I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed...

In 1980 a young man from Rwanda was forced by his tribe to either renounce Christ or face certain death. He refused to renounce Christ, and he was killed on the spot. The night before he had written the following commitment which was found in his room:

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed, the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line, the decision has been made- I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed vision, worldly talking, cheap giving & dwarfed goals.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows, work till He stops me & when He comes for His own, He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.”

Sports - For God's Glory

In our world today there are millions and millions of athletes. From professional to casual, people everywhere take part in team and individual sports. Athletics is a massive industry that brings in millions, even billions of dollars every year. Over 219 million Americans watched the 2012 London Olympics alone! People watch sporting events daily through their TV, computer, or phone. Some events are world-wide like the Olympics, others take center stage depending on popularity or culture.

What I'm going to talk about today is my love for sports and how I can, as a Christian, use my sports to the glory of God. Compared to major sporting events that are televised worldwide, the team that I play for is much less popular. Ever since I was a kid, hockey has always been my favourite sport to play. Although I do enjoy playing other sports, hockey always stood out as my best. Growing up my sisters and I spent hours and hours playing street hockey with the neighbourhood kids. As I got older, it changed from street hockey to ice hockey. I first started on the ice at 13 and this is my fifth year. During that time of playing hockey, the Lord worked in my life and drew me unto Himself. At the age of 15 I put my complete trust in Christ as the saviour of my life. He was now my Lord over everything that I did. Colossians 1:18 says, "...so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything."
Early on in my Christian life I realized that Christ is to be first place in all that I do, even sports.
Just like any other young man, I am passionate about sports and have lots of competitiveness in me when I get playing. As a Christian, to be able to realise how to make Christ, first place in my sports I had to have an understanding of what Christ had given me.

1. A Thankfulness for the Abilities that I have.
When one becomes a Christian, he starts to see things so much differently than before. Since I love to play hockey and have enjoyed it, I realise the need to be thankful to my God for giving me the ability to play this sport. We read a very familiar verse in 1 Corinthians 10:31, it says, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." By taking this verse seriously, I can be thankful to the Lord for even the most common things that He has given me. First off, the Lord has given me a healthy body be able to perform the functions needed for the sport. He has given me legs to skate, arms to stickhandle and shoot a puck, and eyes and ears to see and hear what I need to do for the game. For myself, this is a way that I can give glory and honour to God in the sport I play. I don't deserve life from God, for it was my sin that nailed His Son to the tree! What grace he has given to us as humans to do earthly activities that bring joy to us. The least we can do is give the glory back to Him.

2. A Good Attitude in the Way I Play.
Another way that I can bring glory to God when I play sports, is to have a good attitude! Since I was  a little boy, I have been taught by my parents to have a good attitude about things. Having a good attitude really stems from my first point about being thankful. Whether winning or loosing, my attitude should be one that pleases God. There should be no reason to become angry, frustrated or out of control during a hockey game. I think of C.J. Mahaney's booklet titled, "Don't waste Your Sports". As a Christian I can't waste the opportunity I have while playing even a hockey game to give glory to my king and be a witness to others of my love for God.

3. A Humble Heart.
The most important way, I think, to give God glory in my sports is to have a humble heart. Humility is something that all of us struggle with. Especially in a sporting event we can become proud as to what we have done or can do. I know for I fact that I have been proud many times. I am reminded by the Lord though to keep a humble heart and give Him the well-deserved praise. To remind myself of this, I set aside a time before my game to pray, and ask the Lord to keep me humble and honouring to Him.

Right now, I play in a Christian Hockey league called CCJHL. It is a blessing to have a good environment and to make some good friends. To be able to enjoy the sport, and give glory to God is a privilege that I have a Christian. As I continue to play, I hope to be a witness to others of my love for God in my words, attitudes, and actions.
These points don't only apply to sports, but I shared them because they help me greatly to be a man who gives my God glory even in the, 'unimportant things' in life. As Christians, we sometimes think, How could you actually give God glory by eating, drinking, or playing a hockey game? Well, you can! Think of what the Lord has done for you, have a thankful humble heart, and most of all praise Him for the work of salvation in your heart. He has given us endless joy and blessings, let us as His slaves, give glory back to Him. You never know, God may bless you in ways you couldn't have imagined.

2012-2013 CCJHL Champions!

Blessings,
       Lucas C.

Strange Fire Quotes:

The Strange Fire Conference has been excellent. The Truth of the Word of God has been preached for all to hear and understand. And many people have heard the message. Yesterday the hash tag #StrangeFire was the most used hash tag around the entire world! Here are some great quotes from the conference so far:

Pastor John Macarthur:

"The biggest problem in the church to day is absence of discernment...Exercising discernment is the heart of Christian living because Christian living flows out of Christian thinking."

"Taking the Lord's name in vain is more than just swearing. It's speaking of Him in an irreverent manner, or assigning to him things he would never do and things He would never say."

"Show me a person obsessed with the Holy Spirit and I'll show you a person not filled with the Holy Spirit."

"The only way you're living your best life now is if your going to hell."

"When the Holy Spirit is the person being sought, His work has been rejected."

Pastor Conrad Mbewe:

"You cannot have spiritual life when this book, (the Bible) is closed...Where the Word of God is closed, the gospel has been lost, and invariably the life remains sinful and self-centered. And one fo the effects of that has been the loss of true worship."

Pastor Tom Pennington:

"The man of God needs no additional revelation. It's all right here (the Bible)."

"The charismatic gifts are not the same as the New Testament gifts because they are not the New Testament gifts."

"Those who are in Christ are driven by the mind, by their understanding of truth."

Pastor Justin Peters:

"There is no prosperity gospel; no social gospel. If you add an adjective to the gospel, than you don't have the gospel."

"It makes is very hard for us to warn the people about the wolves when the leaders fo the sheep are associating with the wolves."

Pastor Steve Lawson:

"It's not that we get more of the Holy Spirit, It's that He gets more of us."

"Listen, right will always be right, wrong will always be wrong, the way of salvation will always be the way of salvation. God's revelation is unchanging because God Himself is immutable and unchanging."

"Do not bring your, 'Thus saith the Lord' into this house if it's not found in chapter and verse."

"This book (the Bible) is not hard to understand, It's just hard to swallow."

"May we here tonight have a cessation clause in our personal statement of faith...May the Word of God, and the Word of God alone, be our rule of authority and standard..."

Blessings,
       Lucas C.