Well once I figured out how to aim with a blowgun, I quickly began to have fun. It started as shooting pop cans from across the room.  However, that soon got boring, so instead I started shooting Ryan in the face. That was a lot of fun. In fact, it is still fun, so if any of you guys have Nerf guns, I highly recommend Ryan’s face as a target option.

However, I think my blowgun skill have moved to the point where I am ready to hunt leopards in the amazon with poison-tipped darts. I can feel it. The time has come. So if you want to go leopard hunting with me, buy a Nerf blowgun and practice. That is my Random Thought for today.

The problem is that many of us pretty much pray this prayer to God all the time. How often do we as Christians fall on our knees to plead to God for more grace?  For more strength? For more forgiveness? We don’t need to ask these things from God. He has already given us what we need. When we are baptized into Christ, we get everything that we need. We receive forgiveness and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Often when we sin and fall short, in our guilt and shame we plead for God to be merciful on us and forgive us and give us more grace.  He already has…2 Corinthians 12:9 “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.” Christ’s death is enough for us. In 1 Peter 3:18, it says that “Christ died for sin once for all….” One time, was enough for all sins; every sin you ever commit is covered by the blood of the death of the cross.

We don’t have to walk around miserable and defeated when we sin because we know that our sin is forgiven. Already, we don’t need more. I will however caution you. Paul writes about this to the Romans in 6:1-2, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” We should never sin just for the sake of gaining more grace.  Being forgiven will NOT justify living in sin. But it doesn’t mean we have to live in constant fear of not being forgiven either.  We have the good life already because we are forgiven.

But WAIT… there were two more??? I thought it was the Three. Well, yes, these two were never actually included in the Three. Bummer, right? Well, the story goes on to say that even though they were never really included in the group, they were potentially more famous than the other three. These two were named Abishai and Benaiah.  So what happened to these guys?

Well, Abishai, even though he never was a part of their group became their commander. Yep, he was put in charge of them. And Benaiah was personally chosen by David himself to lead his bodyguard. Hmm…I guess sometimes it pays to not be a part of the group.

A lot of times we get in our minds that a certain group is exactly where we want to be. Maybe they are the cool kids, or the they get the special treatment from teachers. But this story shows us exactly what can happen when we aren’t a part of the group… Amazing things. They could have changed to be a part of the Three, or been bitter that they weren’t, but instead they continued to do what they were called to do, and so they were rewarded because of it.

We are called to live for Christ. If that means that we won’t necessarily get to be a part of a group, oh well, because God can do amazing things where you are.

It says all there is to know about leadership. Well, I suppose not ALL there is to know, but it tells us exactly where we need to start. V. 3b-4 reads “‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when one rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.”

I believe this brings out 3 very key points about leadership. The first is that leadership should be based on GOD. As David said, it is those who lead in righteousness and the fear of God that are effective. God gives us the Bible for principles of love and compassion and forgiveness. A lot of us will find ourselves in positions of leadership at some point in our lives. Maybe we are already there, but if we rule with an iron fist, we will be far less effective than if we rule justly and righteously.

The 2nd principle we find here is that Godly leaders will actually LEAD. It is often said that if you are a leader and no one is following you then you aren’t really a leader. This is true. David says here, that a Godly leader will be “like the light of morning at sunrise.”  A leader is a light.  A light helps others see things. A Godly leader will actually make things clear. They have a clear vision, and will clearly light the way to accomplish that vision.

The 3rd thing this points out is this: A Godly leader produces fruit. David says here that like the sun after the rain, we will bring forth grass. A Godly leader will inevitably insight growth. Leading on God’s principles and with the Fear of Him, is enough. True, it is ultimately on God to cause spiritual growth, but I believe it is on the Spiritual leaders to be the tools for God to use.

So I am quite certain that by now almost all of you have heard of the shocking loss of the statue of Jesus on Interstate 75.  This is quite a loss for everyone wanting to make a joke in Cincinnati because now we have one less thing to poke fun at. However, there are a lot of simple truths that “Touchdown Jesus” will teach us and even in death can teach us still. Let’s take a look at some now.

The first I would like to share is this. DO NOT make the name of Jesus Christ laughable! Essentially, this statue merely served as a reminder to non-Christians all over the Cincinnati area that Jesus is a scary lake dwelling monster and might potentially make his way into Cincinnati to destroy buildings and such.  I have yet, in the 6 years of its life, heard anyone speak of it in a serious, no joking manner.  As Christians, we are called to spread the Gospel, not make it a laughingstock.

The second thing I would like to point out is that as Christians, we should not spend $700,000 on a ginormous styrofoam statue, even if it is of Jesus. “Where your heart is, there your treasure will be also.”  And I suppose there is something to be said that their heart is on Christ. However, I do not believe that Jesus would have been ok with wasting $700,000 on a giant, ugly statue. I am all for spending money to glorify the Lord, and to honor Him, and to show others the wonderful love of Jesus our savior.  However, this statue was not the way to do it. I mean, what are people seeing this supposed to think. It had NO message whatsoever. I mean what screams “repent” or “forgiveness” or “love” like a 6 story statue of Jesus with his arms raised like he is airing himself out.

Now please do not think I am saying that I do not want to honor Jesus. On the contrary, I want to honor Jesus and God in all that I do. However, I think that all this statue is accomplishing is taking glory away from God and putting it on man. If I can rock the KJV for a second, Ex 20:4a “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image” Not saying that this was an idol, but it sure had a following.

God does not condone sin for “the greater good.”  Its that simple. For an example of this, lets take a look in 2 Samuel 1. A young man is coming to tell David that Saul has died. Even though Saul fell on his sword, he called this young man over to finish him so that he would not suffer. Seems noble right? WRONG!! This is how David responds: 2Sa 1:14 David asked him, “Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD’s anointed?” 15 Then David called one of his men and said, “Go, strike him down!” So he struck him down, and he died. It would appear that David didn’t appreciate justifying a sin, even if his ultimate goal was accomplished. David was hunted by Saul, but he didn’t want him to be murdered for that to end. He was waiting on God to redeem him.

Then a little bit later in the book, David does the same thing to two men who murdered David’s enemy in his sleep. This is what David had to say to them: 2Sa 4:9 David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble, 10 when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more– when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed– should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!” 12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron.

So when God says don’t steal, He means it. It isn’t “don’t steal … UNLESS” Sin is sin, no matter your reasons for doing it.

Now clearly there is a difference between hugs and invasion of the personal bubble. I am not saying that there are never times when that breach is acceptable, but strangers are not allowed in that little area. It goes about 2 feet around me in any given direction. That is where I ask strangers to stay.

Also, please stop hovering.  Even if you aren’t doing it on purpose, sometimes I feel like you are spending far too much time in any given area around me.  I don’t know why, but you are sending the wrong message and it is a creepy one.  I have no problem with a person introducing themselves, that is great, but stop hanging around awkwardly.

Now I don’t want anyone to get the wrong impression. I love meeting new people and getting to know them, but I can’t say that I really want people hanging inches over my back until the “getting to know them” occurs.

Thank you for hearing me world. This is all.

And I would say that for the most part the US as a whole is in this same boat. Now I have seen personally areas in the US that this isn’t the case, but overall, it is. I am even going to assume that all of you are in the same boat as me. For all I know, you might be reading this while eating Cheetos and sipping on a Coke.  Many of us look to God and thank Him for what we have.

However, this is a very dangerous place to be. Deuteronomy is pretty much Moses final words in monologue form. Honestly, when I die, I want my final words to be like Moses’, an epic speech of ever important thing I know… seems like a good way to go out. That’s what I call going out swinging. So when you read it, you can assume that it is all good stuff and quite important. Well, one of the things that Moses talks about is a warning about being in the exact situation we find ourselves in. Deut. 8:11-14 reads like this, “11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied,14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.”

Basically, when we are blessed like we are, it can be very hard to remember the Lord and humble ourselves. However, it is very important that we do because He is the one that gave all this stuff to us. We didn’t earn it, despite what we might think. Don’t forget this because Proverbs 3:34 says that God “mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.”  If God gives grace to the humble and we are saved by grace, what does this say about being humble. Anyway, something to think about.