Post by Zac Loh on Jan 29, 2007 12:33:57 GMT -5
Tic Tac Toe is a simple game in which one player marks down only X's and another only O's, each alternating in filling in any of the nine compartments of a figure formed by two vertical lines crossed by two horizontal lines, the winner being the first to fill in three marks in any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row (definition taken from Dictionary.com).
I am sure many of us have played tic tac toe while we were kids. It was one of the first games I played - simply because it was the most inexpensive and easiest. All I needed was a rough paper or any used paper, and a pencil. And then, I only had to draw two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. We played during breaks in classes especially when we were monitored for making noise. We played it while waiting for the school bus. We drew it on the sand using our fingers. At other times, we used fallen branches, and drew it on the flat muddy ground after a downpour. This was a time when computer games were not common for children like us.
As a Christian, there is a TIC TAC TOE acronym that I use. It’s a game, but a real game of life.
Trust God and all His promises – completely.
Inaction or non-compliance – of the truth within me when I know it – is not acceptable regardless of how I think, conceptualize, formulate, write, talk, teach or preach.
Compromise... absolutely and acutely… no! (This is loud and clear.) (Grace does not include compromise. In fact, I will ask for grace so as not to compromise.)
Touchiness is something I am to refrain from (for positive effects to happen in my life!)
Awareness lost, will be my downslide.
Continuity (the lack of): I must pay careful attention to it.
Tardiness, this I will fight.
Obsession, this I will fight.
Excessiveness, this I must avoid.
Trust God and all His Promises - Completely
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
`Through the knowledge of Him' comes from an intimacy and closeness of relationship with Him, an experience of Him.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. (1 John 5:4)
Inaction or Non-Compliance – Not Acceptable
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (Hebrews 2:1-3)
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:11-16)
Compromise... absolutely and acutely… no
nor give place to the devil. (Ephesians 4:27)
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Touchiness is something I am to refrain from
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; (Hebrews 12:15)
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:4-5)
Awareness lost, will be my downslide
and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:26)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Continuity (the lack of): I must pay attention to it
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, (Hebrews 3:14)
Tardiness, this I will fight
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. (Hebrews 3:7-9)
Obsession, this I will fight
But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? (1 Corinthians 5:11-12)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
Excessiveness, this I must avoid
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:1-3)
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:14-17)
I am sure many of us have played tic tac toe while we were kids. It was one of the first games I played - simply because it was the most inexpensive and easiest. All I needed was a rough paper or any used paper, and a pencil. And then, I only had to draw two vertical lines and two horizontal lines. We played during breaks in classes especially when we were monitored for making noise. We played it while waiting for the school bus. We drew it on the sand using our fingers. At other times, we used fallen branches, and drew it on the flat muddy ground after a downpour. This was a time when computer games were not common for children like us.
As a Christian, there is a TIC TAC TOE acronym that I use. It’s a game, but a real game of life.
Trust God and all His promises – completely.
Inaction or non-compliance – of the truth within me when I know it – is not acceptable regardless of how I think, conceptualize, formulate, write, talk, teach or preach.
Compromise... absolutely and acutely… no! (This is loud and clear.) (Grace does not include compromise. In fact, I will ask for grace so as not to compromise.)
Touchiness is something I am to refrain from (for positive effects to happen in my life!)
Awareness lost, will be my downslide.
Continuity (the lack of): I must pay careful attention to it.
Tardiness, this I will fight.
Obsession, this I will fight.
Excessiveness, this I must avoid.
Trust God and all His Promises - Completely
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3-4)
`Through the knowledge of Him' comes from an intimacy and closeness of relationship with Him, an experience of Him.
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6)
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. (1 John 5:4)
Inaction or Non-Compliance – Not Acceptable
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, (Hebrews 2:1-3)
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:11-16)
Compromise... absolutely and acutely… no
nor give place to the devil. (Ephesians 4:27)
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Touchiness is something I am to refrain from
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; (Hebrews 12:15)
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:4-5)
Awareness lost, will be my downslide
and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:26)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
Continuity (the lack of): I must pay attention to it
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7)
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, (Hebrews 3:14)
Tardiness, this I will fight
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25)
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. (Hebrews 3:7-9)
Obsession, this I will fight
But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? (1 Corinthians 5:11-12)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
Excessiveness, this I must avoid
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (Romans 12:1-3)
Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:14-17)