Being a follower of Jesus is a 7-day-a-week thing

Does God care who wins the Super Bowl? I remember Kurt Warner, former Cardinals quarterback's, answer to sportscaster Dan Patrick and it was good - God isn't so much concerned about the outcome of the game as He is about those who call on His name.  Warner opined that it was more important that Christians players, on and off the field, play the game and live their lives in such a way that the give glory and praise to God and are faithful to Him in all the times of their lives.

Warner went on to say that after he won his first Super Bowl. he thought his teams would win even more.  What better way for Warner to continue to testify about the goodness of God.  Instead, his team (the Rams) lost the second Super Bowl game they played in; Warner got hurt and was eventually picked up by the NY Giants; he became the starter but ended up on the bench behind Eli Manning; came to Arizona, started but then found himself on the bench again, backing up Matt Leinhart. 

Through those tough and disappointing experiences that Warner learn that he could still be a positive witness for Jesus Christ.  Because he handled adversity with unwavering faith, Warner heard from folks that his example had helped and inspired them.  Because Warner gave his all to his teams, even when he was not playing, other were encouraged to do the same.  And all the while, his testimony did not change.  It was clear to teammates, coaches, broadcasters and others that Christianity was a 7 day a week thing for Kurt Warner, not something he rolled out occasionally when times were easy and good.

I really appreciated Warner's testimony and it was obvious that Dan Patrick respected Warner for his honesty and his winsome style of speaking on behalf of Christ Jesus.  Christianity is not something we do on Sunday and then sit on a shelf for the the next six days.  Being a follower of Jesus is a 7 day a week thing.  It's remembering that we are His full time representatives.  And it's not a burden being so.  We are in partnership with the God who considered our salvation so important that He gave His one and only Son to be our Savior from sin, death and the devil.  God bless your witness as you share the love of Jesus with others this weekend!

Jesus, your ransom!

Dr. Jack Preus, writing in his book, "Just Words," notes that "Ransom is a word that evokes the marketplace, particularly the slave market.  The ransom was the price paid to purchase a servant or slave from indenture or slavery.  In this passage, Jesus saves that He came to be a servant, not to be served (Mark 10:45).  Jesus is playing all the roles.  He is the servant - perhaps it would be better to say slave - standing in our place.  He is the one who came to pay the price for securing the freedom of those in slavery.  And He is the price paid, the ransom required to secure the slaves' freedom.  Christ is everything in this transaction."

Do we need this ransom payment from Jesus? Absolutely! According to Proverbs 5:22, "The evil deed of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast."  Bondage to sin becomes our condition, our way of life.  In John 8:34, "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin'."  Unless we are somehow freed from this bondage to sin, our future is bleak; spiritual death and eternal separation from God is the fate we face.

But the apostle Paul brings good news! "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men." (1 Tim. 2:5-6)  The price to secure your freedom from sin, death and the devil has been fully paid! Rejoice in the Savior who gave His life as a ransom for you!

Hope for those grieving their sins

The Bible assures us that God never punishes His people for sins they have committed.  "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  But there is a direct connection between sin and death.  Sickness and death are constant reminders that we live in a sinful world, that the perfectedness of Eden is gone, that we personally need a Savior from sin.

Arno Wolfgram - The People's Bible - 1 Kings - page 121 - Northwestern Publishing House 

The verdict on the Last Day ahead of time

"And they lived happily ever after," is the way that most fairy tales end.  But we know that in real life, very few stories end a perfectly happy way.  But then I read the following from Gene Veith's blog on May 12, 2009.  Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ will experience a perfectly happy ending to their life - in fact, we don't even have to wait to the end to begin enjoying what we have right now!

Prof. John Pless quoted theologian Gerhard Forde on what absolution is: "The verdict of the Last Day ahead of time."  In other words, when we hear that we are forgiven in the Gospel, we are "getting the good news of the happy ending ahead of time."  (Pless quote)

A society that rejects divinely created order is in chaos

An insightful and spot-on comment from Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison, President of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."  This simple statement of the Declaration of Independence asserts a God, a Creator, and a self-evident truth.  In our postmodern context, many people no longer accept any such external constraints...It is no longer "self-evident" that marriage should be between a man and a woman.  While this is the most self-evident reality in all of history, it does make sense that the attack on natural law should be most intense over God's crowning creative set, that of creating mankind as male and female.  The postmodern individual will not tolerate limits to personal freedom.  Therefore, any natural knowledge of God must go.  Indeed, God must go! Yet a society that rejects divinely created order (reason!) is in chaos.

From his book, Christ Have Mercy, page 213

No doubts!

 God assures us that when we ask him for something, he will give it to us.  By doubting him, we make him a liar and contradict our own prayer.  By not believing him, we insult God truthfulness, the same truth we rely on him when we pray.  This is why we say the little word Amen at the end of our prayers.  We use it to express our firm, heartfelt faith.  It's like saying, "O God, I have no doubt that you will give me what I ask for in prayer.

Martin Luther, "Faith Alone," January 26

Luther on the value of the Lord's Prayer

Since this prayer has its source in the Lord, it has got to be undoubtedly the highest, noblest and best prayer, for were He to have known of a better one, this pious, faithful schoolmaster, He would have also taught it to us.

From "Lord's Prayer - Commentary on Luther's Catechisms" by Albrecht Peters, page 10