The establishing of rules to any game is necessary for the defining of that game. They are to let you know what game you are playing. The rules to baseball are not the rules to basketball; it’s as simple as that. The rules define the game and they also make the game playable. It is impossible to play a game without rules. Finally, the rules also make the game enjoyable. As you can see the rules are very important for a game’s existence. Now, my question is this: What are we to do when those who enforce the rules become corrupt? I am talking of the recent NBA scandal of the referee who, because of his gambling problem, began to “shade” points that ultimately affected the outcome of the game. How will the NBA players ever trust another referee? The investigation is still in its infancy yet the black cloud of doubt has been cast and it will affect everyone involved with the game of basketball. This referee was entrusted with a set of rules that he was asked to enforce and because of his own personal sin, he has affected millions of lives. Granted, we are talking about those who watch NBA basketball but nonetheless, most of these folks will (if they continue to watch) watch their basketball under a cloud of distrust. Who can enjoy that? Now, I don’t believe that this will cause the downfall of the NBA, but I bet they take a hit financially next season. All because of one man who didn’t hold the rules of the game in high regard.
Remember, the rules of the game are established to define the game, to make the game playable, and finally, to make the game enjoyable. God gave us His laws so that we could define life, live life, and make life enjoyable. He has also entrusted us with His very Words. Do you know what happens when people who call themselves Christians, do not hold those “rules” in high regard and break them? It throws a black cloud of distrust in the lives of those who are affected by it. Our own “personal sin” cannot remain personal because we are in the “game” of life. In other words; that referee wouldn’t have affected the millions involved in basketball if he would have kept his gambling outside the realm of basketball. We don’t have that luxury; we cannot remove ourselves from the realm of life. And since everyone who is living, lives within that realm, it is possible that many, many lives can be affected by our “personal sin.” Also, I am wondering; could the sin of God’s people cast a shadow of doubt in the existence of a good and holy God? When people say they believe in God and yet break His rules for living, I believe that that is a bigger miscarriage of justice than anything that that NBA referee did. Come on Christian, let’s hold God’s Word in the highest regard and define what life really is and make it as enjoyable as possible! God is faithful and He will help us!

How many times have we heard this? How many times have you spoken this? How many times have you pondered upon its reality? Jesus is coming! What will life be like when Jesus is with us twenty-four/seven? Do you think there will be any changes? What about guns? I am not an advocate of gun control but I can make a good educated guess here; there won’t be any guns in Heaven. There goes all the hunting. And what about fishing? I wonder if there will be fish that will have to give up their lives for my enjoyment, or even my consumption? I really enjoy a good steak too, but something tells me that though cows may be here now to meet that need, they won’t do that in the age to come. Clothes? Now there is a topic that preachers don’t touch. I don’t think there will be any hiked-up hemlines or low cut tops. And listen, guys, I know that you buy those T-shirts one size too small! Do we dress with the attitude, “I really look good in this” ? Do you remember what Paul said to Timothy? “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety…” Well guys, that’s for us too! My point is this: When Jesus comes back and we begin the new age of eternity, I do not think that some of the things that we now enjoy, think important, or even those things that we find are “just the way things are,” will continue to be as we now perceive them. I like sports just as much as the next person, yet I cannot believe that the “spirit of competition” that we now experience will be experienced in Heaven. The food we eat, the clothes we wear and the things that we now enjoy will all be changed when Christ Jesus rules in His kingdom.

Now, don’t misunderstand. I don’t believe that God begrudges us the legitimate pleasures of this age. Pleasure is a gift from God, but like all gifts, pleasure should be seen for what it is rather than making pleasure an end to itself. The gift should always point us to the Giver. For example, since I enjoy the steak that is on my plate and I find great pleasure in eating it, my eyes should be focused on God. My heart should be thankful to Him and my mind should be attentive to His counsel. If I begin to look at the steak and seek the pleasure that comes from it, then I will seek that pleasure as often as I can. Then what Solomon said will come true; “If you find honey, eat just enough- too much of it, and you will vomit.”

When I truly get my eyes on the Giver rather than the gift I find myself enjoying the pleasure of that gift much more. I also find that moderation seems to be better than the extreme. You know what I mean. Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomachs. We want to “super-size” that banana split. Well, let me tell you that I have super-sized them and after I ate it I didn’t even look at a banana split for years! One of the things that I am excited about (as far as going to Heaven and seeing God) is I will learn a new way of living that will be seen as the most perfect way. I will understand the blessing that comes with moderation and propriety. I will see a new motivation of why I do the things I do, from dressing and eating to sports or whatever. One thing is for sure, Jesus is coming and I just can’t wait!

Last Monday I had the opportunity to play billiards with our very own Bryant Miller. And guess what? That young man knows how to shoot pool! Bryant and his friend Nate came over for a couple of hours and we had a really good time. When I was watching them both shoot, I noticed that they both had great potential to be good pool shooters. Bryant has an “eagle eye” and a confident strike. Nate has an unbelievable touch. Now understand that these young fellows are only thirteen years old and haven’t had much experience around a pool table. I gave them a few pointers and tried to help without turning our day into some kind of “pool camp” for beginners. What I’m trying to say is that, given the right instruction and more experience, these boys can develop into good players who would truly enjoy the game. I began playing at a very young age and have now owned my own table for close to thirty years. I can hold my own and even win a few games in the process. It’s a fun game and I get a lot of enjoyment from it. Now, I realize that some may say, “Listen Pastor, What does this have to do with anything spiritual or in the grand scheme of things?” If you can’t see it, I’m sorry, but I can’t take time to explain it to you now. Suffice it to say, there is potential in us all, and all of us have potential! You can quote me on that About twelve years ago, Robin and I were holding a service up in Mansfield Prison. It happen to be the weekend of their arts and crafts show and after service we were invited to view all of the entrees. Wow! What talent! From paintings and drawings to sculptures and statues. Those guys had talent! But alas, it was all for naught. None of their talent could buy them what they really wanted –their freedom. I thought to myself, “If only their potential could have been developed before they went down the wrong road. How many Rembrandts became just a number in the penal system? Oh, what a tragedy. But let me share with you a bigger tragedy, one that effects eternity. I see people every day with great spiritual potential. I say to myself, “Boy, what would they be like if they would give their lives over to the Lord?” And closer to home; “What would they be like if they only put into practice what I’ve been trying to teach them.” Please don’t mis- understand. I am not saying that I am some great Christian that will leave a legacy of Christ-like influence for years after my death. But I have been a Christian for twenty-two years and I do know a little something about the Word of God. I see potential in people, potential to be stronger Christians, living stronger lives. You see, just as I believed that I could instruct Bryant and Nate to become better pool players, more importantly, I see that these young men have potential to become good strong Christian disciples. My prayer is for all of us to not only see the potential in ourselves but in others as well. I believe that we all can reach that great potential of a Christ-like life because… “Greater is he that lives in you than he who is in the world!”

Last Wednesday I was watching the news when the Mayor of Los Angeles made his announcement that he and his wife were divorcing. He had admitted to being unfaithful to her through an extra-marital affair with a newspaper reporter. During his announcement he said that he thought that the citizens of the city would understand and that this situation would not hurt his chances for re-election. He said that he had kept the promises of his previous campaign platform and that was important to the people –that a politician keeps his promises. O, yeah? What about the promises he made to his wife when they appeared together at the marriage altar? Why should the people of L.A. think that he would keep the promises to them, when it has become evident that he couldn’t keep them to his wife and children? Do politicians think we are stupid? I think they do. Do you remember the one who said that his private life didn’t affect the performance of his public office? He even had us questioning the definition of the word “is”, and what is defined as sexual relations.

Faithfulness and commitment to any cause relies on the inner character of the person not on the extenuating circumstances of the situation. Or to put it another way, when we make promises it will be our character that keeps us faithful to those promises not the circumstances outside of ourselves. For instance, a man and wife are married. They have vowed to be faithful to one another. One of them commits adultery. Does that excuse the other to commit the same sin? Just because one spouse breaks the marriage vow does not justify the other to do the same. What is it that keeps the faithful spouse from committing the same sin? Their character! In the Army, we call a soldier who breaks his promise a deserter. In Christianity we call it backsliding and hypocrisy. But in today’s world, the “powers that be” expect us to believe that a man’s character means nothing when it comes to public service. But let me ask you this: Would you mind if a teacher, who has admitted to pedophile urges, teach your child? But what if he told you that his personal life did not affect his public service? Would that ease your worry? If I were an owner of a shop, I wouldn’t hire a liar and a thief to be my accountant. It should be the same for our public servants in Washington and other governments. If these men cannot be true to their families, how can we expect them to be true to us? Thank God we have a Savior who is faithful with the perfect character to remain faithful!

When Robin and I were first called to full-time ministry I used to work with a fellow minister in construction. We were building a two-car garage with an apartment above it. One day while my friend was using a nail gun, he shot a 16-penny nail through his hand. He quickly pulled it out and used my handkerchief to stop the bleeding. We went on working and I told him he could keep the handkerchief - Now, seventeen years later while working at Patt’s, I witnessed John do the same thing. He had cut his finger on a piece of scrap metal. He had Tyler help him tie a piece of handkerchief around the cut and continued working –the job had to get done. Now, both of these guys would tell you that it was nothing and maybe, relatively speaking, they are right. Think of the many soldiers who, though injured, finished their duty and accomplished their mission. Men and women of resolve, committed to the cause of freedom have fought their way through diverse circumstances so the objective could be completed. I think we hold a lot of respect for those who disregard their own personal safety and comfort for the sake of the cause.

There is no one who showed us more tenacity and resolve in His fight for the objective than Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He was given no “silver spoon” when He was born. He grew up in poverty and had to work as a carpenter. He had no beauty or majesty and nothing in His appearance that should attract us to Him. When He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, men considered Him stricken and smitten by God. He was pierced for our transgressions and crushed by our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was laid upon Him. He often went without sleep for there was no place to lay His head. Jesus was arrested on a Thursday and had undergone the most humiliating night anyone ever experienced at the hand of man. The next morning, His physical tortures were continued and more severe. Someone was forced to carry His cross because His crucifiers thought He was going to die along the way. But He wasn’t going to die along the way. He had an objective and He was committed to that objective. Even while He was on the cross, after all the physical torture and pain that He endured, He was still thinking normal and resolved to complete the objective. Look at what John says, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.” What was Jesus’ objective; fulfilling the Scriptures!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” The race that is marked out for us is the same race (objective) that was marked out for Jesus –and that is- fulfilling the Scriptures within our lives.