"The Decision"

 

“No man, not even our heroes, should be expected to carry the burden of our dreams.” Allan Barra

Mickey Mantle was one of the biggest stars in American sports history, ruling Major League Baseball in the 1950s and '60s. This was back when baseball was the number one sport in America. It was the equivalent of the modern day NFL, NBA, and college sports all wrapped in one package. And Mickey, along with Willie Mays, were the stars of that universe. 

I had the great fortune to grow up in one of the golden decades for baseball, with players that were still protected by sports journalists and without the coverage that today's players have to endure. As a child my knowledge of my favorite players came from newspapers, weekly TV broadcasts, and baseball cards. What I didn't know about my favorite players, myth stood by to fill in the gaps. And so their stature grew in my childhood eyes until they exceeded mere mortal expectations.

Walking In The Light

In the book of Galatians, a New Testament book written by Paul, he spends a great deal of time discussing the topic of freedom. Freedom to choose our paths in life is one of the central facets of our humanity. Which is why each time I read Galatians, especially chapter 4, I'm reminded of a story I heard in a sermon many years ago. The sermon was based on a story by Russell Moore, about his wife Maria, and their adoption of two young boys from a Russian orphanage. 

"When my wife Maria and I at long last received the call that the legal process was over, we returned to Russia to pick up our new sons, only to discover that their transition from orphanage to family was more difficult than we had supposed. We dressed the boys in outfits our parents had bought for them. We nodded our thanks to the orphanage personnel and walked out into the sunlight, to the terror of the two boys. They’d never seen the sun, and they’d never felt the wind. They had never heard the sound of a car door slamming or had the sensation of being carried along at 60 miles an hour down a road. I noticed that they were shaking, and reaching back to the orphanage in the distance.  I whispered to Sergei, now Timothy, “That place is a pit! If only you knew what’s waiting for you: a home with a Mommy and a Daddy who love you, grand parents and great-grand parents and cousins and playmates and McDonald’s Happy Meals!” 

But all they knew was the orphanage. 

It was filthy, gloomy, and devoid of hope, but they had no other reference point. 

It was home.

True Power

Most people think of eternal life as beginning at the point of mortal death. Of course, our entrance into the presence of God does occur at death, and we get a new body at the resurrection. But, in many tangible ways, our eternal life actually begins when we place our faith in Christ. It could be said that in some ways, for believers, eternity is now.

The Apostle Peter describes it this way: "His (Jesus Christ's) divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4)

Much of what it means to be a believer is found in God's power and promises. We have hope of heaven because of his power and promises. We are to live with a confident expectation that God has the power to fulfill every promise he has made to us. This hope is based on faith, and confirmed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The proof of our eternal life is God's presence in our lives today. Eternity can and should be a reality for every believer.

True Identity

Did you know that every decision in your life is based on who you think you are? In psychology, identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make a person (self-identity) or group (cultural identity). The process of identity can be creative or destructive.

If you believe that you are a person of integrity, then chances are that your choices will reflect that belief. If you believe that you are worthless, than unfortunately many of your choices will probably reflect that belief as well. But what if I were to show you how you can exchange your identity, as an imperfect human, for the perfection of God, Himself? Would you be interested in learning more?

The book of Ephesians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I mean, who doesn't love to get compliments? Well, starting with chapter 1 God shows us a beautiful reminder of who we are in Christ. It is a running description of all that we are in Christ, and all that He has done for us through Christ. In fact, chapters 1-3 all point to this eternal truth.