The NFL playoffs are in full swing. Are you even paying attention? The Houston Texans are sitting at home watching the New Orleans Saints and maybe wishing they had drafted Reggie Bush. If you are a fan of the Texans, you have yet to experience the elation of the playoffs.
On the other hand, if you are a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, you are well versed in playoff frenzy. Every year you expect Dallas to go deep into the playoffs and vie for the Super Bowl (maybe you, like a few members in my church expect to win the Super Bowl every year). But… this won’t be their year, as you can now attest. In fact, you may still be wearing black to work every day and may still be in mourning for your beloved ‘Boys. Most fans can’t believe it happened the way it did. For those who don’t know… the Cowboys only needed a very short field goal to defeat the Seattle Seahawks two weeks ago with a few seconds left on the clock. The field goal unit trotted onto the field with little doubt that the kick would win the game and they would move forward in the playoffs. But, something happened on the way to the victory party! Starting quarterback Tony Romo also is the place holder for the kicker. He catches the snap and places the ball down on the ground as the kicker boots it through the uprights. On this particular play, he dropped the ball!!! He has practiced hundreds of times and this hasn’t happened all season, but it happened then… he dropped the ball! He failed to score and the game is history and Seattle moved on to face and lose to the Chicago Bears,
Do you think Tony Romo will be back next year? Will he be cut or traded for his debacle? Do you think they will ever let him hold the ball again… or play quarterback? Can they ever trust him again? I think the Cowboys will move on and forgive Romo and he will continue in his duties. I also think that Romo will bounce back from this failure and he will become a better player in the long run.
Matthew 22:39 says that the second greatest commandment, the first being to love God, is to love your neighbor as yourself. In other words, put yourself in another person’s position. Treat people the way that you want to be treated, love them as you want to be loved. Anyone who saw that football game saw many mistakes by Cowboy players besides Tony Romo. A missed block, a missed tackle, a dropped pass, or even a called play that failed can take some responsibility in the loss. Like many sports, football is a team game where individuals must rely on one another. Life is that way too, when we work together as a team, we can accomplish great things. We forgive the mistakes and give praise for the effort. How would you feel if you had dropped that ball? Some fans may have wanted to kill Romo, figuratively and, sadly literally. But, most fans will forgive and forget. Isn’t that the way you and I want to be treated? I think that is what God wants for His children. Why else would He have commanded it? God loves you!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Counterfeits of Christ
It seems like a long time ago, but when I was a kid, there were only three television channels to watch, ABC, CBS, and NBC. There was very little in the way of late night programming outside of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. The other two channels often carried television evangelists.
For a long time, “televangelists” were very well respected. Occasionally you would see a powerful, uplifting, spiritually charged Billy Graham crusade. On the other hand you might see a Rev. Ike plead weekly to send him money so you could receive “a lucky coin” (which was of no value of course).
During the 1980’s we had scandals that rocked the country. Both Rev. Jim Bakker and Rev. Jimmy Swagart were caught with women to whom they were not married and their ministries crumbled. Recently, Rev. Ted Haggard from Colorado, who was involved in national politics, was exposed for his behavior. It seems that the word “televangelist” has taken a beating and is often looked at with suspicion.
Successful televangelists have remembered not to get too caught up in the “celebrity” of it all. I am reminded that the first such evangelist in the New Testament was careful to point to Jesus as the real Savior, the One to be celebrated. His name was John the Baptist. In the gospel of John 1:19-27, John the Baptist was questioned by the crowds and Jewish leaders about his status. John did not hesitate to make it clear that he was “only the messenger” who was making the path clear for the Messiah, Jesus. John makes it unmistakable that he is merely a human who “baptizes with water” yet he is not even good enough to untie Jesus’ sandals. How easy it might have been for John to get caught up in his own celebrity. Suddenly a guy from the wilderness becomes popular as the crowds gathered to hear him. Even the leaders wanted to know if he was Elijah who had returned. John serves as a wonderful example for preachers and parishioners. We should never forget that we are to be the messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. There are people out there that simply want to sell us the next version of Christianity. It may be self-help, feel good entertainment, or even social/justice versions of faith, but anything other than Jesus, that is, the Jesus of the Bible, is counterfeit. The real Jesus is alive in the pages of the Bible, and through that text, you will know He is alive in the world as well. A relationship with Jesus is vitally important in a world that seeks to seduce you into believing that it’s all about you. That relationship is the only thing of real value in this whole universe.
For a long time, “televangelists” were very well respected. Occasionally you would see a powerful, uplifting, spiritually charged Billy Graham crusade. On the other hand you might see a Rev. Ike plead weekly to send him money so you could receive “a lucky coin” (which was of no value of course).
During the 1980’s we had scandals that rocked the country. Both Rev. Jim Bakker and Rev. Jimmy Swagart were caught with women to whom they were not married and their ministries crumbled. Recently, Rev. Ted Haggard from Colorado, who was involved in national politics, was exposed for his behavior. It seems that the word “televangelist” has taken a beating and is often looked at with suspicion.
Successful televangelists have remembered not to get too caught up in the “celebrity” of it all. I am reminded that the first such evangelist in the New Testament was careful to point to Jesus as the real Savior, the One to be celebrated. His name was John the Baptist. In the gospel of John 1:19-27, John the Baptist was questioned by the crowds and Jewish leaders about his status. John did not hesitate to make it clear that he was “only the messenger” who was making the path clear for the Messiah, Jesus. John makes it unmistakable that he is merely a human who “baptizes with water” yet he is not even good enough to untie Jesus’ sandals. How easy it might have been for John to get caught up in his own celebrity. Suddenly a guy from the wilderness becomes popular as the crowds gathered to hear him. Even the leaders wanted to know if he was Elijah who had returned. John serves as a wonderful example for preachers and parishioners. We should never forget that we are to be the messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. There are people out there that simply want to sell us the next version of Christianity. It may be self-help, feel good entertainment, or even social/justice versions of faith, but anything other than Jesus, that is, the Jesus of the Bible, is counterfeit. The real Jesus is alive in the pages of the Bible, and through that text, you will know He is alive in the world as well. A relationship with Jesus is vitally important in a world that seeks to seduce you into believing that it’s all about you. That relationship is the only thing of real value in this whole universe.
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