This past Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, where about half of the congregation had an ashen cross placed on their foreheads. That seems insignificant, but it actually packs quite a bit of punch!

For example, walking around with a cross on your head is making an actual statement to those who see you, that you are a Christian and that you not only believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but that you follow Him and His teachings in your life. That can be quite exhilarating, seeing how little we get to witness to real pagans nowadays! It seems like everyone in Tennessee is a Christian, and most are, because they drive a Ford or Chevy truck (just kidding). But for all those who see you, you are taking a stand. You are broadcasting out loud, “Jesus lives, He is Lord, and I am one of His followers. I am living under the cross.”

Of course, the whole Bible tells us to “live under the cross,” but Jesus specifically tells us to do that in Mark 8 when he says “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (34b). Jesus is calling you to pick up a cross and carry it; meaning you are trudging along under it! You are living “under the cross” when you deny your interests and place Christ’s interests first. You are to lose your life for his sake and the gospel’s sake. That’s living “under the cross.” That’s losing your life in order to save it!

Which makes me think, maybe we ought to have Ash Wednesday service early in the morning, so that we can visibly, one day per year, live “under the cross” as we go about our daily lives. Hopefully that would strengthen our lives the rest of the year to carry the cross, as well as witnessing to those who don’t drive trucks!

With Super Bowl weekend in the rear view mirror, we should spend a moment reflecting on its impacts, on our nation, on our families, and our children.

Obviously, the half-time show was a calculated risk to not only advertise to the Hispanic potential audience in South and Latin America, but it was also a Satanically-inspired culture-pushing advertisement. According to Congressman Ogles, it was full of explicit ungodly sexual immorality, pushing everything from fornication to sodomy to transgender and beyond.

On top of that, you not only have the cheerleaders who are prominently displayed in skimpy clothing, but you have endless commercials of women dressed with low necklines to high skirtlines. Not to mention the rampant fornication and adultery of the football players themselves, along with their off-field thuggery.

What this communicated to your children, both girls and boys, is that football is all about sexual licentiousness, embraced by our American culture, at total odds to all godly Lord’s Day activities! If the goal in life is “fun,” it isn’t hard to see who has the overwhelming tug on the hearts of unbelievers and believers.

So in the coming year, take some time to think about how you want men and women portrayed to your children (and to yourselves): as objects to be used and thrown away, or as persons made in the image of God and worthy of immense respect and sacrifice? Is the purpose of man “fun,” or the glory of God and the service of fellow images of God? Is it pure sexual lives of one man and one woman following after Jesus, or destructive sexual narcissism? Meditate on Psalm 119, and make your viewing plans accordingly!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?” — Job 38:22–23

While storehouses of snow and hail conjure up unbelievable mental pictures of God’s greatness and beauty, they also conjure up other visions as well. Notice that these storehouses are put to other uses than just beauty; they are “reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.”

What an encouragement to Job and to us! That white stuff is beautiful, and menacing, used in time of trouble and battle and war to advance God’s kingdom. Remember Yahweh’s battle with Pharaoh? “And Yahweh rained hail upon the land of Egypt…very heavy hail” — Exodus 9:23–24

Remember Joshua’s battle at Gibeon? “There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword” — Joshua 10:11

Remember the Lord crushing the Assyrians with hailstones? “…with a cloudburst and storm and hailstones. The Assyrians will be terror-stricken at the voice of Yahweh” — Isaiah 30:30–31

Remember the seventh bowl poured out on Jerusalem/Babylon? “And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds, fell from heaven on people, and they cursed God for the plague of hail” — Revelation 16:21

What a majestic and mysterious Lord you have! He uses even the weather to advance his kingdom, saving his people and destroying the wicked. Praise Him!