The Hall of Champions

People now a days mostly think only of one thing..."What can I do to get recognized? How can I get my name out there?" Especially those who play sports. In sports, there are so many different medals, trophies, etc. to be claimed to one or more persons for "their great skill." They, because they do not realize it very often, do not see who has given them the power, strength, balance, or in a broader term their skills to accomplish so much. I was recently at a Church in Demopolis, Alabama. I was there for a D-Now(Disciple Now) -a weekend revival for youth. The topic of the weekend was on the Persecuted Church.

As I watched the youth during Praise and Worship I realized no one really cared that much. They didn't seem interested in what they were learning, about how many people die every year for God. For me though, it touched me very deeply. I've realized after the experience I have not been striving to be more than the youth were doing, which was just to be content Christians. To be fine knowing who God was, but not doing for Him. They were so caught up in sports, the youth minister even called their complex the Idol of Demopolis.

This touched me in a dissapointing way. To see such young children today turning away from the one who has saved them, just to be like the people who were wanting to build the Tower of Babel. They were so concentrated on making a name for themselves they did not care to build up the name of God whom they said saved them.

Hebrews 11 is a chapter dedicated to those in the Bible that had such faith in knowing there was a God, they were persecuted for standing up for The Creator that no one could see. They became champions, not as we may look at champions today, but champions of faith through knowing The LORD and standing up for Him. I remembered this chapter as we studied about the persecuted Church that weekend. Like I said before, it made me realize a lot about my life and how I needed to change and start doing instead of just listening. Christians in China are growing rapidly, but is one of the most persecuted places for Christians in the World. How is this? Simply put, Matthew 5:10. They are rapdily growing because of their rapid persecution. They are being blessed for all they do. They are truly becoming the Champions of this world through faith.

Could you do it? Could you be persecuted today in knowing God and standing for Him? Do you even know what being persecuted for your faith feels like? Or are you so unused to it because of the country we live in today? We are a free country, we can study any religion we want without adversaries coming after us? Yet, we are not growing in Christianity, is freedom for us a curse or a blessing? Do you look at a champion by their ring or trophy? Do you want to change? Do you want to be persecuted and be blessed by God in Heaven who created you? Or are you happy cursing this blessing of a free country, where you can praise God in everything you do, by looking only far enough into YOUR life, waiting for the trophy in YOUR room or the ring on YOUR finger, that you have forgotten about GOD's RING, GOD's TROPHY, ultimately GOD's PURPOSE? What kind of champion do you want to be, one that lasts until the world ends, or one that is known forever?