The Closer

Good morning, men! First of all, I want to apologize for missing the Family Friday message last week. In all honesty, I planned on posting it mid-day after our trip to the Christmas Tree Farm…..and totally forgot. Got caught up in the hot chocolate, hacksaws, and general Christmas spirit!

Today I would like to share about a book I have been reading lately. It is called “The Closer” and is by Mariano Rivera. Mariano grew up extremely poor in Panama and, as he tells it, through the blessings of the Lord became the most dominant closer in the history of baseball.

As I read this book, one thing keeps popping up again and again that is really doing some major surgery on my heart. He is writing about winning multiple World Series, striking out guys like Mike Piazza and Edgar Martinez…..yet NEVER ONCE takes credit for any of it. He continually gives thanks to God for his blessings and says that it is his faith in Christ that affords him success. Wow.

I am a drug rep/ youth baseball coach in Paragould, AR and I LOVE to take credit for the things I do well. Yet here is the most successful relief pitcher in the history of the game in his autobiography saying he has nothing if he doesn’t have Jesus and could accomplish nothing outside of his blessing. 

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is a gift from God,”

If Mo believes it, we sure can. Have a blessed day!

M.I.T.T. ~ Andy

Amplified

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

Good morning men! I hope you all had a great thanksgiving with your families and enjoyed some time off of work. I feel like I am taking some of Andy’s plays out of his playbook because this post is family orientaed as well. Again, this is the season I am in right now so I am looking to the Lord for some strength. With the new addition of our son, we have a few more things to cause stress in our home. I feel like my daughter who is 3 is being very trying right now. After all for almost 4 years it was just her and now he attention has shifted. She has been acting out a bit more and I feel that it is solely just to get more attention. But with new added stress of a baby, I feel like I become more irritated easily. This is something I do not like nor want so I’ve been praying about! I love my daughter to pieces and that is why I am really focusing on this verse where it says love is not easily angered. I think about how I make God mad when I sin but he doesn’t lose his temper with me. I should be more patient with my daughter and discipline in love and not out of anger. This can be applied to almost all relationships so I hope this helps someone this morning! 

M.I.T.T.

Tis the season…

Tis the season to see the holidays rushing at you at 100mph. Tis the season for year end holiday and Christmas parties, ugly sweaters, post black friday shopping madness, white elephant exchanges,  family get togethers, arguments over family get togethers, and finally just flat out stress over all the above. And that is not even factoring in the push to close the year out strong in whatever career field you are in. For those of us in sales, it is in the mad dash to hit your sales quota for year end. SELL, SELL, SELL. I think you get my point: while this time of year is supposed to be one of celebration and joy, often times the crazy busyness of our culture and the distractions of the holidays can really make it a trying and dark season.

The key to staying sane? Focus on the reason for the season and enter into His rest.

Jesus is the reason for the season. Reflect on what this means and take heart in it as Jesus wants to give you rest and bless you abundantly. Do not let the crazy, busy time of year distract you from The Lord’s rest and how the Lord has blessed you and how abundantly he wants to bless you. He loves you beyond what you can even imagine. Rejoice in that, trust in that, and cling to that.

Matthew 11:28-30
“28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

John 10:7-18
7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency^e in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

2 Peter 1:3-4: “3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

Have a blessed, productive and restful week,

M.I.T.T.

MPM

 

If you want more on Matt. 11:28-30. Here is a good commentary note.

Matthew Henry Commentary (http://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhc/matthew/11.htm)
Matthew 11:25-30 It becomes children to be grateful. When we come to God as a Father, we must remember that he is Lord of heaven and earth, which obliges us to come to him with reverence as to the sovereign Lord of all; yet with confidence, as one able to defend us from evil, and to supply us with all good. Our blessed Lord added a remarkable declaration, that the Father had delivered into his hands all power, authority, and judgment. We are indebted to Christ for all the revelation we have of God the Father’s will and love, ever since Adam sinned. Our Saviour has invited all that labour and are heavy-laden, to come unto him. In some senses all men are so. Worldly men burden themselves with fruitless cares for wealth and honours; the gay and the sensual labour in pursuit of pleasures; the slave of Satan and his own lusts, is the merest drudge on earth. Those who labour to establish their own righteousness also labour in vain. The convinced sinner is heavy-laden with guilt and terror; and the tempted and afflicted believer has labours and burdens. Christ invites all to come to him for rest to their souls. He alone gives this invitation; men come to him, when, feeling their guilt and misery, and believing his love and power to help, they seek him in fervent prayer. Thus it is the duty and interest of weary and heavy-laden sinners, to come to Jesus Christ. This is the gospel call; Whoever will, let him come. All who thus come will receive rest as Christ’s gift, and obtain peace and comfort in their hearts. But in coming to him they must take his yoke, and submit to his authority. They must learn of him all things, as to their comfort and obedience. He accepts the willing servant, however imperfect the services. Here we may find rest for our souls, and here only. Nor need we fear his yoke. His commandments are holy, just, and good. It requires self-denial, and exposes to difficulties, but this is abundantly repaid, even in this world, by inward peace and joy. It is a yoke that is lined with love. So powerful are the assistances he gives us, so suitable the encouragements, and so strong the consolations to be found in the way of duty, that we may truly say, it is a yoke of pleasantness. The way of duty is the way of rest. The truths Christ teaches are such as we may venture our souls upon. Such is the Redeemer’s mercy; and why should the labouring and burdened sinner seek for rest from any other quarter? Let us come to him daily, for deliverance from wrath and guilt, from sin and Satan, from all our cares, fears, and sorrows. But forced obedience, far from being easy and light, is a heavy burden. In vain do we draw near to Jesus with our lips, while the heart is far from him. Then come to Jesus to find rest for your souls.

 

Practice What You Preach

So on November 5th, I wrote a message about keeping the main thing, the main thing. I failed in that yesterday and I’m late today. We had a game yesterday and I let the Manly Message slip my mind, twice. I didn’t do a good job of doing a good job. I apologize to you all for not getting a message written yesterday. I also apologize for not getting this written in time to tell the Pastors to make it happen today. I know you can and have done it whether I give a pep talk or not, but I feel reaponsible to you, as well. 

Matthew 9:36-3836 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
I was a lost sheep yesterday, I didn’t have my priorities straight. I was not a worker for our group yesterday. 

I feel like this passage is very accurate. Look at our group, we have grown substantially, but we are still a small group. We have to develop more workers. We have to encourage them and recruit them. We need to keep adding men to the message. The trenches will never be too crowded, we always have room for more. 

Keep growing the number of workers. Keep adding men to the trenches. We can keep the message growing. 

Have a great week in the trenches, men. Be exceptional at being you. 

YW

Thy Will Be Done

Good Sunday, Pastors … Make it great today, be exceptional at being you. 

No scripture today, just a song. With a few exceptions, I have my the radio in my car set to K-Love. There is a song on there that really captures my attention. It is called, Thy Will Be Done from Hillary Scott. She’s the female singer in the country group Lady Antebellum (I myself only learned that while looking that song up for this Manly Message). 

From what I read, this song is based off of a letter she wrote to God after a tragedy.

Please listen to the song now …

Some of my struggles are perfectly articulated in this song. We all struggle. We all have things in life we wish had a different way. Let’s look at some of the lyrics. 
I may never understandThat my broken heart is a part of Your plan

When I try to pray

All I’ve got is hurt and these four words

Thy will be done
Or
Just trying to make sense

Of all Your promises

Then there’s

I know You’re good

But this don’t feel good right now
She ends all of these verses with, Thy will be done. We have all had times where we’ve felt that way. Why did something happen? Well, our faith has to be strong enough to believe that His will is the overriding good that is behind everything that happens. That’s not easy. 

I believe my main purpose in today’s message is to let you know if you’re in a spot where the words Thy will be done, don’t make it easier, I want you to know we’ve all been there and we are here for you. 

Be exceptional at being you … have a great week in the trenches. And hey, be transformational for someone who needs you to be that way for them. 

YW

Truly In The Eye of the Storm

Do you think life is too difficult at times? I mean in your current situation of family, profession, finances, etc, do you just think it’s too hard to thank God for what you actually do have?

A little history lesson from our sermon last night from Pastor Meyers: if you find our current situation to be bad in the United States, think about this.  On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national holiday.  He did so saying,  “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”

The year that was drawing to a close found our country in the midst of a civil war, a long battle with an estimated 620,000 deaths, and one that a few months before this date had seen 51,000 casualties at Gettysburg.  You think our current situation in the US is bad? Pastor Meyers asked if any of us in the congregation had been to Gettysburg, and I actually have.  It was a somber place to say the least, there was just something in the air as you look over the land.

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.”

I know I have so much to be thankful for.

DP

I AM A MAN IN THE TRENCHES FOR THE KINGDOM

New Look at an Old Favorite

Good morning, men!

Hopefully all of you are gearing up for the last work day before a four day slow down. Those of you in education are hopefully enjoying a well deserved day off! Today I want to look at one of my favorite verses, but from a different angle.

Philippians 4:13 says: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

I would venture to say that most of us are pretty familiar with that verse. Athletes and coaches use it often, and I know, for me, brings to mind images such as this one:

Eye black on, jersey lookin sharp, cleats dug in, game face on (cue Bobby Knight)…….I CAN SCORE THIS TOUCHDOWN/ MAKE THIS SHOT/ HIT THIS HOMERUN THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!!! Well, that is all fine and good, but it wasn’t until this Sunday that I was challenged by my pastor to look a little deeper into Phillipians.

Phillipians 10-13 says: “10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

What Paul is saying is that he is CONTENT in his circumstances. And Paul has literally been from the top of the proverbial mountain to the lowest valley. The reason he can say this is that he knows and feels in his heart that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is GREATER than any gift or loss he receives.

Will I continue to use Phil 4:13 with my sports teams? Absolutely. It is a great, short, easy to remember passage with a lot of weight. The main focus, however, will be different. I will challenge my athletes to handle failure and losses with perspective because Jesus is GREATER. I will speak withdrew parents on my team about not “keeping up with the sports Joneses” and being content because Jesus is GREATER. 

Lastly, I want to challenge each of you to speak out loud ways that this is relevant to your life today. I will share mine with you:

I can enjoy my job and do it well, even when it frustrates me, because JESUS IS GREATER!

I can love my wife and serve her, even when she is sick and short tempered, because JESUS IS GREATER!

I can cherish my 1500 square foot house and 1/4 acre lot, and not covet more, because JESUS IS GREATER!

I can coach my roster, and enjoy those boys, without needing bigger, faster and stronger players because JESUS IS GREATER!

I can accept my father’s illness and enjoy the time we have been given with him without being bitter because JESUS IS GREATER!

Thank you for your time, men. Have a wonderful day and soak up every minute with your families this week!

M.I.T.T. ~ Andy

”Tis the Season

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NIV Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Good morning men! First off, if you are traveling this week be safe. Secondly I hope you all enjoy this verse as much as I do. I did have a bit of humor to go along with it, or an attempt at it. The title I chose is ’tis the season. However, we are talking about Jesus, IT’S ALWAYS THE SEASON! I really do like this verse though because it talks about giving thanks always. It doesn’t say when things are great or at their worst. Give thanks always. I give thanks all the time that Christ chose to forgave me and that he loves me. That is something to truly be thankful for. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving and enjoy time away from work and with the family. 

M.I.T.T.

Put on your new identity in Christ

 

Colossians 3:1-15 (NIV):

1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your^a life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^b 7You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.16Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

 

The passage says it all gentlemen. I leave you God’s word to accomplish its purposes. Acknowledge Him in everything you do today and this holiday season, put on your identity in Christ, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving gentleman!

M.I.T.T.