December 14, 2015 - The Star of the Show

Have you ever heard about an up and coming player and couldn’t wait to see him or her in action, only to get to the gym or turn on the tv and be totally unimpressed?

I remember back to a time when I was coaching a family duo that was lighting up the scoreboards and the newspaper articles. One of the brothers was a 10^th grader and the other a 7^th grader and both (since we were at a private school where it was possible) were tearing up the varsity high school scene and a local news crew out of charlotte came to do a human interest type piece on the boys. As they arrived the reporter set up with us in our weight room and interviewed the boys and me about the season up to that point… and then it came game time.

This is where it is now a bit funny (but wasn’t that night.) Both boys stunk it up that night, so much so that the next day as I spoke with the reporter on the phone he claimed they “lost the tape.” Let’s just say the reporter was very underwhelmed… (Sorry to tell on you Colby and Tyler… but I will make sure we account for the fact that Colby was all-state that year in 2A schools and Tyler went on to be a McDonalds All-American a few years later... so I bet that reporter wishes he could “find” that tape to make something out of it.)

All of that to say that when we get our hopes up high it is easy to be let down; and when we are let down hang in there because the truth has a way of rising to the surface…

One of the reasons many religious folks scoff at Jesus, and why many of the Jewish people rejected Him as Messiah was because He didn’t meet their expectations in the present and they fail to allow for what was the truth that would rise to the surface…

A couple thousand years ago God humbly took on flesh in the form of a baby born to poor folks from a small town and laid in a feeding trough… the first audience to this “King” consisted of animals followed by some low class shepherds… It was a “silent night” with no crowd noise. (Every year I go back to one of my favorite Christmas songs we used to sing on our tours, “Isn’t It Amazing How He Came?” with the words that “there were no fanfares played or jubilant displays.”) He lived an unassuming yet sinless life only to find a place to die on the Cross of Calvary… but wait for it… wait for it… wait for it… “up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph o’er His foes!” (Love that old song too!)

We know the story that in spite of the humble beginnings of Christ there was a spotlight in the form of a star that lit the way for those that are wise enough to seek Him… and here is the awesome thing: I’ve read the end of the book and it reveals who is the real Star of the show… Revelation 22

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Merry CHRISTmas to you from InBounds Ministries and Team Burden!