The children were playing with new toys and things,
Me with my electronics and mom with her new rings.
Still way too stuffed with all of the food that we ate,
We forgot all about yesterday’s all important date.

When out on the porch there arose such a clatter,
I dropped the remote & ran to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I looked out for a quick view
I peeped around the curtains as I oftentimes do.

The sun was brightly shining; just another new day,
“I hope the trash collectors get those boxes” I pray.
When what to my wondering eyes was in store
But a man with a Bible standing at my front door.

The man was friendly and smiling as pastors will do,
“I wonder if I might have a word with you?”
With an outstretched hand, I soon welcomed him in.
He didn’t waste time getting to the point in my den.

With Scripture and great kindness, He pointed it out
That the message of Christ’s birth it what it’s all about.
“And that should never be forgotten after the holiday”
It should ALWAYS be seen in what we do and we say.

His reminder seemed to strike a chord in my heart
I decided right then and there to make a fresh start.
From now on things’ll be different, I’ll remember it all
Long after December 25 I’ll still answer His call.

The message of Christmas will be seen through me,
That God gave His Son so we might live eternally.
Oh, just give me the words to speak with my voice,
Let the things that I do make my Savior rejoice.

The pastor’s eyes twinkled, his work was almost done.
He handed me some tracts that the lost might be won.
And then he challenged me, he challenged me still.
So lively and quick, he was a real pro at Bible drill,

“Now Matthew, now Mark, now Luke and John,
Peter, Andrew, and Paul – disciples every one.
Barnabas and Silas, their testimonies are true.
Well, Jimmy D. Brown, you’re a disciple too!”

He banged on the coffee table and it gave me a shock.
“To the ends of the earth! To the homes on your block!
Say it and show it, spring – summer – winter and fall.
Tell them about Jesus - Now go ye, go ye, go ye all!”

And with that, he headed out the door onto the stoop,
He whistled and smiled and gave a loud whoop!
He sprang to his car and he drove down the street,
There were many other homes and people to greet.

Then I heard him exclaim with great holiday cheer,
“Let’s celebrate Jesus EVERY day of the year!”

——

Jesus is THE reason for the season. Let’s celebrate Him every day of the year … in all we say and do.

Tell your friends and family about this page. Tell your friends and family about this Savior!

Copyright 2005 © Jimmy D. Brown and Benchmark Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce this poem, for any non-profit organization including churches , ministries and personal distribution

     She spoke with authority, which was appropriate since she was the absolute authority at the Sectionals tennis tournament my team was participating in.  The head referee was explaining the rules of play which would govern this tournament at a captain’s meeting, and she made it clear that her judgments were final.

     It was her parting words to us that evening that really struck a chord with me.  In speaking of “line calls”, she said, “If it’s 99% out, it’s 100% in.”  Meaning, if even a hint of the ball is in, you must call it in.  Even if most of the ball is out, it’s still in.  Even if all of the ball except for one tiny percentage point is out, it’s still in.

     This certainly went against the rule of thumb that most people I competed against went by:  “When in doubt, call it out!”

     She was, of course, right on target.  100% on target.

     As I reflected upon her comments, I realized that her words regarding honesty and truth aren’t limited to a tennis court.  In fact, our entire lives are to be measured by that same guideline:  if it’s 99% honest, it’s 100% dishonest;  if it’s 99% truthful, it’s 100% untruthful.

     Truth and honesty are often considered old-fashioned in our world of moral relativism.  Too many people live by the mantra, “when in doubt, call it out” as they say whatever works in their favor, even if it’s a bad call.

     “He’s not in the office”, she says as her boss listens just outside the door where he’s giving her the “Tell him I’m not here” sign.  99% honest = 100% dishonest.
     “We aren’t going to make it today … we’ve all been sick,” he explains knowing that their sickness while real is now over and has nothing to do with why they aren’t attending.  99% truthful = 100% untruthful.

      We use expressions like “It’s for their own good”, “I don’t want to hurt their feelings” and “I was afraid of what it might look like” to rationalize the percentage points that keep us from being completely honest.

     Yet the Absolute Authority of the universe demands truthfulness, in fact is the very essence of truth:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. (John 14:6)  His rule that governs the play of our lives is simple:  “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.” 

     Not even a percentage point.

     Liar is a tough label to remove once it’s attached.  Think about it, don’t you personally know someone that you have little or no confidence in what they tell you because of a history of “stretching the truth”, “exaggerating” or “downright lying”?

     It’s time for truth.  It’s time for us to call it like it really is.  It’s time for us to speak and deal honestly not because our hand is placed firmly on the Bible as we say, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”, but rather because our faith is place firmly in the Person of the Bible, Jesus Christ!

     We need to be men and women of integrity, even when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient or costly.  People who share the 100% truth.  Share it in love, but share it purely.

     There’s no room in the life of a Christian for dishonesty. 

     Not even a percentage point.

- 1 Timothy 6:17

    On most mornings I spend about thirty minutes prayer walking a trail that winds through the woods and down to a lake near my home.  Before heading out for this time of refreshing with the Lord, I usually ask my wife and son if they have any prayer requests or praise reports for me to bring before our Heavenly Father.

    One morning I asked Jacob, who was eight at the time, the usual question.  He noted, after briefly looking up from his coloring sheet, that he didn’t have any requests that day.  I resisted the urge to say, “Maybe you should pray that you can keep your crayons within the lines!” and instead asked, “Do you have anything that I can thank God for this morning.”

    Again, there was a brief look up at me.  This time it was between changing crayons.  I’m still not sure why North America is hot pink, but that’s a different story.  His reply once more was a short one.  He said simply, “Thank God that we get to do all kinds of stuff.”

    This was one of those times that I normally would have regarded as a teaching moment.  One of those times when I stop and explain to my as yet inexperienced little boy that we need to put more time and thought into talking with God instead of approaching it as an interruption with no real significance.  But there was something about the way he said it that just made me reconsider.

    He kind of smiled as he saw me jot down this entry on my prayer list under the heading “Thanks”:  “That we get to do all kinds of stuff”.  Partly in fun, partly to show him that we can talk with God about anything and everything, I added it to the list and went on my way.

    Little did I know that those simple words of a child had such huge implications.  As I started walking down the road to the trailhead, the phrase “all kinds of stuff” began to come to life before my eyes.  I started thinking things like this…

* We get to come home to a wonderful house and neighborhood in which we live.

* We get to barbecue, play tennis, fellowship, go to church and share our faith with neighbors.

* We get to order pizza today for the family of a neighbor who was recently severely injured in a car wreck.

* We get to play with our dog, Sparky in our big backyard full of trees.

* We get to use that RV that’s parked out back to go explore the great outdoors.

* We get to play basketball, toss a football, jump on the trampoline, and play board games together.

* We get to eat delicious meals, enjoy hot showers, sleep in comfy beds, and watch entertaining movies together.

    Hmmm.  Maybe Jacob wasn’t so wrong in his simple praise.  I continued meditating…

* We get to open our eyes and see, use our ears to hear, and experience other senses that are working properly to taste, smell and feel.

* We get to walk, move, jump, run, stretch, ride bikes and generally move the working parts of our bodies.

* We get to use our minds to think, make decisions, form opinions, and express ideas.

* We get to hug each other and hold hands and snuggle and kiss.

* We get to enjoy a cool breeze, watch a beautiful sunset, listen to birds chirping, smell honeysuckle in bloom and experience the beauty of God’s creation.

    I started getting excited.  Really excited!  We get to do all kinds of stuff!!  Stuff like…

* We get to visit beaches and mountains, lakes and rivers, forests and canyons.

* We get to play mini-golf and go bowling and read books and shoot fireworks.

* We get to go to museums and musicals, fishing holes and baseball fields, golf courses and shopping malls.

* We get to enjoy ice cream, apple pie, chocolate cake, cheese dip, pizza and other goodies.

* We get to swim in pools and lakes, cook hot dogs and smores over the fire, have snowball fights and build snowmen, drink a cup of cold lemonade or hot chocolate.

* We get to see babies born, people born again, couples unite in marriage, friends succeed, family members reach goals and milestones.

    Could it be that we forget we get to do all kinds of stuff?!! 

* We get to enjoy the company of a good friend, reunite with family members and foster new relationships with acquaintances and strangers.

* We get to comfort each other during trials, struggle together instead of alone during hardships, and help each other accomplish things we could never do alone.

* We get to go to work and make a living, relax when the work is done, use the funds to meet our needs and wants as well as those of others.

* We get to buy surprise gifts, send out “just because” greeting cards, send encouraging emails, and generally do “acts of kindness” for those all around us.   

* We get to go to birthday parties and reunions, baptisms and potluck dinners, tailgate events and grand openings.

* We get to celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter and more, as well as the seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

    My little 8 year old knows so much more than me sometimes.  He probably didn’t realize the broadness of what he said when he uttered those words, but he was right on target with the full weight of them!

* We get to worship God and pray to Him and serve Him and appreciate Him.

* We get to read the Word of God and watch it do an amazing work in our lives to comfort us, encourage us, guide us, convict us, discipline us and help us through every day.

* We get to go on mission trips across town and across the country and across the globe.

* We get to give our tithe and present offerings and devote our time to the Kingdom.

* We get to pray and share our faith and be a witness and shine our lights before all men.

* We get to attend church and serve in children’s ministry and participate in Sunday School.

* We get to sing and clap and raise our hands and shout Hallelujah to the King of Kings.

* We get to go to heaven someday and spend eternity with the One who made it all possible.

    Surely I could go on and on and on.    Every moment of our lives is to be cherished.  We may not drive around in a Rolls Royce or live in a Beverly Hills mansion or stay in Five Star hotels, but we have much - much! - to be thankful for.  Instead of griping and complaining about things we don’t have or don’t like, why not take inventory of just how blessed we really are?

    Yes, most definitely, without question, my 8 year old said it best:

    “Thank you God, that we get to do all kinds of stuff!”

    One morning during a recent trip I got up to work out in the fitness center of the hotel we were staying in.  As I got on the treadmill, I noticed something interesting.

    The treadmill had increments of incline from 0% (which is level) all the way up to 15% (which is like walking up a steep hill).  I immediately thought, “Well, there’s no way I’ll ever be using the 15%, that’s for sure!”

    So, I started out at 1% grade, walking slowly to warm up.  After a few minutes, I bumped the incline to 2% grade and started walking a bit faster.  A little while later I was walking even faster.  The grade was now up to 7% incline. 

    Towards the end of the workout I was actually intentionally, deliberately working towards the highest elevation.  When it was over, my heart was racing, my pulse was pounding, sweat was dripping as I had spent the last three minutes at 15% incline going as fast as I could move.

    What had started out as impossible turned into improbable and then into intentional.

    Then it hit me:  that’s  what sexual sin looks like.  It most cases, it comes in 1%, 1MPH, 1 step at a time moving in the wrong direction.

    “I’ll never get addicted to pornography.  I’ll never have an affair.  I’ll never get mixed up in sexual depravity.”  And - through a series of seemingly innocent, seemingly insignificant choices we can progress down a path that leads us from impossible to improbable to even intentional.  You find yourself with your heart racing, pulse pounding, involved in things you never dreamed you’d ever do.

    And it begins in the mind.  We entertain thoughts.  We take in things that we should force out.  We allow our eyes to wander just a bit and then linger a bit longer.  There’s a bit of flirting.  Listening to and sharing dirty jokes. A few sex scenes in R-rated movies.  A glance at the lingerie ads in the Sunday paper.  1%, 1MPH, 1 step in the wrong direction.

    There is a battle for control of our minds.  Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as a man “thinketh”, so is he.  Paul told the Galatians, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other:  so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

    There’s a battle going on. 

    There’s a fight between the Spirit and the flesh and the battleground where it’s all taking place is in our minds.  Whoever controls our thinking is ultimately going to have great influence upon our actions.

    Years ago I heard an illustration of two dogs fighting inside of us - a “good” dog representing our new nature in Christ and a “bad” dog representing our old fallen nature.  The illustration pointed out that the dog which won the fight was the dog that was fed the most.

    There is such truth to that!  When we feed our minds enticing, sensual images, we set ourselves up to lose the fight. 

    Guard yourself against little things that lead to big trouble.

    All it takes is 1%, 1MPH, 1 step in the wrong direction to take us places we should never go.

     As I peeled the price tag from the cover of a new book I had purchased, I placed it on the shirt my seven year old son was wearing.

     My wife, who was looking on, pulled Jacob to her and asked, “How much is he worth, daddy?”  As she read the price from the tag, she playfully said aloud, “I don’t know if anyone would pay that much for him.”

     “Well, that depends upon whether they see him on a good day or a bad day,” I continued the teasing.

     If they saw him helping up a fallen teammate on the basketball court, surely they’d see that he’s worth the price.  If they watched him take from his own allowance and give to help children with birth defects, they’d realize he’s worth the price.  If they took note of the tender and affectionate heart he has, his wonderful laughter and sense of humor, his innocence and honesty … if they added all of this up, they’d see he’s well worth the price.

     But, what about those bad days?  What would others think if they saw his temper in action?  Would they think he’s worth the asking price if they watched him disrespect his mother?  Would anyone be willing to spend the money if they saw him selfishly hold on to his toys instead of letting his friends play?  If others saw him with all of his flaws and imperfections, would they think he’s worth the price?

     That’s how we measure value, you know.  Warped and misguided though it is, that’s how we do it.  Whether out loud or in our minds, we measure the value of a life based on its perceived goodness or badness.  The truth is, we’re all bad. (Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23)

     When I step back and take a look at my life I am faced with a frightening reality:  even my best days aren’t worth the price that my sin demands be paid.  If such a payment was even available from man - and it is not - the fact would remain the same:  “I don’t know if anyone would pay that much for him.”

     For every “helping out a fallen team mate” there are half a dozen “pushing down that team mate”.  Any instance of giving to the needy is overshadowed by countless instances of selfish and wasteful spending.  All of my honorable and noble thoughts are but drops in a very large bucket overflowing with flawed and imperfect thoughts.

     And even on my good days - my best days - my once in a lifetime days - I don’t measure up.  A price is demanded for my sin.  And the number on the tag is too high for any of us to pay even if someone was willing. 

     Before you get to thinking too highly of yourself, remember that you’re in the same situation as I am.  Even on your best days you’re still a sinner too.

     But, as incredible and unthinkable as it might seem, there is One who was willing to pay the price.  There is One who looked at us - soaked in sin even on our best days - and loved us enough to offer the greatest sacrifice to redeem us … to “buy” us back.  As the great question went out across the ages, “How much is he worth?” The Lord Jesus stretched out his hands upon the cross and said, “This much”.

     The Apostle Paul noted, “…I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

     Instead of judging the value of someone’s life by what they’ve done today, let’s remember that the blood of Christ covers all those who call upon His Name. 

     To be sure, we should strive to have “good days” filled with words and deeds that bring honor and glory to our God.  Sin is never excusable and it is because of the Lord’s payment on the Cross that we should respond with lives bent on pleasing Him.

     Let us never forget that a price has been paid. 

     ”For ye are bought with a price:  therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirits, which are God’s.” - 1 Corinthians 6:20

    Have you ever noticed that just when you think something is there for you…it isn’t? That morning, we had kind of a shock at the Brown house.

    Many years ago, we put in an above ground pool in the back yard. It was about 4 1/2 feet deep and 24 feet round. In other words, it was a good size pool — holding about 15,000 gallons of water.  Remember that fact. 15,000 gallons of water. That’s going to be important here shortly.

    That morning, Paula went out into the backyard and didn’t notice anything especially different about the yard. She went about her yard work and happened to glance over at the swimming pool.

    Imagine her surprise when she saw that it was completely empty of water! All 15,000 gallons were gone. I’m talking not enough water in there to cover your foot. Gone.

    Either the birds were really thirsty, there was a water thief on the loose or we had a leak somewhere!

    Somehow, during a storm the day before, our pool vacuum hose was tossed halfway out of the pool, with the other half remaining in the pool. It turned into a siphon that drained just about every drop of water in that pool.

    Needless to say, we didn’t get to swim that day. It took over two days to fill the pool up with water again!

    As I thought about this incident, it reminded me again that the things of this world were like our swimming pool that day…they are empty. And they don’t last.   They are here for a moment and gone when you really want them or need them.  Suddenly.  Unexpectedly.  They’re gone without warning.

    If you put your trust and your happiness and your hope in possessions and pleasures and personalities and the things this world has to offer, sooner or later you’ll find that they are empty and gone when you turn to them.

   Only Jesus Christ can truly satisfy and endure for all times. The things of this world will pass away, but not the Eternal One. He will stay with you forever and ever and ever!  Only Jesus can provide truly satisfying and lasting hope and joy and peace. Everything else is just temporary. You go to bed one night with the full swimming pool, and you wake up to an empty circle of plastic and metal that does nothing to satisfy.   That’s the world’s way of doing things. 

    But no one has ever turned to Jesus to find Him missing in action.  In fact, the Bible says, “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

     We love that part of the verse, don’t we?  Do you remember what else that verse says?  Here it is in its entirety:  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have:  for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor for sake thee.”

     Materialistic cravings and greed reveal dependence upon money rather than on Christ.  They center on pursuing earthly riches rather than heavenly rewards.  They show a care for possessions that overshadows a care for the things of God.   In other words, they tend to put their trust in disappearing water rather than living water!

     What about your life today? Are you putting too much emphasis on things that don’t last, things that will leave you feeling empty?

     Or are you living for Christ, trusting in Him and securing “treasures in Heaven” that don’t leak out only to leave an empty shell of what used to be.

     When I was growing up, I couldn’t wait until the day I made it to the seventh grade.  Seventh grade was the year in which football was first offered in my hometown and I longed to play football.

     It wasn’t until about twenty minutes into our first practice that I realized I suffered from “3S” … I was skinny, slow and scared!  For those of you who aren’t familiar with football, this is a combination that does not make for a good player.  More often than not, it makes for someone who spends more time as a tackling dummy than anything else.

     I’ll never forget the day that I finally got to play in a real game as a member of the kickoff team.  Our kicker boomed the ball downfield and we all headed for the guy with the ball.  Somehow, I managed to find my way directly into his path.

     And then it happened.  I remember rushing headlong into the guy, wrapping my arms around him and bringing him down single-handedly. I had made an amazing tackle!  Me, the skinny, slow, scared guy.  I had done this.  I couldn’t wait until Monday to see it on film!

     When Monday arrived, I was shocked to discover that the play hadn’t happened exactly as I experienced it.  The film was clear:  the kick returner for the opposing team had actually ran right over me and tripped on me as I lay on the ground!  My “amazing tackle” had actually been the result of getting steamrolled and then entangled in the guy’s feet.

     It was about that time that I started playing tennis.

     As I look back on that experience, I realize that many things in life are different than the way we see them or experience them.  Oftentimes we have a “me filter” in place that allows us to view things the way we want to view them, even if that means they aren’t quite what the film reflects.

     That’s probably what the Psalmist had in mind when he said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart:  try me, and know my thoughts:  And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

     The Psalmist realized that he didn’t always see things the way they really are.  Only God searches the heart with absolute impartiality.  And the Psalmist understood that we can convince ourselves of just about anything through our corrupt hearts that are bent towards self-deception.

     I wonder how many times I’ve looked at my life and thought:  “Wow, what an amazing tackle I just made on that temptation!”  when maybe the film that God sees shows that I got steamrolled and entangled in sin.

     Through the years I’ve learned what the Psalmist learned, that honest self-examination means letting the Lord do the searching.  A life that looks good to you and me may be riddled with unconfessed sin in the heart and mind, some of which may be long forgotten or never realized. 

     Perception is dangerous in that it can always be distorted when mankind is involved, even when we don’t realize it.  The only accurate way to see things is to ask God to show us His film.  Because His film doesn’t mislead.  

     As you pause today before the Lord, ask Him to search you.  Be open and vulnerable before Him as you see things the way they really are.  Don’t be afraid to let Him reveal things that need to be corrected in the sensitive areas of your life.

     The bottom line is this:  When it comes to sin, don’t be a dummy.

    Last summer a friend of mine was staying with us for a week in order to get some work done and one of the things we did during his visit for “recreation” was play wiffle ball.

    Well, one evening we were out there playing and it got dark.  It was so dark during my last at bat, that I honestly couldn’t see the ball at all. 

    Well, my friend was up by three runs on me, it was the bottom of the 9th inning, the bases were loaded, there were two outs and I had two strikes on me. 

    (No, I’m not making that up, it’s the truth.  Straight out of every Little Leaguer’s dreams, but nonetheless, that’s what it was.)

    Immediately before my friend pitched that last one to me, I told him, “Just lob the ball up here softly to me.  I’m down three runs.  It’s the bottom of the 9th.  I’ve got two strikes and neither one of us can see a thing, c’mon give me a chance here.”

    In other words, “You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

    My friend said “okay” and tossed the ball softly towards me, never expecting me to even see the ball and certainly never anticipating that I’d make contact. 

    I swung as hard as I could, somehow connected with the ball and knocked it over the fence for a grand slam and I won the game!

    My friend had victory in his grasp, but threw it away because he let his guard down at my coaxing and his adversary scored a fatal blow.

    Oh, if there was ever a vivid picture of how satan paints temptation, I saw it that night.  (Even though I couldn’t see the ball!)

     Isn’t it just like satan to say, “Just take it easy on this.  There’s no reason to give it your best effort.  It’s in the bag….YOU’VE GOT NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!”

    Christian, when it comes to temptation, we don’t give the enemy a chance.  No taking it easy on him.  No listening to his smooth talking.  No giving him any opportunity whatsoever to get back into the game.         

    We refuse to let our guard down to temptation and refuse to give in to its wooing, opting instead to close the game out God’s way…  

    “There hath no temptation taken you but such as it common to man:  but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear with it.”   (1 Corinthians 10:13)

    When temptation comes, we get the final out by taking the way out!

    Last fall, we drove to Niagara Falls during our vacation.  I had always heard that it was a beautiful sight, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, “It’s a waterfall – what’s the big deal?”

    When we got there, I was in awe.  What I saw just took my breath away.  No picture or video or words can describe the beauty of God’s creation.  If you haven’t been there, I can’t explain it … especially the scenery from the tour boat that drives you so near the bottom of the falls that you must wear a raincoat because of all of the spraying water that hits you.

    It was just awe-inspiring.

    But, I noticed something odd.  I noticed that the workers at the visitor center and the restaurants and other buildings in the complex didn’t seem overwhelmed by their surroundings at all.  They weren’t awestruck by the falls, they weren’t affected as we were. 

    And then, it hit me … they had become so familiar with the falls that it had become commonplace to them.  It had lost its attraction.  It had lost its sense of wonder.  It was no longer awe-inspiring.  It was just there, and the people were almost unaware, almost oblivious to its existence.

    Christian, may we never become that way in our praise to the Lord Jesus!  May Jesus never become common, so familiar that He fails to inspire awe in us, that He fails to fill us with wonder and worship.

    Instead, let us draw near Him until we feel the spray of Living Water upon our faces, and let us marvel at the mightiness and the beauty that is found only in our Savior.

    It’s easy to cheer when you’re in the “home team’s stands”.  The real measure of your devotion comes when you’re in the enemies’ camp.

    Several months ago, the high school basketball team from the town in which we attend church, made it to the state finals.  We excitedly made the two and a half hour trip to the State Capital to watch the championship game. 

    When we arrived, we didn’t know which side of the stadium we were supposed to sit on to support our team.

    It was shortly after tip-off that we realized we were surrounded by fans from the opposing team.  On each side of us, in front of us and behind us were supporters of the team we were playing in that game.

    We were surrounded by the enemy!

    Which became very obvious to us when the cheering started. 

    Now, I gotta be honest with you.  It was much, much easier to cheer our team back home when we were in our own gym.  And, I imagine that it would have been much easier to cheer our team from the other side of this particular arena, surrounded by others just like us.

    But, stand and cheer our team in the midst of the enemy? 

    Stand and cheer our team when everyone around us resented us showing our support? 

    Stand and cheer when looks of disbelief and disdain were met with every attempt to applaud our team?

    That’s a different story.  It takes a much deeper level of devotion to unashamedly express your affiliation when surrounded by those just as adamant about expressing theirs.

    And, yet, for a little over an hour, that’s exactly what we did.

    We rose to our feet and  applauded every shot our team made,  cheered every stellar defensive play and questioned any bad call that might not have gone our way. 

    We did it all with due respect to the other team’s fans and displayed good sportsmanship in the way we handled ourselves.  But, we made it clear whose side we were on.

    You know, it reminds me of church.  How easy it is to stand and cheer the Lord Jesus when you’re in the “home team’s stands” - inside our church, on our familiar pews, with other believers all worshipping around us.

    It’s a different story outside those walls, isn’t it?  When we go to our homes and workplaces, our schools and our businesses, our recreation spots and our entertainment places, then comes the real measure of our devotion to Christ.

    When we stand in this world that is opposed to the Lord - the enemies’ camp - will we unashamedly express our affiliation with Jesus?  Will we stand and cheer our Savior, even when we are surrounded by those who are on the other side?

    Oh, may we not be so intolerant that we are ungodly; may we not be so belligerent that we are disrespectful; may we not be so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly good. But may we make it clear whose side we’re on.

    This week, when we leave our churches and step out into the world, may we well represent our Savior.

    In all we do, let us stand and cheer Jesus.