Posted December 7th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Earlier this year I was preaching in a church that has a beautiful sanctuary. All of the appointments are precise, are in the best of taste, and have deep theological implications.
Then I saw something very interesting. There is a large banner right next to the wall showing the dove and the flame representing the presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is oftentimes described by a flame and fire. The United Methodist logo has a flame and a cross. The cross represents the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The flame represents the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Then I saw something very interesting. Right under the banner and behind the altar rail there is a large fire extinguisher.
Now I know that there is a safety code and fire extinguishers have to be present in certain places in public buildings. But having the fire extinguisher right next to the fire of the Holy Spirit was very interesting. It raised the question to me as to whether most of us are participating in fanning the flame of the fire of the Holy Spirit or using a fire extinguisher to put out the flame. Are we more effective with a fan or a fire extinguisher?
Acts 1:8 records that Jesus said to the disciples to go back to Jerusalem and wait for the power of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit’s power was received the Good News of Jesus Christ began to spread throughout the whole world. Nobody could stop it. They didn’t have any fire extinguishers in the Book of Acts!
There is a movement of God’s Spirit in our world today. It is most evident in the churches overseas where the church is growing exponentially. Here in America we have used our fire extinguishers so well that most churches are stagnant or declining. In the United Methodist Church we have closed more churches in the last 100 years than we have open today. There are similar statistics in other denominations.
In other places of the world people are open to the movement of God’s Spirit. They fan the flame. In China today I’m told that there are 15,000 new Christians every day. In India there are 10,000 new Christians every day. Many missionaries are going to unreached people groups. The power of the Holy Spirit is so strong that great movements of revival are taking place.
Similar stories are happening in South America, the Philippines, in Asia, and many places in the world.
In January 2012 I will be speaking at the Synergize 3! Conference in Orlando, Florida, where pastors from 35 countries around the world will be present. It is not uncommon for some of them to preach on a Sunday to 10, 20 or 40 thousand people! They have churches that dwarf the largest churches I have seen in our country. So many pastors and churches in other parts of the world are using fans to accelerate the flame of the Holy Spirit. Fire extinguishers are not an option.
I have been a part of the Synergize Leadership team and have been serving as co-chairman for North America. The goal is to carry out the vision of Dr. Bill Bright, to start five million churches and win one billion people to Christ. That is such a God-sized vision that only God through His Son Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit can cause that to happen. Please pray for this effort.
And practice fanning!
Posted December 1st, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
An interesting phenomena is occurring in the United States. We are getting smarter, but at the same time we are declining in creative thinking.
IQ (intelligence quotient) test scores in the U.S. have increased by an average of three points per decade during the 20th century. The current generation should have IQ’s of more than 20 points above those of their grandparents. This rise in IQ is also seen in Canada, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand.
U.S. Researchers at Duke University examined IQ tests of more than 1.7 million American 5th, 6th, and 7th graders between 1981 and 2010. The results showed a similar increase in IQ scores.
At the same time that IQ scores are on the rise, CQ (my symbol for creativity quotient) is going the other direction. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking indicate that creative abilities of American children have been trending downward for almost 20 years. This testing is based on young children’s ability to both come up with original ideas and put them into practice.
This downturn in CQ is affecting the American workplace. 85 percent of employers say they cannot find the right applicants for jobs that require creative thinking.
CQ is critical to make the gospel relevant in today’s culture. The message is always the same, but the methodologies of communicating the message must be more creative. I am all for us getting smarter, but it might be more critical for us to become more creative!
Read Luke 5:15-26. Some intelligent guys saw a man who needed to meet Jesus. They were smart enough to figure out a way to carry him to a public meeting place. When they discovered that the crowds were so big that they couldn’t get near Jesus, they didn’t just put him down and say that they had done the best they could. They stared thinking creatively!
They went up and dug a hole through the roof. They lowered the man to Jesus and the man was healed.
Many of us quit when we face an obstacle. They began to think creatively and figured out a way to get the job done.
People today need to come to Jesus. We need to quit complaining about the obstacles and start doing better creative thinking. I believe that the higher our IQ, the more our creative thinking can be utilized!
I have been in a lot of churches this past year where people are doing creative ministries. They are reaching people that most folks said couldn’t be reached. They are developing creative ministries that are getting people to Jesus. And when people get to Jesus, they are healed and made whole!
While working with many churches, I have learned that people who just want to do things they way they have always done them spend a lot of time talking and discussing about how tough things are. I have met other people who acknowledge the challenge, but then begin asking God to lead them to a creative way to overcome the obstacle.
It’s not IQ vs. CQ, but rather using our increased intelligence to be more creative.
Are you ready to put some holes in the roof?
Posted November 30th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
God provided a lot of opportunities for ministry during the months of October and November. Here is a brief synopsis of some of the major opportunities.
October 1 and 2 – Preached in St. George, SC at the Indian Field Camp Meeting. At the Sunday morning worship service the tabernacle was packed and several hundred people sat in chairs under the trees. Drove back to Montgomery.
October 4 – Met as a member of the Alabama Sports Commission. The purpose of this organization is to plan and promote sporting events in the Montgomery area. We meet in the new press box at Cramton Bowl. You need to see all of the renovation that has taken place at Cramton Bowl and the building of a huge facility at the south end of the stadium. This is a huge square building where you can play seventeen volleyball games at once or several basketball games or indoor tennis courts. There is also a large dining area. It will be a tremendous asset to the city. The new complex has not been named yet. Since it is a square building, and there are some trees and shrubs in the plaza, and since it is located on Madison Avenue, I just suggested that we should name it the Montgomery Madison Square Garden.
October 8 – Attended the Hall of Fame induction at Huntingdon College for five new members. Anthony Leigh is giving great leadership at Huntingdon. The athletic program is extremely strong. I left Saturday afternoon to fly to Raleigh, NC. They were completing the study of Treasures of the Transformed Life.
October 9 – Preached at the First United Methodist Church in Louisburg, NC. I stayed with Dr. & Mrs. Mark La Branche. Mark is the President of Louisburg College. The church is across the street from the college. I did something I have not done in over 50 years – I walked to church on Sunday morning!
October 10 – Led a five hour seminar at Louisburg College for pastors in two of the Districts surrounding Raleigh.
October 11 – Traveled back to Montgomery. Lynn and I attended an In His Steps dinner as we were participating as Captains in this important stewardship campaign.
October 15 – Traveled to Fairhope, AL. This is one of Lynn’s favorite places to go.
October 16 – Preached at the morning worship services at Fairhope United Methodist Church. They are completing the study of Treasures of the Transformed Life. Mike McKnight is giving great leadership.
October 21 – Attended my 55th High School Reunion in Opelika. I thought it was 45, but they insisted it was 55. Some of my classmates have really aged!
October 22 – Traveled down to Port St. Joe, FL. to be with Mac and Beckie Fulcher. Both of them are products of the Frazer family. Mac is giving great leadership as the pastor there.
October 23 – Preached at the two morning worship services at Port St. Joe. The first worship service is outdoors. They call it “WOW” (Worship on the Water). It actually was pretty cool –actually cold – at 8:30 (EST) for that first service. I traveled back Sunday afternoon to be at Frazer where Bruce Wilkinson was beginning his seminar.
October 24 – Traveled to Nashville, TN as I serve on the Board of the United Methodist Publishing House. We meet once a year.
October 25 – I serve as the chairman of the Investment Committee for the United Methodist Publishing House. This is an interesting experience for me because on my committee is a man who recently served on the Federal Reserve Board and a couple of bank presidents. I let them do the decision making.
October 26 – Lynn and I had an opportunity to spend time with Bruce Wilkinson. He has been a big influence in my life. We attended the Sav-A-Life banquet that night.
October 30 – Traveled to Phenix City, AL to preach at Trinity United Methodist Church for their homecoming service. I served Trinity for 2 ½ years just prior to coming to Montgomery. The greatest thrill is to return to a place where you meet people who comment about the effect of your ministry on their lives. I stayed over Sunday night to preach as all of the Methodist Churches of Russell County came together for a joint rally.
November 1 – I was invited to speak at Citizen of the Year banquet honoring Dr. Jack Hawkins, Chancellor at Troy University.
November 2 – I love spending time with young athletes. Alexia Henig is the track coach at St. James School. She had a special gathering for her athletes and their parents and invited me to speak to them.
November 5 – Officiated at the wedding of Chase Fisher and Rachel Beers. It was a unique experience because they are the same age and grew up in the same church. At the altar where the wedding took place, they had been baptized as infants. They had attended Frazer Kindergarten and “graduated” on that stage. They were confirmed together at the same altar. They both were active in the youth program and participated in choir and drama presentations on that stage. Their High School graduation was held at Frazer and they graduated together on that stage. On Youth Sunday Chase spoke in the three traditional worship services and Rachel spoke in the three contemporary worship services. Now they came back to that same spot to be married. One of the great things about being the pastor of a church for a long time is that you get to see young people grow up.
November 6 – Preached at the homecoming worship service at Coosada Baptist Church. Coosada is not a big town, but they average over 700 in worship.
November 7 – I serve on the nominating committee for the Montgomery/Opelika District which met to select District leadership. Dr. Ron Ball our District Superintendent is giving great leadership.
November 8 – I was invited by Coach Reggie Barlow and Coach Payne to come over to Alabama State University and meet with the football team and offer a word encouragement and prayer. I have had a lot of opportunities with the coaches and players at Alabama State. They have had a great season, especially beating Tuskegee University in the Turkey Day Classic.
November 9 – I had the opportunity to have lunch and spend some time with Coaches Barlow and Payne. They have a great desire to not only coach football but help raise young men. Wednesday night I went over to Prattville United Methodist Church for the first of a three part series in their Advent Bible study.
November 11 – Once a quarter former Frazer program staff people and their spouses get together to eat and share great memories of ministry at Frazer.
November 12 – Traveled to Warner Robbins, GA to preach at Harvest United Methodist Church. Jim Cowart is the pastor. He had shared with me the impact that my ministry had on his life as he finished seminary. He had attended a couple of conferences at Frazer. His desire was to plant a new church. Harvest is only about 10 or 12 years old. They are averaging 2,300 in worship! I preached a Saturday night worship service.
November 13 – I preached three Sunday morning worship services at Harvest. It is an exciting church that is growing tremendously. It was a great thrill for me to be a part of that ministry for the weekend. Drove back to Montgomery.
November 14 – This was a day of travel to Branson, MO where I would be preaching and teaching in a Pastors Conference.
November 15 & 16 – Dr. Bob Pierson has put together some outstanding opportunities for continuing education for pastors. I had the opportunity to preach, lead two 1 ½ hour seminars, and participate in a panel discussion.
November 17 – This was a day of travel back to Montgomery.
November 18 – I drove to Atlanta to fly to Oklahoma City, OK where I rented a car to drive to Lawton, OK to speak and teach at an Evangelism event for the Oklahoma Annual Conference.
November 19 – I had the opportunity to teach for five hours to pastors and lay people on the topic of evangelism. Again I met many young pastors who had attended some of the seminars at Frazer. The host pastor at First United Methodist Church in Lawton, OK is Dr. Al Potts. He is a great leader and had served a short time in our Annual Conference. He had spoken at some events at Frazer.
November 19 & 20 – I flew back to Atlanta, GA and drove to Carterville, GA to preach three morning worship services at Sam Jones United Methodist Church on November 20. This was Commitment Sunday at Sam Jones. They were completing the study Treasures of the Transformed Life. Many people made encouraging comments about the study of the book. I also had an opportunity to meet with their church leaders at lunch on Sunday, before driving back to Montgomery.
November 23 – Attended a great celebration with Law Enforcement people and the presentation of a $60,000 check to pay for insurance premiums for fire fighters, police, highway patrol, etc. so that their families might receive some compensation if they are killed on duty. Grant Sullivan and Jerry Wills have done a super job in putting this PSIFprogram together.
November 30 – Will lead the second in a series of three Bible studies at the Prattville United Methodist Church. I am teaching on the topic of “How Transformed People Live in Tough Times.”
God opens doors. Please pray for this ministry.
John Ed Mathison
Posted November 23rd, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
I recently visited two different institutions where people live. One was a prison and the other was a monastery. I was visiting the prison as a part of a prison ministry. I greatly admire people who are constantly reaching out to those who are behind bars.
I also visited a monastery. That is a place where religious people live as a community and are trained for service within the church.
What is the difference in a prison and a monastery? There are some obvious differences, but I recently heard someone suggest that the major difference is thanksgiving. I was fascinated by that concept.
Thanksgiving in a monastery is an expected way of life. People pray and thank God and sing praises. It is training for a life of thanksgiving. That gives a distinctive purpose and special atmosphere to a monastery.
A prison is often a place where people are negative, caustic, hopeless, complaining and constantly having to look out for their own welfare. Very seldom would you expect to find a lot of thanksgiving in a prison.
I have been in some prison settings where people’s lives have been transformed. They don’t fit the above description of a prison. They are thankful and grateful and they have really allowed God to change their prison into a monastery. It becomes a place where they worship and are thankful for all the good things that God is doing in their lives.
Conversely, a monastery can become a prison if people are not thankful. If a priest or potential church worker becomes a cynical, negative, complaining person, that monastery can become a prison to them. It is a place where they feel locked in.
Life each day can either be a prison or a monastery. It is whether or not we have an attitude of gratitude. Thanksgiving can make the difference. If life is something to be endured and we complain about everything, life becomes a prison. If life for us is an expression of God’s grace through us and we are thankful, life becomes a monastery.
In Psalm 107:1 David says, “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 95:2 says, “Let us come to Him with Thanksgiving. Let us sing songs of praise to Him.”
If your life feels like you are living in a prison, God will help you move to a monastery. I have a hunch that God wants to shut down more prisons and transfer more people to monasteries.
Thanksgiving is not just a day – it is a daily attitude!
Posted November 17th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Thanksgiving is a time for genuine reflection and thankful expression for the many good gifts that God has given to us. It is time to count our blessings. David said, “I will praise God’s name with singing, and I will honor Him with thanksgiving. For this will please the Lord.” Psalms 69:30,31 NLT
I heard once about a church from North Carolina who sent a mission team to a leper colony on the Caribbean Island of Tobago. The team met a lot of sad patients afflicted with leprosy. One memorable experience was a worship service that they held in the campus chapel.
The lepers came in and took their seats on the pews and the mission team led them in hymns. The pastor of the group was a man named Jack. He noticed that there was one leper on the back row who was facing in the opposite direction. All the rest of the lepers were facing the song leader.
Jack announced, “We have time for one more hymn. Does anyone have a favorite?” About this time the leprous lady on the back row turned around and for the first time faced the song leader. Jack said that it was the most hideous site that he had ever seen in a human being. She had no nose or lips. Her head was almost like a skull. When she raised her arm in the air, she had no hand. It was just a nub.
The pastor then reported that this leprous lady said, “Could we sing Count Your Many Blessings?” It was at that point that the whole mission team experienced something that they had never experienced before. Here was a lady, with relatively nothing to be thankful for, asking to sing Count Your Many Blessings. At first they couldn’t even lead the song, and then they sang it with new meaning;
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
If a leprous lady on the Island of Tobago had as her favorite song Count Your Many , how much more should we not just sing the song but do what it says?
Blessings
We can’t count high enough to list all of our blessings. Not even a computer is capable
of counting that high.
Time to start counting! 1 2 3…10… 100…1000…10,000…
Posted November 9th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
I remember watching the NBA All Star game in 1979. As the teams were going through their pre-game warm up, the commentator mentioned one player that he didn’t recognize. He began to attract attention. The player was actually taking some practice shots with the All Star team.
Upon closer scrutiny it was discovered that the man was Barry Bremen. He had eluded security, had an NBA All Star uniform that he had stolen, and made his way onto the basketball floor. Johnny Carson thought it was so unique that he had Bremen on his Tonight Show.
Bremen decided he would try other ways of being an imposter. The next year the Philadelphia Phillies were playing the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. Bremen stole and wore an umpires uniform and stood with the six other umpires at home plate as the National Anthem was played.
As you know, in baseball there are only six umpires. It took a while before people realized that Bremen was a fake. He had actually sneaked onto the field at Veterans Stadium. The fun he enjoyed at impersonating people began to repeat itself at other events.
Bremen even went so far as to dress up in a cheerleaders outfit with a blond wig and appear on the sidelines at a Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins football game. Being 6-foot-4-inches tall, he looked like a pretty big cheerleader. He was immediately kicked out, but he enjoyed it. He later was an impersonator on the PGA golf tour and for a few holes played with PGA champ Curtis Strange.
Bremen didn’t just limit his impersonations to sports figures. In 1985 he attended the Emmy awards. When Betty Thomas received an award for her role in Hill Street Blues, she was slow to stand up when her name was called. Guess who got up to receive the award?
Someone once said, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”
We might be amused at the impersonations of Barry Bremen, but do a lot of us act as impersonators, especially when it comes to the Christian faith? It is much easier to impersonate a Christian than to be one. Imposters enjoy a short experience before they are caught. A real Christian is 24/7 and enjoys life forever and ever and ever.
Jesus was really hard on impersonators. Read Matthew 23 where He exposed impersonators and told of their dire consequences.
Paul states in I Corinthians 11:1 that we ought to be imitators of Christ. Read I Corinthians 4:16, II Thessalonians 3:7, and Philippians 4:9 and see how Paul instructs us to imitate fellow Christians.
It is amusing to see somebody impersonate an umpire, a basketball player, a cheerleader, etc. The great challenge for each of us is to examine whether or not we are deceptive impersonators or real imitators of Christ.
Posted November 2nd, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
The 2011 World Series was tied 2-2 between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. In that pivotal game, the score was tied 2-2. It was a critical time for each team.
At this point a bazaar thing happened. Tommy La Russa, manager for the St. Louis Cardinals, phoned the bullpen to have the right pitchers warming up in relief. It was a critical time to communicate effectively.
Part of the problem is that he was using a black handset telephone with gray pushbuttons. It was a device that came out the same year the National League was formed! The game will always be known as the “Phone Foulup.”
In an age where we have texting, email, Skype, iChat, Facetime, and many other forms of communication, the communication system in the ballpark was archaic. As Keith Olbermann, a baseball historian and television commentator said, “With all this technology, they can’t get a phone call completed from one part of the building to another part of the building.”
The bullpen coach at first did not hear the phone ring. When he did answer, La Russa told him to have left-hander Marc Rzepczynski and right-hander Jason Motte warm up. The bullpen coach only heard Rzepczynski. Motte, his ace closer, was not told to warm up.
But that is not all. When La Russa noticed that his ace closer was not warming up, he called the bullpen again. Again there was a miscommunication. The bullpen coach thought he heard “Lynn” for right-hander Lance Lynn, who had already thrown too many pitches in the previous game. The coach didn’t tell Lynn to warm up.
Without his closer ready, La Russa had to leave Rzepczynski in the game to face Napoli. All the percentages were against this match up – and the percentages were correct. Napoli hit a ball into the gap for a two-run double – and a two-run loss for the Cardinals.
Poor communication – it was a colossal foulup.
Maybe La Russa should have had one of the guys standing next to him in the dugout run down to the bullpen and deliver the message person to person. Most of the guys standing around him looked like they could use a little exercise. It would also have been a more accurate way to communicate.
How many times are there foul-ups because of poor communication? Think about work in the office place. Somebody fails to get the message, or gets the wrong message. Sometimes we are not using the best technology. What we think we hear is not what the person sending the message was really saying. These same factors occur in marriage, in family relationships, and in church.
Excellent communication is critical in the Christian faith. The Gospel is Good News. People need to hear that. We don’t need any foul-ups. While the best of technology needs to be used in sharing the Good News, the best way is person to person. We all need some spiritual exercise while carrying the message person to person. Read I Corinthians 9:18-23. Paul says “I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.” (I Corinthians 9:23 NLT)
In Game 5 of the World Series, communication failed twice! Two times the message was not received.
Maybe as individuals, or businesses, or families, or the church, we have failed one time in communicating. Maybe this lesson should be that we won’t fail a second time.
The bullpen needs to know what to do! The game of life is on the line! You are the manager!
Communicate! No phone foul-ups!
Posted October 26th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
He may have had a part in saving your life – or the life of one of your family members. Or he is playing a part in possibly saving your life in the future.
His name is George Kirchoff. I met him when I was preaching at the Fairhope United Methodist Church. He helped develop the whole idea of the airbag for cars. He has eleven patents on these safely mechanisms!
His life is an example of how God can use people to make a difference in the lives of other people. What he did with airbags came from a strong commitment to biblical principles.
When he was 40-years-old he had three kids and was working in the aerospace industry in North Carolina. The big company for which he worked downsized. He was left without a job. What does a man with a wife and three kids do?
He said at first he thought about feeling sorry for himself and trying to find someone to blame. He then decided that wouldn’t get him anywhere. He began to look for something where he could utilize his gifts and talents and make a difference in the lives of people. Read I Corinthians 10:24.
He loaded up his family and moved out to the northern part of Utah. He began to collect ideas about safety. He met some big obstacles. He had some failures, but he didn’t let his failure become fatal. He never quit. Hebrews 10:36 says “Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” NLT
He gives God the credit for his ideas and accomplishments. George told me that one of his big honors was when Ralph Nader gave him an award in Washington. He said he wanted to make it clear to everyone that it was not his accomplishments but how God had used him. Read Acts 4:7-10.
His eleven patents and the widespread use of airbags as a safety device in vehicles, helped me deal with some important questions of life. If I lose my job, do I complain and grow sour or do I look for a better opportunity ahead? When God closes one door, He always opens another door. When I encounter temporary failure, do I quit or do I stay focused on the purpose God has for me? Do I take credit for what I accomplished, or do I know that God provided everything for me? Am I utilizing my gift to help people? Am I more interested in making money or making a difference?
George is a lay speaker in the United Methodist Church. He is very energetic, enthusiastic, and excited about his local church. He is giving leadership in his church to make a difference.
George’s church has been studying the Treasures of the Transformed Life. With great excitement he looked me in the eye and said “I love your book and your study. It puts into focus what I have experienced in my life.” Wow!
I hope you never have to use what George has patented. If you do, thank God for a man who is making a difference.
Are we making a difference?
Posted October 19th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
John records an interesting incident in the life of Jesus. It reflects two vastly different attitudes and viewpoints on life.
Jesus is speaking to a huge crowd and the people have had nothing to eat. He presents the food issue to Philip. Philip’s response is, “Eight months’ salary would not buy enough bread for each one to have one bite.” (John 6:7 NIV) Another disciple, Andrew, said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.” (John 6:9 NIV)
Philip was a closely calculating person who probably missed a lot of miracles in his life because he had to subject everything to the math test. He already had figured out exactly how much money it would take for each person to have one bite.
How often do we sit in meetings at a church or an organization and someone comes up with a great idea, but then it is quickly squashed because people start “running the numbers” to show how unfeasible it would be? Generally the idea is shot down pretty quickly.
I remember reading one time about Henry Ford. The story goes that he called together some of his brightest visionary thinkers. He wanted them to sit down and spend a day together dreaming about new ideas for the Ford product. He only had one requirement – nobody could bring a slide rule. (For those of you who are very young, a slide rule is what was used before the calculator, which was used before the computer, to quickly derive math answers.)
Mr. Ford wanted people to think, without immediately reaching a negative conclusion based on preliminary numbers. He wanted to spend a whole day dreaming about possibilities.
Philip’s whole approach was to focus on what they didn’t have. He could think up a lot of quick reasons of why something couldn’t be done.
The other character here is Andrew. He reflects a different point of view. He didn’t reflect long on Philip’s analysis of what they didn’t have – he simply made a statement of what they did have.
When we face things in life we can usually spend our time and energy on what we don’t have – or what we do have. I have a hunch that God gets very excited when people want to look at what we do have, and take it and use it.
Andrew suggested that they did have five small loaves and two small fish. Now anybody could look and see that even that was not mathematically feasible. But Andrew didn’t deal with the math. He created the possibility of a miracle when he brought the little boy to Jesus.
Here is the miracle – Jesus took a little and did a lot with it. He blessed that small boy’s small loaves and small fish and fed 5,000 men, not counting the women and children. The crowd must not have contained many Methodists because there was a lot of food left over – twelve basketfuls!
The Philip view produces a safe, calculated, business as usual, lifestyle that misses miracles. The Andrew view produces surprises, unrealized potential, exciting possibilities, and a lifestyle that puts us in the middle of miracles.
What will it be today – Philip or Andrew – math or miracles?
Posted October 12th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
What is the driving force in your life?
Landry Jones, quarterback for the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners, was asked that question. His answer was quick, “faith and football.”
Since Landry Jones stepped into the picture as quarterback when Sam Bradford was injured, he has started 27 games, won 22, including two bowls, and he has set seven Oklahoma University passing records. He still has this year to go.
Last year he threw 38 touchdown passes for over 4,700 yards. In their two biggest games last year – the Big 12 championship game and the Fiesta Bowl, Jones averaged 413 yards and accounted for nine TDs!
But football is not his main driving force – it is his faith. He says “I gave my life to Jesus Christ two or three years ago.” Since then he has become a relentless witness for Jesus Christ.
Last summer he and eight other Oklahoma football players were in Haiti serving on a Christian mission trip. They got word that a teammate, linebacker Austin Box, had died in an accidental death involving a mix of prescription painkillers and an anti-anxiety drug. While he was 2,000 miles away from home, Jones became the quiet spiritual leader for those fellow football players.
Landry Jones is for real. Head coach Bob Stoops says, “Players can’t fool players and as a coach, I can tell when a guy is real and when he isn’t. Landry Jones is for real.”
Landry Jones is not sure where his life will take him after Oklahoma (and professional football). He is sure he will wind up in some kind of ministry. It might be a pastor or a chaplain. But he says, “Whatever it is going to be it’s going to be the ministry that God calls me to. I am going to do it.”
John records how Jesus had an interesting encounter with a woman at a well. It had been a full day and the disciples knew that Jesus was hungry and asked if anyone had brought Him food. Jesus heard the conversation and shared the driving force in His life. He said, “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” (John 4:34 ASV)
Jesus was not driven by hunger, but by doing God’s will. He was not driven by physical needs, but by accomplishing God’s work and purpose for Him.
Landry Jones is high profile. His ministry will be on a big stage. God has given each of us a talent and a gift. I hope the driving force in our lives is our faith and utilization of our talent in fulfilling and accomplishing God’s purpose for each of us.
What drives you?