On Your Heart

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:6, ESV)

Semitic languages and customs are fascinating. The more we study the cultures of the Easter world, the more we come to find out that our perspectives on life are claustrophobically small. One of these areas is on our western understanding of “the heart”, especially in passages like Deuteronomy 6:6. A Western mind reads this verse and imagines God’s commands to be residing in the emotional seat of our psyche, but when Israelites meditated on the same passage and the word Hebrew lebab (rather than “heart” in English), their interpretation was of the intellectual seat of our psyche. The Hebrew word lebab refers to the part of the mind responsible for insight and critical judgement. When Moses gave The Law for the second time, he was not calling for the Israelites’ emotions to be affected by God’s commands. No, more fundamentally, Moses was commanding the peoples’ way of thinking to be under the weight of God’s law.

Let your light shine!

By What Standard?

There are many today who do not understand what a standard is. Webster defines a standard as: something established for use as a rule or basis of comparison in measuring quantity, quality, etc. This definition can easily be seen when one goes to a hardware store to by a three-foot piece of 2x4. The sales person would use a standard rule for measuring three feet and cut the 2x4 according to that rule of measurement. If he measured right, he cut the 2x4 36 inches. He used the standard of measurement that has been set. This is a real easy concept to grasp. Why is it, when it comes to religious matters today, some people will not use the standard set forth in the word of God? Think about this, there are people all over this world who claim to love God and want to serve Him, but they go out of their way to go against the Bible to do it. Notice some things that happen.

Many religious people sing praises unto God, but they do so with mechanical instruments. The standard set by God says to sing and sing only. Paul said, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Eph. 5:19). If the standard says sing, why, do they play and sing? This is against the standard. God said to sing.

How about the Lord’s Supper? We read of those in the first century partaking of the Lord’s supper on the first day of the week. One may ask which first day? The implication in the standard is these Christians engaged in partaking of it every first day (Acts 20:7). Why would anyone go against the standard?

By what standard do you do the things you do?

Offer Unto God Thanksgiving

When I was growing up, the Thanksgiving holiday was second only to Christmas. Our family would gather together for the traditional thanksgiving holiday meal, and we were able to spend time with one another that we did not normally take throughout the year. I do not believe, in all the years that we got together, did I ever stop to think how fortunate I was. My fortunes were so much better than some in that I had my family, a nice home in which to live, and everything I could ever want. It is funny, in all those years I never consider myself fortunate. I just thought that was the way everyone was supposed to live. As I got older, and had to start providing for myself, I understood that not everyone was as fortunate as I was. I look back at it now and see that I took a lot for granted. I was not truly thankful for what I had.

Giving thanks for all we have can be taken for granted. We have our health, our families, our jobs, and most of all we have a God who loves us, and still there are times that we forget to express our thankfulness unto the Creator of Heaven and earth.

The Thanksgiving holiday is a time this nation has set aside to remember how blessed we truly are. The holiday has no religious bearings within itself, but the idea is certainly a biblical concept. The Bible teaches us to be thankful. The psalmist wrote, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever” (Psalm 118:1). As Christians we must understand that every good gift we have received, whether it is family, jobs, houses, or anything else, comes from God. James said, “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

As we take time to reflect on the blessings in our lives, ask the question: Am I truly thankful for the blessings in my life? Remember the words of Asaph, “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High (Psalm 50:14)

Eagles in a Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks? The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it. The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm. When the storms of life come upon us — and all of us will experience them — we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow God’s power to lift us above them. God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm. The wise man wrote, “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future” (Eccl. 7:14). Solomon fairly well summarized life. There are good and bad days that attend our lives. Make the best of both. When things go well, rejoice and praise God; when they go wrong, and adversity attacks the soul, rest on the assurance that God is there and he cares. His goodness is shown in the providential help he offers in time of need.

“Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help (us) in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

Remember, it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down; it is how we handle them. The Bible says, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” — Isaiah 40:31

~Author Unknown

For ALL Men

 “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2)

Today we have a new President-Elect. The nation is divided between those who are excited and those who fear the next four years. In last night’s election coverage, we continually heard the nation being segmented into Whites, Blacks, or Hispanics; college educated or not; man or woman; Democrat or Republican; upper or lower class. We heard about everything that divides us as a people.

But, there is one thing that unites us. We are all children of God. And because of our mediator, Jesus Christ, we can boldly approach His throne of grace.

As Americans, as Christians, as children of God, let us boldly approach our Lord and pray for the Nation, our new Leaders, and the citizens that make up this country and others. Let us pray for a spiritual awakening. Let us pray for a Christian resurgence. Let us pray that Jesus Christ will be crowned King in the hearts of all men.

Let your light shine!

Honoring Others Sacrifice

“and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.” (Hebrews 6:6)

A statement I have heard more and more frequently as November 8th approaches is those who choose not to vote (whatever their rationale may be) are actively dishonoring the ultimate sacrifice others have made so we would have the right to choose our elected leaders. Considering the lengths that soldiers and activist for women and minorities, and so many others, had to take just so that we could push a button or check a box is sobering. This is sobering because we so easily forget was has been sacrificed for ourselves, as we benefit from those sacrifices.

Allow me to transition that thought to a spiritual one.

Does our daily conduct reflect honor towards Christ or does it dishonor His incredible sacrifice? Do we go through our days, making important decisions, without considering Christ’s sacrifice. While we may be able to honestly say that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, the decisions we make throughout the day either honor or dishonor His sacrifice. Let us make decisions and live lives that honor our God, the only true leader that matters.

Let your light shine!

HOW DID GOD HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART

Fifteen times between Exodus chapter 7 and chapter 14 Moses wrote the heart of the leader of Egypt was hardened. Seven of the fifteen times the Bible says God harden Pharaoh’s heart. By reading this, is one to assume that God acted upon the heart of Pharaoh in such a way that he could not choose what was right against what was wrong? The answer is simply no! Such an assumption would violate God’s law (Gen. 2:16-17). It would also make the Creator of heaven and earth a “respecter of persons” (Rom. 2:11), which would go against His very nature. So then, how did God harden the heart of Pharaoh? 

Pharaoh refused to acknowledge God. When Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh to release the people of God, he responded by saying, “Who is the Lord… I know not the Lord neither will I let Israel go” (Ex. 5:1-2). God’s messengers stood before the leader of Egypt and spoke the commands of God and Pharaoh refused to hear. Our hearts can become harden the same way. The Bible reveals who God is and what His will is for man. But, when a man refuses to hear he allows his heart to become hard. Jesus said, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matt. 12:30).

Pharaoh refused the evidence presented by God. When God instructed Moses to have Aaron stretch forth his hand and begin showing Pharaoh and his magicians the power that hung upon every Word spoken of the Lord, the magicians said, “This is the finger of God” (Ex. 8:19). Even at the urging of those who labored in the camp Pharaoh, “hearkened not unto them.” The same warning still reins true today, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). 

Pharaoh refused to believe in the coming punishment of God. Even after the Lord had shown His hand in the plagues He brought upon the land of Egypt and the people, Pharaoh refused to see what God would do next. Pharaoh saw there was “respite” (pause) in God’s punishment (Ex. 8:15). Perhaps he thought that was all. Today, many think since they are not dealt with as soon as they do something wrong, they have somehow escaped the punishment of God. Not so, “For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

When God dealt with Pharaoh, He spoke the Words so that Pharaoh would acknowledge Who He is and see the evidence of His power, as well as realize the coming punishment for not doing what He said. So, when Pharaoh refused to hear the Words of God his heart was hardened. Someone once said, “The same Sun that melts wax, hardens clay.”

How can we be more like the 1st century church?

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11, ESV)

The question is often asked, “How can we be more like the church in the first century?” One way we can do that is to consider the Bereans in Acts 17:11. They were commended for being “more noble than those in Thessalonica” early in the context because they 1) eagerly received the word and 2) they examined the scriptures daily. Louw-Nida defines “examine” (anakrino) as “to try to learn the nature or truth of something by the process of careful study, evaluation, and judgment.”[1]

How does this apply to us? In two ways. First, we need to learn to love reading and hearing God’s word (Yes I said “learn to.” I’ll have more thoughts on that at another time) and secondly, simply “speed reading” through our Daily Bible Reading quota isn’t enough. Let’s slow down and savor every inspired statement we find in the Word of God, and consider its implications in our lives.

I’m confident if we do this we will be one step closer to being the church that Christ desires us to be.

Let your light shine!

[1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 330.

Priority One by Steve Veazey

by Steve Veazey, one of the elders at the North Main Church of Christ

We live in a time and country today where God has blesses us abundantly.  Sometimes these blessing are used by the devil to confuse the very basic priorities in the life of Godly people.  We become distracted with our jobs, hobbies, sports, family and school activities.  The devil is a master at using good things to take us away from God. 

We need to remember that the first four commandments given by God to Moses pertained to the worship of God.  Worship God only, make no other gods, uphold His name, and remember the Sabbath (Lord’s) day.  (Ex 20:1-8).    The teachings of Jesus did not change this priority.   Jesus said, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.” (Matt 22:37-38). 

It is important that we remember that Priority One is God.  Do not let anything come between you and your need to love and worship God.  Let us encourage one another (Hebrews 10:23-27), understand the cost of discipleship (Luke 9:57-62), place our treasures in God (Mark 10:17-21), and know that our souls depend upon it (Mark 8:34-38).  It is God’s desire to be Priority 1 in our life.  As an elder at North Main I encourage each of us to examine your priorities (Col 3:17). 

God deserves and demands our best.  He always has.  He also loves us beyond our ability to comprehend; after all He gave His son as a sacrifice for our sins (Rom 5:8).

The church of Christ on North Main Street meets on Sunday @9:30am for Bible Study, @10:30am for Worship, @5:00pm for Worship, and on Wednesday @7:00pm for a devotional and Bible Study.

Why do we pray? Reason #4 (of 4)

 “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)

Why do we pray? Reason #4 (of 4)

It reminds me what really is important. The other day I was really annoyed. I will spare you of the (not so) gory details, but suffice it to say that the instigators of my fury were ridiculously childish. I didn’t realize it until I paused a moment to pray. Then, all of a sudden, the important things came to mind. I wanted to thank God for all the wonderful things in my life and all of a sudden I was no longer annoyed by traffic, or the suns highway glare, or whatever else was making my spine coil. Going to the throne of God is a privilege, and every time I feel as though I am a flea in my Heavenly Fathers presence and I want to make sure that what I bring to him is important to me…and so many times the things I thought were important seemed less important when I thought about bringing it to God. Does that mean that God doesn’t care about my skinned knee? Absolutely not. God expects us to lay our burdens on him, whether great or small, but what I come to realize is that some things aren’t quite the burden I originally thought. And simply being in God presence reminds me of that.

Let your light shine!

Souls Depend on It

When God sent His only begotten Son to this earth, His mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus fulfilled that mission when he went to the cross of Calvary and gave His life so mankind would have the opportunity of a home in Heaven when this life is over. One must never forget that just because Christ fulfilled His part of the mission, a child of God still has a lot of work to do to complete his part. Before Jesus went back to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He met with His disciples and gave them the charge of taking the Gospel of Christ into the entire world. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:18-20). This passage of scripture teaches three things about the charge to save the lost; the command of the charge, the concern of the charge, and the care of the charge.

The command was given by One of authority, Jesus Christ. The command was to “Go ye therefore and teach...” This command was directed to those who had the capabilities to carry it out. The “ye” in this case was the apostles. Jesus had chosen them to carry the Gospel into the entire world (Acts 1:8).  They would do this by teaching the soul saving message concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ (1 Cor.15:1-4). This is the only message that has the power to save the soul of man. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

The concern is the souls of men in a lost and dying world. “All nations” are included in this charge. Mankind will die a slow and miserable death without the Gospel of Christ. The end is not any better for the soul will be cast through the gates of hell in eternity. Paul wrote, “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). When one does not obey the Gospel, he has no hope of heaven. 

The care has been given to all Christians today. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...” The apostles were to teach those that obey the Gospel of Christ, the commandments they were to observe. One being “Go ye therefore and teach all nations...” Christians need to stand and face the charge that has been left in our care. Souls are continuing to pass into eternity unprepared to meet the God of Heaven. Some of these are our love ones. Jesus was willing to give His life for those He loved. How much are we willing to give for those we love (Mark 12:29-31). We cannot continue to leave it up to the preacher or someone whom we may think is more qualified to evangelize the world. The care of this charge is to EVERY CHRISTIAN.     

How will mankind be saved without Christians going out with the message that saves? The Lord knows that all cannot go to the utter most parts of the world. But, there are men who will and we can support them prayerfully, and financially. Our own communities are part of the world and that is our own back yard. All Christians can start there. The command is to go and teach. The concern is for the lost souls of the world. The care of the charge has been left to us. Each child of God must come to the conclusion, “Go ye, means go me.”

Why do we pray? Reason #3 (of 4)

 “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)

Why do we pray? Reason #3 (of 4)

It helps us to stay focused. Next time you have a big decision to make, take a moment to pray and see how it changes your attitude. Next time you feel as though your personal struggle with sin is too much to overcome, pause a moment to talk with God. Here’s a novel idea. Next time you are looking for something to do, maybe instead of going to YouTube try going to God. I can’t explain to you how effective it can be, it’s something you’ll have to try yourself to fully grasp. If have a suspicion that prayers power to refocus our minds can be seen in Philippians 4:8-9. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9, ESV)

Let your light shine!

Why do we pray? Reason #2 (of 4)

 “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)

Why do we pray? Reason #2 (of 4)

It accomplishes what we cannot. There is so much that I cannot do. I already mention ISIS and the world’s diseases and answering hard questions, but there is so much more. Not only can I not save myself, I can’t save my neighbor or my friends or even my family members. I can’t force them to hear and listen to Good News. There are so many things that I cannot do, but prayer can. There is very real power in prayer. Jesus’ disciples learned that difficult lesson in Mark 9 when they asked why they were unable to cast out a demon but Jesus was able. Jesus’ response applied to them as well as us today, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” (Mark 9:29, ESV) There are some things we simply cannot accomplish…but prayer can. Why? Just like we petition a board of directors to make a change that we cannot, our prayers are a petition to a wonderfully powerful God who can do literally anything. Prayer empowers us because it relies on God.

Let your light shine!

This Present Darkness

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

"There is darkness in the underbelly. If you can imagine it, it's probably happened." This is a quote from Elijah Wood, also known as Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings. He was speaking about the culture that bleeds deep through the veins of Hollywood, specifically about rampant sexual abuse and other deplorable acts that are often hidden from the view of cameras.

There is a dangerous habit in our society, comparing ourselves to celebrities and holding ourselves to their standard of morality. Whether they be people who are famous for being scandalous like Kendall Jenner or those who are lifted up as examples of wholesomeness like Saddie Robertson, their lives (on and off-set) are not adequate models for our lives. We put our souls at great risk when we allow Hollywood, or Nashville, or any Sporting association to be our moral compass…even for the truly good examples. Why? Because they are all fallible, just like you and me.

There is only one perfect example of moral living, and He is Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15). Let us follow Paul’s words when he says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Let your light shine! 

Why do we pray? Reason #1 (of 4)

 “pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, ESV)

Why do we pray? Reason #1 (of 4)

It brings peace to the anxious heart In the grand scheme of things, we are very small. I personally can’t stop ISIS. I personally can’t heal the world’s diseases. I personally can’t answer the hardest questions in life. I personally can’t even save my own soul. Without prayer, the very real fears that surround us every day would be…crippling. But Paul wrote this to the Christians in Philippi, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7, ESV) Prayer brings peace to the anxious heart because it reminds us that the problems of this world don’t have to be conquered by me, I have a great God who has brought victory to me through Jesus Christ.

Let your light shine!

Celebrity Death Hoax

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." (John 11:23)

Celebrity death hoaxes, they are a real thing. Every so often a rumor will spread across the internet like wildfire claiming that a well-known person has died. The most recent “victim” was Sylvester Stallone, A.K.A. Rocky Balboa. Yet, only a few short hours after this rumor began to trend on Social Media Sylvester Stallone went for a casual stroll through a park in Beverly Hills, seemingly to prove that he is still alive! Imagine if you whole-heartedly believed Stallone to have passed on from the land of the living, only to pass him on the sidewalk! It would seem confusing, incredible, and almost miraculous, would it not?

As Christians, this resurrection (of sorts) is a reality! Jesus said it and Martha believed it in John 11:23-24. The difference for us, however, is that we will not be raised from the dead in order to walk the Beverly Hills streets, but we’ll be resurrected to walk the Heavenly streets of gold.

This promise, however, is only for those who lives and believes in Jesus (John 11:25-26). Let us as Christians not focus on death because we have so much more to look forward to, eternal life with our Heavenly Father.  

Let your light shine!

By This All People Will Know You

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:35)

Colin Kaepernick, a Quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers who began a personal protest against our national anthem by choosing to sit silently when it was played before an NFL preseason game. His reasoning was based on social injustices towards American minorities and the history of the man who wrote the Star Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key. Many Americans became angry, justifiably so. Anytime something you love is criticized, it hurts.

I’d like to take a moment to remind ourselves of one key fact which we so often forget, we are Christians first and foremost. Regardless of your feelings towards an individual’s stance and/or method, it does not change the fact that we are Christians before we are Americans.

Let us respond to factors in life in a way that is becoming of Christ followers, meaning we ought to love each other even when we vehemently disagree with their views or actions. It is through this action, loving each other, that all people will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ.

Let your light shine!

Thank You

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17, ESV)

With every action we do one of two things, we either curse God or we thank Him.

Paul encouraged our brothers and sisters in Colossae to thank God with every action in life, whether it be in what they said or what they did. How did they go about doing this? Obviously, they did not walk around verbally saying “thank you, God” every moment, nor did they write “thank you, God” on a whiteboard a million times each day. According to Paul, the way we “thank God” is by living our life in the name of Jesus Christ. This means not being concerned with opinions that have the appearance of wisdom (Col 2:23) nor being filled with what is earthly (Col 3:5-9). Instead, think and act like Christ by setting our mind on things that are above (Col 3:2). This means regardless of the situation (even when somebody “makes us so angry”) we fill our actions our words and our thoughts with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and above all else, love (Col 3:12–14).

In short, we thank God through Jesus Christ by emulating Him.

Let your light shine!

Peak of the Week – August 17th

 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

– John 17:20–21

Every four years it seems like the world forgets its troubles and divisions. Why? I don’t think it is because of the Olympics, and I certainly don’t think it has anything to do with the Presidential election. If there is a one reason we can point to I believe it be a characteristic that is found deep within ourselves, something that was created in us. It is a desire for unity. Yes, we get distracted from it often with the troubles of life, but it is still there. Jesus knew this and he prayed not only for himself and those whom he loved but also for all who would listen to the Gospel. Jesus wanted us to be unified with Him in spirit and in truth. Eventually the Olympics and Presidential elections will be over, what then will bring us together again? I know of only one thing that can perfectly unite souls in complete harmony, the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Let your light shine!

Peak of the Week – August 10th

“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:27, ESV)

Miguel Duran Navie, you’ve probably never heard the name but he is a Spanish swimmer who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Unfortunately, he didn’t medal. Even worse, he was disqualified before the event took place. Just before the gun that signals the race to begin, Navia dove into the water for the preliminary heat in the 400m freestyle. Automatic disqualification. As one news site described it, his Olympic dreams were dashed.

How sad it would be to work your entire life to achieve one goal, only to be disqualified. Life is a marathon with twists and turns, some more subtle than others, that we need traverse. Sometimes we’ll trip and skin our knee but we’re able to rise from that and still finish the race. Unlike Olympic races were the field is meticulously prepared and cleared of all unintended obstacles, our race in life seems to be meticulously prepared to create obstacles. The assailant’s name is “The Prince of THIS World”, A.K.A. Satan.

His goal is to do more than “trip us up” but to disqualify us from the race. He tries to get us to believe false doctrines, to listen to gospels of from “other angels”, and even to believe that we are really gods. Paul pointed to the only thing that can safeguard us from the wiles of the devil. Discipline! Just as an Olympian prepares each and every day for years leading up to one moment, we too must prepare our minds for action, for that moment when Satan decides temps us. We won’t let Satan tempt us by firing the race gun too early because we will have our sights set on our true judge, God.

Let your light shine!

p.s. Navie was later allowed to compete in the 400m freestyle due to a “premature gunshot noise coming from the crowd”, almost as though someone was trying to draw him off-sides…sound familiar?