The story goes that in the painting entitled "Checkmate!" a young man, has bet his soul in a game of chess with the devil. He has a look of dread on his face whereas the devil grins smugly across the table. Everyone who comes to look at the painting sees that the devil has reduced the young man to his King, a night, and a few scattered pawns. The young man is in the depths of dispair feeling that checkmate is inevitable.
The story continues that an old Chess Master comes and stares intently at the chess board. Suddenly he cries out, “It is a lie! The King and the Knight have another move!” The old chess master offers to take the place of the young man and finish off the devil.
This story is told to inspire hope that Christians always have another move, even when the devil has them cornered. In my mind there is even more to this story. I think it's obvious that the old Chess Master is really Jesus Christ. When we feel we have lost to the devil, Jesus offers to take our place in the game. When we feel like all is lost and the devil has won, the only move we have left is to step out of the game and let Jesus finish off the devil for us.
I'm off to the 2009 FCSA World Championships, wish me luck.
Stay Safe and God Bless you all,
Brad
Salvation is Free, Discipleship will cost you everything.(Billy Graham)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Promises
Did Moses ever enter the promise land? The standard answer is No. I'm pretty sure that almost everyone who has read the account of Moses would say that he made all of these sacrifices in his life and God wouldn't let him set foot into the promise land. Come on now is that fair? I hear all the time how there can't be a God because life is not fair. If there was a God there wouldn't be all this evil and suffering. To be honest I have had those same questions throughout my journey.
I notice that most Preachers, Pastors, Ministers etc... avoid that one like the plague, because the answer is tuff. How can we love a God that allows us to be hurt? We all tend to measure others, including God, by our own yard-stick.
So before I explain why you should believe in a God that allows evil I'm going to ask that you participate. My question is: Has Moses entered the promise land?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Spreading the Gospel to the Long Range Rifle Community
My first Blog.
I'm sitting here thinking about the world, God's Kingdom, the past and the future. My mind goes to Saul and his Damascus road experience with the risen Jesus. I think about how he must have felt ordering the stoning death of Stephen and hearing Stephen forgiving him as he lay dying. Saul, the persecutor of the Christians who became Paul, returned to the Jewish leaders that had sent him to exterminate the remaining Christians.
He tried to tell them the truth about Jesus and how His followers lived their faith to the end, but they turned on him and ordered his death. He then went back to the Christians, but they remembered how he had persecuted them and for the most part rejected him too. At this point Paul seems like a man without a country and without a people. Kind of like how I feel sometimes. I no longer fit into my previous world and I don't seem to fit into the generic Christian world either.
God saw this and sent Barnabus to walk with Paul on his path to spread the Gospel. I'm pretty sure that if God had not sent another Christian to trust Paul, he would have lost faith. After Paul's Damascus Road meeting with Jesus he lived in this "limbo state" for 9 years. Surely Paul's short time with Jesus impacted him enough to keep his faith strong for those 9 years.
What an honor for Stephen to have the privilege to die for his faith in Christ. I sometimes wonder if God will give me the honor of dieing for my faith? I always thought I would die in the service of my country and the people I had sworn to protect, but it seems God has other plans for me.
When Paul and Silus were thrown into jail God sent an earthquake to open the doors. Paul was brave enough to stick around, thus converting his jailer. Would I have thought about that, or seen it as an opportunity to escape? Will I be brave enough Not To Fight? Looking at Pauls life I have to wonder at what point did he know he was being blessed by God? I see this world and in particular, this country, slipping quickly into a culture without God, His influence or protection.
When a contestant for Ms. America is attacked by everyone for saying that marriage should be between a man and a woman and nobody, or very few, come to her defense. Worse yet, they think and say there is something wrong with her. People need to remember that the institution of marrage was first created by God Himself. How errogant to think we can change God's grand design?
If things go like they appear to be going in this country it will soon be a "Hate Crime" to teach from Romans and many other books of the bible. Will Men of God stand firm in the days to come? Will we be the men of honor? Will we draw a line in the sand and say; "This far and No farther"? What will the tipping point be?
Personally my weakness is my wife. If you want to get to me, go through her. Hurt my wife and you can hurt me worse than any torture. Satan seems to know that too. I could go on, but what would be the point. I think most men who love their wives can be manipulated in this way.
There is an old Chinese saying that goes; "May You live in interesting times" Well there is that, we do live in very interesting times. Like Paul at the end of his life, are we on a path toward Rome, to the end? Is there a Nero waiting for us? Can we stand firm in my faith to the end? Will I be able to say, like Paul, I have fought the good fight? Will I hear the words I long to hear; "Well done good and faithful servant"?
I have lived a full and action packed life and, for the most part, come out the other end a better man for it. I now see my goal, in addition to spreading the Gospels to the competitors of the Long Rifle Community, to lead others along this path to Salvation. So many people have been living on the fence for so long, refusing to take a side. Well that fence is dissolving and everyone is going to fall on one side or the other. No longer will people be able to "Not Make A Decision" because in doing so,....................... they have made a decision. Like the old country & western song says; "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".
I remember a conversation I had with a very intelligent atheist. After giving me all his reasons why God didn't / couldn't exist I was at a loss to counter point his arguments. He seemed to know more about God, Jesus and the bible than I did. It was then that I decided that I needed more formal training in God's Word if I was ever going to be able to defend my faith.
However, I said a quick prayer and this is what God gave me to say. "Well John if you are right we both have no hope. If I am right and their is a God and His Son is Jesus and he lived, died and rose from the dead for my sins, then you have no hope. Either way YOU have NO hope. After a long moment he said; "Well done, that has given me a lot to think about". Now where did that come from, except from God's Holy Spirit?
I pray that God will bless you all with the knowledge that their is peace and tranquility available through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like I said, we live in stressful times and we could all use some peace and comfort. Jesus promises that the "Peace that passes understanding" is available through a relationship with Him. If you want to know more about God's word or how to have a relationship with Him, please let me know because I can help. As the fence slowly desolves we all are being forced to choose.
Dig out your bible and read Paul's story for yourself. If you don't have a bible, it would be my honor to send you one. Just drop me note at ChiefBDT@gmail.com
God Bless,
Brad
I'm sitting here thinking about the world, God's Kingdom, the past and the future. My mind goes to Saul and his Damascus road experience with the risen Jesus. I think about how he must have felt ordering the stoning death of Stephen and hearing Stephen forgiving him as he lay dying. Saul, the persecutor of the Christians who became Paul, returned to the Jewish leaders that had sent him to exterminate the remaining Christians.
He tried to tell them the truth about Jesus and how His followers lived their faith to the end, but they turned on him and ordered his death. He then went back to the Christians, but they remembered how he had persecuted them and for the most part rejected him too. At this point Paul seems like a man without a country and without a people. Kind of like how I feel sometimes. I no longer fit into my previous world and I don't seem to fit into the generic Christian world either.
God saw this and sent Barnabus to walk with Paul on his path to spread the Gospel. I'm pretty sure that if God had not sent another Christian to trust Paul, he would have lost faith. After Paul's Damascus Road meeting with Jesus he lived in this "limbo state" for 9 years. Surely Paul's short time with Jesus impacted him enough to keep his faith strong for those 9 years.
What an honor for Stephen to have the privilege to die for his faith in Christ. I sometimes wonder if God will give me the honor of dieing for my faith? I always thought I would die in the service of my country and the people I had sworn to protect, but it seems God has other plans for me.
When Paul and Silus were thrown into jail God sent an earthquake to open the doors. Paul was brave enough to stick around, thus converting his jailer. Would I have thought about that, or seen it as an opportunity to escape? Will I be brave enough Not To Fight? Looking at Pauls life I have to wonder at what point did he know he was being blessed by God? I see this world and in particular, this country, slipping quickly into a culture without God, His influence or protection.
When a contestant for Ms. America is attacked by everyone for saying that marriage should be between a man and a woman and nobody, or very few, come to her defense. Worse yet, they think and say there is something wrong with her. People need to remember that the institution of marrage was first created by God Himself. How errogant to think we can change God's grand design?
If things go like they appear to be going in this country it will soon be a "Hate Crime" to teach from Romans and many other books of the bible. Will Men of God stand firm in the days to come? Will we be the men of honor? Will we draw a line in the sand and say; "This far and No farther"? What will the tipping point be?
Personally my weakness is my wife. If you want to get to me, go through her. Hurt my wife and you can hurt me worse than any torture. Satan seems to know that too. I could go on, but what would be the point. I think most men who love their wives can be manipulated in this way.
There is an old Chinese saying that goes; "May You live in interesting times" Well there is that, we do live in very interesting times. Like Paul at the end of his life, are we on a path toward Rome, to the end? Is there a Nero waiting for us? Can we stand firm in my faith to the end? Will I be able to say, like Paul, I have fought the good fight? Will I hear the words I long to hear; "Well done good and faithful servant"?
I have lived a full and action packed life and, for the most part, come out the other end a better man for it. I now see my goal, in addition to spreading the Gospels to the competitors of the Long Rifle Community, to lead others along this path to Salvation. So many people have been living on the fence for so long, refusing to take a side. Well that fence is dissolving and everyone is going to fall on one side or the other. No longer will people be able to "Not Make A Decision" because in doing so,....................... they have made a decision. Like the old country & western song says; "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything".
I remember a conversation I had with a very intelligent atheist. After giving me all his reasons why God didn't / couldn't exist I was at a loss to counter point his arguments. He seemed to know more about God, Jesus and the bible than I did. It was then that I decided that I needed more formal training in God's Word if I was ever going to be able to defend my faith.
However, I said a quick prayer and this is what God gave me to say. "Well John if you are right we both have no hope. If I am right and their is a God and His Son is Jesus and he lived, died and rose from the dead for my sins, then you have no hope. Either way YOU have NO hope. After a long moment he said; "Well done, that has given me a lot to think about". Now where did that come from, except from God's Holy Spirit?
I pray that God will bless you all with the knowledge that their is peace and tranquility available through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Like I said, we live in stressful times and we could all use some peace and comfort. Jesus promises that the "Peace that passes understanding" is available through a relationship with Him. If you want to know more about God's word or how to have a relationship with Him, please let me know because I can help. As the fence slowly desolves we all are being forced to choose.
Dig out your bible and read Paul's story for yourself. If you don't have a bible, it would be my honor to send you one. Just drop me note at ChiefBDT@gmail.com
God Bless,
Brad
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
