What an awesome time of year! – this is fall and everyone knows what that means – ITS TIME FOR SOME FOOTBALL!
Recently, after returning from the National Camporama, I was sitting in worship service on a Sunday morning. Our song leader sang about three words of the first song and my spirit just fell apart. I quickly left my seat and approached the alter and sank to my knees weeping un-controllably. What was going on? What was wrong with me? Why did you draw me here God? God was playing out a spiritual football game in my heart and mind.
How many of you understand football and know how hard it is to have an undefeated season? Just ask the pro teams who are chasing, as I know, the only undefeated season ever played in the NFL. Ask the countless college and high school teams who have come up short. It is true, however, that the further down the scale you go the easier it gets – so it is easier in Pee-wee football than the pros. So as my story continues please keep in mind that it is hard to go undefeated and be perfect and no other game compares to the one we are in – SPIRITUAL LIFE and DEATH!
So back to what God was showing me. The game was being played out with a team that was light and a team that was dark. It seemed to go back and forth and each team would gain some ground and lose some ground. One would score and then the other would score. But what struck me most was the crowd noise level. When the light team gained ground there was some cheering but the noise level was small in comparison to when the dark team was “winning” and the “dark’ teams shouts of defense were almost unbearable. The roar of the darkness was almost overwhelming. You see we are the light team and Satan is the dark team. How many times have we looked for support from parents, church members and even pastors and find the “noise level” was not as loud as we anticipated. Some of us are lucky and have awesome support – some of us are struggling to find even – one more leader. We hear great screaming and beckoning from the things of the world “Dark team” that is pulling our boys and leaders away? We see Christian parents and even pastors choose other “programs’ over Royal rangers. I want to tell you as a leader this can be discouraging. Be assured that what you are doing as a Royal Ranger leader is making a difference in the lives of the boys and other leaders in your Outpost and regardless of support around you it is necessary that you keep “your heart in the game”, “prepare yourself” and your “hands to the plow”. The encouraging thing is the times we allow God to call the plays are the times we are “winning”. He knows every players abilities, weaknesses and is “inside” the head of the opposing team’s defensive and offensive captains. He knows how to get us the next first down and into the end zone. If we try to audible at the line (change His play) we usually “lose” ground because we will never call better plays than God does.
So what brought me to my knees? It was this sobering scene. I could look down the line just like a line judge. I could see from sideline to sideline and each and every play I could see the ball. AS I looked at the ball a face would appear on its side. When the light team had the ball I saw the boys and leaders who actively are involved in Rangers. We were making great advancement during those plays – collecting first down after first down. As I looked at the ball when the dark team was in offense I saw the faces of boys and leaders no longer coming to Rangers – I saw the faces of boys and leaders who are currently struggling with the pressures of health and life – I saw the faces of leaders who have become discouraged because they did not feel support or are just burnt out – I think you get the picture – I SAW WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AND THAT WE DON’T ALWAYS WIN! I saw that EVERY BOY AND LEADER COUNTS and although the support sometimes seems lacking we need to persevere until the Lord comes. I saw the boys and men whose lives and families have been changed knowing without your and my leadership it may not have happened.
We all know football is a team sport and without the maximum effort and preparation from every player you cannot be successful. Royal Rangers is a team ministry. You are not involved by chance. If you do your part and I do my part, if we let God call the plays then we are looking at the possibility of an undefeated season. Any other scenario and you will see the undefeated season slipping away and boys and leaders being lost. Much as a football team prepares – we must also be prepared – we cannot afford to go into the game unprepared. We of all teams must be “READY” and be willing to leave absolutely everything on the field.
In the book of Amos God made a promise to Israel after it would be destroyed:
(11) “On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins, and rebuild it as in the days of old; (12) That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” says the LORD who does this thing. (13) “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; the mountains shall drip with sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. (14) I will bring back the captives of My people Israel; they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. (15) I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God. (Amos 9:11-15)
Appalachian Ministry Network Royal Rangers – WE have fallen into a place far below the days of old or what we once were as a ministry to this Network. I believe God’s promise surely applies to us at this time of re-building. Let’s join hands – prepare – and enter the game with a renewed energy – to win, to overtake the reaper, to gather back the captives, to build and inhabit, to plant, to reap and to continue to win souls for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior should He tarry. It is going to take all of us District Leadership, Pastor’s, churches, Outpost leaders and parents to rebuild to the days of old. Let’s listen to God’s plays and run only those he calls. May God Bless you, your home and the ministry He has called you to.
Dave “Golden Vulture” Holbert
District FCF President