Tebow and Lin and Dixon - Oh Yeah!
Aslan is on the move…
You know this reference - yes? It's from The Chronicles of Narnia when the first signs of spring are returning to the eternally frozen landscape where it was always winter and never Christmas. The budding flowers and warmth meant that the Christ figure Aslan was working to melt the hearts of his people so they could rise up and conquer the evil that long held them captive.
Aslan is on the move…
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You know it's happening now - yes? Jesus is moving in our culture in ways that I've never seen. He's melting our hearts and raising up leaders who are waving the standard of Christ the Savior before millions of people.
Tebowmania is on the move…
The former Denver QB will now be center stage in New York City, where he will publically pray and divert any glory to Jesus Christ in the midst of a fan base that will largely mock his faith. He'll have an amazing attitude and live out the Golden Rule even though The Big Apple Golden Rule is "do to others before they do to you"!
Linsanity is on the move…
This unlikely NBA starter wowed the world with his mad basketball skills, but instead of basking in his own praise like most overnight sensations would, he publically states:
When Paul wrote in Philippians to "press on for an upward prize," he was living for that, and it made his life meaningful (Philippians 3:15). And I realized I had to learn to do the same. I had to learn to stop chasing the perishable prizes of this earth, I had to stop chasing personal glory, I had to learn how to give my best effort to God and trust him with the results…*
American Idol is on the move???
And if you are starting to think that God just favors the athletes, it's time to tune into American Idol, where fan favorite Colton Dixon is faithfully and even a bit defiantly articulating his faith and tweeting Bible verses even though the big dogs at A.I. "encouraged" him to tone down his public display of affection for Christ. Here is his admiral response:
When we first started the Twitter and Facebook stuff, they said beware of political and religious tweets," Dixon told the site. "Just because it can turn off voters or whatever. But, you know, being a Christian is who I am. **
I know that famous people claiming to follow Christ is nothing new, but what feels different with these stand up believers is their unwavering convictions in the face of massive internet and media opposition.
It seems as though the denigration and denunciation being dished fuels their passion for Jesus. Tebow, Lin, and Dixon remind me of some Christ followers from 2000 years ago that were ordered by the big dogs of that day to stop tweeting the gospel:
When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, "We told you plainly not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem…"
Peter and the apostles replied: "We don't obey people. We obey God!"
So the council had them beaten and whipped, then warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.
The apostles left the council and were full of joy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus (Acts 5:27-29;40-41).
Did you catch that last part? The opposition they faced didn't come in the form of Facebook - they literally had their faces beaten! And yet they "were full of joy" - because to suffer for Jesus was the height of honor for these men.
I don't imagine that we'll ever be physically whipped for sharing Christ, but there may be growing opposition to Christ followers who take Jesus seriously. Still, we are called to take the following words of Jesus seriously and live like we believe them:
You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father (Matthew 5:14-16)
And there are too many Christians who care way too much about what other people think about them, so they hide their light to avoid any criticism.
But may I remind us one last time that Aslan is on the move!!!
And we should be to…
Just like Tebow, Lin, and Dixon, you've been placed on a platform in your little corner of the world as well. It's not as big as the NFL or American Idol, but that's irrelevant to the God of the universe who wants to use you in THE biggest Cause in all of history. I'm not suggesting that we Tebow every time we get an A on a test or carry around a 65 pound Bible, but our witness should be so bold that no one in our lives has an ounce of uncertainty about Who we all love and serve with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Bottom line: if you were arrested for being a Christ follower, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
