These lyrics are from a song by Shai Linne.

At the cross,
we see your holiness

At the cross,
we see you’re controlling this

At the cross,
we see how you feel about sin

At the cross,
we see your your unfathomable love for men

At the cross,
we see your sovereignty

At the cross,
we see our idolatry

At the cross,
we know there’s a judgement day

– The cross,
may we never take our eyes away.

As we all have been watching the Olympics, I have been very impressed with the cross country skiing event. It is 18 miles of skiing. Killer! –  to understate it.  As the competitors cross the finish line, many of them collapse due to the extreme limit that they have pushed themselves to. They have been going and pushing with such intensity.

Now let me ask you have you ever pushed yourself in that way? Have you ever run a mile or a 5K or a marathon? Have you felt how tired you are once you are finished?

Now imagine doing that with a heavy weight weighing you down. Imagine trying to keep up at the proper pace with things on top of you preventing you.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “…let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…”

Folks, we may be in the race, but are we running at the level we should? Lets get rid of everything that slows us down and prohibits us from giving our all to Jesus. Lets go hard for Him.

We are so very thankful to have these new doors at church.

1 Peter chapter 1 ends with this phrase

“And this word is the good news that was preached to you.”

That “good news” is what has been explained in the previous verses.

Here is my question. What news do you preach? What news is it that all the people you see and interact with on a daily basis receive?

FBCF lets take responsibility for getting the “Good News” to all the people in Fairdale.  From National Turnpike to Coral Ridge to New Cut Road to the Outer Loop, lets get the “good news” to them.

 

There are many people who say they are believers in God. A very high percentage of people in America and in the whole world say and think they are believers in God.

Yet Peter writes “you, who through Him are believers in God.”  1 Peter 1:21

You can only be a true believer in God- through Him…Jesus.

I am not talking about food.

When Jesus got done fasting for 40 days, the Bible says He went out “led by the Spirit” into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The Bible makes a huge understatement and says that Jesus was hungry. (I have never fasted 40 days. I have fasted for 40 hours, and after that I was hungry. I cannot imagine how hungry Jesus or myself would be after 40 days.)

The devil then came to Jesus. And since He was hungry, the devil tells Him to turn stones into bread so that He can eat and satisfy His hunger. Jesus answers the devil,
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”  (a quote from Deut. 8:3) 

Can you imagine? Jesus is so hungry. 40 days hungry. He is ready to eat. And at the time of temptation, He doesn’t lose control so that He can eat. No, He quotes this random passage in Deuteronomy chapter 8 that most Christians today are not even familiar with. And that passage places total emphasis on God’s Word. Wow!

Again, wow!  How important is the Bible for you and me?

We cannot understate it? 

That is why I am so excited about our church beginning this new study from 1 Peter. Over the next 3 months, we are going to eat a lot from 1 Peter. We are not going to live by bread alone, we are going to feed off of the very words that proceed from the mouth of God.

I cannot wait.  Please make every attempt possible to be here this Sunday night for a study in 1 Peter.

Saturday mornings make for some good times with 2 little boys. This morning a serious war broke out.
2 dinosaurs took on 10 farm animals which took on 10 African safari animals which took on 12 mini primates. It was awesome!

There is a lot that has been said about Tiger’s public apology.  I don’t have many thoughts or comments about it.

Here is what I came away thinking after his speech – the Bible is so true!

The Bible says “all have sinned.”                           
The Bible says “no one understands.”
The Bible says “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.”
The Bible says there are those who are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”
The Bible says “the way of peace they have not known.”
The Bible says “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
When speaking as someone who did not listen to his father’s instruction on adultery, the Bible says “How I hated discipline, and  my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.”
When speaking of someone who falls into adultery, the Bible says “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.”
The Bible says “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Just watching and listening to Tiger’s apology made me think of the reality of all these Biblical truths.  What I find so heavy and heart-breaking is that Tiger would believe and affirm all of these Biblical truths that I have quoted above. (His speech proved it.)

Oh, how I pray that he would believe and affirm all that I will quote below.

In the Bible, Jesus says “I  told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that  I am he you will die in your sins.”
In the Bible, Jesus says “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
The Bible says “He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him.”
The Bible says  “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”
The Bible says “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The Bible says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
The Bible says “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away…”
The Bible says “there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
The Bible says “unless you repent you will like wise perish.”
The Bible says “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see; They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell; They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.”
The Bible says “the LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love…The LORD is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. he fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; he also hears their cry and saves them.”

Please join me in praying that Tiger may know those truths and know the God of those truths.

We have all been in the situation when someone is trying to tell us something we need to hear and we can hardly hear what they are saying because we will not be quiet longing enough. We must get our 2 cents in. (Perhaps you have been on both sides: sometimes you are the one trying to talk & sometimes you are the one who will not be quiet.)

Well the Bible gives us tremendous insight for these occasions.
Hear the advice from God’s Word.

Proverbs 18:2 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”

Proverbs 15:32 “Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence.”

James 1:19 “Know this my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger”

Lets deny ourselves. Stop thinking that we are always right. Lets listen better. Lets listen first and then speak after we have thought it through. In doing this, we will be the people of God who love instruction and correction, and those who value the wisdom of God.