19 year old Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram from Alabama University is a grateful and humble recipient

Mark Ingram won the Heisman for the Crimson Tide, their very first Heisman winner. And they have had a lot of players who were excellent football players, and went on to be fine players in the NFL.

I enjoyed watching this young lad receive such a prestigious award in such a gracious manner. Very mature young man. He's just a Sophomore at Alabama.

He did thank God first of all, but i have no idea where he goes to church, or if he goes to church, or if he is a Christian. Be nice to find out if he is. I always enjoy it when I know that a particular player loves Christ, and is my brother in the Lord. It's not that I don't enjoy watching and cheering for non-Christians, because I surely do.
It's just different, that's all.

BTW, as I write this I am watching The Alabama Crimson Tide play The Texas Longhorns for the NCAA Championship..
Alabama just scored another TD. They lead Texas 14 to 6 in the 2nd quarter. In fact, Ingram scored on of the Touchdowns.

GO BAMA!!! I have always loved The Tide.

"..seeking to establish their [religious people] own, they did not submit to God's truth...Christ is the end of the righteous law for all believers."

Jesus said these holy and wonderful words: "It is Finished!", while his spirit and body had just gone through suffering unequaled, and even then, as He spoke this most magnificent and glorious words, He was experiencing the most excruciating pain any human ever endured, for He carried the sins of the world in Himself, the trillions and trillions of sins against God were dealt with forever and ever.
And Jesus never once complained of His work He came to accomplish. And He neither holds it over our heads in any kind of proud manner. Why? Because His love for His Father was perfect and unmoving. And His love for us was looking forward to the joy He would have when we would one day see Him in His glory, and live with Him forever in perfect happiness and great joy!



Christ is all our righteousness. His death fulfilled all what needs to be done for a sinner to enter into eternal life. He did this for all who would come to Him with humble hearts, and ask Him to accept us, and to please forgive us for our sins against Him, and others.



Eternal Life is freely given to all who trust in Christ the Lord.



Here are some good words from Martin Luther to consider:



"As the schoolmen [religious teachers of good works] say that charity adorns faith, so do we say that it is Christ who adorns faith. Wherefore Christ apprehended by faith, and dwelling in the heart, is the true Christian righteousness, for which God counts us righteous and gives us eternal life. Here is no work of the law, no charity, but a far other manner of righteousness, and a certain new world beyond and above the law."



The Law of course is good and right, but it is engraved in rock, and it does nothing for our soul. The Spirit however, is living, and full of life, truth, grace, and love. He will comfort, lead and empower us to live a godly life. Amen to that. God is so gracious to do all this for sinners like us!

"..men will never come to Jesus and stay with Jesus and live for Jesus, unless they really know why they are to come and what is their need." -JC Ryle

"Those whom the Spirit draws to Jesus are those whom the Spirit has convinced of sin. Without thorough conviction of sin, men may seem to come to Jesus and follow Him for a season, but they will soon fall away and return to the world." John Charles Ryle, From his classic book, 'Holiness'.

[ JC Ryle (May 10, 1816 - June 10, 1900) was the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool. Ryle was born at Macclesfield, and was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, where he was Craven Scholar in 1836. He retired in 1900 at age 83 and died later the same year. He is buried in the All Saints' Church, Childwall, Liverpool.]

I like these words of Bishop Ryle. Though he saw this problem in his century, I see the same problem now.
Many churches are simply preaching a gospel that makes fairly nice people, and not nice people, a bit nicer, and accepted in their own self.

The Gospel is quite different for it is the power to save a rebel from his sinful dilemma of condemnation and hell, and also make his heart of sin new in Christ. In other words the genuine Gospel makes a sinner a saint. There will be a huge difference in a heart that is changed by the Spirit of Christ. With fruit unavoidably visible; the fruit of love fro Jesus, and for our neighbor.

And there's much more that goes along with that of course, but don't we simply all need to agree on this truth first, before we proceed? I think so. All Christians must agree on this. Those who don't may need to be converted themselves.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." -Saul of Tarus

"If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. " -CS Lewis

Funny, but I agree with Lewis, and yet, there are so many pulpits in our day declaring we need to be less heavenly minded, and more earthly minded. I fear there will always be this conflict within the kingdom of God.

We must be able to clearly see from the Bible the Gospel is not a social gospel. It is the good news of Christ crucified. The good news will change a sinner's heart, and so this same person will become a better citizen in this world, because he now knows his truest citizenship is in heaven with his first love, Christ, his Savior and King.

Paul the Apostle said: "....but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ...and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." 1 Corinthians 1:23-24,17

There's a simple message, (pure and powerfully simple), and it is that God has made a way for rebels to become His adopted sons and daughters.

He has sent His only Son to die as the Lamb of God on a Cross, in order to take away the sins of the world.

He has good news indeed for sinners, who will one day be judged for every sin we have committed, if we neglect this good news, and shun it.

He will forgive every transgression in the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. And not only that, He shall impute to us the flawless righteousness of His most Beloved. We simply need to turn to Him, trust Him with even the smallest faith, even a mustard seed of faith, and then our souls will be free from condemnation and hell.

That is worth shouting about, don't you think!

And because of this Gospel, (this grand news for sinners), we now hate our sin, and love righteousness, and so live by faith for the glory of God.

We long to help our fellow man, and we love our neighbor, and we even love our enemy now. For we were enemies of the Lord, but the Lord had mercy on us, and forgave us. So with a grateful heart we now take this Gospel, this good news, this awesome message to a world lost in darkness and sin, and sgare with heartfelt thanksgiving. For God will have us share this Gospel from a heart of compassion and gratitude, to a dying world under His wrath, which we also were at one time under.

That's the Gospel. Pure and simple. May we endeavor to look to Christ, as Paul tells us in his epistle to the Colossians:

" If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

May the Holy Spirit embed these 4 powerful verses into our minds, and burn them deep in our hearts, so that we will be motivated to love our Lord, and in like manner love our neighbors. And so do mighty works by His grace and Spirit here, in this age, looking forward with great anticipation for the return of Jesus, our God, Redeemer, and Friend, where all things will be made righteous, good, and lovely for all eternity. And all sin, hatred, lying, killing, filthy self-seeking pride will be obliterated. Amen.

"The gospel is harmed when we fail to deal seriously with death." -Craig Parton, (author of Religion on Trial.)

I just finished reading an Article in Modern Reformation Magazine: "Funerals from Hell: Where Have All the Graveyards Gone?"
The author deals with the way many evangelicals hold funerals in our age. How they try to keep the atmosphere one of lightness and happiness, instead of allowing for mourning and sorrow.
I thought I would share my thoughts on this as well, for what they are worth, which isn't much really.

First let's begin with a couple Bible verses.

The Apostle Paul wrote these inspired words from the Lord for us to consider:

"So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." II Cor. 5:6-8

" For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." Phil. 1:21-24

To me Paul is saying there's a confidence we can have as Christians in dying. Of course, we may not want to die, but we instead have a passion to live here for the Lord. However, we must always understand if death were to come to our door, then we can be assured that when we do go through that door we will see our Savior, Jesus of Nazareth, the Lord over death and the grave.

Here's a few of my own heart's thoughts on death, the gospel, life, and funerals.

I hate death when it happens to children, or even young adults. God created us for life with Him, not death. And yet God cursed this earth because of sin, and sin brought death. Death is not natural, it happens because of sin (Romans 6:23).

The Gospel, which is simply the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin, and eternal life for all who trust Christ, is the truth that takes away the sting of death (I Cor. 15:55-57).

Because of this same Gospel, we who have come to experience the love of Christ through faith in the truth of the gospel have a great life to live here in this age. Jesus will be with us every second as we live for Him, and our neighbor, to the glory of our heavenly Father. Life is precious, because Jesus gave Himself on a cruel Cross for me.

Funerals, especially for young children, and for the younger loved ones who die, but also for anyone we love, even those who live way into their 90's, are a very sorrowful time, and an awkward time for me. I hate funerals when you really get down to it.

As I thought about death and funerals, I remembered, how a few years back, a 4 year beautiful boy in my church accidentally was strangled to death on a sliding board in his backyard. (I actually feel very sad even now writing this down.)
It was a dreadfully dark, and unbelievably heavy thing to be part of, and behold. I saw the parents in the hospital, after a whole day of this young lad being kept alive on a breathing device, be told from the doctor that Daniel is dead. I'll never forget his mother's cry. It was inexpressible. And then watching the father takes this boy in his arms, and lay him on a hospital bed, motionless. It was to me the most tragic event I have seen in my life up to now. I don't know what I would do if one of my grandsons died like this, or in any manner. I don't even want to think about that.

I also remember my Dad's funeral. He was 86, and had a long and prosperous life, and yet he, in my thinking, was not a believer in the Gospel, but a religious man; a Catholic man. Could he be with the Lord? Yes, it is possible. But my last impression was that he rejected the gospel of grace for the gospel of "being as moral as you can, and get a priest to bless you into heaven". I hope I am wrong.

I also remember my father-in-law's funeral. He was a hard man for the most part. Although he did believe in the Lord, I don't think he ever came to trusting Christ alone faith, though he may have. I was able to share the "Romans Road" with him a while back while he was in the Johns Hopkins Hospital with a heart attack and stroke. He acknowledged he believed these truths of the Bible. But, there was not much fruit to be honest.
At his funeral, which took place at St. Mark's Catholic Church, the priest spoke of how faithful and good my father-in-law was. He called him by his name, Louis, and told of how good he was in so many ways. This priest was absolutely out of line. But, everyone was okay with what he said. I challenged what he said with my in-laws, though I loved my father-in-law, I felt like the truth of his life needs to addressed, or if not, then say nothing. Just don't make up stuff about people for the sake of making his friends and family feel good at funerals. I believe you can be honoring and truthful without making superficial remarks.

Well that's about all I have in me today. Now I'm off to watch some football.

Have a blessed 2010!

"....and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking 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."