FOUNDATIONS: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Hello friends and neighbors from the hills of Tennessee to where you are this very minute. How's your FOUNDATION. If you have ever been good at anything...unless you were just a natural born talent...you started at the beginning. First steps...first attempts... first failures...first get up and try it again...UNTIL...one day...you begin to do whatever you are doing without even thinking about it. It has been said..."PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT"...and that is true with everything we do.

In the past Rambling I talked about my visions and dreams...karate in particular...but applicable to life in general. I remember back in 1973...Carl Douglas was singing that "everybody was Kung Fu Fighting...their fist were fast as lightning." Billy Jack was standing in front of Mr. Posner...and simply stating that he was going to take his foot and place it on the opposite side of his face...and there was nothing that he could do about it. Posner smugly said..."Is that right." Billy state that it was right...and then put a Hapkido kick knocking that smug look off of Posner's face. Caine...was consistently avoiding a fight in the old west...until...he was forced to put a Kung Fu whipping on those cowboys in the T.V. show Kung Fu. And of course....you had the Chinese Connection...the Big Boss...those Fist of Fury as the Dragon Entered in the form of Bruce Lee.

When I started my karate journey back in 1973...I wanted to do the big kicks....BUT...every class we did basic punches...basic blocks...basic front kicks...over and over...up and down the floor...back and forth...night after night. We would then take all of those BASIC moves into one kata (forms)...and go over and over with the FIRST BASIC KATA (20 moves of combined basic moves). When were we going to learn how to beat someone up with a double spinning reverse Kung Pow KICK? One day...we took a field trip to Madison Tennessee where Sensei Cecil T. Patterson (head of the United Eastern Wado Kai Federation under the direction of Master Hironori Otsuka) was heading up a BLACK BELT CLASS. All right...now we we were going to see some ACTION. This is what I had been waiting for....maybe not me doing it...but I was going to see the real deal. I remember how impressed I was to see a floor with nothing but BLACK BELTS. I was salivating with anticipation as they lined up (like we did in our school)...bowed in (like we did in our school)...and then proceeded to to the same...basic kicks, punches, and blocks and kata (that we did at our school). NOW WAIT A MINUTE. Didn't they already LEARN that stuff. Why were they going over those KARATE BABY STEPS AGAIN? ANSWER: Because you never get away from the BASICS...the FOUNDATION.

The first photo is on the wall at Bill Taylor's Bushido School of Karate. It is there to remind us...it is all about FOUNDATIONS. Everything we learn rises and falls of the BASICS. Get the BASICS down...and everything else will fall into place. If you try the TECHNIQUE without proper STANCES and proper POSTURE...you get sloppy, ineffective TECHNIQUE. You can also have proper grounding with your stances...but if you are leaned over...looking down at the ground...shoulders too high/tense/tight with no relaxation...that will also throw off your technique. But with proper alignment....from top to bottom....you are able to execute with precision. NOTE: I am still learning new things from the FIRST BASIC KATA. When the current master of our style (Wado Ryu) came over from Japan and held a seminar at our school...he spent over an hour...leading us through junzuki...a BASIC moving forward punch. We had learned this at White Belt...and we were still learning in advanced classes. For more information about Wado Ryu Karate or Bill Taylor's Bushido School of Karate go to:

www.bskonline.com



This same principle applies in our Christian walk. We want the fireworks...the hoopla...the miracles...the big stuff. We want the DEEP THINGS OF GOD....we want the MEAT OF THE WORD. We even get frustrated and church hop...going from church to church...because we don't feel we are getting what we need. We develop and arrogance towards those who are walking out their faith...daily...doing the basics.

RECOMMENDED READING: The Spirit-Filled Believer's Handbook by Derek Prince. This is a series formerly know as THE FOUNDATION SERIES. It is based on the ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES about Christ found in Hebrews 6:1-2...the BASICS...the MILK OF THE WORD.

The writer of Hebrews has indicated that many have become DULL OF HEARING. The expectation was that these believers...by this time...should be TEACHERS...but they had need for someone to teach them the ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE ORACLES OF GOD. (Hebrews 5:12). The writer underscores this by saying that they have come to need MILK...and not the MEAT or SOLID FOOD. (Hebrews 5:12). Everyone who partakes ONLY of MILK is not accustomed to the WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS....for he is a babe. (Hebrews 5:13) The next verse starts with the word BUT (in contrast to baby milk drinkers)...MEAT/SOLID FOOD is for the MATURE...who because of PRACTICE have their SENSES TRAINED to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14) The writer then starts chapter 6 with the word THEREFORE (in reference to what we just read...always see what therefore is there for by referring back to what was just said). LEAVING the elementary teaching about the Christ let us PRESS on to MATURITY...not laying again a FOUNDATIONS OF:

1. Repentance from dead works
2. Faith towards God
3. Doctrine/instruction about washings/baptisms (plural)
4. Laying on of hands
5. Resurrection of the dead
6. Eternal judgement

WOW....these are the basics...the milk...and we are to LEAVE THESE? Something does not jive with me. Well...I personally don't believe that the writer means that we are just to leave these things in the dust...since we have learned everything we know that we need to know about them...much like we learn the BASICS in karate...but we never...ever...leave them...BUT build on them...they are the foundational moves...so are these 6 things the FOUNDATIONAL MOVES FOR US.

Hmmmm...MILK...versus....MEAT. I remember one time...the disciples came to Jesus who was ministering to the woman at the well...and they tried to get Him to EAT SOME FOOD...EAT SOME MEAT (sorry PETA). Jesus declared what MEAT WAS..when He stated...

"My MEAT/FOOD is to (1) DO THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME...and to...(2) ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK.

I believe...that the MILK is the BASICS....the MEAT...is OBEDIENCE as we DO THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENDS US...and we ACCOMPLISH HIS WORKS. We don't discarded the milk...and we don't only just drink the milk (constantly just read about it)...but we DO the MILK...and it becomes the MEAT. For example...the MILK would be to forgive those who do you wrong...bless those who curse you...and those who despitefully use you. The MEAT is to FORGIVE. I constantly go back to REPENTANCE (having a change of heart, mind, attitude, direction)...I constantly direct my faith towards God...I constantly go back to the day I went under the waters as a watergrave where my old man lays and I was raised to walk in newness of life...I constantly flow in the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a witness to the power of God in my life...I lay my hands on many people as I identify with what they are going through and identify that His touch can heal them of depression, oppression, possession...I constantly look back to His Resurrection with great hope of my Resurrection...and I know that I will experience and eternal judgement based on things I do...for rewards...and based on Jesus the only way that I can escape judgement of my sins. I DON'T DO AWAY WITH THESE THINGS....I build my life on them...and live life based on them.

Of course anyone who reads these Ramblings knows that we always get back to the ULTIMATE BASICS...the D. B.R....NOTHING MORE NOTHING LESS. We are always rooted and grounded to the mercy and grace of the bloody cross...as the DEATH (in our place)...the BURIAL (laid to rest)...and Resurrection
(because He was raised...I'm raised)...NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS (I can not bring anything to the table except that I accept and received what satisfies God.). That is the nature of PROPITIATION (the substitute and satisfaction of the D.B.R.

This is based on grace (unmerited favor, free gift, the divine touch in my heart manifested in my life) and not based on anything that I have done in righteousness (Titus 3:5/Ephesians 2:8-10)

This is the nature of the GOSPEL/GOOD NEWS:

"Now I make known to you, brethren...the GOSPEL which I PREACHED to you...which you also RECEIVED , in which also you STAND...by which also you are SAVED...if you HOLD FAST the word which I preached to you as of first importance what I also receive (1) that Christ died for you according to the Scriptures (2) and that He was buried (3) that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY...

Well...there ya have it...THE BASICS. Whether you are doing triple spinning back kick...or just walking out your faith...it is all about the BASICS.

To be MATURE...to dine at the table with a big juicy RIB EYE...THE MEAT OF THE WORD....you have to be able...to DO THE MILK. Never thing you are so MATURE...that you can by-pass things like making Christ the Center of your live...not reading the Word of God...not praying...not obeying the Word...not having fellowship with other believers and not sharing your faith.

You may think you are walking in the DEEP...but you are treading in the SHALLOW END OF THE POOL.



Love and BASIC KISSES
Rodney "Hmmm...How Did He Do That Kick" Boyd