13-15 (NLT) "Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone's advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best?"
The Lord doesn't need our unsolicited advice. He can do his job just fine without us telling him how to do his. :) He knows how you need to be provided for. He knows when your healing needs to take place. He knows the path your lost family member needs to be on to get them to the point of salvation. He does not need us to be backseat drivers for our lives. Let me say this.....petitioninig and advising are two different things. We should as scripture tells us....present our requests to God. That's prayer. We shouldn't tell him how to do his job.
God takes it a step further a few chapters later.
Isaiah 45:9-12 (NLT) "Destruction is certain for those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot ever argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, 'Stop, you are doing it wrong!' Does the pot exclaim, 'How clumsy can you be!' 10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father and mother, 'Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?' " 11 This is what the LORD, the Creator and Holy One of Israel, says: "Do you question what I do? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command."
The creator of all things knows best. He can see where we're headed. He knows the path our lives need to be on.
When we are patient and we wait on God and his time. Look at the promise in Isaiah 40.
Isaiah 40:27-31 (NLT) "O Israel, how can you say the LORD does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? 28 Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. 29 He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. 30 Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 31 But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Wait on God! Stop giving him advice! See what happens in your life! :)
Enjoy the Journey! I am. :)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mavs get Marion!
Well, I am excited about the upcoming NBA Season. The Mavs acquired Shawn Marion today. I can't wait to see that line up play. I have a feeling that Cuban is not done dealing yet.
As excited as I am about the NBA season, I am even more excited about what God has in store for Sasha and me. It's going to be cool.
A friend of mine, Nova Pittman, shared this scripture with me a couple of months ago. It has really been captivating my thoughts. Nova is the church planting director for the North Texas District.
Deut 32:11-12 (NIV) "like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young,that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. 12 The LORD alone led him;no foreign god was with him."
Bring it on God! We're ready!
As excited as I am about the NBA season, I am even more excited about what God has in store for Sasha and me. It's going to be cool.
A friend of mine, Nova Pittman, shared this scripture with me a couple of months ago. It has really been captivating my thoughts. Nova is the church planting director for the North Texas District.
Deut 32:11-12 (NIV) "like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young,that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions. 12 The LORD alone led him;no foreign god was with him."
Bring it on God! We're ready!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Catch up time
Well, it's time to catch up a little. It's been another month since my last blog. So, what's been happening?
Sasha and the girls are enjoying their summer. They've gotten to spend time at both of their grandma's houses. We've also taken a family trip to the zoo.
Sasha and the girls are enjoying their summer. They've gotten to spend time at both of their grandma's houses. We've also taken a family trip to the zoo.
Mady attended the Vacation Bible School at First Methodist Church in Atlanta and loved it! She's a great big sister and really plays with Kenzie. A few days ago, Mady cleaned her whole room with out being told to. She takes after her mother. :)
Kenzie keeps us laughing all the time. We're working on potty training. She had a blast in the pool at Nana's house. We had to really watch her because she's a little daredevil.
The question that we get asked most often is "So, what's next? What are you going to do?" Well, we're praying about God's direction for our lives. We know that God has great plans for us and we are excited about what the future has to offer.
I did get to communicate at Northside Church on June 14th. Thanks to Pastor Jimmy for giving me the opportunity. It was a blast!
If you want to know what's going on more regularly, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rustyposey
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