I wrote back in June that the St Louis Blues hockey team won their first Stanley Cup Championship after being worst in the league with nearly half a season gone. (They won only 15 of their first 37 games, 40.5%.) It’s deja vu all over again with the Washington Nationals winning their first World Series after starting the season winning only 19 of their first 50 games (38%). 

Proving, once again, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.

Moreover, the Nationals had to win five elimination games, counting the one-game wild-card playoff. In each of those games, they were behind at some point in the game, usually late in the game. 

It’s the first time in any sport that all the games in a 7-game series were won by the visiting team. 

As Winston Churchill said: 

Never give up.

As the Nationals’ sweatshirts read:

Finish the Fight

At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. (2 Corinthians 4.8, Passion Translation)

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4.7, ESV)

My son Mark is a nationally ranked stair climber. These are the people who run up skyscrapers. Mark is one of four men in the world to have run up the Seattle Space Needle in under five minutes and one of three to have done it twice. He has won the Mile High Stadium race in Denver five years in a row (in a stadium race, they run up and down).

One of the reasons Mark is doing so well is that he trains. He has a schedule and sticks to it. For example, at least once/week he runs the Manitou Incline, a grueling one mile up railroad ties with a 2,000-foot elevation gain. Yesterday was his day to run it, and it was 15 degrees and snowing. Hence this post on FaceBook:

Many people would have changed their training schedule on a day like that! I would have. What excuses do we make for not doing what we have planned to do, whether it’s a spiritual or physical discipline or creating a holy moment?

…train yourself to be godly (1 Timothy 4.7, NIV)

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4.17, NIV)

I’ve written about outrage before, and this part of Jesus’ arrest and trial reveals that outrage may always be lurking just below the surface.

Then, as an act of outrage, the high priest tore his robe and shouted, “No more witnesses are needed, for you’ve heard this grievous blasphemy.” Turning to the council he said, “Now, what is your verdict?” “He’s guilty and deserves the death penalty!” they all answered. Then they spat on his face and blindfolded him. Others struck him over and over with their fists and taunted him by saying, “Prophesy to us! Tell us which one of us is about to hit you next?” And the guards took him and beat him. (Mark 14.63 – 65, Passion Translation)

As I say, people seem to have outrage resting right below the surface. All they need is provocation, and it comes out. Believers are no exception, but we should be. Certainly, religious people of all stripes are no exception. 

Even if the religious leaders sincerely believed Jesus was blasphemous and deserved punishment or even execution, there’s no reason for the violence. They could have calmly taken him to the Romans for execution. They could have even whipped him under Jewish law, which had restraint built in. “Not more than 40 lashes so your brother won’t be degraded…” But this is uncontrolled violence, in violation of their own law.

The works of the sinful nature include “outbursts of anger.” 

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. (Galatians 5.19 – 21, NLT, emphasis mine)

Maybe that’s why the fruit of the Spirit (the opposite of the works of the sinful nature) includes self-control!

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5.22, 23, NLT, emphasis mine)

I’ve written about this once, but I’m struck anew with the simplicity of the gospel message as proclaimed by the first believers. The resurrection was all they had!

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 4.33, ESV)

I was stunned to recall a verse in the middle of the night, one I memorized when I was a kid. Does it really say that? Surely not. But I looked it up first thing the next morning, and it does. How did I miss it? Here’s the verse:

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10.9, ESV)

Confess that Jesus is Lord. That’s big. Caesar is not Lord. I’m not Lord. Jesus is Lord. So there’s a commitment there. A change of allegiance. But what do we believe? That God raised Jesus from the dead. That’s all.

This is the Paul that had just written in this same letter a long treatise on how the gospel works. Romans chapters 1 – 5 is a thorough explanation of justification by faith, apart from the deeds of the law. You’d think that to be saved, you’d have to understand and believe all that. Nope.

Then that same morning, I received an email addressed to Navigator staff asking us to recall the Thessalonians’ experience. Paul writes:

They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1.9, 10, NIV)

“Turned to God from idols” = Jesus is Lord – check. And wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – check. It’s the same as Romans 10.9.

I don’t yet know the implications of all this, but I suspect, as Andy Stanley argues in Irresistible, that we sometimes ask people to believe too much.

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you–unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15.1 – 4, NKJV)

We’ve just had our third October snow, and all three were preceded by bright sunny days, 65+ degrees. We make fun of ’em, but I’m thankful for the weather forecasters and their technology.

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5.18, NKJV)

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5.20, NKJV)

I heard a story Thursday while at the Faith and Work seminar in Denver. I didn’t catch all the details because I have a hearing deficit and even with hearing aids, the sound in the building wasn’t all that clear for me. But here’s what I picked up:

A guy had the same job in the same place for 43 years. When asked if he was passionate about his work, he replied, “I drove a Pepsi delivery truck! No, I wasn’t passionate about that, but the job provided well for me and my family.

Contrary to some current wisdom in the U.S. that people should only work at what they are passionate about, this is an ideal that’s not always possible. Some work needs to be done, and somebody needs to do it. Moreover, if this guy was a believer, and I presume he was because of the context in which the story was told, he had opportunity during those 43 years to serve his clients and co-workers in the name and spirit of Jesus. 

Some people are blessed to be able to find work that suits them and about which they are passionate. Bill Gates comes to mind! But most of us just get to be where we are, doing what we’re doing. I love what people like Bill Gates, his predecessors, and others like him built. It makes possible what I’m doing right now (writing this blog!). But I also admire the faithfulness of a guy who provides for his family by driving a Pepsi truck for 43 years. I know people whose stories I won’t tell here who refuse to work because they haven’t found “the right fit.” 

And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there…Friends, stay where you were called to be. God is there. Hold the high ground with him at your side. (1 Corinthians 7.17, 24, MSG)

Thursday I had a decision to make. Not an earth-shaking one, to be sure, but a decision, nonetheless. I had planned to go to Denver for an event featuring my friends Neil Hudson, from England and his U.S. representative Chris Lake, who lives in Boston. I don’t see them often. But we had 8 inches of snow at my house the night before!

It took me nearly two hours to clear my driveway, and by the time I was ready to go, it was 11a. The event ran only from 9 – 2, and I knew Neil would be last on the schedule, so I could get there before his talk and in time for lunch, which I assumed was noonish. But I was tired from shoveling. What to do? In the absence of clear direction, I opted for action over inaction!

I went, and I’m glad I did. I was able to connect with Neil and Chris, put a copy of my book The Disciple’s Work into the hands of the event organizer, Brian Gray of the Denver Institute for Faith and Work, and even touch base with a pastor friend who had moved from Monument to the Denver area.

Here’s my main takeaway: I was reminded of Neil’s definition of a disciple:

Disciples are learning to live the way of Jesus in their context at this moment.

Discipleship is not what we do in the classroom or small group. It’s how we live real life in the places God has put us, what Neil calls our “frontlines,” and the church should be equipping people with that mission in mind.

The host church was showing us what it does on its frontline. In contrast to the church I wrote about in late September which has a No Trespassing sign on its doors, this church, also located in an older part of Denver near three marijuana dispensaries and a liquor store, displays this sign.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5.13 – 16, NKJV)

I had just a quick lesson and illustration in living by faith. Tuesday I drove out to rural Bailey, Colorado, to do a math lecture at Platte Canyon High School. No sweat. I just plugged it into my phone’s GPS and away I went. I know where Bailey is, southwest out of Denver on US 285. Everything was fine until I realized I had passed Bailey, the GPS said I had 3 miles to go, and there was nothing.

Nothing to do but press on, at least as far as GPS said to go…and there it was, as advertised! Thank you, Lord!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3.5, 6, NKJV)

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30.21, NKJV)

Nothing has caused more division in the church than that which was supposed to bring us together. – A frustrated pastor reflecting on the difficulty of running a Communion service that suits everyone.

I was reading Mark 14 a few days ago and came upon the passage describing the first communion:

And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14.22 – 25, ESV)

I couldn’t enjoy reading it for thinking of all the ways different traditions celebrate it, and I said to myself, “My being distracted by worrying about all the traditions isn’t right!” And the Lord seemed to say to me:

Jesus’ death on the cross to take away your sin is more important than the way you choose to celebrate it.

I find that thought liberating! The point is not the ceremony, the ritual. The point is the reality the ritual represents. I shared my new discovery with a friend who is a Catholic priest. He agreed, drawing the analogy to a beautiful building, newly constructed, still with the scaffolding in place. And people are more interested in the scaffolding than the building!

Reflecting on the “caused more division” quote I started this blog with, the priest said, “What causes the division and the barriers between people is a focus on the idea that my way is right, and yours is wrong.”

Here’s the reality:

Who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness. (1 Peter 2.24, NKJV)

Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that He might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3.18, NKJV)

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Ephesians 1.7, NKJV)

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15.3, 4, NKJV)

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. (1 Corinthians 11.26, NKJV)

Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing–a well-known quotation in sports attributed to UCLA Bruins football coach Red Sanders back in 1950, often quoted by legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi.

I’m not a Yankees fan, having a father who once pitched in the New York Giants farm system, so we were National League fans back in the simpler days when there were only eight teams in each league. The league winners played in the World Series, which was over in early October. Now there are 15 teams in each league, and to get to the World Series, you have to make the playoffs and then win two playoff series. The World Series starts in late October. The Yankees came up a bit short this year, losing their second playoff series to the Astros in six games.

The Yankees now consider this season “a failure” because they didn’t win the World Series. And it’s the first calendar decade ever that the Yankees didn’t even appear in the World Series.

It’s the “failure” assessment that bothers me. What’s the balance between a strong desire to win and seeing the season as a failure if you don’t? It’s like Alabama’s reaction to Clemson’s winning the national championship after the 2016 season. “Clemson took something away from us.” No, it wasn’t yours to begin with. 

In life, have Bill and Melinda Gates failed if they haven’t eradicated polio or provided sanitation for all? Or is it OK to make progress? There’s the well-known starfish story where the kid is on the beach where thousands of starfish have been stranded. He’s picking up starfish and throwing them into the ocean when someone comes by and says, “What are you doing? You can’t save all those starfish! You can’t make a real difference! In response, the kid picks up another starfish, throws it into the ocean and says, “I made a difference for that one!”

Jesus chose 12 and lost 1. Here we are 2000 years later, and the world is still not completely reconciled to him. But it will be someday, and maybe in the meantime, all victories are partial. After all, when a team wins the championship, the first thing they talk about is doing it again next year. So for some people and teams, winning is never enough. And there’s only one contest worth winning anyway!

You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally. I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself. (1 Corinthians 9.24 – 27, MSG)

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3.13, 14, NIV)

At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. (Hebrews 2.9, ESV)