Anyway, as most men know the uniforms are half of the deal when the team takes the field.  Several times after the last few years teams have changed colors in the locker room before entering the field for the game with the intention of creating come motivation and inspiring the crowd. Even my wife tells my boys “looking good on the field is most important”.

Anyway, earlier this week Nike released it’s new “Pro Combat” uniforms for a few selected schools.  And you guessed it the Mountaineers were in the mix this year.  They will were their uniforms against Pitt later this year.  It’s amazing the buzz this has created with Mountaineer fans, and I assume with the other team’s fans that are in the mix this year.  I can only assume the players are pretty excited as well.

So why?  Why is the uniform so much more than just a shirt and britches?  Why is so important that your uniforms like so tough and bad?  Why do teams like to wear that menacing all black?  We know, because it tells who we are.  It expresses what we feel about ourselves. In football, its say I am ready and I am playing hard and I am going to play as good as look.  We look the part that we want to be.

So what about our life, especially our spiritual lives?   Well check Galatians out:

²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, ²⁷for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ Galatians 3:26-28 (New International Version)

Paul says Jesus Christ is our uniform!   Can you think of anything more menacing in spiritual warfare then to be wearing the son of God?  We are clothed with him, we have put in on!

For some odd reason, I have made the picture of the new WVU uniforms my background on my computer.  Really, I am not sure why.  But I can say that every time I see it, I get a little bit of extra motivation, as if I were putting those one someday.  Which is really sort of childish, isn’t’? But what I am realizing is in the spiritual battle, I am wearing a uniform that is so much cooler and lighter weight and refreshing then the Pro Combats from Nike. The question is will I play like it today!

Put on the uniform that Christ gave you, and realize that you look ready for combat in them.  Play like it today!

¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Matt 7 :12

How simple!  The entirety of the law in 11 words.  “Do to others what you would have them do to you”.  But how complex and how radical.  How many times have your heard this relay in word or action as “Do to others before they do to you?” or “Do to others as they do to you?”   But Jesus, always the radical, says “Treat them how you want to be treated.”  How many times to I tell my boys those exact same words?

But can we really live that way?  I mean, I know that I want the people I work with to bring me ice cream at 3pm every afternoon.  Hm, I wonder maybe if thats what I want then I should bring ice cream to them at 3pm.  Or I should find out what they like and bring that to them.  For many of my co workers that may be a bowl of gajar halwa.

But I guess its more then ice cream.  Its the words we use, its the way we listen.  Its the attention that we give to others.  Its our concern.  It’s a text message of encouragement, a smile, forgiveness and mercy and grace.

Hm, sounds radical and risky.  Maybe its worth some serious prayer and attention.  I know that I would want you to do it for me.

Are you summing it up today?

So today, remember the ways of the Christ and remember our mission to follow him.

²⁷He answered: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 (New International Version)

Anyway, enjoy the day, and as you interact with others, remember the actions of the Christ and the impact that can have on your life – if you let it!

Ephesians 2:4-6 (New International Version)

⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Yes, The Christ was nailed to the tree for our faults, and the veil that protected the Holy Of Holy’s in the Temple was torn in two – signify a new relationship with God.  We Are Free from the Law, we are free from sin, we are free to speak to God ( through our new high priest the Christ).  This is one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible.  The Veil is Torn!  Wow!

⁵⁰And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Matthew 27:50-51 (New International Version)

This is good stuff.  Take advantage of this free gift today and give away to others just as freely.

And check out these two videos this weekend as well – and remember He may have been crucified on Friday, but on Sunday – He’s Alive He’s Alive!

This one:

and this one

And right in the middle of all of this Jesus is told to have the people stop, and he says

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

The rocks will cry out that he is Lord! Wow, that’s one of my favorite verses and a big motivator to me.  So I post this today in an attempt to cry out louder then the stones – the Messiah has come. And on a day similar to this one many years ago, he entered the city of Jerusalem declaring his Kingship.

Enjoy the day and think about that “Triumphant Entry”!

Luke 19:28-44 (New International Version)

The Triumphal Entry

²⁸After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. ²⁹As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ³⁰“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ”

³²Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. ³³As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

³⁴They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

³⁵They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. ³⁶As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

³⁷When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
³⁸“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

³⁹Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

⁴⁰“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

⁴¹As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it ⁴²and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. ⁴⁴They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

¹If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ²then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The whole chapter has stuck with me, and that’s why Lane Kiffin is old news.  This verse is very profound, very threatening, even very motivating.  So today here are two things related to this verse.

First, a great example of a person doing their best to live this verse. A daily buffeter herself, this is a great story about a local school counselor doing her best to love and help others.  Hand WDEF’s Golden Apple to Jennifer Greer. (applause)

Second, a challenge, or an opportunity for you all to consider today.  Disasters are always a time when we can count our blessings, and continue to show the compassion we have been given.  Here is one place you can donate that will be working in the disaster zone in Haiti – Healing Hands International.

Look out for others today!

The thing that I have been thinking about is how this impacts the lives of those who follow Christ.  I think it has major impacts on they way the church thinks and operates and how Christians need to work.  I just have not completely figured out what this impact is.  Look for more thoughts on this in 2010.  (thats the second teaser in the last week).

The one thing I am sure it means however, is that followers of Christ must mobilize and leave the comfort of the padded pew.  Yesterday I mentioned not staying in Bethlehem, and using the celebration of His birth as a springboard for service, and today that thought it still on my mind.  Things are changing.  Followers of the Christ must change their behaviors as well.  Well, thats a funny statement actually, as I think at the root of it all, followers of Christ just need to do what they were ask to do by the Christ all along.

 ^18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, The Message)

Or maybe I need to modify my decorations.  Here are a few more great decorations to start of the week.   The first one was voted Best Lights by the Surly Birds (whoever they are).  The second is a take off on one of the pictures from last week.

Well, that’s pretty creative stuff.  And since we are speaking of lights.  Take a peek over if John.  Right in the beginning of the chapter.  It talks about Light -  the light of the world.  The Christ, who was born to show others the way.

John 1:1-10 (New International Version)

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.

³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood^[a] it.

⁶There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

John, is like the neighbor in the picture above – pointing to the true lights.  That’s also the Christmas light I want to point to.  I wonder if our lives said “Ditto” to the true light how the world would change. I think this guy is on to something – pointing at the true light.  Lets be reflectors, lets be pointers, lets say ‘Ditto’ – lets be witnesses.

Merry Christmas Y’all