Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ
FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010 in South Africa
What if the world showed excitement for Christ?
With the FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010 fever ramping up in South Africa and so many people flocking to the country to share in the excitement of the games, the atmosphere in that country is almost electric.
People are wearing the colors of their favorite sports teams, painting their faces; the nationals are proudly displaying their national flags everywhere. The spirit of support for their country’s national soccer team ‘Bafana Bafana’ is seen from their clothing to their vehicles to their toys. The Malls are decorated, the streets are decorated, and people have a great sense of excitement and national pride. The joy and celebrations are everywhere and the whole atmosphere is quite infectious.
Soccer is a game invented by man, played by man and watched by man. There is nothing of any value gained after the games are done, except maybe the satisfaction of knowing that the team that you supported won. There can only be one team that walks away as the champion in the end.
But what if we as Christians were to celebrate Jesus Christ, like the world is celebrating the FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010?
One day we will have that chance, when Jesus comes back to this earth to bring his faithful followers home to be with him for eternity in Heaven.
Until then though, how are we celebrating the greatest news ever told and the greatest gift that the world has ever known?
Jesus showed us, his children, that to truly celebrate him, we have to believe that he came to this earth and is the Son of the Most High God. Then we needed to confess with our mouths that this is the truth.
(Matthew 10:32-33 32“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”)
Jesus told us that pure religion is to take care of the widows and the orphans, to seek justice for the oppressed and to release others from spiritual prison due to bondage to sin.
Pure Religion is also to love others as we love ourselves and to love and obey God with our whole hearts.
So in celebrating the fact that we have an eternity that is secure; God tells us through his word that the world will know his disciple by their love for one another.
What a better way to show the love that God has given us by finding ways to support the widows and orphans of this world. There are many different organizations around the world that are already doing this, partner with them today. Sign up to send a monthly donation to help a child and it’s family that is in need. In this way, we will be celebrating the love of God that he has lavished on us, and then we in turn can lavish it on others who are also in need of his great love.
In South Africa right now there are these noise makers (vuvezela’s) that everyone is blowing to show their support of the games. I have heard that in their enthusiasm for the games that are being played, these noise makers, (vuvezela’s) are being blown from early morning to late at night. Now that is what I would call support.
So it got me thinking about our walk with the lord and how we are celebrating our eternal gift, our Salvation. In the book of Proverbs it says that; we are wise if we tell others about God and bring as many to salvation as we possibly can.
We are told by God to go into the entire world and spread the good news that Jesus Christ came and died for our sins, so that we may be forgiven and be put back into right relationship with him again. When we boldly tell others about Jesus we are blowing our “trumpets that herald the great news of salvation to a very lost and dying world”.
We can blow our Spiritual vuvezela’s as we excitedly tell the world that our Heavenly Father is going to return soon and that they too can have eternal life. The enemy would love to convince us that we do not possess the gift of evangelism, but it is a lie. We all possess to one degree or another the gift of evangelism, as we are told by Jesus to tell the whole world that he loves them so very much.
It is not hard to show the world that Jesus came and died for them, all you have to do is to develop your own relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God. You will find that you have a love and concern for others around you and because of that great love you will be motivated to share the incredible gift of eternal salvation with others. It will flow out of you so naturally that you will be totally amazed. Do not allow the enemy to rob you of the joy of telling your neighbors through your words and actions that Jesus loves them too.
Another great thing that I saw the supporters of the FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010 had was their “dress”. They all donned the national team colors of whatever country that they were supporting. The South African colors are gold and green and it can be seen everywhere.
What colors are you wearing? The bible tells us that as Christians we get to trade in our filthy rags for robes of Righteousness. We are royalty now, as we have been adopted by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our robes tell God that we are now washed clean by the blood of Jesus and we can come into His throne room of Grace without fear as our sins have been forever pardoned.
Are you reflecting your new wardrobe to the world? Our new clothing reflects our new identity and whom we are supporting. As we have aligned ourselves with Jesus we are to turn from things that would lead us to death and instead embrace the fact that we are set apart and holy for God. I urge you brothers and sisters, to take stock of your life today and if there are things that are causing you to go into habitual patterns of sin, I urge you to repent and wear your new clothing that God has given you in a way that the world will be able to take notice of.
Wear your new clothes with a sense of identity, that you now identify yourself with God and his family, just like the supporters of the FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010, identify themselves with their favorite sports team.
Every thing that we do; that is a reflection of Christ Jesus is a celebration of the fact that one day, we will get to spend eternity in heaven with him. Where there will be no more crime, hatred, tears, and death, deception, heartache, cancer and war. There will be love and peace, joy and fulfillment.
I want to encourage you to celebrate your relationship with Jesus Christ as boldly as the people in South Africa are celebrating the FiFa World Cup Soccer 2010 right now. Reflect Jesus in every way, because it will give you a deep sense of satisfaction for your own soul and you will be Jesus’ hands and feet to a world that is in desperate need of an everlasting Hope and a Savior from their sin.
I pray that the Lord will bless you indeed as you pursposely reflect our Heavenly Father in your every day living.
God Bless
Filed under: Relflecting Jesus in your everyday life
So true – our lives might be the only bible some people ever read, it should reflect the fruit of our relationship with our Heavenly Father!
You are right when you say that our lives might be the only bible that people ever read, I am reminded of a quote from St Francis of Asisis,
He said “Preach the gospel always, use words if necessary” I have long since decided to put this particular quote into practice into my own life.
God bless you
Hello 🙂
Great article, really makes you think about your life and how we are displaying ourselves to the world. I have always heard that we should’nt care about what everyone else thinks about us but after reading this article I think that the opposite is true. We need to make sure that we are pure and a clean witness for our friends and family and others that we come in contact with in our lives.
Great article, very inspiring 🙂 Thank you 🙂
It has pleased the LORD GOD ALL MIGHTY to spread the knowledge of HIS UNFAILING LOVE AND HIS GRACE by the people who called on HIM in faith (faith which is in unity of heart mind and soul for a common purpose that is determination to get results and not faint in the way ). Those whom the LORD answered them HE also justified and filled with HIS HOLY SPIRIT to be his witnesses to all the people they rub shoulders with. Yes it is important to mind what people think but above all to be obedient to what God thinks and says for in there is fullness of joy.
thanks Brenda for the article. Great job! we need to be stirred up to be the light of this world.
Awesome article. It reminds me of an opportunity we have to show our faith in the community with faces, color, and flags…March for Jesus on June 20, 2010 at Calgary’s Millenium Park at 1:00. Lifting Jesus’ name boldly through the streets our our city.
Amen to that, I pray that there will be a great response for that, as christians bodly declare their stand and love for our precious Lord Jesus.
I have asked myself what it would look like if individually and as a church we worshipped as loudly and fervently as we cheer at a game for our favorite team? Sunday morning worship at church would be very different, wouldn’t it . . . ?