Look at Man - He Has Nostrils!

"Raider fans, with the first pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders select Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, LSU." Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner

Those familiar with the former number one overall pick might assume that what follows this quote is another tirade regarding how much Russell has failed to live up to expectations. Coming out of Louisiana State University to play at the professional level, JaMarcus Russell was expected to excel on the gridiron. Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. spoke glowingly about Russell. "[He] is going to immediately energize Raider Nation... Three years from now you could be looking at a guy who is certainly one of the elite, top five quarterbacks in this league." However, after only three seasons, it has become apparent that Russell is not the player everyone expected him to be.

Articles and broadcasts detailing the massive disappointment that is Russell's football career have piled up over the last few years. Raider fans became disgruntled as Russell continued to struggle. As he prepared for the 2010 season, Russell lost his last and most important supporter, the notorious Raiders owner Al Davis, and was released in May.

It only took three years for the projected superstar to hit rock bottom. Except, rock bottom gave in to even further disappointment and shame. During a make-or-break summer, Russell was arrested for possession of a controlled substance -- codeine syrup -- and likely will not play in the NFL any time soon.

The main point of this entry is not to ridicule Russell for poor decision-making or to make fun of Raiders fans for another catastrophic event under Davis' watch. Russell's epic fall from a pillar of hope and expectation to a figure marked by great disappointment and failure is not unique. He is only part of a limitless line of frustrating personalities who have tortured the public by failing to satisfy expectations.

We put our hope in all sorts of individuals. We put our hope in political figures to change or maintain policies in order to provide us a better way of life. We put our hope in family members and our community leaders. Many of us put our hope in celebrities and sports figures in order to be entertained and given an escape from reality.

Two things can happen when we put our hope in individuals such as these. Some of them may actually live up to our expectations; however the results do not last forever. Even our fulfilled hopes do not permanently satisfy our hearts. We go on hoping in something or someone new. Other figures like JaMarcus Russell may fail to live up to our expectations. Hopes are crushed, and we are left scrambling in search of something else to satisfy us.

We must learn to "stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" (Isaiah 2:22).  No man can ultimately satisfy all of our hopes. We are warned, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation," (Psalm 146:3).

This line of disappointment goes all the way back to the first man, Adam. He stood as the representative for all of man and failed miserably. But God gave us a second representative. He met every expectation and offers satisfaction to every longing and hope. "For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ," (Romans 5:17).

Raiders fans were completely let down by JaMarcus Russell. We have all been let down by our first representative. But unlike Raiders fans, we have a clear way for hope.

Red, White, and Golden Moo

All across the country this morning, congregations followed the weekly tradition of gathering together to sing songs of worship and praise. This morning, however, was not the same. Groups of believers from shore to shore, including many evangelical congregations, lifted up a song or two to honor this great country in which we are blessed with incredible freedoms. While it is right and good for American Christians to thank God for these rights and freedoms, some congregations have gone to an extreme by making an idol for themselves and singing praises to another god. Instead of directing praise to our Father, many of us have exchanged Him for a banner of red, white, and blue and offered our gratitude and praise to an idol. Even if only for a few minutes, our praise has changed directions from Godward to flagward.

We are not unique in making this exchange. Over and over, man has fashioned new gods and idols in his own image to replace the Creator of all things. One of the clearest and most popular examples of this is found in the account of the Golden Calf in the book of Exodus.

As Moses was encountering the living God on a mountain not too far away, the Israelites were quickly growing impatient of waiting for him to come back. When they got sick of waiting for the prophet to return with a word from God, they demanded Moses' brother to build them a god. Aaron conceded and proceeded to build a statue of a cow that was made out of the people's gold jewelry.

When the idol was built, the people praised it instead of God. They gave it credit for delivering them and providing them freedom. Speaking of the collected gold, "they said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" (Ex 32: 4)

God was prepared to respond in holy wrath against the idolatrous worship of the Israelites by wiping out the entire group of people; however, Moses stood in the gap for Israel and asked God to have mercy on them. He spoke these words to God: "But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written," (Ex 32:32). In response to Moses' prayer, God had mercy on the people. They did not completely escape judgment as God later sent a plague, but they did receive mercy from immediate, ultimate judgment.

Today, the people of God have once again fashioned an idol for themselves. While we wait for the return of Christ, many of us have grown tired of waiting and have put our ultimate hope in something we built. We have put our trust in something we can see and touch."Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things," (Rom 1:22-23).

There are two similarities that should give us great pause.

First, the Israelites praised the new idol for providing them freedom. Their freedom from Israel was indeed a great blessing; however, they did not give the honor and thanks to the One who provided the freedom. Likewise, our freedom in America is great, but this freedom should only point to the greater freedom we have found in Christ and motivate us to praise Him instead of a symbol.

Second, when Moses came down, he found the people of God singing and dancing to their man-made idol. Today, across our country, countless congregations have lifted their voices directly to a flag "that was still there" instead of a God who was, and is, and is to come.

God is jealous of any praise that His people give to anything or anyone else. "I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you," (Is 43:11-12). We must seriously consider the just judgment that is given to those who bow before any idol.

Indeed, we should take note of the judgment that God still placed on Israel for their idolatry, but we should ultimately focus on the role of Moses in this narrative. Moses stood before God as a mediator, a willing substitute. Similarly, we have a perfect mediator and substitute in Christ Jesus. "Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant," (Heb 9:15). Whether by singing praises to another or by spending all of our time focusing on something or someone else, we have all worshipped and offered praises to various idols. We must seek forgiveness and place our faith in the One to whom Moses was pointing, Jesus Christ.

"One Game [Man] Changes Everything"

As the official slogan for the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, "One Game Changes Everything" represents how much enthusiasm the world has placed into an amazing game. Commercials for the World Cup show babies being named after favorite soccer heroes. Statues are built to memorialize the greats. In the news, it is common to hear reports of crazed fans rioting and even killing each other over the outcome of a game. No matter what you're personal feelings are about soccer, you cannot deny the level of passion involved.

The World Cup has once again captured the world's attention. Even the United States has followed the tournament this year with enthusiasm. I believe there are two underlying reasons why the game has captured our attention like never before.

First, the world is longing for hope. We don't get hope from the news reports of everyday life. Instead of hope, our normal days are filled with fear and anxiety. What is causing audiences to be rapt with awe with the World Cup is what took the nation by storm in the last presidential election. In the midst of the usual, depressing spin of life, people found something that looked like "hope". Real or not, hope is contagious.

Second, the World Cup, along with the Olympics, is one of the few regular events that brings the nations together to perform on one stage. The diversity of color and culture speaks to a longing inside each of us that yearns for unity and peace. This canvas of international flavor rightfully inspires us.

Beyond the beauty of the sport, the World Cup presents to us two realities that capture the hearts and minds of every person: hope and unity among the nations. However, even as the World Cup points to these truths, the hope and unity it presents is not complete or final. This hope and unity ultimately points to the hope and unity found in Jesus Christ alone.

"Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God," (Rom 5:1-2).

Not only is the hope we all long for ultimately found in Christ, but the inner longing we each experience when we witness gatherings of people from across the globe such as the World Cup are rooted in God's purpose of bringing people from all nations to form a people for His son.

"And they sang a new song, saying, 'Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth,'" (Rev 5:9-10).

While the marketing team behind the ads for the World Cup suggests that "One Game Changes Everything",  one can appreciate how this game points to the great truths that we as a people long for hope and to be united with others from every nation; however, the game of soccer fails to ultimately fulfill those longings.

These longings are not satisfied by a mere game but are fulfilled by the One Man Who Changes Everything.  "For God was pleased to have his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross," (Col 1:19-20).

Please Insert 5 Cents to Begin

Whether I am driven by sheer boredom, intrigue, or peer pressure is completely irrelevant. Xanga was betrayed by users with Attention Deficit Disorder for the numerous networking sites that required less commitment and intelligence. MySpace was invested with sexual predators and crappy bands. Facebook sold out and suffocated its users with Mafia Wars and Farmville high scores. And Twitter tricked people into championing censorship as obscure 140 word limits were enforced. The next logical destination for an ongoing journey across the online networking landscape is the Great Frontier of Blogging.

Blogging, by no means, is a frontier, as it has been discovered and conquered by millions, but I am hoping it marks the final point in my sojourn across the Information Highway in search of an adequate outlet for expression and networking.

I am hoping that this might become a convenient store of sorts. A nice little establishment with a little bit of everything. I'm sure that it will be overly messy at times with junk scattered here and there. You can expect all kinds of treats, and hopefully along the way you might even find a little bit of what you need. A convenient store, with all its candy bars and 24 packs of beverages, still has some bread and milk.

I expect a running commentary on a wide variety of subjects in our culture. Sports, music, movies, food. And when you get filled up on the junk food, there will be some milk and bread considerations of how these things reflect, interact with, and are interpreted through a biblical worldview.

If you stop by the store, leave a note. The manager is known to give discounts.