Were...

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. And don’t imagine that this is a complete list of the sinners who will be excluded. It is a representative sampling. You’re not off of the hook if your pet sin isn’t mentioned.

Galatians 5:19-21 adds to the roll-call of the non-inheriting. “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witch-craft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

That phrase “and the like” means your habitual sin is covered. You are – or were – wicked. You are – or were – not saved from sin. The wicked – that’s you and me in our natural state – will NOT inherit the kingdom of God.

Now let’s read verse 11: “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

“And that is what some of you were.” What is Paul saying? To what does he refer in the past tense? He’s referencing the sinners mentioned in verses 9 and 10. He’s talking about those who had been sexually immoral those who had been idolaters, those who had committed adultery. He’s talking to the former male prostitutes in the church, to the former homosexual offenders and former thieves. He’s writing to believers whose hearts used to be filled with greed, who used to get drunk every weekend, who used to slander others and swindle their friends out of whatever they could.

To each of these people, and to every sinner reading or hearing his words, he says, “That’s the past! You were wicked. You were incapable of inheriting the kingdom of God.”

I don’t know about you, but hearing the word were in this context is more than encouraging to me. It says to me, “Your past sin does not define who you are today.”

Is that good news or what?! How can that not give you joy and peace and a sense of freedom?! How can that not stir up hope in your heart?! You can say with confidence, if you’re a believer, “I was a sinner! But that’s not me anymore. I’m no longer defined by my sin! Woohoo!”

Think of your past. Remember your sin. Gone! Done with. Behind you. Forgiven. Was, but no longer.

B-icicle Ride

connect.garmin.com/activity/153127308

brrrrr! it was 32 when i got up this morning. 34 when i left the house for my ride. 30 when i got back. add the 13-15mph wind to the mix and it was cold! not that i'm complaining.

i wasn't going to get up and ride this morning. after late nights this weekend, i was going to sleep in till 6:00 and just get ready for the day. then i woke up at 5:00 wide awake. i looked at the clock. i thought for a second or two about staying in bed. then i got up. "why not go for a ride?" i asked myself. "why not?" i agreed.

i geared up with multiple layers and got out the door by just after 5:30. i had to loop around a few blocks waiting for a train before i could leave town, but after that there weren't any delays.

i fought my way north passed the airport to iuka averaging 12.8mph, then turned around and raced back to town. the initial struggle made this a very different ride that saturday's tailwind ride. more work. in some ways more satisfaction. a tailwind fought for is worth more...i guess.

made it back by 6:30 to wake my wife up, but she was already in the shower. i better get ready myself. (12.57 miles @ 15.2mph)

wind-assisted insanity

connect.garmin.com/activity/152589912

oh the things i have done on a bike since meeting Dan M. thing i never thought i'd do. tonight's wind-assisted insanity ranks up near the top of the list of crazy stuff my friend's roped me into.

i was taking a nap this afternoon, trying to recover from getting too little sleep last night, when dan stops by to see if i want to ride up to great bend since the winds are from the south at 35mph or more. his ex-wife is coming for a visit and will be there about the same time as we arrive. it's around 4:00 and the sun's supposed to set at 6:30ish, so we don't have a lot of time. first he says, "let's leave in 45 minutes," so i slowly get ready. a few minutes later he calls back and asks, "can you leave in ten minutes?" i shrugged my shoulders and said, "sure. why not?" that's what you'd say to wind-assisted insanity, right?

so less than fifteen minutes after waking up, i've snarfed down a PBJ and readied myself for a 50-mile speed fest. i was in such a hurry to get prepared that i forgot my cell phone and money. ended up not needing either. whew!

when dan and i rolled out of my driveway, he said, "i'll be happy if we can make it in an hour and fifty." he lied! he wanted to go much faster! i just shook my head when he kept pushing the speed up higher and higher. even before we made it out of town we were flying along and near 25mph.

we climbed the little rise on the way out of town at around 28mph. i was breathing hard. dan was not. he assured me that there weren't many more hills. that, at least, was the truth. the biggest hill was at about the halfway point riding up and over the railroad overpass in st. john. i dropped down to 26mph on that. i just smiled and rode past dan who had "hammered" on ahead and waited for me there. before that i hit just over 40mph on the flats. the wind was awesome!

about 35 miles into the ride, my energy dropped considerably. dan was still "hammering" out and waiting for me once in awhile. i never took a break. i sucked in a gel and then ate a mini clif bar. that helped a bit, but i still couldn't keep up with my friend.

around 40 miles, dan had mercy on me and rode the rest of the way into town with me. my average had dropped from 30.6mph down to 29.8mph by that time. i'd done all i could to keep it over 30mph, but it wasn't in my legs. grrrrr!

dan and i talked the rest of the way in to the gas station. mostly dan talked and i tried to continue breathing regularly. i succeeded, i guess. i didn't die! we hit 50 miles just as we pulled up to the intersection across from the gas station where we were to meet dan's ex. five minutes later or maybe seven, she showed up. we loaded our bikes in the back and drove back. it was nice to sit on something comfortable for an hour. hope i can walk in the morning. (50.25 miles @ 29.3mph)

2.04 miles in 18:02

connect.garmin.com/activity/151882930

i've been resting my running legs for a week and a half, hoping the pain in my achilles would go away. it did somewhat. there was still a dull ache to it, but nothing like when it first happened. i was limping then. yesterday it felt good enough that i decided i'd test it out on the streets, so this morning out the door i went at 6:00. i ran slowly, concentrating on each footfall. trying not to strain anything. for the first mile and a half i didn't have any real problems. during the last half mile, my achilles went from dull ache to not-as-nice ache. i don't think i did any permanent damage, but i may take a few more days off before trying this again.

Pastors as we really are...

I've seen so many of these photo groupings, that I thought I'd have a little fun at my own expense. Rather than poke fun at marathoners or cyclists, I'll do my best to tease myself and my colleagues. Hope none of those way-too-serious preachers see this.

A clean bottle...

Manufacturers of bottles abound, each one trying to grab a share of the hydration market. Dozens of companies churn out cheap bottles used by sporting goods stores or race directors as give away advertising. Other firms, many of them, create artsy offerings of brushed metal sold in department stores and specialty shops catering those concerned about their impact on the earth’s ecosystem. In such an atmosphere, getting a second look for a new product is a challenge.

Dave Mayer decided to take that risk and enter the bottle battle arena. His new twist on the old bottle? A removable bottom in addition to the traditional removable cap! This innovation, according to Mayer, makes the Clean Bottle easier to…well, clean. Everyone who’s ever owned a bottle of any kind knows that mold and algae are a constant threat. The owner has to keep it clean and aired out or the bottle gets kind of gross. With both ends of the bottle removed, the likelihood of grossness decreases.

Since I’ve fought to keep my bottles clean for cycling over the past eight or nine years, I picked up a Clean Bottle and gave it a try. I was impressed, when it arrived, by the quality of the bottle’s plastic. It was firm rather than flimsy like a giveaway. The lids at both ends were good quality with seals to make for a leak-free experience. My Clean Bottle fit nicely in the cage on my bike frame, yet was easy to remove when I wanted a drink. The opening for drinking was a bit hard to pull, but it was sturdy and seemed to resist the teeth marks. I took the product on several rides and never had any trouble with it.

I was pleased with the ease of cleaning. Since I was able to open both ends, I could reach more of the inner space. The bottle also aired out and dried better than other bottles I’ve used. Other company’s products molded even when I cleaned them immediately. This makes the Clean Bottle well worth a little extra cash outlay in my book. Yet it is currently priced at $9.95. Very reasonable for a durable product.

One thing I would like to see personally is an insulated version. I like my drinks cold when I’m riding. During the winter months, the Clean Bottle works as is. I haven’t had a “slushy” in it yet. I’m not sure how it will handle the heat. I guess time will tell.


You might also enjoy BarbaraHughes’ review or The Amazing Feats of Bottle Boy.

GIVEAWAY: The winner of the February 22, 2012, drawing for a Clean Bottle was @dazzeetwit on Twitter. Thanks to all who read my review and participated in the drawing. A big thank you to Dave and Jesse at Clean Bottle for making the contest possible.