Earlier this week, a friend gave our family tickets to the Royals game. The night was awesome in that we ate Chick-fil-a before the game, we enjoyed time together as a family, and the location of our seats was incredible, five rows behind the dugout. As for the game itself, the Royals got beat like a rented mule by the Twins 19-1; nonetheless, that did not discourage me because I am not a Royals fan per se, I am a baseball fan. What I enjoyed about the game was watching Joe Mauer, the Twins All-star catcher and a future Hall of Famer, play a seemingly perfect baseball game. He had five hits in five plate appearances and to my count he had seven runs batted in. Personally, I am drawn to watching people who execute a skill or talent at a high level or watch people live life at a maximum level.
Watching a future Hall of Famer play baseball got me to thinking about the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. I thought about Abraham, Noah, Moses, and the like. Hebrews 11 tells us that “by faith” these people lived a life that makes your heart beat fast and they were used of God to do things that we still talk about today. Then I started thinking…who are those people today? I saw a future Hall of Fame baseball player earlier this week but where do I see the Hall of Faith people today.
After a time of reflection, God refreshed my spirit and brought to my mind a significant number of people who live “by faith” and who are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Let me tell you about some of those people and I will refrain from using the names of the people just for the sake of not causing any embarrassment or unwanted recognition.
Our students are going to TPX Camp in Colorado in a few days and I saw a few students last week pool the $100 they were given back in March at a worship service at Gateway and help some of their friends go to camp who would otherwise not be able to go. “By faith” they were patient and hung on to their money for just the right prompting and they did a Hall of Faith act.
“By faith” people in our church have adopted children or are in the process of adopting children or “by faith” people in our church have committed to being foster parents for children. Psalm 82:3 declares that we should defend the cause of the fatherless and many people in our church are pleasing to God because they have done what matters to God. Those people are definitely worthy of the Hall of Faith.
“By faith” a person went the extra mile in giving care for a family member and then answer the prompting of God to share the Good News of Christ with the same family member and as God would ordain, the family member gave his life to Christ and now will have eternal life. Now that is a Hall of Faith story.
I am reminded this week that I am pleasing to God when I live by faith in Him. I am reminded this week that I have a deep hatred for mediocrity and I want to live a life worthy of the Hall of Faith.
Let’s play catch. Your turn to throw.
When I read your blog today, I smiled. I knew I had to share my experience. Yesterday was the first day of practice for my son's football team. I love football and as the coach's wife, it's always exciting to meet all the new players and their families. I began a normal meet and greet conversation with a new player's mom. She was very pleasant and I soon found myself sharing my love of Christ with her. Unfortunately, sharing my faith with strangers isn't something I normally do. But as it turned out, God had a plan. You see she hadn't been to Church in several months and she longed to have Christ back in her life. She just felt like she was too busy. I encouraged her to come back to Christ. I will put her family in my prayers and will continue to share Christ’s love with her.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that pleased me about our conversation was that she had attended Gateway and was especially fond of it because of her encounter with a handful of people. They were the exact same people that inspire me to serve Christ more willingly! We talked about these amazing people and I felt myself smiling uncontrollably. It truly is amazing to watch them in action.
After some alone time with Christ, I realized I too want to live a life that pleases Christ so much that he too will smile uncontrollably!
By faith I am renewed each day - what happened yesterday is no more - Thank You Jesus! It is by God's Grace that I am here - It is by my Faith in Christ that I do the work that I do - I have tried life without Christ - I have put him on the shelf in the pretty little box and only pulled him down when I needed to - Life then was a complete mess - It is only through my faith in Christ that I live - without him I am nothing but a lump of flesh dead but with him - Him living in me and through me I am alive - I am His.
ReplyDeleteEach day I am amazed at the things in which he does, the people he brings across my path - I see so many step out in faith to walk out what God has directed them to do - to adopt babies, to help teenage mothers, to write a book, to go on missions not always in another country, but right in their own neighborhood, I have heard story after story of how the Holy Spirit has prompted and they have heard, listened and stepped out. I watch these people in awe - knowing we are of the same family, we are heirs to the throne, co-heirs with Christ - that together we move the body of Christ as we become an open vessel and allow Him to live in us, work in us and through us - that because of Him I am able to love my brothers and sisters, I am able to love a stranger on the street - with the love of Christ - because left on my own I am incapable of love - Again it is only through my faith in Christ that I am alive - Can I hit a home run in a baseball game, make a pitch that people will talk about for days, throw a man out running to home plate from the outfield - NOPE I CAN'T. But I can step up to the plate for Christ, run for Him, to him - I might not always get on base, but I will never give up - I will continue to press on. And in my Fathers eyes I am a STAR PLAYER ... Can I get an Amen in the House :0)