First off I would like to say that I love watching Tim Tebow play football.  The reason for this is because of how he plays with all his heart.  I love watching a competitor give his all in what he does.  There is a blessing that will come to anyone who plays a sport like this – with passion and sportsmanship.  I also enjoy watching Tebow represent Jesus Christ as well.  I have not seen every interview he has done recently, but in those I have seen I appreciate a quarterback who is humble about his own accomplishments, and who takes the time to give credit to the rest of his team for their hard work and dedicated play.  And believe me, I appreciate a young man who gives glory to God for the abilities and opportunities God has given him.

The reason why I am writing about Tebow and the Bronco’s winning streak is because there are too many Christians who think God is behind all this.  Some even think God is making the Denver Broncos win games because they have a Christian quarterback who openly voices his faith.  I do not know whether God has involved Himself with who wins or loses in the NFL.  There is no Scripture passage that tells us whether He does this or not.  I just find it a little disconcerting that many are putting so much emphasis on the outcome of a game – and equating it to God’s favor on what appears to be a very godly young man who is the quarterback of that team.  Give me a few moments, if you will to voice my thoughts on this. 

God is sovereign over all things.  This is biblical truth.  Therefore God is sovereign, even over NFL football games.  Some say God is too busy to concern Himself with such things.  The God of the Bible is NEVER too busy.  He is infinite and eternal – knowing every thought, intent, and action of every human being on the planet.  He does this without needing a break – or a vacation so that He can unwind.  Having said this, I do want to say as well that God has given His primary attention in Scripture to the praise of His glory as the gospel changes and transforms those whom He saves.  Much of what we “make much of” is considered trivial and secondary to God.  We place our focus on the final score of the game – while I believe our God places his focus on the character of those who play it.  In this regard I LOVE to watch Tim Tebow because he glorifies God by the character he shows while playing football for the Denver Broncos.  Does this mean that God therefore owes Tim Tebow victories due to his faithfulness and desire to honor God?  That is something we should probably examine further.

When we honor God with our obedience to Him – we are blessed.  When we choose to rely on Him and turn to His Word for how we live and the character we choose in every situation – we are blessed.  When we walk in our chosen field of endeavor in a way that glorifies God – we are blessed.  But to say that such conduct and such choices require God to make us successful and winners in all we do – is inaccurate – and spiritually dangerous. 

The blessing we receive as we live for God and His glory is . . . that God is glorified.  More than anything else this should be our focus.  There are times when God is glorified in giving us overt blessings that are plain for all to see.  The Lord blessed David with great victories in battle.  He blessed Moses by splitting the Red Sea and crushing Pharaoh’s army underneath tons of water as it returned to its natural state.  But there were also times when God was glorified by things that didn’t look so good on the outside.  Job endured tremendous difficulties both physical and emotional as he endured a time of intense testing and trial for God’s glory.  David may have seen great victories – but he was also the recipient of almost 10 years of running for his life while Saul tried to hunt him down and kill him.  It is a dangerous thing to think that if we obey and walk in God’s way, we deserve the best – and only the best to happen to us.  That thinking is what led Job’s three friends to think that because he was facing physical illness and emotional and spiritual upheavals that it was due to sin in his life.  There are times when God is most glorified when we are obedient and blessed – but others when we are obedient and . . . not so blessed.  The key is knowing that God deserves our obedience and the glory from it – no matter what our physical, emotional, or spiritual condition.  No matter what happens in our lives – God is still good – and still worthy of praise, glory, and honor. 

What happens WHEN Tim Tebow loses a game?  Does that mean he is sinful and no longer worthy of blessing?  He must have been a sinner his senior year at Florida because he didn’t win a national championship that year – and on top of that wasn’t awarded the Heisman Trophy.  This is where the “blessed if you do” and “sinful if you’re not blessed” kind of theology takes us.  And let’s step away from Mr. Tebow and consider others – brothers and sisters in persecuted lands like China, East Timor, and a host of Islamic nations.  Is their lack of outward blessing a sign of sin in their midst.  Be careful how you answer – for these are some of God’s most choice saints.  They endure hardship and persecution with the godliest character that brings much glory to their Father in heaven.  Are we in financially blessed America the godliest saints on earth because of our physical blessings?  Oh, be careful how you answer again – for many times a nation that has everything it wants – is far more judged than blessed.  They may be blessed in physical and financial things – but too often they are full of themselves and filled with the sins that excess brings.  They will find that their fall will be hard when God matches their physical state with what they truly are spiritually. 

We can only judge and examine things by wise, discerning, Scriptural judgment.  God is far more interested in what character we manifest in the game – than in the outcome of the final score of the game.  God is far more interested in the quality of our devotion and dedication to Him than He is in our prowess in some sport or other field of endeavor.  God is far more interested in Tim Tebow’s heart before, during, and well after the game – than He is in his stats during it.  And we would do much better to hope that Tim’s witness and walk is worthy of the gospel than whether the Broncos win their division and the Super Bowl. 

From what I can see and hear (which is very little in the scope of things) Tim Tebow is doing a wonderful job representing Jesus Christ on and off the football field.  That is very difficult considering the manner in which this young man is being scrutinized by those cheering for his demise.  My concern for him is that God continues to give him both strength and grace as he seeks to glorify God, not only as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos – but much more importantly as a brother in Christ who desires to please God long after he hangs up his cleats.  

Sitting here in my office a couple of days after the most recent election, please forgive me if I do not share the same sense of uphoria about our current situation.  Don't get me wrong - I'm glad that conservatives have been elected to Washington - and that the voice of our nation has resounded in the halls of power.  But if I could, I'd like to comment on a few things that were not on the ballot on November 2nd. 

#1 - Jesus is Lord . . . Please do not mistake the vote Tuesday as a vote for the gospel of Jesus Christ and a statement that we've once again embraced the faith of our fathers.  I fear that much of the vote was due to the economic distress people are experiencing or due to the out of control spending that is happening in Washington for the past 50 years.  There are some who are concerned about constitutional liberties being infringed as well.  But . . . even though these are good things in the temporal world of today, the truth is that for the most part the gospel of Jesus Christ is rejected in our nation currently. 

I'm not saying this to rain upon anyone's parade.  I am saying it because we need to keep the main thing the main thing.  We've been called to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of our nation.  The first century church did not see its role being to bring political freedom to the Roman empire.  The took their marching orders from Matthew 28:18-19.  They knew they were to make disciples of all the nations, identifying them with Jesus through baptism and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded them. 

My concern today is that too many Christians will see our struggle as a political one - and not enough of them will realize that whether we have an abundance of freedom or none at all - our duty will not change.  We are to share Jesus Christ with the lost - and work with those who come to repentance so that they become disciples who live out that same duty as well. 

2.  Godliness . . . In some ways this might have been a part of decision making among the electorate.  There were some candidates who ran on a strong pro-life, pro-marriage stance.  They opposed abortion and were not for legalizing homosexual marriage.  I am grateful for those who are going to Washington to defend life and biblical marriage.  But, I am under no delusion that godliness received a resounding "yes" vote in this or any of our recent election cycles. 

We've allowed ourselves to be gradually moved from biblical ground on moral issues.  At present we are trying to stop homosexual marriage from being declared legal.  The problem though is not gay marriage - but a moral decay that has been going on since the late 1950's.  Homosexuality is a "death-throes" issue.  Biblically, we should be grieving over heterosexual immmorality.  Sexuality is clearly defined in the Bible as relations between one woman and one man - for life.  That almost isn't an issue any longer - not just in the world, but even in the church.  We are steadily being incrementally moved away from biblically based morality.  If the result of this election is that we set the moral bar afresh at gay marriage - deciding to make that our stand - we've lost far worse than we can ever win.  Our stand has to be on biblical morality - whether that is popular or not.  We cannot allow the world of politics to frame that debate. 

3.  The Kingdom of God . . . Jesus made it very clear that His kingdom is not of this world.  Although I strongly believe that I should speak out in the political context on moral issues and the wisdom of what we are doing financially as a nation, my hope is not in these things.  When the mid-term elections came about the way they did, I was glad.  But in no way do I think that my future rests on the policies that are going to be set in Washington.  They will do what they do - which too often involves compromises with which I'm very uncomfortable - but my direction comes from another kingdom.  That kingdom is not of this world.  History will continue to move toward the return of Christ.  The world will continue to grow more and more ungodly in the run up to the coming of the antichrist.  Israel will be more and more isolated - with even the United States turning against her in the end.  The church is to stand in the midst of all this and faithfully proclaim that there is a kingdom to come - the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.  The decisions of that kingdom will stand forever - and are not, nor have they ever been subject to the political activities of men and women here on earth.  That kingdom was not put into power in this last election - it has always been in power - and will always be in power. 

May God give us wisdom and grace to know these things - and to base our choices and lifestyles upon them.  May we see and realize that this was truth before these elections - and will be truth long after all earthly elections cease.  Am I glad at the results of the mid-term elections in 2010?  Yes, for the most part I am - but regardless of whether I won or lost in my votes - this election mattered very little in my choices previous to it - or subsequently after it.  Those choices were set in motion a long time ago when God graciously drew me to Himself and granted me repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  From that moment forward, I've been saved - and from that point a path has been laid out for me - to walk with and glorify Jesus Christ regardless of what administration or regime is in power.