This coming Friday the 12th of March is a special day. Not only is it a special day to celebrate birthdays, but it marks the beginning of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, held at the same venue that hosted the Winter Olympics. There will be over 40 countries and approximately 1000 athletes that will compete in 65 events in 5 sports. Why might you ask, is this noteworthy? These games are a multi-sport event for athletes with physical and visual disabilities. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness and cerebral palsy. This event started in 1948 for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries and has evolved to what we have today with both the summer and winter Olympic host countries also hosting, at the same venue, the Paralympic Games. We watched with awe and admiration in this past Olympics, of athletes that performed incredible feats in their particular field.

I will now follow these games with almost a deeper sense of awe and admiration for these individuals that, not only took on the challenges of their particular field, but battled perhaps, the greater challenge of doing it with their particular disability. These are individuals that did not allow any of their given circumstances to limit or govern them in their dreams.

I now ask you today, what circumstances are you allowing to limit or govern you from following the Lord Jesus? He simply asks you to "Take up your cross and follow Him". As your shepherd, He knows where the cool waters are. He also knows where to take you to feed you with what you need to be fed. Don't go another day of simply going through the motions.

One thing we don't want, but learn to expect from life, is pain. I personally never seem know when it's coming, but when it arrives, I wish I could go back to a time when I didn't have to experience it. It could be a sprained ankle, car accident, medical issue, relational betrayal, death of a loved one, etc. but when it comes, it hurts.
 
Recently I have had to watch some of my church family experience pain because of life circumstances. My initial leaning as "the problem solver" wanted to suggest books, music, counseling and the perfect movie to help them work through or even escape from their pain. However, I have learned that more often it is better to just be there to share the pain intead of offering a solution for it.
 
What's really awesome about the way God has worked in my life as a worship leader is that He seems to put the right song on my heart or in my path at the perfect time. This past week, after literally 10+ years of first hearing the song "Find Me in the River", the Lord put it in my path and in turn led me to prepare our worship team to lead singing it in our main worship gathering for Sunday.
 
When praying over and selecting music for this weeks gathering, I had no Idea that I would be leading worship coming out of a time of prayer over the loss and suffering that our church family had unexpectanly been dealt that week. It ended up being a very special time of worship and claiming the promises that are made available to us through Jesus Christ in times of pain.
 
To make a long thought very short... I know that we love to celebrate the cross, the love, and the freedom of Jesus Christ when we gather in worship. But, it is always right to just come as we are, even if that is broken and wounded. As I think about the loss that my "church family" is dealing with this week, I am once again reminded to remain in "the river" of God and let His promises wash over me daily.
 
When it comes to hurt, suffering, loss or even desperation, may we all be found waiting in the river.
 
Find Me in the River
 
Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please

We've longed to see the roses
But never felt the thorns
And bought our pretty crowns
But never paid the price

Find me in the river
Find me there
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here

Find me in the river
Find me on my knees
I've walked against the water
Now I'm waiting if you please

We didn't count on suffering
We didn't count on pain
But if the blessing's in the valley
Then in the river I will wait

Find me in the river
Find me there
Find me on my knees with my soul laid bare
Even though you're gone and I'm cracked and dry
Find me in the river, I'm waiting here for You

Jump off the table

I have a cousin named Caleb. Several years ago, when he was about 3 years old, I was helping his dad set up chairs for a youth event at the church they attended. As Caleb was running around and playing I grabbed him and put him up on one of the tables we had set up. He thought it was great, being up so high, standing on a table. As I continued to set up chairs and tables, Caleb stayed up on a table and ran up and down the length of it. I had kept my eyes on him the entire time he was up there, but one time I had gotten a little too far away from the table the Caleb was standing on. I had turned to grab a chair and out of the corner of my eye I saw Caleb running full force toward me and jump off the table, expecting me to catch him. I immediately threw the chair down that I was holding and dove over to the table he had jumped off. I caught him barely inches from hitting the ground and Caleb just laughed as is if he was having the time of his life.

It was in that moment that God taught me one of His deepest truths. The reason Caleb jumped off that table, even though I wasn’t paying attention to him, was because he and I had done that many times before. He would jump off something and I would catch him. Caleb, as a child, fully expected me to catch him because he knew I had done it time and time again. Philippians 4:19 tells us, And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. God promises to supply us with everything that we need at just the right moment that we need it. But we will never know that He is our source if we don’t put our absolute faith and trust in Him. Paul says that everything will be taken care of in Christ Jesus. The only prerequisite to the supply house of God is accepting Christ. Just as Caleb trusted me because I had come through for him time and time again, the more we trust God the easier it gets to trust God. He is waiting there with open arms, ready to catch us… all we need to do is jump…

Psalm 38:3
There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.

Proverbs 16:24
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like and do what you'd rather not.

Mark Twain.
Every time you turn on the news these days it's about "Health Care". Do we as Americans desire cheaper, great health insurance -dah Yes... When I look up the Scripture there are tons of scripture about health. Ultimately, according to Psalms 38:3, we recognize that no matter who we are sooner or later these earthly vessels we call bodies fail to some kind of health issue. Why? The Scripture reminds us because we are basically born into sin and even though our soul can be forgiven our mortal bodies still are susceptible to sin and disease. Proverbs 16:24 gives a "Biblical prescription" as to what can help us in our striving for good health. The Bible says "Gracious words" spoken to each other is health to the body. My challenge for you this week is to speak gracious words to others and in doing so, your spreading good health as well.

I like the following Illustration:
In 1846 former president John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke. Although he returned to Congress the following year, his health was clearly failing. Daniel Webster described his last meeting with Adams: "Someone, a friend of his, came in and made particular inquiry of his health. Adams answered, 'I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement; battered by the winds and broken in upon by the storms, and from all I can learn, the landlord does not intend to repair.'" Today in the Word, April 11, 1992.

Praying for you to have a "healthy" blessed day...

Then Jesus,knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.

John 18:4-6

What incredible power contained in a name. When Jesus said, "I Am He" He was making a huge statement. He was not simply claiming that He was Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was saying my name is I Am. Jesus was taking the name of the almighty, all powerful, all knowing, Creator God.

Christ's identity was the powerful force that brought soldiers to the ground. The Bible also says in Philippians 2:10, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth."

You decide when you will bend your knee.

Colossians 3:1-3 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
We should always live our lives with the fact in mind that we have been raised up with Christ. This is a 24/7/365 way of life, not just on Sunday morning from 10 o'clock to 12 o'clock am. That means on any day of the week, I want more than anything else what Christ wants. My own personal agenda has no place with being raised up with Christ. Some may say "Oh you get so heavenly minded that you are of no earthly good". I say that, "The more heavenly minded you become the more effective for God's kingdom you become here on earth".

One closing thought on verse 3 that my life is now hidden with Christ in God. When you look at me, I want you to see Christ. There is also another blessing to that part in being hidden, Christ takes all the attacks on me and does not allow anything to touch me unless He so chooses. He stands as my Rock, my Shield, and my Strong Tower that I can run into and be safe. As you read that verse, there is no other qualifier than Christ. Not how many degrees you have or don't have, not how many perfect attendance pins you wear or if you just gave your life to Him, not how much money you have or don't have and not how great of physical condition you are in or how many physical challenges you face. No, it is only Christ. Allow Him to hide you and care for you this week. God really loves you with an everlasting love!

I really enjoy being around people. I guess by definition, I would be considered a "people person". I really like to be in environments where there are a lot of people. I like to walk around and interact with different people and see what's going on, or where the conversation is, or even just say ‘hi' to someone I haven't met yet. At the same time, I do know many friends and people who prefer to be in smaller groups when it comes to social settings. Some only enjoy interacting ‘one-on-one', or with a small group of friends.

Regardless of your ‘social inclination', the Book of Hebrews has something for all us of to consider when we interact with people. Hebrews 10:24 encourages us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

I interact with people every day. And a lot of that interaction becomes routine. But, if I am hoping to be faithful to the word of Jesus Christ, I have to remember to point the conversations I have toward a higher purpose and a higher calling. It's really easy to just get together with people and talk about the news, or the weather, or even all the problems in the world, isn't it? But it's another thing entirely to encourage "love and good deeds" in the lives of those we encounter.

It doesn't matter how many people we like to be around. It could be 1 or it could be 100. But, let's consider how we can encourage "love and good deeds" to all that we encounter on a daily basis? Husband, wife, child, nephew, cousin, church member, or complete stranger; let's stay in the word and shine a light that is not our own!

One of the top goals of every athlete is to not only be the best at their sport, but to win whatever the top prize is. NBA players want to get to the finals and take home the Larry Obrien Championship Trophy. NHL players want to get the Stanley Cup. MLB players want the Commissioner’s Trophy. And NFL players want the Lombardi Trophy. Football Recruiters from colleges go all over the nation to convince kids to play at their school so they can win a BCS championship. Athletes compete to win the top prize. And when they finally get to that top prize, most of them don’t say well I’ve got to the top…nothing else for me to do, guess I’ll retire. Nope, most of them drive and strive to win more. They want to win the trophy again. There is never complete satisfaction with winning. Athletes always want more.

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24 ¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also… ²⁴"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Jesus was telling those listening to him on a mountainside to put their treasure in godly things. There’s no problem with wanting to win, but that is not all there is to life. Your value should be found in your friends, family and most importantly your relationship with Jesus. If all your pursuing in life is a worldly treasure, I promise when you finally achieve whatever you goal is…whether it be money, a husband or wife, a job…whatever. You will never be satisfied, it will always leave you feeling empty. Our value has got to be found in Christ…it’s the only place that we can find true contentment. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. This morning ask yourself, “Where is my treasure?” 

Happy Birthday Church

It was Groucho Marx who said "Although it is generally known, I think it's about time to announce that I was born at a very early age." And the church was born at a very early age as well and this was to be its birthday.

We may not know exactly who all that day was there but whoever they were the NKJV tells us Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. How they got a hundred and twenty people in a Honda is a mystery to me. But right there in that one little phrase is the secret to a church that is going to succeed and that is that they were moving in one direction. If a church is to go forward then everyone needs to be aimed at a common goal. One of my favorite books as a child was Dr. Doolittle and one of the amazing animals in Dr. Doolittle's menagerie was a "Push Me Pull You", kind of looked like a horse with a head on either end. And it was constantly pulling itself in directions that it didn't want to go. And sometimes the church is like that. Being with one accord doesn't mean that we always have common consensus, but it does mean that we have co-operation.

Cooperation was a very big issue for me personally this past week. I left the area running away from my birthday. I did not want to respond to a text, email or a phone call wishing me a happy birthday. Whatever reason I have had a real difficulty with turning 45 years old this birthday. Nevertheless, the church pitched in bought a cake, sang happy birthday brought the cards and I was much appreciated that they saw value in my birthday. Push Me Pull Me, no matter what, I look back and I am so thankful for those who worked hard to surprise me with the small after church celebration. I can only wonder where we would be today as Christians if we never experienced the birth of the Church. Like many in that room waiting on something, none of which completely understood what they were giving birth to. But giving birth they did, and every week we gather for church fellowship it should be a celebration of that birth. I pray that when you go to church, whether pushed or pulled, you have a great celebration in Christ this week. Amen!!!

I am awful at any kind of art. I have never been good at it. If you don't believe me you can go and ask Mrs. Samstag, or maybe you should as Mrs. Snow. It has just never been my strong suit. I can't paint, I can't draw, I can't even think of any other kind of art. That's pretty bad.

I remember struggling through art class and the whole way through my teachers were always very gracious. I had to make an animal out of clay one time. By the time I got done it looked like a big blob of nothingness. My teacher said, "wow thats great, a (pause) pig." Needless to say I was not shooting for a pig.

I always loved one part about art class though.It was that feeling when you just finished a piece and you take a few steps back and say, "yeah." Then there was the final touch. The signature. Look at any piece of art, and somewhere you will see the artist signature. Sometimes it is hidden within, other times it is signed in the bottom corner, but it is always on there. Here is my question, what makes Picasso's paintings better then mine? Why would you pay millions of dollars for a Picasso and search desperately for a place to hang mine on the fridge where it would be out of sight? It has to do with the artist. The value is found in the signature on the painting. Who created it? Who's workmanship is it?

Each one of us bear a signature. Mine does not read "Cody Podor", in fact the signature on me is the same as the signature on you. Each one of us were created by the Creator. We were designed by the Designer. We were knit by the Knitter, and we were formed by the Former. Your life bears the very signature of God, and He created you to be exactly the person He wanted you to be.

Don't believe me? Check this out:

Psalm 139:13-16 " For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

You want to know where you find your value? It's not in your clothes, or your friends, or your spouse. Your value is not determined by what kind of car you drive, or how big of a home you live in. Your value is found solely in the One whose signature you bear.

At the end of Matthew's account of the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 7 verses 24 to 29 we read the account of the two different types of builders. One of which built his house on rock and the other built his house on sand. When Jesus is telling us this story, He also defines each of them as one being "wise" and the other being "foolish". Their definition was determined by what they did with His teaching. Jesus goes on to say that when you hear My words and act on them you are going to be wise and the house you build, will be built on the rock-on Him. And the individual that hears His words and does not act on them is like the foolish man that built his house on the sand. Notice that both players in the story were faced with the same situation, a major storm. A major hurricane comes to mind, for those of us that live in the south.

We don't read that "the storm saw the first house was built on rock and went on down the road to find one that was built on sand to destroy that one". No, each house faced the storm. Each one faced the rains, the floods and the winds. See, when you come to Christ and follow His teachings, He doesn't guarantee that there will be no storms in your life, what He does promise is that He will never leave you nor forsake you, even when the water is rising! Today, make sure that what you are building is founded on the Word of God. That you are putting into practice what God is putting into your life. So that when the storms come, and they will come, you will not fall.

With so much around us constantly changing, it is awesome to have a God who is good and constant. To be able to recognize the unchanging nature of God makes His promises and His truth all the more worth remembering, claiming and celebrating!

Today, let's read and pray through psalm 91. This beautiful passage of scripture reminds us that God is a refuge for all of his people.

May you find peace in the shadow of the Almighty amidst the many storms of life. 

Psalm 91

 ¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
      will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

 ² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
      my God, in whom I trust."

 ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
      and from the deadly pestilence.

 ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
      and under his wings you will find refuge;
      his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
      nor the arrow that flies by day,

 ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
      nor the plague that destroys at midday.

 ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
      ten thousand at your right hand,
      but it will not come near you.

 ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
      and see the punishment of the wicked.

 ⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling-
      even the LORD, who is my refuge-

 ¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
      no disaster will come near your tent.

 ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
      to guard you in all your ways;

 ¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
      so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

 ¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
      you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

 ¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
      I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

 ¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
      I will be with him in trouble,
      I will deliver him and honor him.

 ¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
      and show him my salvation."

Ephesians 4:1 - As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

When Paul wrote these words, he was actually under house arrest in the City of Rome (so he was literally put in jail because of his commitment to follow Jesus). But he challenges the Ephesians whom he’s writing to be worthy of the calling they received. Now I’m from North Carolina and for the most part everyone who’s from NC and loves sports either follows UNC or Duke (which creates a pretty big rivalry). It’s basically the same thing down here as the whole FSU/UF rivalry. So imagine this, I get a call from the Athletic Director at UNC and He tells me that I’ve won season tickets to every sporting event UNC has to offer this year because I’m their biggest fan. They’ll come pick me up in their private jet, let me watch the games, fly me back home, etc. But, every time I go to the games, I always wear a Duke shirt and every time UNC does something good I boo and every time they mess up I cheer for the other team, does it look or sound like I’m the biggest UNC fan? NO! From the original Greek, when Paul challenges the Ephesians to be worthy of their calling, he’s telling them to live in such a way that is suitable of someone who has been invited by God to bear His Name. God has literally invited all of us here to share in eternal life with Him by following Jesus (He’s invited us to share His Name). If we are to be successful in our relationship with Jesus, Paul is telling us that we’ve got to start showing that we love God. It’s not works, but it’s evidence… I can’t be a UNC fan just because I go to the games, being a fan of something is an outpouring of what’s in your heart…I love UNC therefore I cheer for them ( and I’m sad when they lose, which has been the case A LOT this year). Following Christ is an outpouring of what’s in your heart…I love Jesus therefore I want to act like Him.

Heb. 12:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 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, ²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

By 7 p.m. on October 20, 1968, at the Mexico City Olympics Stadium, it was beginning to darken. It had cooled down as well. The last of the Olympic marathon runners were being assisted away to first-aid stations. Over an hour earlier, Mamo Waldi of Ethiopia had charged across the finish line, winning the 26-mile, 385-yard race looking as strong and as vigorous as when he’d started. As the last few thousand spectators began preparing to leave, they heard police sirens and whistles through the gate entering the stadium. The attention turned to that gate. A sole figure, wearing the colors of Tanzania, came limping into the stadium. His name was John Steven Aquari. He was the last man to finish the marathon in 1968. His leg was bandaged, bloody. He had taken a bad fall early in the race. Now, it was all he could do to limp his way around the track. The crowd stood and applauded as he completed that last lap. When he finally crossed the finish line, one man dared ask the question all were wondering.

"You are badly injured. Why didn’t you quit? Why didn’t you give up?" Aquari, with quiet dignity said,

"My country did not send me seven thousand miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish."

When we accept Christ our part does not end there. We began a race of faith that no matter how hurt you might get here you are to finish that race until God calls us to be with Him forever. The question for us today is are we even running that race… I do pray like theses Olympians, that you are training hard everyday ready to achieve Heavens Goal for your life today.

In Christ Service…

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirst for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long" - A.W. Tozer

Sometimes we think we have it all figured out. We think that we are in a good place with God, and the Lord is pleased with how righteous we have been. Then we read something like this and are reminded of our lack of desire to want more of God. We are reminded that God still has so much more to offer, in fact His grace is limitless and His mercy is unending. Have we become content with just enough God to feel good about ourselves?