The Standing Ovation

Applause.  Compliments.  Cheers.  Praise.  The standing ovation.  These all feel really, really good.  In our spotlight driven society, some will do whatever it takes to get all eyes focused on them.  Just a brief glance at YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter reveals people who are groping for attention.  Much of this process is trivial, except maybe for the fact that praise can inflate egos faster than helium fills balloons.  However, there is at least one area where people shouldn’t be searching for public praise.  This is the area of righteousness.

As Jesus delivered His brilliant “Sermon on the Mount” He makes a shift and begins to talk about people who love to receive praise from others.  Five times in chapter 6, Jesus shows that these type of people publically display their righteousness in order to be “noticed by men” (vs. 1, 16, 18), “honored by men” (vs. 2), and “seen by men” (vs. 5).  Ironically, those who act God-minded to be noticed by men “have no reward with the Father who is in heaven” because they have already “have their reward in full” (Matthew 6:1-18).

There are some great actors in this life who will never make it to the big screen.  These are people who act righteous but aren’t truly righteous.  These are people who put on a show of spirituality in order to receive praise from others.  Interestingly, they are handsomely rewarded for their religious production in the form many “Likes” on Facebook and Instagram, views on YouTube, “Retweets” on Twitter, and compliments.

Certainly many are innocent in this matter.  There is nothing inherently wrong with sharing something of a spiritual nature with others.  In fact, the vast majority of the time it is wonderful and should be done more!  However, let’s make sure we take Jesus warning seriously when He said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them…” (Matthew 6:1).  Let’s examine our motives in what we are displaying to others.  Let’s question ourselves about who we are actually seeking praise from.  May our goal always be for the praise of God over the praise of men.

Ex-Gay Awareness Month

Most of us have heard of Gay Awareness Month (October), but how about Ex-Gay Awareness Month?  This past September marked the first annual Ex-Gay Awareness Month.  The emphasis of this movement is simply to show that some, who use to be gay, have changed.  It’s not surprising we didn’t hear about this since our society, especially the media, places such a huge emphasis on the acceptance of homosexuality.

As you might imagine, this movement has already received a lot of criticism and backlash.  However, I’m very glad Ex-Gay Awareness Month has started because it points to an extremely important and fundamental truth about homosexuality; it is a choice.

Some might object, “But homosexuals can’t control the feelings they have.  They didn’t ask for them.”  People have inappropriate feelings towards the same gender, but some have inappropriate feelings towards the opposite gender.  Some have sinful desires to get drunk, do drugs, smoke, steal, or gossip.  Some people have desires to murder and abuse their wives or children.  Everyone struggles with something.  No one asks to have these desires.  We all have desires we don’t want and never asked for.  However, the fact that we have sinful desires does not make it right to act on them.

Supporters of homosexuality often argue that those who are gay were “born that way” and “cannot change the way they are.”  Logically, would God create homosexuals and then condemn them for something they cannot change?  Considers what God says:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Whether it is homosexuality or some other sin, it can be controlled and changed.  Since this is the case, people are not born gay and most definitely can change their ways.  In this same book just a few chapters away, God also says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

While we all deal with sinful desires, but God is never going to allow us to face something we cannot walk away from.  Let’s make no mistake, homosexuality is a choice, as is all sin.  The fact that there is an Ex-Gay Awareness Month, and examples of people who have walked away from homosexuality, further points to this biblical truth.

The Cheetah

Usain Bolt is unbelievably fast.  In 2008, he ran the 100 meter dash in a world record 9.58 seconds.  For a cheetah, that’s a light jog.  At the Cincinnati Zoo, they regularly set up a test to give their cheetah’s exercise and to see how fast they can run.   The slowest cheetah distractedly jogged the 100 meters in 9.97 seconds (National Geographic).  The fastest?  A cheetah named Sarah ran the 100 meters at a blazing 5.95 seconds at 61 mph (ibid).  Wild cheetahs are even faster, hitting speeds of 70 mph and chasing swift prey like the springbok antelope which can reach speeds over 60 mph (Wikipedia).  A closer look at the cheetah reveals that it is perfectly designed for speed from head to tail.

1. Head.  A cheetah’s head is the smallest of all big cats.  It has a small snout and great eyesight to scope out their prey.  Despite how fast they are moving and changing direction, their head remains incredibly still, which helps them to retain clear vision and focus.

2. Skeleton Structure.  A cheetah’s skeleton structure acts like a bow which propels the cheetah at awesome speeds. A cheetah’s hips and clavicles are extremely flexible.  It also has an unusually bendable spine.  As a cheetah runs, it’s hind legs will come forward past their front legs.  All of these features allow them to have extremely long strides and make pinpoint turns.  In fact, every stride a cheetah’s makes at top speed is around 25 feet long (HowStuffWorks.com).

3. Respiratory System.  In order to run as fast as they do, cheetahs need oxygen and a lot of it.  Their nostrils, sinuses, and lungs are all enlarged for this very purpose.  It’s respiratory rate will climb from 60 to 150 breathes per minute (Cheetah.org).  All of these features work together just so their bodies have enough oxygen to move quickly.

3. Internal Organs.  In a similar way, the cheetah’s heart and liver are enlarged.  The heart is especially powerful to make sure enough blood gets to the muscles.  Its arteries are very large and strong to withstand the pressure.

4. Feet.  A cheetah’s claws do not retract, giving it constant traction.  Similar to our shoes, it also has tough and ridged footpads for increased grip.

5. Tail.  A cheetah’s tail is like the rudder.  The tail stabilizes the cheetah’s body and helps it change direction.  If a cheetah needs to change direction, it will swing its tail over to help make the turn.  This is especially important since their prey rarely run straight.

When every single one of these attributes work together, it propels the cheetah at 70 mph.  Probably most amazing of all is its acceleration .  In three strides, the cheetah can reach 40 mph.  It can accelerate from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds. This is faster than most supercars!

No other animal is like the cheetah.  It is one of a kind.  Every part of the cheetah shows brilliant design and order.  Such an animal as this can only be the product of an intelligent God.  As was said in Job 35:11, “Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?”  Animals like the cheetah certainly teach us about the superiority of the Creator!

(Check Out This Video of the Cheetah) 

Other Source:

• http://www.sciences360.com/index.php/the-cheetah-anatomy-built-for-speed-23464/

How to Become Good Looking

We have all had those times when we looked in the mirror and been unimpressed with what we saw.  So, here are some simple tips to become much healthier and better looking.

• Want to lose weight?  Cast all your heavy cares and worries on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7; Matthew 11:28-30).
• Want to exercise more?  Get up every day to “walk in the light” and run the spiritual race (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 12:1).
• Want to become strong?  Then become strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10)
• Want beautiful lips?  Speak words of encouragement, kindness, and good (Hebrews 3:13; Ephesians 4:29; Proverbs 15:4).
• Want gorgeous eyes?  Look out for the interests of others, not just yourself (Philippians 2:4).
• Want to improve your vision?  Focus on the things that are eternal, not the things that are physical (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).
• Want to hear better?  Listen to the words of Christ and act on them (Romans 10:17; Matthew 7:24-27).
• Want great hands?  Consistently lift up holy hands to the Lord in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:8).
• Want nice looking feet?  Use them to bring the good news of Christ to others (Romans 10:15).
• Want the most fashionable clothes?  Clothe yourself with Christ through baptism (Galatians 3:27).
• Want to smell amazingly good?  Then become a “sweet aroma” and a “fragrance of Christ” to God and to others (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

TRUE beauty in this life has very little to do with physical looks and everything to do with our spiritual appearance to God.  Don’t focus so much on the outward appearance, but instead on inward beauty (Matthew 23:27).  After all, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain…” (Proverbs 31:30).  Let’s remember, “…God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Morse Code

Many years ago, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.  When he arrived for the interview, he walked into a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background.  Each applicant filled out a form and were seated until they were summoned into the inner office.  Seven other applicants sat in the room waiting. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office and walked right in.  Naturally the other applicants perked up and wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet.  They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled." The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand.  He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed.  Yet he got the job.  That's not fair!”   The employer said, "I'm sorry, but the last several minutes while you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in.  The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it.  This young man did.  The job is his" (Tim Shin Illustrations).

We live in a world filled with noisy chatter and information.  There are so many opinions and beliefs that it can be extremely difficult to know what to listen to.  Thankfully, God made it extremely clear.  At Jesus’ transfiguration while He was on the mountain, God called down from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5).

Jesus truly is God’s Son and the Savior of this world.  With so much background noise, it’s easy for the words of truth to be drowned out.  Jesus is only one who has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).  It is by His words that we will be judged by in the end (John 12:48).  In a world filled with confusing information, let’s keep focused on the words of life, Jesus’ words.