EXERCISE NAKED

E Hello fellow Exercisers...or Exerciser Wannabes...Here it is March 25th, 2008.. a long way from January 1st, 2008. We...along with a multiplicity of other well meaning human beings...have made resolutions to get into shape. We are gonna change our ways...we are gonna quit overeating...we are gonna start working out...we are gonna join the YMCA, or some other health club...and really, really, really...fulfill our promise to ourselves.

Back in the 60's I would read my comic books...and want to order the stuff that was on the back pages. You could order pills that you could water and grow sea monkeys...you could order magic kits where you would be able to amaze your friends and neighbors as you put your finger in a miniature guillotine and NOT chop off your finger. You could order X-RAY glasses with promises of seen through clothing and you hand to see your bones. I actually ordered these glasses...and guess what...they did not work. You could also order exercise equipments and programs that would take a 98# weakling...and turn you into a real MAN...with bulging muscles...and a leopard loin cloth.

Now days you can get BowFlex...Total Gyms...Thigh Masters...Tummy Tuckers...Nordic Tracks...and many other pieces of equipment that end up as the clothes hanger that you always wanted. I really get inspired when I see Chuck Norris demonstrating the Total Gym...but that inspiration...does not turn into perspiration....and I end up in condemnation.


The Bible has a solution for my flabby body...and for my flabby spiritual life... BUT...I will get the same results that I get with a Total Gym...or if I use the Bible for my spiritual life.

It won't WORK...unless I WORK IT.

"...discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit...but godliness is profitable for ALL THINGS...since it holds promise for THE PRESENT LIFE...and also for...THE LIFE TO COME."
(I Timothy 4: 7,8)

We play the game of Life...we eat Life cereal...we read Life magazine...we even believe that it really is a WONDERFUL LIFE...but we limit ourselves to the FINITE LIFE. The life that Jesus spoke about that He would gives us was ABUNDANT LIFE. "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I came that they might have LIFE...and might have it ABUNDANTLY." (John10:10)

In Paul's encouragement to Timothy...to discipline himself for a purpose...with the purpose being life...he indicated that this discipline would be PROFITABLE.. of BENEFIT...for two time frames of our lives....(1) THE PRESENT LIFE
(2) THE LIFE TO COME. This life would not be coming by OSMOSIS...it would not happen just because we believe it...it would not drop on us like a ton of bricks....but would happen in conjunction with us...putting our faith in action.
James says that..."FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD. (James 2:14-17) Paul encourages us to WORK OUT OUR OWN SALVATION. (Philippians 2:12-13)They are not talking about hammering out a new way to save ourselves...that has been done already...ONCE for ALL...and that would be the D.B.R. nothing more...nothing less. "He saved us NOT on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness...but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5) "For by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT OF GOD; NOT AS A RESULT OF WORKS... that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10)

NOTE: Whenever you try to justify your sinful life...by doing something good (aka good works)...you are trying to change yourself from the outside...and you can't do it. Every time you give money to the poor...build a house for the homeless...sacrifice your time, money, etc.. you are doing like the green minded people...who think it is alright to live life to the energy depleting fullest...and then paying Al Gore carbon offsets to ease your ecologically depleted conscience. NOTE TO THE NOTE: Doing good deeds is not a bad thing...especially for those who receive the benefit of your actions...but don't think that it puts you one inch closer to God loving you anymore or any less...or that you can BUY YOUR WAY INTO HEAVEN...while you LIVE LIKE HELL ON EARTH.

Now...that we see that we are not WORKING OUR WAY IN with our DISCIPLINING OF OURSELVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF GODLINESS...why do we need to DISCIPLINE ourselves...and HOW do we do it.

The word DISCIPLINE...means (1) to exercise (2) to train (3) to practice naked!

This is in reference to the way that the original Greek Olympic Games were practiced for and ran. They removed articles of clothing that would entangle their movement in their practice. In Hebrews 5:14...we see that we exercise (practice naked)...to have our senses trained to discern good and evil.

This exercise...disciplining...training...practicing naked and unencumbered... is done by REASON OF USE. Use it...or lose it. This Christian walk is not some stagnanat...atrophied...lazy thing. As we step up to the place in grace and mercy...we flex our working muscles to grow stronger.

Rocky Balboa...was a washed up bum...until...he had an opportunity to win the prize. He went into training...running...pushups...going a few rounds with sides of meat in a meat locker...listening to his Helper (Trainer) Mick...he GOT INTO SHAPE. The wizened old trainer Mick...told Rocky...that he had to "eat lightning and crap thunder." KABOOM!!!!!!
As I prepared for my Black Belt exam...I utilized upbeat music...like the Theme From Rocky...The Eye of The Tiger...etc. I also watched movies like Chariots of Fire to inspire.

Eric Liddle...a runner in the 1924 Olympics in Paris...and later to be a missionary to China...had his Olympic experience chronicled in the movie Chariots of Fire.

Some of Eric Liddle's quotes...are inspirational...for you if you want to begin to DISCIPLINE YOURSELF...in your spirit, soul, and body.

"I believe God made me for a PURPOSE...but he also made me fast. And when I run, I feel HIS PLEASURE."

The secret to Eric Liddle's success...."The secret of my success over the 400 meters is that...I ran the first 200 as hard as I could...and then the second 200 (with God's help)...I ran it harder."

When you begin to take the first steps to practicing...training...disciplining yourself for the purpose of godliness....YOU WILL NOT BE AT THE PEAK OF YOUR TRAINING. You may not be able to do 100 set ups...you may only be able to do 1 push up...you may only be able to walk 1/2 mile...BUT as you are faithful in the little things...he will give you more. The Law of Use...The Law of Reciprocity will kick in...and you will do more...and grow stronger in your faith and your walk with the Lord.

Start reading the Word...start praying...start listening for His voice...start obeying His voice...and you will GROW STRONG...and it will be very BENEFICIAL for you...right here on PLANET EARTH...and you will being storing up treasure for the LIFE TO COME.

Love and Persevering Kisses
Rodney "Balboa" Boyd

CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

Greetings and Salutations Oh Ye Fellow Chewers of the Cud.

Step with me back into the stream of the time-space continuum. Strap yourselves into the H.G. Wells time machine...set the clock for 33 A.D...get Mr. Peabody and his human assistant Sherman to set the controls for the WayBack Machine...and find yourself in a time where the Romans rule the politico...and Pharisees and Sadducee's rule the religious.

For three years there was a prophet...a teacher...an outlaw, who walked the dusty roads of Israel...doing three things. He would: (1) Teach (2) Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God (3) Heal the sick. Jesus the Christ went about doing good and healing all who were OPPRESSED by the devil (little d) for God was with Him (Acts 10:38). After all that was His name...Immanuel...God with us (Matthew 1:23).

For three years you could see the WILL OF GOD...on earth as it is heaven...by seeing what Jesus did. "In the beginning was the Word/Jesus...and the Word/Jesus was with God...and the Word/Jesus WAS God. (John 1:1). This Jesus the exact representation and radiance of the Father (Hebrews 1:1-3)

What was the only logical thing to do to God in the flesh...who came to do good and heal all who were oppressed by the devil...by destroying the works of the devil...and giving life and that more abundantly. Answer the question below:

A. Build Him a throne and worship Him
B. Elected Him the highest political office possible
C. Start a cult and overthrow the religious/politico powers
D. Beat Him, Mock Him, Torture Him, Nail Him to a cross, Kill Him


There has been a CRIME committed...and the evidence appears to have been tampered with...causing some confusion about who the real criminal really is. We need to call in The Crime Scene Investigation Team and pull in the evidence...and see WHO ARE YOU...who who, who who.

The religious element of the day had incited a riot against this guy called Jesus. They convinced the political leaders to bring charges against Him, put Him through interrogations, beatings, shame, and eventually death.

Jesus spoke about these things with His followers..."And He began to teach them that the Son of Man (that would be Jesus) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and BE KILLED, and after three days RISE AGAIN." (Matthew 8:31)

This was NOT good news for the followers...of who they thought was going to rise up as the powerful Messiah...and overthrow Roman tyranny.

The crime that we speak of...was not who killed the Christ. We know who killed the Christ...and it was NOT the Jews. No one TOOK His life...He gave it willingly. Jesus died no the cross willingly...becoming the substitute for the Jews, the Greeks, the Gentiles, the niggers, the honky soda crackers, the religious people, the nappy headed ho's, the straight haired Aryans, the whores, the whore mongers, the homosexual sodomites, the heterosexual fornicators, the illegal street drug users, the prescription drug users....(fill in the blank of anyone else in the world...good, bad or ugly).

The crime that needs to be investigated with the looking glass of Sherlock...is WHO MOVED THE STONE...WHO STOLE THE BODY...WHO PERPETRATED THE HOAX OF RESURRECTION...WHO DECEIVED MULTITUDES OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE MILLENNIUM ABOUT THIS PERSON CALLED JESUS CHRIST??????

The hallmark of Christianity...is not mere historical fact...or some device device of literature that was dreamed up to manipulate and control the populace.

No...this thing called Christianity is rooted in history...stretching with outreached arms to WHOSOEVER BELIEVES. The fingerprint on the tomb is the fingerprint of God Himself.

This thing called Christianity is nothing but a mere religious system standing next to every other religious system...with ONE TWIST. The EMPTY TOMB. If there is no empty tomb...if there are plots to steal the body to make it look like a dead man was raised...if there was some kind of SWOONING...where Jesus did not really die...but just fainted on the cross....if there was lies and deceptions perpetrated by the ultimate con man...Jesus to convince people to follow Him...if there was the ravings of a lunatic or a mad man on the level of Hitler or Charles Manson...then following Jesus is a waste of time.

What separates the men from the boys...the women from the girls...the facts from the fiction...is THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

RISEN CHRIST=LIFE ...NO RISEN CHRIST= A nice little story




A cursory glance at various tombs and graves reveals:

1. Lonnie Boyd's grave (my dad): decaying body and bones
2. George Washington's grave: decayed body/bones wooden teeth, wig.
3. Abraham Lincoln: Long legged bones
4. Unknown soldier's grave: Unknown bones.

NOTE: Even Napoleon's...Bones-apart.

5. Jesus' Tomb: No bones. Why? HE IS RISEN...HE IS RISEN INDEED!

To some Jesus was known as a good person...to some a great teacher...to some as a nut...but to others Jesus is known as THE DECEIVER.

"On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together to PILATE...saying...Sir, we REMEMBER while He (Jesus) was STILL ALIVE, how that DECEIVER said AFTER THREE DAYS I WILL RISE. Therefore (because of what the deceiver said)...command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest HIS DISCIPLES come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people...HE HAS RISEN from the dead. So the LAST DECEPTION WILL BE WORSE THAN THE FIRST. Pilate said to them...you have a guarded; go your way, make it as secure as you know how. So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard."
(Matthew 2762-66) Well...the rest is His Story (history).

Mary Magdalen...and the other Mary went to the tomb...only to find an angel...a rolled back stone...shaking guards.and an empty tomb.

"But the angel answered and said to the women. Do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for HE IS RISEN...AS HE SAID. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. An GO QUICKLY...and TELL HIS DISCIPLES...that HE IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD..." (Matthew 28:5-7)

Well...either you believe it or you don't. You either live your life as if it is true...or live like it's not. I for one...choose in 1970 to believe it...and live as if HE IS RISEN. I either made the greatest mistake of my life and wasted my life...or I invested my life with the biggest payoff to come. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...trading misery, guilt, shame, destructive habits, momentary pleasures for peace, love, freedom, a restful mind.

(I Corinthians 15:1-8)
"Moreover brethren, I DECLARE to you the GOSPEL...which I PREACHED to you...which also you RECEIVED...and in which you STAND, by which also by which also you are SAVED, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you (about the DBR)...unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received that:

1. Christ died for our sins according to Scriptures
2. And that He was buried
3. and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

D=DEATH
B=BURIAL
R=RESURRECTION

NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS.

For more information to tickle your intellectual funny bone read:

EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT (Volumes 1 & 2)--Josh McDowell
A READY DEFENSE-Josh McDowell
THE CASE FOR CHRISTIANITY-Lee Strobel
WHO MOVED THE STONE-Frank Morison
MERE CHRISTIANITY-C.S. Lewis
JESUS OUTSIDE THE NEW TESTAMENT-F.F. Bruce
KNOW WHAT AND WHY YOU BELIEVE- Paul Little
YOUTH AFLAME-Winkey Pratney
RENEWAL THEOLOGY-J. Rodman Williams
THE SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVERS HANDBOOK-Derek Prince

Happy Resurrection Day

Love and Risen Kisses
Rodney "I Believe" Boyd