Are You Ready for Some Football?

Isaiah 40:3-5

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2040%3A3-5&version=NIV;NLT

 

Football is in the air. High school, college and NFL teams are all preparing for the beginning of their fall season. But preparations began much earlier. The same is true for the Big Ten Network (BTN). They began preparing for the first game of the fall a long time ago.

 

For example, during the month of April each school’s spring game is televised. Then in late July, the two-day Big Ten Media Days are on the air for hours at a time. Once the Media Days are over, programming is peppered with previous years’ regular season games, bowl games and special programs. Finally, for three weeks in August, BTN airs their Bus Tour of fall practices for every school.

 

All of this is to prepare us, the fans, for the season to begin; to get us hyped up! Are you ready for some football?

 

³ Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting, “Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland
    for our God! ⁴ Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten

the curves, and smooth out the rough places.          NLT

 

In ancient times, when eastern monarchs would set out on an expedition, they deployed advanced workers who would prepare the way for the monarch. Like Isaiah describes, they would build a road that was worthy of their king.

 

When he wrote this, Isaiah likely had in mind the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. For us, we normally think of it as a reference to John the Baptist preparing people for the Messiah to arrive.

 

The bigger picture is that God is always at work in our lives. He is always “clearing the way through the wilderness for the Lord”.  He is constantly at work preparing our hearts, our circumstances, our relationships and our experiences to bring us closer to Him and to serve Him with a devoted heart.

 

When I say “always”… I mean “ALWAYS”! You think BTN spends a lot of time and money to prepare you for football season? God does eternally more to prepare you for Him!

 

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link with others.)

http://lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We Believe

Revelation 22:1-6

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+22&version=NIV;NLT

 

 

When I was in college and had a big test looming in front of me, I would play a mind game to help me get through the difficult time of studying. I just kept telling myself, “Don’t think about the test. Think about when the test will be over.” I don’t know that this helped my grades any, but it did help relieve the stress.

 

John wrote Revelation from the island of Patmos which was likely a Roman penal colony. He was sent there because of his Christian beliefs and witness. In fact, during those days, many Christians were being persecuted because they refused to worship Caesar as Lord. Those were very difficult times for believers.

 

In part, Revelation was written as an encouragement to those believers experiencing

first-hand the wrath of the Roman authorities. John pointed them to what lay beyond the persecution; beyond the test of life on earth. For believers today, he points to the Tree of Life; to Eden restored.

 

If you think of it, what John did was similar to what I did in college; to look beyond the pain and suffering of the here and now. Clearly, there is no comparison between the pain and suffering that the first century believers endured and me taking a test. But the principle is the same; look past the immediate trials to the end.

 

You may not be going through persecution or taking a test, but you may be experiencing other trials. Maybe a loved one has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer; maybe you didn’t get the promotion you deserved or you were fired or the daily grind of work is a burden; maybe you struggle with an addiction or someone in your family does; maybe you deal with depression or a mental illness.  

 

Whatever your struggle is, John is telling you that ultimately, victory is waiting for you. The New Eden is at the end of the road, where living in His presence and seeing the

face of God will be your daily reward.

 

In 2013, the Newsboys released a song titled, We Believe. The final words of the song are, “We believe he’s coming back again”. That’s what John wrote to the believers in the first century, and to us in the 21^st century.

 

If you have a moment, listen to the song and see if it doesn’t give you the Hope to make it through your temporal trials.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjZ01FcK0yk

 

 

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link with others.)

http://lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk to the Hand

Psalm 65:1-5

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalms%2065%3A1-5&version=NIV;NLT

  

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you felt like they were just not listening to you? Maybe they reminded you of the saying from the 90’s - “Talk to the hand”.

 

Years ago, I had a boss who when he walked into my office, he would look out the window. I think he was listening to me, but I couldn’t tell for sure because he wasn’t looking at me. Instead, he was looking at the sky or a squirrel or the dirty window.

 

Truth be told, we are all guilty of the same thing at one time or another. But on those occasions when we feel like someone is really listening to us and sincerely cares, we feel closer to them; we want to hang out with that person; we want to hear what they have to say. Why? Because we feel valued and loved.

 

In Old Testament times, the Tabernacle courts were where God’s presence resided. The

tribe of Levi was chosen to serve in the Tabernacle, which is to say that they were in the presence of God more than anyone else.

 

⁴ Blessed are those you choose

    and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
    of your holy temple.        NIV

 

As a result of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, anyone who believes in him and follows him, has constant access to him. It’s like living in the Temple courts 24/7/365. Indeed, “we are filled with the good things of his house”.

 

And even though being in the presence of God makes us more aware of our sin, we can also be assured that He forgives us. There is nothing we have done or will do that He will not forgive; that will prevent us from being in His presence.

 

⁵ You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
    O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
    even those who sail on distant seas.   NLT

 

When you pray, you’re not talking to the hand. You’re talking to the Living God. Nothing can keep you from him. He is always there, always listening; always hearing; always answering. He’s never too busy or preoccupied or lost in thought. All you have to do is talk to him. And then listen for his response.

 

  

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link with others.)

http://lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blind Side

1 John 3:16-20

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%203%3A16-20&version=NIV;NLT;MSG

 

¹⁶ This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves.      MSG

 

One of my favorite movies is Blind Side. It’s the story of a wealthy white couple that adopts an adolescent black boy who is from a very poor background. Although he eventually played in the National Football League, before being befriended by this family, his odds of ever overcoming his life circumstances were virtually zero.

 

The adoptive family went out of their way to help this young man who was homeless, by first providing him a place to stay for the night and eventually adopting him as a part of the family. The bottom line was that someone noticed him, believed in him, loved him and sacrificed for him.

 

Jesus spoke about this kind of love when he said, “love your neighbor as yourself”. He

then explained through the story of the Good Samaritan, that our “neighbor” is defined as anyone in need that we are aware of. He doesn’t give us any disclaimers to justify excluding anyone.

 

^18-20 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living, truly living, in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.     MSG

 

Henry David Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to the grave with the song still in them." How depressing; but when you show love to another person, you are affirming their dignity; their value; their purpose for living, and at the same time affirming your own.

 

What would you be willing to sacrifice for a homeless adolescent? For someone leading a life of quiet desperation? For the guy who cut you off in traffic? For the person who stepped over you to get the promotion instead of you? For the prostitute on the street? For the sexual offender in your neighborhood?

 

Who is your neighbor?

 

 

 

Other passages that relate to this topic of sacrificial love:

Romans 5:7

John 10:11-12         
Matthew 25:31-46

 

 

(If God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link with others.)

http://lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com/