From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Sep 2 00:41:48 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Sep 2 00:40:44 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Struggle Message-ID: <18494A06-58E0-4D8D-A95C-B0749FC6E919@clanwebb.com> I needed to get something straight in my mind. I was lamenting to myself about my struggle to become more like Jesus and to please Him more. From time to time, I weary of stumbling over the same old gopher holes that men seem to have trouble with in their lives. I reached a point where I just wanted to drop them all in the Lord's lap and say, "Here. You fix them. I'm a sinner and I can't." I struggled with what I perceived to be a slow response from Jesus. My struggle with Jesus became the focus. He and I were not on the same page, so I took my own advice and went to the Word. Novel idea, right? "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the powers, against the world force of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 Let's try to reduce it logically: Jesus means no struggle. Satan means a big struggle. Makes a guy feel like a one-tooth goober in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Sep 2 22:25:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Sep 2 22:24:43 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Check the Code Message-ID: As a writer of software, I get a kick out of the way people anthropomorphize computers and computer programs. Some folks will are only half joking when they claim the computer just doesn't like them. Others will try to convince me that the computer "eats" their documents. Is it because it's been on all day and it's tired? Is it because I tried to do something strange and it got mad? My job while I was in college was to man the phones at the computer help desk on campus. I answered no end of calls where the person on the other end was insisting that the computer needed to be tamed or fed or exorcized. I know this is a result of human nature trying to make sense of something that isn't understood. We try to find behavior patterns and the ones we are most familiar with are human behaviors. That's why we tend to assume human traits in pets, machinery, and other non-human things. However, when you're in my position, it just seems funny. Even if I haven't written the software giving you problems, I know enough about how software works to understand how things go wrong. Things go wrong when the program in question has errors in the logic or bad assumptions about the world it lives in. I know that the problem is in the original code that was written. It hasn't developed a personality and chosen to rebel. Think about how that works in humans. We are often surprised by the behavior of all kinds of people. Strangers on the news, acquaintances at work or at church, and sometimes we are even surprised by our own behavior. It's hard to understand, so we start to apply patterns we've seen before. The truth is that the problem is the source code: the heart. If what is written on the heart has an error or a bad assumption, the person will make mistakes and get into trouble. That person may even veer wildly off course and crash terribly. We make errors like rationalizing sin or treating morality as relative. We make bad assumptions like thinking there is no God or thinking that a loving God wouldn't let me go to Hell. Or, my favorite, choosing to believe that God doesn't really have a problem with this one little thing I really like. It's about what's written on your heart: "The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip." Psalm 37:31 "I desire to do your will, O my god; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 When the behavior surprises you, check the code on your heart. Especially when it's you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 4 00:21:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Sep 4 00:20:00 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Great Labor Message-ID: <76EFF4C6-E8F9-40B4-AA91-5C0C2E0FA1BF@clanwebb.com> So, Labor Day. An odd name in that we celebrate those who work by not working. We barbecue. We go fishing. We get ready for school. All this on a day that was started to celebrate labor unions. They like to talk about the great things they've done for this country and how so much success has come as a result of unionized labor. There's a whole political argument in there that I'll leave alone. Instead, I prefer to look at some more impressive labors: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." Hebrews 11:3 Okay, that's pretty big. Aside from the whole idea of scale in creating planets, solar systems, galaxies, and the entire universe, there's the point about creating something from nothing. I love to do woodwork. I like creating useful items out of a stack of wood. However, I don't create the wood. Nobody knows how to create anything from nothing. We always have to have raw materials. God doesn't. The coolest thing, though, is that that wasn't even the greatest labor He did. That came later: "For God so loved the world that the gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 This was the labor that provided us sinners a path to Heaven. We didn't work for it. We didn't earn it. It was a gift. The work done on the cross was the greatest labor of all. I think I'll celebrate that. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 5 00:10:49 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Sep 5 00:09:27 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Keep On Learning Message-ID: What kind of memories do you have when you think about the first day of school? My wife is convinced I'm strange because I usually looked forward to it. I was excited about new classes, new teachers, and new things to learn. For some it is a traumatic memory. School meant embarrassment or fear or boredom. The first day of school was like the first day of prison. Part of the reason we chose to homeschool our son was to do our best to keep his interest in learning as lively as possible. He may not enjoy it as much as I'd like, but he learns well and is willing to give any subject a shot. We strive to make sure that his desire to learn is still there in adulthood. It's sad how many folks finish school and decide that they don't have to learn anymore. They want to be done learning and get on with life. I enjoy learning, so I tend to seek it out. Happily, I have a never-ending well of learning at hand every day. The Word is miraculous in that it teaches, but it never stops. There is always something else to learn: "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth." Psalm 78:1 "I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:2 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, [...]" Acts 2:42 Whether you're reading the Word or listening to those who can teach, you will always learn something new. God uses those avenues to speak to you. Because God is living and vibrant, He will always have something new to say. "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:16 There isn't much more to be said. So, regain your love for learning and start by learning about your relationship with Christ. You can find something new every day if you choose. What will you learn tomorrow? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 5 21:59:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Sep 5 21:58:11 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Forgotten Message-ID: <2555E6FA-3582-4C72-85AC-1578973790A9@clanwebb.com> I have a distinct memory of an event that caused me to carry some guilt for several years. Once again, God has used this event to show me a parallel to His relationship with me. During my senior year in high school, I went out for the basketball team. I was starting from scratch as we had a new coach that year and my familiarity with the previous coach was of no help to me. I wasn't a lock by any means, so I knew I was going to have to work hard to make the team. I had convinced a friend of mine, who had been on the fence, to try out with me. Things were going pretty well for the first week. One day, we started a one on one defensive drill. One man would dribble the ball down the court changing hands and the other man would play close defense and try to stay in front of the dribbler as best he could. As I dribbled down the court with my friend defending me, I could see that another pair was coming back up the court. I was hoping they would miss us and pass by. As I switched hands again, I watched in shock as my friend backed hard into the defensive player from the other pair. He twisted his knee and I heard a pop as he hit the floor. He had no idea what was coming and I hadn't bothered to warn him. It turned out that he had to wear a knee brace for a few weeks and never made the team. I felt responsible for not preventing the collision and I just stopped going to the tryouts. He told me that it was no big deal, but I knew that he wanted to play on the varsity team as much as I did. At our ten year class reunion, I brought up the story to him and how bad I felt. He dismissed it with a big smile. He had just about forgotten the whole ordeal. I had been carrying guilt needlessly for many years. God brought this story back up for me to remind me of my relationship with Him. My sin caused Him injury, but He has never held it against me. In fact, when I accepted Him, he forgot my sins completely. The guilt of sin is something I don't need to carry. Once I confess it to Him, it is gone and forgotten. "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5 You don't need to carry guilt for your mistakes for years and years. Confess those to Him and they will be erased. "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 6 22:49:37 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 6 22:48:39 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Look Up Message-ID: <2FA6E67B-4B6F-435B-815A-20F50C3C7D1D@clanwebb.com> When man seeks answers in the world, we always seem to look horizontally. That is, we look to one another. We do it in our everyday life. We scan the horizon for our answers and look to the world for remedies while professing a belief in God. If we really believe in God and His promise, we can't look to man for solutions. Man creates most of his problems and compounds them by trying to rely on other men to solve them. If you want answers and solutions, look to God, not man. This is very hard for men as we are hardwired to solve problems, fix things, and protect. Backing off and letting go is thought to be a sign of weakness. Our very nature tends to equate faith in something other than ourselves as some kind of failure. It can be a gut- wrenching feeling when we free fall into God's lap, but we have to do it if we are to know Him and understand His love. It has been said many times before, but until we get it right: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 It isn't God, Heaven, and the Lord Jesus that is the illusion. It's the world that's the illusion. It's all smoke and mirrors. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Sep 7 21:57:01 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Sep 7 21:55:42 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Mind the Mines Message-ID: <05B1390F-B301-49B0-905B-721B312E2905@clanwebb.com> It helps to know where the mines are. Life can be turbulent enough with unexpected events, random emergencies, and so much out of your control. It would be silly for us to not take every opportunity to learn where the known problems are so we can avoid them. In other words, it's bad enough to be dodging artillery and machine gun fire as you assault the beach. It's even worse if you knowingly ignore the location of the minefields. If you had a map of those minefields, you'd do well to study it. God has done that for us. There are parts of life that are unpredictable and unexpected and there are areas that are easy to see coming. However, if you choose to ignore the map of the minefield that God has given you, you're going to get hurt. What's the map? The Word. "My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life," Proverbs 6:20-23 That's powerful stuff. If you keep the commands and follow the teaching of the Word, it will actively guide, watch over, and speak to you. What kinds of mines are there to avoid? Well, the Proverbs mention adultery over and over. That's just one example, but one that hits home for us men. "keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life." Proverbs 6:24-26 See? This is a big red sign with a slash through it. Beware! Danger! Do Not Enter! Nothing good can come from ignoring the mines. Read the map. Memorize the locations. Then you're ready to deal with the unknown with God's help. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 8 21:58:51 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Sep 8 21:59:56 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Grow Message-ID: <673032B3-CBF6-4239-9533-F71E1F72C655@clanwebb.com> I know many of you are carrying a full backpack: job, family, finances, and all the relationships that accompany these things. Sometimes, it seems just too much and other guys' lives look really good: no responsibilities and making enough to get by and have a little fun. It just seems that the odds are against ever having a good job with upward mobility, well-behaved children, a loving wife, money in the bank and a vacation once in a while. Guess what? It is simpler to be single, play the field, live with other guys, girls, or your parents and acquire the toys. The problem is that you were not made to live life in that way. The spirit will starve, longing for nourishment. It is not about having time off, retiring early, and kicking back. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24 You were made to labor and change. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" John 3:7 Change and growth is not about stagnation. It is about sweat. "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Psalm 55:22 Give it over to Him. Trust Him. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Sep 10 00:25:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Sep 10 00:23:55 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Passivity Message-ID: <98B4D7E2-84E0-4764-9FCD-5DB65AB1CCF6@clanwebb.com> Have you ever noticed how the world encourages passivity? Sure we want convenience. I'm glad there's a grocery store around the corner so I don't have to pick my own apples, milk a cow, and then slaughter a pig just for dinner. I have more time to spend with my family by just buying what I need in ten minutes and going home. But, society is really encouraging us to be passive. TV and movie producers want us to spend money so we can sit and watch for hours on end. It's the ultimate in passive entertainment. We're even told to be passive about taking responsibility. It's a victimhood society that shows us how to blame someone else when bad things happen. Even better, we're now taught to blame someone else when good things don't happen to us. So, the fact that nothing happens over a period of time can be someone else's fault. That's passive. Heck, we're even passive about sin. We feel like stealing money or killing a person is a "big" sin because it's active. Somehow it seems like it shouldn't be as bad if your eyes linger over a men's magazine or you don't return the extra change or if you just ignore your relationships for one more football game. It seems passive, so it doesn't seem as bad. The truth is, though, that these aren't passive activities. At some point during each of those seemingly passive events, you had to make an active decision to continue. It takes action to stop and it takes action to continue. You cannot avoid the choice. I like David's idea of actively avoiding sin: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." Psalm 101:3-7 Don't fall for the trap of being passive. It's a lie. Be active. Actively avoid sin and actively pursue Jesus Christ. It works every time. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 11 00:14:03 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Sep 11 00:20:51 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Easy Path Message-ID: <0B294531-6C55-475F-A484-63FCE79371D4@clanwebb.com> During the many times I have been hunting, I have had hundreds of decisions to make about what trail to take. In the beginning, the choice was always easy because the trail I looked for was the easy one. My logic was that deer and elk could be found just as easy walking down an easy trail as they could be on the rough one. However, the outcome seemed to always be the same. The guys that hunted purposefully rather than just wandering around looking for the easy trail seemed to get the game. I usually ended up with nothing but a nice stroll to show for my effort. I did learn that the way to and from camp was easier or harder depending upon the condition of the trail. Anyone that has packed eighty or a hundred pounds of meat on a pack board will tell you that going downhill on a hard surface is much more difficult than a gentle slope upward. The best, of course, is soft earth so that each step is cushioned and there is a little give to the ground with each stride. Even then, you must be careful because falling with a heavy load downhill makes for a couple of opportunities. You make great time down the hill as you tumble head over heels through the brush, rocks, and cactus. You also get to test the resolve of your buddies as they decide whether to pack out the meat or you. C.S Lewis wrote in "The Screwtape Letters", "The road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6 Allen From WYATT at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 12 00:24:49 2006 From: WYATT at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Sep 12 00:23:31 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stay Sharp Message-ID: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 Having good fellowship with other men is hard work. It takes effort to build relationships. You have to be invested to make them work. The more transparent you are with your brothers, the stronger the bond you will make. The stronger the bond you have, the more they can help you when you're hurt. There will be times of disappointment and frustration, but it's all worth it. When we do it right, we keep each other sharp. We're ready to stand in the gap and fight for God. We build a band of trusted brothers that we're ready to be shoulder-to-shoulder with when the storms come. It's easier to resist the onslaught of the enemy when you have your brothers alongside you. So many men prefer being the Lone Ranger. The love the idea of standing on the hill alone and fighting off an entire army. The like the idea of being the mysterious drifter who can hide the parts of his life that are ugly and look like the perfect hero when he swoops in at the right moment and then rides off into the sunset. Guess what? That first scenario is happening for real in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places right now. That second one only happens in the movies and to the rare person who earns a Medal of Honor. It's a very unlikely scenario for you and me. Let's model the one Jesus modeled and God teaches. You know what happens when we let the other guys go on without us? You know what happens when we stop getting sharpened? David was a man after God's own heart, but he made this decision: "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem." 2 Samuel 11:1 David sent his brothers, his trusted generals and his brave warriors, off to the fight and chose to stay home. Then he lost his edge. He got dull. When men get dull, they get thickheaded and make terrible decisions. David made the decision to sleep with the wife of a man he had just sent off to war. Then he made things worse by trying to cover it up. When that didn't work, he just had her husband killed. In the end, it was a series of really bad decisions that were tragic all around. We're no good all alone. We lose our edge and we lose our brothers. Don't stay home from war and don't be without brothers. Keep sharpening yourself with other men. Stay in the fight. You need your brothers and your brothers need you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 13 00:15:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 13 00:13:50 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Even The Wise Man Message-ID: I've been talking about the need to surround yourself with fellow warriors. In any great endeavor, men need other men they can trust and depend upon. I submit that being Godly men in this world with holy marriages and relationships and raising strong children is about as big as it gets. It's not something to take lightly or do without much thought. I was reminded that you are never as prepared as you think you are. "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15 You have to catch the subtlety here, but notice that it describes a wise man as considering a foolish path. We can be very studious and quite wise and still make bad decisions. Because it's impossible to step outside of yourself, it's very difficult to make an objective judgement about your own decisions. With trusted Christian brothers alongside you, you have someone to ask advice. You have someone whose advice you actually value. And you need this going now, so it's ready when the time comes. You can't come to the fork in the spiritual road and then decide to build relationships. You need to be planning ahead. I guarantee you that trouble will come. The question is whether you'll be ready for it. Will you have the brothers around you to advise you on whether to take the "way of the fool"? Or will you continue on with your own judgement and figure you'll never be wrong? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 13 23:30:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 13 23:28:48 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Previews Message-ID: I like good movies. There's a subjective statement if ever there was one. To me, good means action and an ending where the good guy redeems himself. Of course, the hero must be good looking, sensitive, and in touch with the feelings of his love interest. (This last bit was in case you want to share this with your wife or girlfriend). What usually gets me to want to see a movie is what most of you guys call the preview, but what kids of my generation called the teaser. There is one coming out called "Flyboys". It's about early air to air combat. I figure with all of the technology the younger generation has developed, it ought be a real nail-biter. Previews of things to come do get our attention. Anything having to do with looking into the future captures our imagination. "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty." Revelation 19:13-15 As my old theater professor said, "Mandatory attendance required in the audience or in the cast." Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 15 00:21:34 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Sep 15 00:20:16 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Catch Message-ID: I almost feel bad telling this next story because it's so good and my father tells it better. But it makes my point, so here it is: When I was about twelve, we took a family trip to Orlando. My father, wanting to make the most of our trip budget, found a deal. He found a place that was offering free park passes to Disneyworld and the brand new EPCOT Center. The catch was that you had to sit through a pitch for timeshare properties. I remember the event clearly because they promised the families coming in a free breakfast. They handed us each a styrofoam container with some eggs and pancakes that looked like they'd been made three days ago and frozen in the meantime. I was unimpressed. My sister and I sat in front of a little TV and tried to entertain ourselves while these hucksters tried to convince my parents to by a timeshare condo. After being there for what seemed like forever to me, we finally left with tickets in hand. We went on to have a great time at the parks and a very memorable trip. Years later, Dad told me that Mom had shortened their conversation during the sales pitch considerably. When the salesmen finally asked them about whether they thought they were interested, Mom simply looked them in the eye and said, "Actually, we're seriously considering becoming missionaries." The salesman was mute. He didn't have a witty comeback for that excuse, so they sent them on their way. She had found the perfect exit. I tell you all that as a great example of the fact that there always seems to be a catch. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I came across a great promise of God that has a tricky catch: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:5-8 Oh, great deal! If I need more wisdom, I can just ask. Cool! The catch is that I can't doubt that He'll give it. Rats! I seem to have lots of doubts at times. That makes this a tougher request. You have to ask with complete belief that He'll grant you the wisdom you need. You know why that's an easy promise for Him? Because real wisdom is simply getting to know Him better. That's what He wants from each of us anyway. Listen carefully to what the verse says about those who doubt, though. It says those folks are double-minded. They aren't sure of what they believe and what they can depend on. Even worse, those folks are unstable in all they do! Don't kid yourself into playing both sides of the fence. Don't choose to call out to God when you have nowhere else to go and then lean on the world when it's not quite so bad. He wants that relationship with you, but it's an all or nothing choice. There's a catch to this deal, but I wouldn't try to avoid it. It's good for you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 15 23:04:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Sep 15 23:03:42 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Ultimate Comfort Message-ID: <40A9CEAE-E30A-4EB7-A88F-3E74350ED977@clanwebb.com> I just received word that a friend is going through some very tough times in his personal life. His pain has been compounded by the sudden death of his wife. When these times come upon folks and their loved ones, our words do very little as we are not in their shoes. We are not fighting their battles. Prayer becomes our only avenue to do for them what we wish we could. To be sure, we can offer our time and resources, but we, in no way, can replace the loss. Once again, God has put in place His plan that man should not ever believe he has the capacity for love and comfort that can approach the depth God has for His children and the cost that was paid. We can only remind ourselves and one another that we are nothing without Him. Please pray for this man. "This is my comfort in my affliction, That your word has revived me." Psalm 119:50 Only the Godhead understands completely. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Sep 17 00:10:15 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun Sep 17 00:09:10 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Nothing New Message-ID: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 The older I get, the more I see the truth in this verse. Things that seem new really aren't, they are old rules and plans applied to new situations or with new tools. The thought processes of humans have not changed much. I got a kick out of recognizing a few rehashes as I read Proverbs 13 the other day: "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." Proverbs 13:11 This reminds me of, "A penny saved is a penny earned." "Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly." Proverbs 13:16 Sounds like the same sentiment of, "Look before you leap." "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20 This one made me think of, "If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas." Man can rearrange, rehash, and regurgitate. Man cannot truly create something new that God hasn't already thought of. Sometimes it's good to remember your place in the universe. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 18 00:08:55 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Sep 18 00:07:36 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be An Example Message-ID: <00B0E224-8B8F-4FA2-9588-282E3E439F3A@clanwebb.com> I remember my father joking with me saying, "Well, if all else fails, I can always serve as a bad example." Unfortunately, the world is filled with more than enough of those. As I watch the church I attend grow and attract more believers, I seem to be especially tuned to observing the men who come. I've come to realize two things: First, men have a terrible time leading a good life without good examples to model themselves after. Second, I'm lucky to have a pretty good example for a father. The truth is that there seems to be a whole generation of young men coming of age now that have either had poor role-models or none at all. They come to our church craving the attention of someone who can help point the way. Our society tells them to find their own way because all ways are equal. Scripture says different: "Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:6-8 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 Because they are men, though, they need to be taught this by example. You can't write the directions down. They have to see it in action to believe that it's worth doing. Who does the teaching? Those of us who are saved. Those of us who have already been down the road they are traveling. Those of us who have already had the painful learning experience and can help them skip to the part where God forgives and the lesson is learned. I think that qualifies us all. It's not hard. Teach them to do the same thing you know you should do when the road gets rough: Read the Word and talk to Jesus. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 19 00:17:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Sep 19 00:16:41 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Not Any Message-ID: <883A621A-F260-4BCC-84AC-37557417C2A4@clanwebb.com> One of the guys in my men's group often mentions how tough it can be to follow God's direction when it includes words like "always" or "never". It would be so much easier to obey if it were "frequently" or "rarely". As with all truth, though, there is no in between. There is black and white. God is not the God of gray. I came across another example of this today: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 Huh. Not any unwholesome talk, eh? That's tough. When I was first saved, I understood that this was probably about swearing and crude speech. Now, I realize that it's also about gossip, insults, and rudeness. I know now that it includes not denigrating extended family and friends over the dinner table. You want to know how bad you sound when you talk like that? Do it in front of your children. You're sure to hear it again within a day or two. With any luck, it'll be around the very folks you were talking about. Still, with my flesh raging with selfish emotions, it's hard to watch my tongue all the time. But, God gives us a reason here: To benefit those who listen. My wife listens. My son listens. My coworkers listen. My men's group listens. However, even when I'm alone, I'm listening. When I say unwholesome things even to myself, I'm contributing to my own corruption. So, there is no exception to this rule. You must make the effort to benefit those listening. Your speech will not have a neutral effect on anyone. It will either benefit or harm each listener. You must control your speech for your sake and the sake of those around you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 20 00:29:35 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 20 00:28:16 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Head For the Tower Message-ID: Today was not the day I expected. When I got to work, my schedule was as close to empty as it gets anymore. Then after reading my email and talking with some of my staff, I had to plan several meetings. By the end of the day, I had attended enough meetings that there was never a break longer than 30 minutes throughout the day. I've had those days where I never actually see my desk. I just go from meeting to meeting until it's time to go home. This was a little worse though, because I wasn't at all prepared for it. I came home ragged and felt like I had reached an oasis when I walked in the door. It was just a relief to be home and be able to relax. This is exactly how the enemy attacks. He doesn't line up on the battlefield where you expect him. He sneaks around the back. He waits in ambush. He likes to surprise. If you aren't prepared, he has a better chance of knocking you off balance. When he does, we must beware of falling for it. We have to regroup and prepare a defense against the new attack. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10 We must regroup with the Lord. Then, when we face the foe, we will be able to resist. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 So, don't let yourself be taken down. Grab your shield and sword and run for the strong tower. We'll make our stand there. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Wed Sep 20 22:16:53 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 20 22:15:34 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Showdown Message-ID: In every great heroic story there is always a showdown. That's where the bad guy and the good guy face off. They both know that only one can win and they are both there to to give it their best shot. In my mind, one of the great all-time showdowns was when Jesus and Satan faced off in the desert. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1 After fasting (as in, not eating) for six weeks, Jesus meets the opposition and, make no mistake, He knows this guy. "He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" " Luke 10:18 In His weakened state, Jesus resists everything Satan can come up with. He uses His knowledge of Scripture to refute every offer. "Then the devil left him, and the angles came and attended him." Matthew 4:11 It wasn't a battle of armies, technology, and strategy. It was a battle between good and evil. This battle is won in the heart. If, as men, we can hold up this showdown as an example, then the temptations we face don't become a battle of will, but of truth over lies. We don't have to gut it out, but lay it at the feet of Jesus with the use of knowledge of Scripture. Satan tempts us and we must remind him that we know about the showdown in the desert. We must remind him that we know he lost. "As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." " Romans 9:33 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 22 00:20:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Sep 22 00:19:02 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Forget Message-ID: <22055471-FB2D-48C3-9942-2F22F3542BBC@clanwebb.com> Do you ever go somewhere and forget why you went? Sometimes it happens when I walk into the kitchen. Other times, when I walk to the den. Now, though, it'll happen when I drive to the store. Usually, I have to turn around and start over to jog my memory. What's worse is when I'll drive to the store, buy several items, and come home only to have my wife point out that I didn't buy the one thing I went for. I figure it's bad enough when you forget the goal. It's even worse when you don't even notice that you've forgotten it. I think we can easily do that with life. We can be cruising along, involved with church, our children, our friends, our hobbies. Then, pretty soon, our time is full up and we've forgotten the whole point of life. We've forgotten that Christ should have first priority. We've filled up on the little stuff and forgotten that the Bread of Life was the main course. And worse, we probably don't even notice that we've forgotten. Just like forgetting your shopping list as you get older, we can get spiritually lazy and forget our goals. There's one way I try to fight that tendency. I'm forging a habit to praise Him every morning for everything in my life that I can think of. It puts me in the right frame of mind for the day. It gets me to the same place Peter was when he wrote this: "Praise be to the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5 Yeah! Peter got it. Peter remembered the goal. Don't you forget it, either. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 23 00:32:24 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Sep 23 00:34:08 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] You Know It's Right Message-ID: We have fallen to the "oh well" factor in this world. It manifests itself in the laws we pass. Judges find themselves having no leeway in a rule. Evidence that is obviously pertinent to getting at the truth is often stifled because the rule doors are locked. We can't hear what we need to hear because there might be a time when some juror might draw the wrong conclusions because of something they hear. Man has an infinite capacity to misconstrue the obvious, so we must limit his intake? Oh well, a guilty person might go free, but the system has guarded against the time when an innocent person might be convicted because of the appearance of impropriety. What is lacking, of course, are personalities that are developed to be truly judgmental. What we lack is the ability to look at the obvious and say, "That is wrong." Democracy goes too far as we protect the man-given right over what is obviously wrong. "I don't agree with what he is doing, but I will defend to the death his right to do it." Good grief! If it's wrong, it's wrong! A society doesn't progress because it allows its citizens to do what is obviously wrong over and over just because we ordained that there is a right for them to do it. How does the restriction of child porn really affect anyone's rights? How does discipline in the schools affect anyone's rights? How does holding the media responsible for what they air and print affect anyone's rights? When the spirit reacts and the heart says it is right or wrong, why do we stifle the obvious? We have progressed to this point because we are basically selfish, self-centered, undisciplined, sinful, pond scum creatures. What a joke to think man has the answer to anything. We don't want answers. We just want. "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." Psalm 19:9 Why do we deny what is stamped on our hearts? Allen From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 23 22:40:06 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Sep 23 22:38:48 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have the Answer Ready Message-ID: <6EB978A2-3F9F-4229-9CE2-30CC09C00E11@CLANWEBB.COM> So, right out of the blue, someone asks you, "What does a Christian believe?" 1. There is a God and He is a triune God. Three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. Man is a physical being and was created by God. Therefore, man is not God. 3. The Bible is the the infallible and inspired Word of God. 4. Man messed up big time and, through his actions, severed his perfect relationship with God. 5. God, and only God, can fix the relationship and He did it through Jesus Christ. 6. The universal Church is God's ordained institution and Jesus is the head. Much more can be said about each statement, but get this down: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 25 01:28:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon Sep 25 01:27:02 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Living In Plastic Message-ID: <3C8A0E21-25CE-40D4-AAAE-0C2BBC67802B@clanwebb.com> Like many a young boy, at one time in my life I was the proud owner of a hamster. I wanted to go nuts with the hamster habitat, but I couldn't afford it. My hamster had a two bedroom habitat with a loft (two living spaces side by side with a small room attached vertically). These were all conveniently connected with yellow plastic tubing so he could get around. I also had one of those balls he could run around in. That led to an interesting incident with the cat, but that's another story. I was fascinated with the fact that I could watch this little critter's entire life. I could see where he ate and slept and everything else (I had to clean the "everything else" out frequently). I really got a kick out of the fact that he would hoard things in one of the rooms of his habitat. He'd take food or pieces of cardboard or other things I would have put in his box from one room to another. He'd even try to hide it under the cedar shavings. This struck me as funny, because he wasn't hiding from anyone. I could clearly see what he was doing. It just seemed odd that he was spending so much effort to hoard and hide things that I could easily see and I could have just as easily taken away. And yet, he continued on. I'd like to think my brain is slightly bigger than my former pet, but I have to wonder. How easy is it for us to think we can scurry away and hide something from God? How tempting is it to believe that if we hoard a little bit for ourselves that He won't notice? How often do we think that if make a little stash for ourselves, that we can depend on it? This is not a new affliction: "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?" Isaiah 29:15-16 The questions posed are just as silly as the idea that my hamster could deny my existence or claim that his home was created by random chance. And yet, we continue on. We'd rather believe we can tuck something away from God. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the yes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 Don't miss that last part. Not only has He seen it all, but we'll have to give account for it. Remember that the next time you try to tuck something away. You might as well be living in a plastic box with God outside. There's nowhere to hide and nothing He doesn't know and nothing you can prevent Him from doing. It's easy. Remember who God is and remember that you're not Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 26 00:39:27 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue Sep 26 00:38:07 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Other Side of the Scale Message-ID: <1EEDAC16-56FB-4721-889D-CED72912E727@clanwebb.com> I don't know why this has never occurred to me before. Like so much of Scripture though, it always reveals itself to me in a different way than I expect. There's always a new angle or nugget every time I study. I've repeatedly learned the lesson that it is up to God to balance the scales of justice. I don't have enough perspective or knowledge to balance them correctly, so I shouldn't even try. He was pretty clear about it, too: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." Deuteronomy 32:35 On top of that, I've learned the lesson about loving your enemy and offering them food and drink. I know intellectually how this works, but I'm still getting my flesh to obey. The new lesson I began to learn today came from reading this verse: "For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31 It finally dawned on me that all of this talk about letting God mete out the justice has a flip side. What if I'm the guy who should be the recipient of that justice? What if I'm the one that someone else is resisting the urge to take vengeance upon? Like most things, I think about how God can help right the wrongs when I'm the victim. When I'm the transgressor, I'd rather think about His mercy and grace. Reading this verse in Hebrews has reminded me that those people that I so desperately want God to punish are people that He loves as much as He loves me. I'm also reminded that there's a good chance that someone out there is asking God to resolve a wrong that I've committed. That's a scary thought! I think I'm getting a better understanding of what it means to fear the Lord! That's justice I cannot escape, but I can be forgiven. Bottom line is this: Don't feel superior if you've succeeded in letting God balance the scales when you've been wronged. You still need to make sure you aren't the reason someone else is having to ask Him to do the same thing. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 27 00:24:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed Sep 27 00:23:06 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reality Message-ID: <1707BB45-4F12-45B1-8D53-44AFCBA5AD23@clanwebb.com> "Reality is what, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." I've seen this quote floating around the Internet without attribution. I love the implication, though. It's pointing out that there is an absolute. There is a reality that you cannot deny. I've written a corollary to this: "No matter how much you believe a fiction, it is not real." Put together, these two observations shoot down much of what the world would like us to believe. They seem to state the blindingly obvious, and yet if I try to use these statements logically to disassemble the world's morality, I guarantee I will draw a large crowd of critics. The world believes you can find your own truth and your own righteousness. As long as you are sincere, then you'll be okay. The world tells you not to believe in the God of the Bible. He's too rigid and demanding. The world tells you to invent your own god and follow it. I like the real God better: "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can the utter a sound with their throats. those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Psalm 115:3-8 I love the fact that even though my faith might waver and doubt might enter my mind, God doesn't go away. He's always there because He is real and alive. Even better, He loves me enough that He wants a relationship with me. Those that choose not to believe don't cause Him to exist any less. They're just missing out. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Sep 28 00:23:45 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu Sep 28 00:22:31 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Different Language Message-ID: I was a fan of the "Twilight Zone" TV show growing up. Of course, I watched reruns of the Rod Serling version, but I was a fan nonetheless. Over the years the networks have tried to revive the anthology series a few times. It's never lasted long because they haven't been able to capture the same simplicity of story with unexpected twists. I watched them all anyway. I still remember one of those more modern stories that has stuck with me because it challenged my confidence in my education and ability to discern things the world throws at me. The story was this: An average father and husband comes home from work one day to his family. As they are sitting around the dinner table, he has the weird experience of hearing his family use words out of place. For example, his wife asks, "How was your day at elephant?" His young daughter tells him that she's learned that, "A tree says 'moo'" When he asks them to repeat what they said, they all seem to think he's the one with hearing problems. As the evening goes on, it gets worse and worse as the words he hears make less and less sense. Eventually, he cannot even interpret what they are saying anymore. They're using english words he recognizes, but the sentences are nonsense. Finally, when his daughter goes to bed, he picks up her cardboard picture book with animals and their names. The picture of the pig says "baseball", the picture of the cow says "Wednesday", the picture of the chicken says "sleep". This is the twist. For some reason, he has completely forgotten what words mean even though he knows how to pronounce him. The creepy part is that you realize just how helpless he is without the ability to communicate. You also realize how long it will take him to relearn language. The idea that I suddenly couldn't understand language and the written word is scary. That's very isolating and would make me feel powerless. I also realize that it's not all that different an experience for those who don't know Jesus when they listen to those of us who do. We seem to be speaking a foreign language and they can't make the obvious connections. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14 When it comes to talking to the unsaved, you have to get out the little picture book and keep it simple. Having deep theological discussions is rather pointless because they aren't speaking the same language and they're hearing gibberish from you. Tell them about Jesus and what He's done for you. Just speak slowly and use small words. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 29 00:13:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri Sep 29 00:12:36 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Jesus Plus Message-ID: <1F57C236-E788-411A-BFE7-C3A8439C2B79@clanwebb.com> More than once in my life, I've been offered the opportunity to participate in groups that aren't compatible with my faith. On a few of those occasions, I've had to chuckle when the pitchman tells me, "Oh, this works just fine with Christianity. Look at all these Christians who have joined." I chuckle because I fail to see how showing me a list of people who have compromised their faith will convince me to compromise mine. The one offer I specifically remember was from a group called "The Forum" or "The Landmark Forum" about ten years ago. Some of you may know them better from their earlier incarnation as "est". If you don't know about them, do a little research. It's precisely the sort of thing that attracted young, educated professionals, like my peers, who had never heard the Gospel. The fellow pitching it to me kept pointing out other members who were "devout Christians" to prove that their methods did not conflict with my beliefs. I'm sorry, but Jesus made it clear to Paul that we don't need anything else: "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Furthermore, seeking out anything other than a relationship with Him, will only draw you away. You cannot strive for two goals in different directions at the same time. "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." Psalm 119:36-37 It's an either-or proposition. You can either go toward God and His word, or you can go toward selfish gain and worthless things. You simply cannot do both. Don't go looking for or be tricked by the promise of "Jesus Plus". All you need is Jesus. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 30 00:34:03 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat Sep 30 00:34:01 2006 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Recognition Message-ID: <5DFBA6FB-C878-4F79-95B5-D280B17C8D82@CLANWEBB.COM> We all seek recognition in some way. Some want the bright light kind, while others just want to be seen as who they are to others: a husband, a wife, a father, or a mother. Many people are crying out to just be recognized by those that are supposed to love them. Many children are starving for the recognition of their parents and it can be seen in their behavior. It is a very basic need in every human. One thing the lost have in common is that they lack recognition of God. But, for those that have come to that point, their lives are changed. Think about it: you can't un-recognize someone you have loved. "I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly." Jeremiah 24:7 What do you do in your life that someone might recognize as Christian? Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Sep 2 00:41:48 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 00:41:48 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Struggle Message-ID: <18494A06-58E0-4D8D-A95C-B0749FC6E919@clanwebb.com> I needed to get something straight in my mind. I was lamenting to myself about my struggle to become more like Jesus and to please Him more. From time to time, I weary of stumbling over the same old gopher holes that men seem to have trouble with in their lives. I reached a point where I just wanted to drop them all in the Lord's lap and say, "Here. You fix them. I'm a sinner and I can't." I struggled with what I perceived to be a slow response from Jesus. My struggle with Jesus became the focus. He and I were not on the same page, so I took my own advice and went to the Word. Novel idea, right? "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the powers, against the world force of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Ephesians 6:12 Let's try to reduce it logically: Jesus means no struggle. Satan means a big struggle. Makes a guy feel like a one-tooth goober in a Warner Brothers cartoon. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sat Sep 2 22:25:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 22:25:59 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Check the Code Message-ID: As a writer of software, I get a kick out of the way people anthropomorphize computers and computer programs. Some folks will are only half joking when they claim the computer just doesn't like them. Others will try to convince me that the computer "eats" their documents. Is it because it's been on all day and it's tired? Is it because I tried to do something strange and it got mad? My job while I was in college was to man the phones at the computer help desk on campus. I answered no end of calls where the person on the other end was insisting that the computer needed to be tamed or fed or exorcized. I know this is a result of human nature trying to make sense of something that isn't understood. We try to find behavior patterns and the ones we are most familiar with are human behaviors. That's why we tend to assume human traits in pets, machinery, and other non-human things. However, when you're in my position, it just seems funny. Even if I haven't written the software giving you problems, I know enough about how software works to understand how things go wrong. Things go wrong when the program in question has errors in the logic or bad assumptions about the world it lives in. I know that the problem is in the original code that was written. It hasn't developed a personality and chosen to rebel. Think about how that works in humans. We are often surprised by the behavior of all kinds of people. Strangers on the news, acquaintances at work or at church, and sometimes we are even surprised by our own behavior. It's hard to understand, so we start to apply patterns we've seen before. The truth is that the problem is the source code: the heart. If what is written on the heart has an error or a bad assumption, the person will make mistakes and get into trouble. That person may even veer wildly off course and crash terribly. We make errors like rationalizing sin or treating morality as relative. We make bad assumptions like thinking there is no God or thinking that a loving God wouldn't let me go to Hell. Or, my favorite, choosing to believe that God doesn't really have a problem with this one little thing I really like. It's about what's written on your heart: "The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip." Psalm 37:31 "I desire to do your will, O my god; your law is within my heart." Psalm 40:8 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11 When the behavior surprises you, check the code on your heart. Especially when it's you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 4 00:21:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 00:21:19 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Great Labor Message-ID: <76EFF4C6-E8F9-40B4-AA91-5C0C2E0FA1BF@clanwebb.com> So, Labor Day. An odd name in that we celebrate those who work by not working. We barbecue. We go fishing. We get ready for school. All this on a day that was started to celebrate labor unions. They like to talk about the great things they've done for this country and how so much success has come as a result of unionized labor. There's a whole political argument in there that I'll leave alone. Instead, I prefer to look at some more impressive labors: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1 "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." Hebrews 11:3 Okay, that's pretty big. Aside from the whole idea of scale in creating planets, solar systems, galaxies, and the entire universe, there's the point about creating something from nothing. I love to do woodwork. I like creating useful items out of a stack of wood. However, I don't create the wood. Nobody knows how to create anything from nothing. We always have to have raw materials. God doesn't. The coolest thing, though, is that that wasn't even the greatest labor He did. That came later: "For God so loved the world that the gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 This was the labor that provided us sinners a path to Heaven. We didn't work for it. We didn't earn it. It was a gift. The work done on the cross was the greatest labor of all. I think I'll celebrate that. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 5 00:10:49 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 00:10:49 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Keep On Learning Message-ID: What kind of memories do you have when you think about the first day of school? My wife is convinced I'm strange because I usually looked forward to it. I was excited about new classes, new teachers, and new things to learn. For some it is a traumatic memory. School meant embarrassment or fear or boredom. The first day of school was like the first day of prison. Part of the reason we chose to homeschool our son was to do our best to keep his interest in learning as lively as possible. He may not enjoy it as much as I'd like, but he learns well and is willing to give any subject a shot. We strive to make sure that his desire to learn is still there in adulthood. It's sad how many folks finish school and decide that they don't have to learn anymore. They want to be done learning and get on with life. I enjoy learning, so I tend to seek it out. Happily, I have a never-ending well of learning at hand every day. The Word is miraculous in that it teaches, but it never stops. There is always something else to learn: "O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth." Psalm 78:1 "I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching." Proverbs 4:2 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, [...]" Acts 2:42 Whether you're reading the Word or listening to those who can teach, you will always learn something new. God uses those avenues to speak to you. Because God is living and vibrant, He will always have something new to say. "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:16 There isn't much more to be said. So, regain your love for learning and start by learning about your relationship with Christ. You can find something new every day if you choose. What will you learn tomorrow? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 5 21:59:30 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2006 21:59:30 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Forgotten Message-ID: <2555E6FA-3582-4C72-85AC-1578973790A9@clanwebb.com> I have a distinct memory of an event that caused me to carry some guilt for several years. Once again, God has used this event to show me a parallel to His relationship with me. During my senior year in high school, I went out for the basketball team. I was starting from scratch as we had a new coach that year and my familiarity with the previous coach was of no help to me. I wasn't a lock by any means, so I knew I was going to have to work hard to make the team. I had convinced a friend of mine, who had been on the fence, to try out with me. Things were going pretty well for the first week. One day, we started a one on one defensive drill. One man would dribble the ball down the court changing hands and the other man would play close defense and try to stay in front of the dribbler as best he could. As I dribbled down the court with my friend defending me, I could see that another pair was coming back up the court. I was hoping they would miss us and pass by. As I switched hands again, I watched in shock as my friend backed hard into the defensive player from the other pair. He twisted his knee and I heard a pop as he hit the floor. He had no idea what was coming and I hadn't bothered to warn him. It turned out that he had to wear a knee brace for a few weeks and never made the team. I felt responsible for not preventing the collision and I just stopped going to the tryouts. He told me that it was no big deal, but I knew that he wanted to play on the varsity team as much as I did. At our ten year class reunion, I brought up the story to him and how bad I felt. He dismissed it with a big smile. He had just about forgotten the whole ordeal. I had been carrying guilt needlessly for many years. God brought this story back up for me to remind me of my relationship with Him. My sin caused Him injury, but He has never held it against me. In fact, when I accepted Him, he forgot my sins completely. The guilt of sin is something I don't need to carry. Once I confess it to Him, it is gone and forgotten. "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5 You don't need to carry guilt for your mistakes for years and years. Confess those to Him and they will be erased. "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 6 22:49:37 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 6 Sep 2006 22:49:37 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Look Up Message-ID: <2FA6E67B-4B6F-435B-815A-20F50C3C7D1D@clanwebb.com> When man seeks answers in the world, we always seem to look horizontally. That is, we look to one another. We do it in our everyday life. We scan the horizon for our answers and look to the world for remedies while professing a belief in God. If we really believe in God and His promise, we can't look to man for solutions. Man creates most of his problems and compounds them by trying to rely on other men to solve them. If you want answers and solutions, look to God, not man. This is very hard for men as we are hardwired to solve problems, fix things, and protect. Backing off and letting go is thought to be a sign of weakness. Our very nature tends to equate faith in something other than ourselves as some kind of failure. It can be a gut- wrenching feeling when we free fall into God's lap, but we have to do it if we are to know Him and understand His love. It has been said many times before, but until we get it right: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 It isn't God, Heaven, and the Lord Jesus that is the illusion. It's the world that's the illusion. It's all smoke and mirrors. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Sep 7 21:57:01 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2006 21:57:01 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Mind the Mines Message-ID: <05B1390F-B301-49B0-905B-721B312E2905@clanwebb.com> It helps to know where the mines are. Life can be turbulent enough with unexpected events, random emergencies, and so much out of your control. It would be silly for us to not take every opportunity to learn where the known problems are so we can avoid them. In other words, it's bad enough to be dodging artillery and machine gun fire as you assault the beach. It's even worse if you knowingly ignore the location of the minefields. If you had a map of those minefields, you'd do well to study it. God has done that for us. There are parts of life that are unpredictable and unexpected and there are areas that are easy to see coming. However, if you choose to ignore the map of the minefield that God has given you, you're going to get hurt. What's the map? The Word. "My son, keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life," Proverbs 6:20-23 That's powerful stuff. If you keep the commands and follow the teaching of the Word, it will actively guide, watch over, and speak to you. What kinds of mines are there to avoid? Well, the Proverbs mention adultery over and over. That's just one example, but one that hits home for us men. "keeping you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of the wayward wife. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon your very life." Proverbs 6:24-26 See? This is a big red sign with a slash through it. Beware! Danger! Do Not Enter! Nothing good can come from ignoring the mines. Read the map. Memorize the locations. Then you're ready to deal with the unknown with God's help. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 8 21:58:51 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 8 Sep 2006 21:58:51 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Grow Message-ID: <673032B3-CBF6-4239-9533-F71E1F72C655@clanwebb.com> I know many of you are carrying a full backpack: job, family, finances, and all the relationships that accompany these things. Sometimes, it seems just too much and other guys' lives look really good: no responsibilities and making enough to get by and have a little fun. It just seems that the odds are against ever having a good job with upward mobility, well-behaved children, a loving wife, money in the bank and a vacation once in a while. Guess what? It is simpler to be single, play the field, live with other guys, girls, or your parents and acquire the toys. The problem is that you were not made to live life in that way. The spirit will starve, longing for nourishment. It is not about having time off, retiring early, and kicking back. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24 You were made to labor and change. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'" John 3:7 Change and growth is not about stagnation. It is about sweat. "Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." Psalm 55:22 Give it over to Him. Trust Him. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Sep 10 00:25:16 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 00:25:16 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Passivity Message-ID: <98B4D7E2-84E0-4764-9FCD-5DB65AB1CCF6@clanwebb.com> Have you ever noticed how the world encourages passivity? Sure we want convenience. I'm glad there's a grocery store around the corner so I don't have to pick my own apples, milk a cow, and then slaughter a pig just for dinner. I have more time to spend with my family by just buying what I need in ten minutes and going home. But, society is really encouraging us to be passive. TV and movie producers want us to spend money so we can sit and watch for hours on end. It's the ultimate in passive entertainment. We're even told to be passive about taking responsibility. It's a victimhood society that shows us how to blame someone else when bad things happen. Even better, we're now taught to blame someone else when good things don't happen to us. So, the fact that nothing happens over a period of time can be someone else's fault. That's passive. Heck, we're even passive about sin. We feel like stealing money or killing a person is a "big" sin because it's active. Somehow it seems like it shouldn't be as bad if your eyes linger over a men's magazine or you don't return the extra change or if you just ignore your relationships for one more football game. It seems passive, so it doesn't seem as bad. The truth is, though, that these aren't passive activities. At some point during each of those seemingly passive events, you had to make an active decision to continue. It takes action to stop and it takes action to continue. You cannot avoid the choice. I like David's idea of actively avoiding sin: "I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." Psalm 101:3-7 Don't fall for the trap of being passive. It's a lie. Be active. Actively avoid sin and actively pursue Jesus Christ. It works every time. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 11 00:14:03 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:14:03 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Easy Path Message-ID: <0B294531-6C55-475F-A484-63FCE79371D4@clanwebb.com> During the many times I have been hunting, I have had hundreds of decisions to make about what trail to take. In the beginning, the choice was always easy because the trail I looked for was the easy one. My logic was that deer and elk could be found just as easy walking down an easy trail as they could be on the rough one. However, the outcome seemed to always be the same. The guys that hunted purposefully rather than just wandering around looking for the easy trail seemed to get the game. I usually ended up with nothing but a nice stroll to show for my effort. I did learn that the way to and from camp was easier or harder depending upon the condition of the trail. Anyone that has packed eighty or a hundred pounds of meat on a pack board will tell you that going downhill on a hard surface is much more difficult than a gentle slope upward. The best, of course, is soft earth so that each step is cushioned and there is a little give to the ground with each stride. Even then, you must be careful because falling with a heavy load downhill makes for a couple of opportunities. You make great time down the hill as you tumble head over heels through the brush, rocks, and cactus. You also get to test the resolve of your buddies as they decide whether to pack out the meat or you. C.S Lewis wrote in "The Screwtape Letters", "The road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6 Allen From WYATT at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 12 00:24:49 2006 From: WYATT at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:24:49 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Stay Sharp Message-ID: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 Having good fellowship with other men is hard work. It takes effort to build relationships. You have to be invested to make them work. The more transparent you are with your brothers, the stronger the bond you will make. The stronger the bond you have, the more they can help you when you're hurt. There will be times of disappointment and frustration, but it's all worth it. When we do it right, we keep each other sharp. We're ready to stand in the gap and fight for God. We build a band of trusted brothers that we're ready to be shoulder-to-shoulder with when the storms come. It's easier to resist the onslaught of the enemy when you have your brothers alongside you. So many men prefer being the Lone Ranger. The love the idea of standing on the hill alone and fighting off an entire army. The like the idea of being the mysterious drifter who can hide the parts of his life that are ugly and look like the perfect hero when he swoops in at the right moment and then rides off into the sunset. Guess what? That first scenario is happening for real in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places right now. That second one only happens in the movies and to the rare person who earns a Medal of Honor. It's a very unlikely scenario for you and me. Let's model the one Jesus modeled and God teaches. You know what happens when we let the other guys go on without us? You know what happens when we stop getting sharpened? David was a man after God's own heart, but he made this decision: "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem." 2 Samuel 11:1 David sent his brothers, his trusted generals and his brave warriors, off to the fight and chose to stay home. Then he lost his edge. He got dull. When men get dull, they get thickheaded and make terrible decisions. David made the decision to sleep with the wife of a man he had just sent off to war. Then he made things worse by trying to cover it up. When that didn't work, he just had her husband killed. In the end, it was a series of really bad decisions that were tragic all around. We're no good all alone. We lose our edge and we lose our brothers. Don't stay home from war and don't be without brothers. Keep sharpening yourself with other men. Stay in the fight. You need your brothers and your brothers need you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 13 00:15:07 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:15:07 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Even The Wise Man Message-ID: I've been talking about the need to surround yourself with fellow warriors. In any great endeavor, men need other men they can trust and depend upon. I submit that being Godly men in this world with holy marriages and relationships and raising strong children is about as big as it gets. It's not something to take lightly or do without much thought. I was reminded that you are never as prepared as you think you are. "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." Proverbs 12:15 You have to catch the subtlety here, but notice that it describes a wise man as considering a foolish path. We can be very studious and quite wise and still make bad decisions. Because it's impossible to step outside of yourself, it's very difficult to make an objective judgement about your own decisions. With trusted Christian brothers alongside you, you have someone to ask advice. You have someone whose advice you actually value. And you need this going now, so it's ready when the time comes. You can't come to the fork in the spiritual road and then decide to build relationships. You need to be planning ahead. I guarantee you that trouble will come. The question is whether you'll be ready for it. Will you have the brothers around you to advise you on whether to take the "way of the fool"? Or will you continue on with your own judgement and figure you'll never be wrong? Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 13 23:30:05 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 23:30:05 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Previews Message-ID: I like good movies. There's a subjective statement if ever there was one. To me, good means action and an ending where the good guy redeems himself. Of course, the hero must be good looking, sensitive, and in touch with the feelings of his love interest. (This last bit was in case you want to share this with your wife or girlfriend). What usually gets me to want to see a movie is what most of you guys call the preview, but what kids of my generation called the teaser. There is one coming out called "Flyboys". It's about early air to air combat. I figure with all of the technology the younger generation has developed, it ought be a real nail-biter. Previews of things to come do get our attention. Anything having to do with looking into the future captures our imagination. "He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty." Revelation 19:13-15 As my old theater professor said, "Mandatory attendance required in the audience or in the cast." Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 15 00:21:34 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 00:21:34 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Catch Message-ID: I almost feel bad telling this next story because it's so good and my father tells it better. But it makes my point, so here it is: When I was about twelve, we took a family trip to Orlando. My father, wanting to make the most of our trip budget, found a deal. He found a place that was offering free park passes to Disneyworld and the brand new EPCOT Center. The catch was that you had to sit through a pitch for timeshare properties. I remember the event clearly because they promised the families coming in a free breakfast. They handed us each a styrofoam container with some eggs and pancakes that looked like they'd been made three days ago and frozen in the meantime. I was unimpressed. My sister and I sat in front of a little TV and tried to entertain ourselves while these hucksters tried to convince my parents to by a timeshare condo. After being there for what seemed like forever to me, we finally left with tickets in hand. We went on to have a great time at the parks and a very memorable trip. Years later, Dad told me that Mom had shortened their conversation during the sales pitch considerably. When the salesmen finally asked them about whether they thought they were interested, Mom simply looked them in the eye and said, "Actually, we're seriously considering becoming missionaries." The salesman was mute. He didn't have a witty comeback for that excuse, so they sent them on their way. She had found the perfect exit. I tell you all that as a great example of the fact that there always seems to be a catch. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I came across a great promise of God that has a tricky catch: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." James 1:5-8 Oh, great deal! If I need more wisdom, I can just ask. Cool! The catch is that I can't doubt that He'll give it. Rats! I seem to have lots of doubts at times. That makes this a tougher request. You have to ask with complete belief that He'll grant you the wisdom you need. You know why that's an easy promise for Him? Because real wisdom is simply getting to know Him better. That's what He wants from each of us anyway. Listen carefully to what the verse says about those who doubt, though. It says those folks are double-minded. They aren't sure of what they believe and what they can depend on. Even worse, those folks are unstable in all they do! Don't kid yourself into playing both sides of the fence. Don't choose to call out to God when you have nowhere else to go and then lean on the world when it's not quite so bad. He wants that relationship with you, but it's an all or nothing choice. There's a catch to this deal, but I wouldn't try to avoid it. It's good for you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 15 23:04:19 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 23:04:19 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Ultimate Comfort Message-ID: <40A9CEAE-E30A-4EB7-A88F-3E74350ED977@clanwebb.com> I just received word that a friend is going through some very tough times in his personal life. His pain has been compounded by the sudden death of his wife. When these times come upon folks and their loved ones, our words do very little as we are not in their shoes. We are not fighting their battles. Prayer becomes our only avenue to do for them what we wish we could. To be sure, we can offer our time and resources, but we, in no way, can replace the loss. Once again, God has put in place His plan that man should not ever believe he has the capacity for love and comfort that can approach the depth God has for His children and the cost that was paid. We can only remind ourselves and one another that we are nothing without Him. Please pray for this man. "This is my comfort in my affliction, That your word has revived me." Psalm 119:50 Only the Godhead understands completely. Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Sun Sep 17 00:10:15 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sun, 17 Sep 2006 00:10:15 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Nothing New Message-ID: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9 The older I get, the more I see the truth in this verse. Things that seem new really aren't, they are old rules and plans applied to new situations or with new tools. The thought processes of humans have not changed much. I got a kick out of recognizing a few rehashes as I read Proverbs 13 the other day: "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." Proverbs 13:11 This reminds me of, "A penny saved is a penny earned." "Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, but a fool exposes his folly." Proverbs 13:16 Sounds like the same sentiment of, "Look before you leap." "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20 This one made me think of, "If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas." Man can rearrange, rehash, and regurgitate. Man cannot truly create something new that God hasn't already thought of. Sometimes it's good to remember your place in the universe. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 18 00:08:55 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 18 Sep 2006 00:08:55 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Be An Example Message-ID: <00B0E224-8B8F-4FA2-9588-282E3E439F3A@clanwebb.com> I remember my father joking with me saying, "Well, if all else fails, I can always serve as a bad example." Unfortunately, the world is filled with more than enough of those. As I watch the church I attend grow and attract more believers, I seem to be especially tuned to observing the men who come. I've come to realize two things: First, men have a terrible time leading a good life without good examples to model themselves after. Second, I'm lucky to have a pretty good example for a father. The truth is that there seems to be a whole generation of young men coming of age now that have either had poor role-models or none at all. They come to our church craving the attention of someone who can help point the way. Our society tells them to find their own way because all ways are equal. Scripture says different: "Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:6-8 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12 Because they are men, though, they need to be taught this by example. You can't write the directions down. They have to see it in action to believe that it's worth doing. Who does the teaching? Those of us who are saved. Those of us who have already been down the road they are traveling. Those of us who have already had the painful learning experience and can help them skip to the part where God forgives and the lesson is learned. I think that qualifies us all. It's not hard. Teach them to do the same thing you know you should do when the road gets rough: Read the Word and talk to Jesus. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 19 00:17:59 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:17:59 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Not Any Message-ID: <883A621A-F260-4BCC-84AC-37557417C2A4@clanwebb.com> One of the guys in my men's group often mentions how tough it can be to follow God's direction when it includes words like "always" or "never". It would be so much easier to obey if it were "frequently" or "rarely". As with all truth, though, there is no in between. There is black and white. God is not the God of gray. I came across another example of this today: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29 Huh. Not any unwholesome talk, eh? That's tough. When I was first saved, I understood that this was probably about swearing and crude speech. Now, I realize that it's also about gossip, insults, and rudeness. I know now that it includes not denigrating extended family and friends over the dinner table. You want to know how bad you sound when you talk like that? Do it in front of your children. You're sure to hear it again within a day or two. With any luck, it'll be around the very folks you were talking about. Still, with my flesh raging with selfish emotions, it's hard to watch my tongue all the time. But, God gives us a reason here: To benefit those who listen. My wife listens. My son listens. My coworkers listen. My men's group listens. However, even when I'm alone, I'm listening. When I say unwholesome things even to myself, I'm contributing to my own corruption. So, there is no exception to this rule. You must make the effort to benefit those listening. Your speech will not have a neutral effect on anyone. It will either benefit or harm each listener. You must control your speech for your sake and the sake of those around you. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 20 00:29:35 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 00:29:35 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Head For the Tower Message-ID: Today was not the day I expected. When I got to work, my schedule was as close to empty as it gets anymore. Then after reading my email and talking with some of my staff, I had to plan several meetings. By the end of the day, I had attended enough meetings that there was never a break longer than 30 minutes throughout the day. I've had those days where I never actually see my desk. I just go from meeting to meeting until it's time to go home. This was a little worse though, because I wasn't at all prepared for it. I came home ragged and felt like I had reached an oasis when I walked in the door. It was just a relief to be home and be able to relax. This is exactly how the enemy attacks. He doesn't line up on the battlefield where you expect him. He sneaks around the back. He waits in ambush. He likes to surprise. If you aren't prepared, he has a better chance of knocking you off balance. When he does, we must beware of falling for it. We have to regroup and prepare a defense against the new attack. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." Proverbs 18:10 We must regroup with the Lord. Then, when we face the foe, we will be able to resist. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7 So, don't let yourself be taken down. Grab your shield and sword and run for the strong tower. We'll make our stand there. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Wed Sep 20 22:16:53 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:16:53 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Showdown Message-ID: In every great heroic story there is always a showdown. That's where the bad guy and the good guy face off. They both know that only one can win and they are both there to to give it their best shot. In my mind, one of the great all-time showdowns was when Jesus and Satan faced off in the desert. "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." Matthew 4:1 After fasting (as in, not eating) for six weeks, Jesus meets the opposition and, make no mistake, He knows this guy. "He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" " Luke 10:18 In His weakened state, Jesus resists everything Satan can come up with. He uses His knowledge of Scripture to refute every offer. "Then the devil left him, and the angles came and attended him." Matthew 4:11 It wasn't a battle of armies, technology, and strategy. It was a battle between good and evil. This battle is won in the heart. If, as men, we can hold up this showdown as an example, then the temptations we face don't become a battle of will, but of truth over lies. We don't have to gut it out, but lay it at the feet of Jesus with the use of knowledge of Scripture. Satan tempts us and we must remind him that we know about the showdown in the desert. We must remind him that we know he lost. "As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." " Romans 9:33 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 22 00:20:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:20:17 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Don't Forget Message-ID: <22055471-FB2D-48C3-9942-2F22F3542BBC@clanwebb.com> Do you ever go somewhere and forget why you went? Sometimes it happens when I walk into the kitchen. Other times, when I walk to the den. Now, though, it'll happen when I drive to the store. Usually, I have to turn around and start over to jog my memory. What's worse is when I'll drive to the store, buy several items, and come home only to have my wife point out that I didn't buy the one thing I went for. I figure it's bad enough when you forget the goal. It's even worse when you don't even notice that you've forgotten it. I think we can easily do that with life. We can be cruising along, involved with church, our children, our friends, our hobbies. Then, pretty soon, our time is full up and we've forgotten the whole point of life. We've forgotten that Christ should have first priority. We've filled up on the little stuff and forgotten that the Bread of Life was the main course. And worse, we probably don't even notice that we've forgotten. Just like forgetting your shopping list as you get older, we can get spiritually lazy and forget our goals. There's one way I try to fight that tendency. I'm forging a habit to praise Him every morning for everything in my life that I can think of. It puts me in the right frame of mind for the day. It gets me to the same place Peter was when he wrote this: "Praise be to the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5 Yeah! Peter got it. Peter remembered the goal. Don't you forget it, either. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 23 00:32:24 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006 00:32:24 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] You Know It's Right Message-ID: We have fallen to the "oh well" factor in this world. It manifests itself in the laws we pass. Judges find themselves having no leeway in a rule. Evidence that is obviously pertinent to getting at the truth is often stifled because the rule doors are locked. We can't hear what we need to hear because there might be a time when some juror might draw the wrong conclusions because of something they hear. Man has an infinite capacity to misconstrue the obvious, so we must limit his intake? Oh well, a guilty person might go free, but the system has guarded against the time when an innocent person might be convicted because of the appearance of impropriety. What is lacking, of course, are personalities that are developed to be truly judgmental. What we lack is the ability to look at the obvious and say, "That is wrong." Democracy goes too far as we protect the man-given right over what is obviously wrong. "I don't agree with what he is doing, but I will defend to the death his right to do it." Good grief! If it's wrong, it's wrong! A society doesn't progress because it allows its citizens to do what is obviously wrong over and over just because we ordained that there is a right for them to do it. How does the restriction of child porn really affect anyone's rights? How does discipline in the schools affect anyone's rights? How does holding the media responsible for what they air and print affect anyone's rights? When the spirit reacts and the heart says it is right or wrong, why do we stifle the obvious? We have progressed to this point because we are basically selfish, self-centered, undisciplined, sinful, pond scum creatures. What a joke to think man has the answer to anything. We don't want answers. We just want. "The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous." Psalm 19:9 Why do we deny what is stamped on our hearts? Allen From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 23 22:40:06 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006 22:40:06 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Have the Answer Ready Message-ID: <6EB978A2-3F9F-4229-9CE2-30CC09C00E11@CLANWEBB.COM> So, right out of the blue, someone asks you, "What does a Christian believe?" 1. There is a God and He is a triune God. Three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 2. Man is a physical being and was created by God. Therefore, man is not God. 3. The Bible is the the infallible and inspired Word of God. 4. Man messed up big time and, through his actions, severed his perfect relationship with God. 5. God, and only God, can fix the relationship and He did it through Jesus Christ. 6. The universal Church is God's ordained institution and Jesus is the head. Much more can be said about each statement, but get this down: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15 Allen From wyatt at clanwebb.com Mon Sep 25 01:28:17 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 01:28:17 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Living In Plastic Message-ID: <3C8A0E21-25CE-40D4-AAAE-0C2BBC67802B@clanwebb.com> Like many a young boy, at one time in my life I was the proud owner of a hamster. I wanted to go nuts with the hamster habitat, but I couldn't afford it. My hamster had a two bedroom habitat with a loft (two living spaces side by side with a small room attached vertically). These were all conveniently connected with yellow plastic tubing so he could get around. I also had one of those balls he could run around in. That led to an interesting incident with the cat, but that's another story. I was fascinated with the fact that I could watch this little critter's entire life. I could see where he ate and slept and everything else (I had to clean the "everything else" out frequently). I really got a kick out of the fact that he would hoard things in one of the rooms of his habitat. He'd take food or pieces of cardboard or other things I would have put in his box from one room to another. He'd even try to hide it under the cedar shavings. This struck me as funny, because he wasn't hiding from anyone. I could clearly see what he was doing. It just seemed odd that he was spending so much effort to hoard and hide things that I could easily see and I could have just as easily taken away. And yet, he continued on. I'd like to think my brain is slightly bigger than my former pet, but I have to wonder. How easy is it for us to think we can scurry away and hide something from God? How tempting is it to believe that if we hoard a little bit for ourselves that He won't notice? How often do we think that if make a little stash for ourselves, that we can depend on it? This is not a new affliction: "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?" Isaiah 29:15-16 The questions posed are just as silly as the idea that my hamster could deny my existence or claim that his home was created by random chance. And yet, we continue on. We'd rather believe we can tuck something away from God. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the yes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13 Don't miss that last part. Not only has He seen it all, but we'll have to give account for it. Remember that the next time you try to tuck something away. You might as well be living in a plastic box with God outside. There's nowhere to hide and nothing He doesn't know and nothing you can prevent Him from doing. It's easy. Remember who God is and remember that you're not Him. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Tue Sep 26 00:39:27 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:39:27 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] The Other Side of the Scale Message-ID: <1EEDAC16-56FB-4721-889D-CED72912E727@clanwebb.com> I don't know why this has never occurred to me before. Like so much of Scripture though, it always reveals itself to me in a different way than I expect. There's always a new angle or nugget every time I study. I've repeatedly learned the lesson that it is up to God to balance the scales of justice. I don't have enough perspective or knowledge to balance them correctly, so I shouldn't even try. He was pretty clear about it, too: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them." Deuteronomy 32:35 On top of that, I've learned the lesson about loving your enemy and offering them food and drink. I know intellectually how this works, but I'm still getting my flesh to obey. The new lesson I began to learn today came from reading this verse: "For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31 It finally dawned on me that all of this talk about letting God mete out the justice has a flip side. What if I'm the guy who should be the recipient of that justice? What if I'm the one that someone else is resisting the urge to take vengeance upon? Like most things, I think about how God can help right the wrongs when I'm the victim. When I'm the transgressor, I'd rather think about His mercy and grace. Reading this verse in Hebrews has reminded me that those people that I so desperately want God to punish are people that He loves as much as He loves me. I'm also reminded that there's a good chance that someone out there is asking God to resolve a wrong that I've committed. That's a scary thought! I think I'm getting a better understanding of what it means to fear the Lord! That's justice I cannot escape, but I can be forgiven. Bottom line is this: Don't feel superior if you've succeeded in letting God balance the scales when you've been wronged. You still need to make sure you aren't the reason someone else is having to ask Him to do the same thing. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Wed Sep 27 00:24:26 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 00:24:26 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Reality Message-ID: <1707BB45-4F12-45B1-8D53-44AFCBA5AD23@clanwebb.com> "Reality is what, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." I've seen this quote floating around the Internet without attribution. I love the implication, though. It's pointing out that there is an absolute. There is a reality that you cannot deny. I've written a corollary to this: "No matter how much you believe a fiction, it is not real." Put together, these two observations shoot down much of what the world would like us to believe. They seem to state the blindingly obvious, and yet if I try to use these statements logically to disassemble the world's morality, I guarantee I will draw a large crowd of critics. The world believes you can find your own truth and your own righteousness. As long as you are sincere, then you'll be okay. The world tells you not to believe in the God of the Bible. He's too rigid and demanding. The world tells you to invent your own god and follow it. I like the real God better: "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but they cannot walk; nor can the utter a sound with their throats. those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them." Psalm 115:3-8 I love the fact that even though my faith might waver and doubt might enter my mind, God doesn't go away. He's always there because He is real and alive. Even better, He loves me enough that He wants a relationship with me. Those that choose not to believe don't cause Him to exist any less. They're just missing out. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Thu Sep 28 00:23:45 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:23:45 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Different Language Message-ID: I was a fan of the "Twilight Zone" TV show growing up. Of course, I watched reruns of the Rod Serling version, but I was a fan nonetheless. Over the years the networks have tried to revive the anthology series a few times. It's never lasted long because they haven't been able to capture the same simplicity of story with unexpected twists. I watched them all anyway. I still remember one of those more modern stories that has stuck with me because it challenged my confidence in my education and ability to discern things the world throws at me. The story was this: An average father and husband comes home from work one day to his family. As they are sitting around the dinner table, he has the weird experience of hearing his family use words out of place. For example, his wife asks, "How was your day at elephant?" His young daughter tells him that she's learned that, "A tree says 'moo'" When he asks them to repeat what they said, they all seem to think he's the one with hearing problems. As the evening goes on, it gets worse and worse as the words he hears make less and less sense. Eventually, he cannot even interpret what they are saying anymore. They're using english words he recognizes, but the sentences are nonsense. Finally, when his daughter goes to bed, he picks up her cardboard picture book with animals and their names. The picture of the pig says "baseball", the picture of the cow says "Wednesday", the picture of the chicken says "sleep". This is the twist. For some reason, he has completely forgotten what words mean even though he knows how to pronounce him. The creepy part is that you realize just how helpless he is without the ability to communicate. You also realize how long it will take him to relearn language. The idea that I suddenly couldn't understand language and the written word is scary. That's very isolating and would make me feel powerless. I also realize that it's not all that different an experience for those who don't know Jesus when they listen to those of us who do. We seem to be speaking a foreign language and they can't make the obvious connections. "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14 When it comes to talking to the unsaved, you have to get out the little picture book and keep it simple. Having deep theological discussions is rather pointless because they aren't speaking the same language and they're hearing gibberish from you. Tell them about Jesus and what He's done for you. Just speak slowly and use small words. Wyatt From wyatt at clanwebb.com Fri Sep 29 00:13:57 2006 From: wyatt at clanwebb.com (Wyatt Webb) Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:13:57 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Jesus Plus Message-ID: <1F57C236-E788-411A-BFE7-C3A8439C2B79@clanwebb.com> More than once in my life, I've been offered the opportunity to participate in groups that aren't compatible with my faith. On a few of those occasions, I've had to chuckle when the pitchman tells me, "Oh, this works just fine with Christianity. Look at all these Christians who have joined." I chuckle because I fail to see how showing me a list of people who have compromised their faith will convince me to compromise mine. The one offer I specifically remember was from a group called "The Forum" or "The Landmark Forum" about ten years ago. Some of you may know them better from their earlier incarnation as "est". If you don't know about them, do a little research. It's precisely the sort of thing that attracted young, educated professionals, like my peers, who had never heard the Gospel. The fellow pitching it to me kept pointing out other members who were "devout Christians" to prove that their methods did not conflict with my beliefs. I'm sorry, but Jesus made it clear to Paul that we don't need anything else: "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9 Furthermore, seeking out anything other than a relationship with Him, will only draw you away. You cannot strive for two goals in different directions at the same time. "Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." Psalm 119:36-37 It's an either-or proposition. You can either go toward God and His word, or you can go toward selfish gain and worthless things. You simply cannot do both. Don't go looking for or be tricked by the promise of "Jesus Plus". All you need is Jesus. Wyatt From WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM Sat Sep 30 00:34:03 2006 From: WYATT at CLANWEBB.COM (Wyatt Webb) Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2006 00:34:03 -0700 Subject: [Daily Push Up] Recognition Message-ID: <5DFBA6FB-C878-4F79-95B5-D280B17C8D82@CLANWEBB.COM> We all seek recognition in some way. Some want the bright light kind, while others just want to be seen as who they are to others: a husband, a wife, a father, or a mother. Many people are crying out to just be recognized by those that are supposed to love them. Many children are starving for the recognition of their parents and it can be seen in their behavior. It is a very basic need in every human. One thing the lost have in common is that they lack recognition of God. But, for those that have come to that point, their lives are changed. Think about it: you can't un-recognize someone you have loved. "I will give them hearts that will recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly." Jeremiah 24:7 What do you do in your life that someone might recognize as Christian? Allen