Affect Comes Before Effect – Part Ten

Alice Coachman was born in Albany, Georgia. As an aspiring athlete she faced two barriers in training to become an athlete: she was black and she was a woman. She ran shoeless on dirt roads and used makeshift equipment to work on her high jumping. 

Her developmental years involved joining the high school track team before moving on to Tuskegee College. She also competed in the Amateur Athletic Union, and by 1946 she was the national champion in the 50- and 100-meter dashes, 400-meter relay and high jump. She also enrolled at Albany State College in 1946 after graduating from Tuskegee.

After World War II wiped out the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, Coachman finally got her chance to compete in 1948, high jumping an Olympic-record 5 feet, 6 1/8 inches to win her first gold in London and receive her medal in Wembley Stadium. She is in nine Halls of Fame, including the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. 

Coachman became the first black woman with an endorsement deal when the Coca-Cola Company signed her as a spokesperson in 1952.

Alice worked for years preparing herself physically, culturally, and spiritually while awaiting her moment. What a shame it would have been for her hour to have come only to find her not prepared.  She said, “I’ve had that strong will, that oneness of purpose, all my life. … I just called upon myself and the Lord to let the best come through.”

W. A. Criswell was a diligent seminary student. After chapel there was a daily break. Most students went to the coffee shop, he went to the library. In response to appeals by fellow students to join them in the coffee shop he would often lightheartedly say, one of these days George Truett is going to retire at First Baptist Church in Dallas and I want to be ready. Little did he realize that day would actually come. It did, and it found Criswell ready.

There is an appeal with a promise in Isaiah 40: 31: “…those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength….”

It takes God time to get us ready for what He has in store for us. Give God time to be God.

In the interim there is promised a special provision for those who patiently wait on Him: “They shall mount up with wings like eagles.” This is a metaphor speaking of overcoming.

There is a plus, “They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” This speaks of endurance. 

Do you have a dream, that is, an objective, a goal in mind?” We who do are always eager to obtain it. Prepare yourself that if an occasion arises making it ready for you, you will be ready for it.

“Wait on the Lord, run not before Him, and He shall direct your path.” 

Affect always comes before effect.

Finding Strength in the Lord – Part Nine

“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”  I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27

In the February 1952 issue of Iron Man Magazine Bob Peeples, a world-renown lifter and writer for the magazine, tells the story of their first meeting. A 19 year old Paul went into Peeples’ weight room, and without any warm up or wraps, squatted 550lbs…in just his regular shoes. At 5’10” tall, the 275 lb teenager with the 50-inch chest had just squatted 25lbs under the standing 575 lb world record, and he did it twice.

Paul didn’t always have access to traditional weights, so he made his own out of household items like 55 gallon drums filled with concrete, the aforementioned safe, and iron wheels. Paul also developed his own training methods that included squatting all day, every other day.

Three days before the Olympic weight lifting competition Paul developed a high fever and inner ear infection.. At the last minute he was allowed to compete.

An ailing Anderson fell so far behind his chief rival that on the final of three required lifts, he needed to clean and jerk 413.5 pounds, an Olympic record, to claim the gold. Twice he tried and failed. On the third attempt Paul had a talk with the Lord saying, “I’m not trying to make a deal, Lord, no deals, but I must have Your help to get this weight overhead.” Paul made a true commitment to serve God for the rest of his life. He gave the final push and drove the bar overhead, and it stayed. The crowd went wild as Paul returned the bar to the floor. He suddenly was the Olympic Gold Medalist.

Paul often said, “If the strongest man in the world needs Jesus, so do you.”

Paul died on August 15, 1994 from complications from kidney disease at the age of 61 and I conducted his funeral.

Experientially on his deathbed Paul knew, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.”  (Isaiah 40:29)

This bouquet of Scripture typified Paul regarding his true strength.. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

Paul often issued this challenge, “If I, Paul Anderson, the World’s Strongest Man, can not make it through one day without Jesus Christ, how can you?”

Like Paul, call on the Lord and commit to Him.

How to Experience a Renewal of Joy 9/27/98

Psalm 51:9-13
Page 840 Come Alive Bible

JESUS CHRIST redeems by His precious blood. When He saves us it is a once and for all time experience. However, there are many times in life when we need to be refreshed and revived.

Remember the last time you were real hot, thirsty, and tired. Recall when you found a comfortable and cool place to sit and sip deeply of cool water. What a sensation! Reflect on that wonderful feeling.

An experience more exhilarating than that awaits those who are spiritually in need of revival.

Historically revival always begins with prayer.

God wants to mature you through prayer. Matthew 15: 21-28 illustrates this.

A woman cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me…my daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

Jesus seems to ignore her. The disciples said, “Send her away.”

The woman persisted, “Lord, help me.”

Jesus seemed to insult her by what appeared to be a put-down: “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

He did so in order to give her the opportunity to show her desire and persistence. She did and replied, “True, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables.

Having given her an opportunity to mature in her faith, Jesus rewarded her by saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.”

Great must have been her joy!

Scripture says, “The joy of the Lord is thy strength…” Question: “how strong are you?”

A haze hangs over America as private immorality is focused upon publicly. Self-exoneration and public apathy regarding improper conduct gives cause for consternation. Why do so many people condone immoral actions. The answer is found in a scenario incorporated in Romans 1. It is basically this: You approve of my sin and I will applaud yours. A reversal of that is, “I’m not going to condemn anyone for fear someone might condemn me.” Much of the public response indicates many have sin in their lives about which they are apprehensive. If so how should one respond to it? Let’s search a poignant passage for the answer and apply it in order that conscience might be free and joy abound.

God doesn’t want us to come face to face with our sin and go away remorseful over guilt but rejoicing over grace.

King David had sinned. Under the convicting energy of the Holy Spirit he knew he needed to forsake his sin. An interesting, often overlooked aspect of sin, is that at the time a person is involved in it there is a sense of it being right. Wonder of wonders is that a person’s mind can be changed and a sense of the sinfulness of sin awakened. That happened to David. What he did in committing adultery with Bathsheba seemed enjoyable. What he did in having her husband killed seemed plausible. Both sins were self-excused. His self-excusing was his third and equally as evil sin.

Sin is a defect in character which remains until the character is altered. When character is altered then a genuine abhorrence for sin results. A “what have I done” mentality emerges. It is at this point repentance begins.

Realizing the sinfulness of sin David prayed, “Do not cast me away from Your presence” (Vs. 11a).

The word for “repent” is not METAMELIA, which means to feel sorry for what has been done. Judas felt sorry for betraying Christ and hanged himself.

The Greek word translated “repent” is METANOIA, which means to have a change of heart. Be sure your repentance is deep and absolute and not an attempt to buy God’s favor. It is to seek His forgiveness and that is the biggest of favors. Repentance is a change of inner attitude, not just outward actions.

This very apparently happened to David. His broken heart did not contain any excuses for his sin. He made no effort to tone down the seriousness of it or to blame anyone else. He accepted the fault as his. He spoke of it as “my transgressions,” “my iniquity,” and “my sin.”

There was none of the “Bathsheba, sinned also,” or “If Uriah had done what I told him to I wouldn’t have had to have him killed.”

Realizing his sin David prayed – – –

“CREATE IN ME A CLEAN HEART, O GOD…” (Vs. 10a)

Download I John 1:9 and store it in your memory. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

“RENEW A RIGHT SPIRIT IN ME…” (Vs. 10b)

This is a plea to charge his spiritual battery. The reasons for his improper spirit are often paralleled by our preludes to sin. They are revealed in II Samuel 11: 1ff.

I. THE CAUSES FOR A WRONG SPIRIT
A. LETHARGY
“…at a time when kings go out to battle … David sent Joab … But David remained in Jerusalem” (Vs. 1c). He wasn’t where he should have been. He should have been with his army.

This was a case of “Here am I — send him.”

When we get out of place we get out of God’s will.

B. LAZINESS
“one evening David arose from his bed” (Vs. 2a). What was he doing sleeping late? He was out of sync. He wasn’t where he ought to be, and he wasn’t doing what he should have been doing.

C. LUST
“…he saw a woman bathing…” It is amazing how many sins are introduced by the word “saw.”

Lust comes in a variegated bouquet. There is lust for power, possessions, position, prestige, and praise.

II. THE CONDITIONS OF A RIGHT SPIRIT
We are saved by grace, kept by grace, and can only be renewed by grace. We can’t lose our salvation but we can lose the joy of our salvation.

A fellow went to a barber shop wanting a shave. He had never seen anyone shaved by a barber but thought it would be different. His barber’s name was Grace. She did a super job giving a smooth clean shave. When he asked how much he was amazed to learn it was $45.00. He thought that was excessive but paid.

The next day he looked in the mirror and didn’t need a shave. Each day for a week this happened. Finally he went back to see Grace. His pastor was in the shop and he asked his pastor if he had ever gotten a shave there. Being assured he had the man asked his pastor how long it was before he needed another shave. “I haven’t needed one have you?” “No and I don’t understand it.” “Well,” said the pastor, “the answer is easy. Once shaved always shaved when you have been shaved by Grace.”

Once saved always saved, but the joy can be lost — rejoice, it can also be restored.

A. LOVING
“… do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation” (Psalm 51: 11c & 12a).

The right spirit is the Holy Spirit. David’s spirit was one of humility. GOD NEVER REVIVES A PROUD PEOPLE.

One new convert exclaimed, “I am happier now when I am not happy than I was before when I was happy.”

Galatians 5: 22 lists “joy” as part of the fruit of the Spirit. One exuberant believer was described: “He must go to heaven every night because there is no other way he could be so joyous every day.”

Joy is the banner that is flown over the castle of the heart when the King is in residence.

B. LIBERATING
“… uphold me with Your generous Spirit…” (Vs. 12).

C. LONGING
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart — These, O God, You will not despise” (Vs. 17).

David’s personal revival brought him HOPE. It does the same for us. It gave him a sense of

HOLINESS. Holiness means set apart. He set himself apart for the use of the Lord.

David prayed for three things:
A “pure heart” (Vs. 10a).
A “steadfast spirit” (vs. 10b).
The “joy” of his salvation (vs. 12a).

OBEDIENCE. He said, “Then will I teach transgressors thy way” (Vs. 13a).

Let me digress to say that in this day in the life of our nation and the ministry of the church there needs to be a revival of commitment to our reason for being as illustrated by an event in the un-civil Civil War. Our community has streets named for such generals of the war as Cheatham, Hood, and Cleiburn.

During a heated period of the war General Hood relieved General Johnston. The first thing he did was send his adjutant to find General Cheatham. The adjutant returned and reported him killed in action.

General Hood then sent for General Evans. After his search the adjutant returned and reported him missing in action.

General Hood then sent the adjutant with this message to General Cleiburn: “Give him my love and tell him I require his hand at the fort at the locust grove.”

Upon receiving the message General Cleiburn stirred in his saddle, raised his saber and to his forces shouted, “First Missouri brigade, to the fort at the locust grove, C-H-A-R-G-E!”

When the fury of the battle was over General Cleiburn reported to General Hood. He dismounted and with dignity said, “Sir, I am pleased to present to your hand the fort at the locust grove.”

One day we will stand before our Commander after having received orders in our earthly spiritual warfare. How will we report. “We were on leave.” “We had some quarrels in the company we had to settle.” “We ….” Or, “Lord, I am pleased to present to your nail scarred hand the sphere of influence you entrusted to me.”

Will we present to His hand the conquest of the charge given us?

POWER. He had the power to love as His Lord loved. The power to overcome sin.

EVANGELISM. “And sinners shall be converted to You” (Vs. 13b).

Having the joy of his own salvation restored and knowing how wonderful it is, the Psalmist wanted others to have the same joy therefore he sought to bring people to the Lord. We who enjoy our own salvation want others to have the same joy.

Give Your Best in All Things – Part Eight

“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Cor. 9: 24 – 27) 

William Mervin Mills, also known as Tamakoce Te’Hila, was an Oglala Lakota native on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His is perhaps the most underrated performance in the history of Olympic sports. As a  Native American he experienced rejection on and off the reservation. He was given little attention as he entered the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His rejections were many, but he remembered his dad said, “It takes a dream to heal a broken soul.”  He wrote down his dream to heal his broken soul: “Gold medal, Olympic 10,000-meter run.”

The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky. It’s October 14, 1964, National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo. The runners toe the line for the 10,000-meter race. No American had ever won this race.

Mills was lightly considered in the games by virtue of the several world class athletes entered in the 10,000 meters race. This race belongs to Ron Clarke, an Australian who holds a world record in this event. An announcer puts it plainly about Billy’s chances: “Billy Mills of the United States is in there — a man no one expects to win this particular event.”

As the race progressed he was shuffled around and given unsettling elbows as he maneuvered for position. Working his way into fourth position his teammates were amazed and proud, finishing fourth would be remarkable, they thought. They became amazed at what they beheld. With this long race nearing an end, underdog Mills sprinted unbelievably fast to move to the front and win the Gold Medal in what is considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.

“It takes a dream,” do you have one? That is, what do you envision as to what the Lord wants to use you to achieve. Remember, God doesn’t expect you to be the best at anything.  He expects you to be your best at everything.

It is a dream to be your best at even the most menial task. In all things:
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” (Philippians 3: 12)

Don’t allow yourself to develop an “I have attained” mentality, but maintain an “I press on” outlook.

An infant is a human being, but not yet fully developed. Set your dream and press on to become the mature Christian Jesus created you with the capacity to be. 

Some Christians know, and even rejoice that Jesus has laid hold of them, but fail to realize there is a reason for which Jesus has also laid hold of them.

Find and fulfill your dream and that will heal even the most broken spirit.

Resolve, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Dream it! Make it a lifelong process of pressing.

Determination Is Often Mind Over Matter – Part Seven

“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”  I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27

Switzerland’s Gabriela Andersen-Schiess competed in the first Olympic marathon for women. Having such an event was questionable at the time. It was considered to be too great of a distance for women to run. The inaugural women’s Olympic marathon was held at the Los Angeles 1984 Summer Games. It was a challenge for all of the female competitors. She, like others, was tempted to quit, but that was not an option. However, her refusal to quit the race despite the exhausting conditions and suffering from dehydration led to an iconic Olympic. Wobbly and weaving her torso was bent to the left. Disillusion caused her to lose her goal for a time. She struggled through the last 500 meters of the race, suffering the grotesque effects of heat exhaustion. Her face slack, her body twisted, she lurched around the coliseum track, moving away from officials who offered to help her, she finished the race.

Later she said at times you have to keep your mind on the objective, not your body. All of us have such times when our focus is threatened and we have to refocus and rededicate ourselves to our objective.  

Since that eventful day she has acknowledged that her life has been filled with moments like this, that it has always had adventures and misadventures, accidents and close calls. She speaks for most people.

Her tenacity in finishing the race was acknowledged to be focus. To live for Jesus requires the same focus. Her focus on her goal overruled her bodily agony.

Pleasing the Lord should be our focus. We must constantly be “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12: 2)

Like Jesus we must be focused on the joy set before us. The joy is being an overcoming victor in our spiritual competition.

Our mind must be filled with God’s Word and our will focused on it. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4: 8)

Here is the winning result of a focused life: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)