News has come through of the death of actor Peter O'Toole. It is well known that this person was an atheist (fool - Psalm 14 v1) and one hopes that, before he died, he came to his senses and repented of his unbelief while accepting Jesus as his personal Saviour. It is possible even for wicked men like O'Toole to repent on their deathbeds; however, it is rare - most people die as they live, without Christ and heading straight into the torments of Hell.
Last month I wrote an article about a number of famous atheists who proudly boasted about their folly but have passed into eternity and found out that they were wrong all along. O'Toole can be added to that list.
This man lived a particularly sinful life and was known as a "Hell raiser"; he blatantly rejected God in the way he lived but has now had to give account to the God he denied for that debauched life. Another such vile person was Oliver Reed who was also a known drunkard and died "in action" during a drunken bout.
If O'Toole didn't repent then he will have all eternity to bitterly regret his sinful life and unbelief. I have no doubt that the atheists who regularly read this blog will sneer with contempt as they read this but the Christians will have the last laugh. It is we Christians who will be rejoicing in eternity while those who didn't know Jesus as Lord and Saviour will endure a dreadful penalty for their rebellion.
God is indeed merciful to those who turn to Him at the last minute - a case in point being the dying thief who expressed faith in Christ even as he was suffering a horrible death on a cross; a condemned criminal was the first man saved!
If any atheists are reading this then I would commend to you the mercy of God - you must repent while there is still time; you must throw yourself on God's mercy and plead with Jesus to cleanse you from your sin by His precious blood. I urge you not to make the mistake that millions have made and rejected God even at the last moment of life.
The Bible clearly teaches that faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour is the only way to Heaven and the only way to avoid the torments of Hell.
Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life; no-one comes to the Father but by me" John 14 v 6
Monday, 16 December 2013
Friday, 13 December 2013
Mandela worship is blasphemy
It is a week now since Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, passed into eternity (one hopes that he made his peace with God through faith in Christ beforehand) and the worship of this man continues unabated. There are even people claiming a similarity between him and The Lord Jesus Christ, which is not only absurd but blasphemous.
When considering making such comparisons we need to bear in mind 3 facts about the Lord Jesus viz.
1. He was (and is) the only begotten Son of God.
2. He lived a perfect and sinless life.
3. He died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again.
No human being, no matter our great, can justly claim to be the Son of God or to have lived a sinless life. Moreover, only the Lord Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
It is right to respect the memory of Mandela. After 27 years in prison for terrorist offenses he could easily have sought revenge on the whites; one word from him and the black majority could have massacred the whites. However, to his credit he sought reconciliation, not revenge. In this he did exhibit Christ-like qualities that we should acknowledge. However, to compare him to Christ is hugely blasphemous and sinful. Moreover, people who do this (like a local MP Roger Gale) need to repent of it.
In the annals of history there are many people who make their mark for all sorts of reasons. People like Martin Luther King (who despite his obvious sincerity in combatting racism was a serial adulterer), Mother Teresa (who gave dedicated her life to helping the poor - shame about the idolatry of Mary worship) and many other politicians and philanthropists have done a lot of good in the world. However, all these people were just men and women who were far from perfect, and needed salvation through faith in Christ.
It is so easy to put people on a pedestal and worship them, but the only person who ever lived that is worthy of worship is the Lord Jesus Christ.
In closing I would urge all those who are giving Mandela all this adulation to calm down and remember that he was just a man, he was NOT divine. That honour belongs only to The LORD Jesus Christ.
"...and Thomas answered and said unto Him (Christ) "My Lord and my God" John 20 v 28
When considering making such comparisons we need to bear in mind 3 facts about the Lord Jesus viz.
1. He was (and is) the only begotten Son of God.
2. He lived a perfect and sinless life.
3. He died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and rose again.
No human being, no matter our great, can justly claim to be the Son of God or to have lived a sinless life. Moreover, only the Lord Jesus died for our sins and rose again.
It is right to respect the memory of Mandela. After 27 years in prison for terrorist offenses he could easily have sought revenge on the whites; one word from him and the black majority could have massacred the whites. However, to his credit he sought reconciliation, not revenge. In this he did exhibit Christ-like qualities that we should acknowledge. However, to compare him to Christ is hugely blasphemous and sinful. Moreover, people who do this (like a local MP Roger Gale) need to repent of it.
In the annals of history there are many people who make their mark for all sorts of reasons. People like Martin Luther King (who despite his obvious sincerity in combatting racism was a serial adulterer), Mother Teresa (who gave dedicated her life to helping the poor - shame about the idolatry of Mary worship) and many other politicians and philanthropists have done a lot of good in the world. However, all these people were just men and women who were far from perfect, and needed salvation through faith in Christ.
It is so easy to put people on a pedestal and worship them, but the only person who ever lived that is worthy of worship is the Lord Jesus Christ.
In closing I would urge all those who are giving Mandela all this adulation to calm down and remember that he was just a man, he was NOT divine. That honour belongs only to The LORD Jesus Christ.
"...and Thomas answered and said unto Him (Christ) "My Lord and my God" John 20 v 28
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Christmas evangelism
We all know that Jesus was not really born on Dec 25 but it does no harm to set aside a day to remember His birth and the reason He came (to save us from our sins). Moreover, this time of year provides us with excellent opportunities to "spread the Word" and tell people about Him.
In my street evangelism this month I intend to use a tract entitled "Why bother with Jesus this Christmas". This has 5 headings as follows:
1. He is a real person.
The Christmas story is not just a nice story for the kids. The events we relate actually happened. There really was a Jesus who came to this Earth as God in human form. As one put it "our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man". The Bible says: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" - John 1 v 14.
2. He was born of a virgin.
Jesus was not conceived in the usual way. A miracle occurred that enabled Mary to conceive even though she had not "been with a man". If we allow for a supreme being called "God" we must allow that He is able to suspend the usual laws of nature to facilitate His purposes. As the Bible says "With God nothing shall be impossible" - Luke 1 v 37.
3. He died for our sins.
Jesus performed many miracles, including raising dead people, and taught many wonderful truths. However, the main reason He came was so that He could die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. As the Bible puts it "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" - 1st John 2 v 2.
4. He came back from the dead.
Jesus told His followers that He would rise again 3 days after His death, and He did just that. The evidence for the resurrection of Christ is compelling. (Frank Morrison set out to write a book disproving the resurrection, but when he sifted through the evidence he ended up becoming a Christian!). The Bible says "Christ died for our sins.........and rose again" 1st Corinthians 15 v 3-4.
5. He is the ONLY way to Heaven.
In John 14 v 6 Jesus stated the following: "I am the way, the truth and the life, NO-ONE comes to the Father but through me". This is an absolute statement - in order to be right with God, and get to Heaven, we must repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. What about those who have never heard? God is sovereign; He will ensure that all those elected, according to foreknowledge, will hear the Gospel and be saved.
Let us boldly declare these truths to the people around us so that, at the time we remember Jesus' birth many would be Born Again to newness of life.
In my street evangelism this month I intend to use a tract entitled "Why bother with Jesus this Christmas". This has 5 headings as follows:
1. He is a real person.
The Christmas story is not just a nice story for the kids. The events we relate actually happened. There really was a Jesus who came to this Earth as God in human form. As one put it "our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man". The Bible says: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" - John 1 v 14.
2. He was born of a virgin.
Jesus was not conceived in the usual way. A miracle occurred that enabled Mary to conceive even though she had not "been with a man". If we allow for a supreme being called "God" we must allow that He is able to suspend the usual laws of nature to facilitate His purposes. As the Bible says "With God nothing shall be impossible" - Luke 1 v 37.
3. He died for our sins.
Jesus performed many miracles, including raising dead people, and taught many wonderful truths. However, the main reason He came was so that He could die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. As the Bible puts it "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" - 1st John 2 v 2.
4. He came back from the dead.
Jesus told His followers that He would rise again 3 days after His death, and He did just that. The evidence for the resurrection of Christ is compelling. (Frank Morrison set out to write a book disproving the resurrection, but when he sifted through the evidence he ended up becoming a Christian!). The Bible says "Christ died for our sins.........and rose again" 1st Corinthians 15 v 3-4.
5. He is the ONLY way to Heaven.
In John 14 v 6 Jesus stated the following: "I am the way, the truth and the life, NO-ONE comes to the Father but through me". This is an absolute statement - in order to be right with God, and get to Heaven, we must repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. What about those who have never heard? God is sovereign; He will ensure that all those elected, according to foreknowledge, will hear the Gospel and be saved.
Let us boldly declare these truths to the people around us so that, at the time we remember Jesus' birth many would be Born Again to newness of life.
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
"Until I went into the sanctuary of God......."
In Psalm 73 Asaph has a big problem. He looks around at the lives of the ungodly and he sees that they appear to getting on alright, they appear to be prospering without God and living lives that seem, on the surface anyway, to be happy and fulfilled. This leads to him feeling very discouraged and even depressed.
However, in verse 17 the Psalm turns completely around. Asaph goes "into the sanctuary of God" (ie. the place of prayer) and considers the latter end of the ungodly. He realises that, although the ungodly may have many good things in this life, they will have to face God and then spend eternity paying for their sins.
This is a lesson for us as we view the lives of the unsaved. We may find ourselves getting discouraged by their brazen rebellion against God and His word. We may, if we are not careful, get ourselves into a depressed state as we look at the vile arrogance of atheists; but let us remember that they will have to face God one day and then, if they die in an unsaved state, they will spend all eternity paying for their rebellion.
An obvious example of this is to be found in the lives of prominent atheists who have died in recent years. Consider the following people - the politicians Michael "scarecrow" Foot, Robin Cook, Donald Dewar and Mo Mowlam, the writer Iain Banks, the columnist Claire Rayner and the arch atheist-in-chief Chris Hitchens. All of these people were characterised by an appalling rejection of God and simply oozed arrogance. They had inflated ideas of their own "greatness" when, in the sight of God, they were lower than a snake's belly in a cartwheel rut.
In recent years these poor creatures have passed into eternity and faced the very God they refused to believe in. I sincerely hope that, before they died they truly repented of their rebellion and accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. If they did this then God would have been merciful and received them into Heaven. However, if they did not so repent and believe then they are bitterly regretting the godless lives they led. For them R.I.P would not mean Rest In Peace but Regretting It Permanently (some would say Roasting In Pain but I wonder if that may be a bit insensitive). Moreover, this state of torment and distress will last for all eternity.
It is vitally important, as Christians, to get everything into a perspective of eternity. What does it matter if the unsaved have money, possessions, popularity and a comfortable life; if their souls are not saved then all the "blessings" they have enjoyed will pale into insignificance the moment they slip into Hell.
Remember, too, the words of our Saviour - "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul" Mark 8 v 36
However, in verse 17 the Psalm turns completely around. Asaph goes "into the sanctuary of God" (ie. the place of prayer) and considers the latter end of the ungodly. He realises that, although the ungodly may have many good things in this life, they will have to face God and then spend eternity paying for their sins.
This is a lesson for us as we view the lives of the unsaved. We may find ourselves getting discouraged by their brazen rebellion against God and His word. We may, if we are not careful, get ourselves into a depressed state as we look at the vile arrogance of atheists; but let us remember that they will have to face God one day and then, if they die in an unsaved state, they will spend all eternity paying for their rebellion.
An obvious example of this is to be found in the lives of prominent atheists who have died in recent years. Consider the following people - the politicians Michael "scarecrow" Foot, Robin Cook, Donald Dewar and Mo Mowlam, the writer Iain Banks, the columnist Claire Rayner and the arch atheist-in-chief Chris Hitchens. All of these people were characterised by an appalling rejection of God and simply oozed arrogance. They had inflated ideas of their own "greatness" when, in the sight of God, they were lower than a snake's belly in a cartwheel rut.
In recent years these poor creatures have passed into eternity and faced the very God they refused to believe in. I sincerely hope that, before they died they truly repented of their rebellion and accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. If they did this then God would have been merciful and received them into Heaven. However, if they did not so repent and believe then they are bitterly regretting the godless lives they led. For them R.I.P would not mean Rest In Peace but Regretting It Permanently (some would say Roasting In Pain but I wonder if that may be a bit insensitive). Moreover, this state of torment and distress will last for all eternity.
It is vitally important, as Christians, to get everything into a perspective of eternity. What does it matter if the unsaved have money, possessions, popularity and a comfortable life; if their souls are not saved then all the "blessings" they have enjoyed will pale into insignificance the moment they slip into Hell.
Remember, too, the words of our Saviour - "What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul" Mark 8 v 36
Monday, 18 November 2013
God's purposes will NOT be thwarted!
I enjoy watching sporting events, especially Rugby Union and Rugby League. There is no doubt that the most consistent R.U. country is New Zealand. The All Blacks have a hugely impressive record against all the countries they have played. However, they are not invincible, even the All Blacks have lost matches, even the All Blacks can be thwarted.
No matter how strong and powerful a sporting team may be, they can still be thwarted in their desire to win matches.
However, there is One who can NEVER be thwarted in carrying out His purposes - that is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Job 42 v 2 we read that God cannot be thwarted, He cannot be hindered in His plans. Moreover, this is confirmed in Psalm 115 v 3 and Psalm 135 v 6 where we read that all His purposes are carried out. A clear evidence of this is seen in the conversion to Christ of the most unlikely people and the following 3 examples prove this:
Purpose No. 1 - to convert a hardened atheist to the Christian faith.
Kirsten Powers was such a person. She called herself a convinced atheist, didn't believe the Bible and avoided Evangelical Christians like the plague. However, God had a purpose - to save her soul and, in the fullness of time, she repented of her atheism and became a Christian. Read her testimony by googling "Kirsten Powers Christian".
Purpose No. 2 - to convert a convinced homosexual to the Christian faith.
Peter (I won't give his full name to protect him from Internet bullying) was a homosexual. He was told that he was born that way and couldn't change. However, God worked in his life and, through contact with Christians who were concerned about his soul, repented of his homosexuality and turned to Christ. In his words he has "been set free from homosexuality" and he seeks to reach out to the gay community with the life-changing message of Jesus.
Purpose No. 3 - to convert a militant Islamist to the Christian faith.
Mosab Hassan Yousef (his name is well known so I am not putting him at risk) grew up in a militant Islamist family; indeed, his father was one of the founder members of Hamas. To cut a long story short he repented of his allegiance to Islam and became a Christian. To find out more google "Son of Hamas" and be thrilled with his true story.
When I read of these accounts I am strengthened in my own faith and confirmed in my calling as an Evangelist. I KNOW that God will convert people to Christ; He WILL draw them and He WILL glorify Himself as He presents these dear ones as "Trophies of Grace".
Psalm 115 v 3 - Our God is in the Heavens, He has done whatsoever He pleased".
No matter how strong and powerful a sporting team may be, they can still be thwarted in their desire to win matches.
However, there is One who can NEVER be thwarted in carrying out His purposes - that is the Lord Jesus Christ. In Job 42 v 2 we read that God cannot be thwarted, He cannot be hindered in His plans. Moreover, this is confirmed in Psalm 115 v 3 and Psalm 135 v 6 where we read that all His purposes are carried out. A clear evidence of this is seen in the conversion to Christ of the most unlikely people and the following 3 examples prove this:
Purpose No. 1 - to convert a hardened atheist to the Christian faith.
Kirsten Powers was such a person. She called herself a convinced atheist, didn't believe the Bible and avoided Evangelical Christians like the plague. However, God had a purpose - to save her soul and, in the fullness of time, she repented of her atheism and became a Christian. Read her testimony by googling "Kirsten Powers Christian".
Purpose No. 2 - to convert a convinced homosexual to the Christian faith.
Peter (I won't give his full name to protect him from Internet bullying) was a homosexual. He was told that he was born that way and couldn't change. However, God worked in his life and, through contact with Christians who were concerned about his soul, repented of his homosexuality and turned to Christ. In his words he has "been set free from homosexuality" and he seeks to reach out to the gay community with the life-changing message of Jesus.
Purpose No. 3 - to convert a militant Islamist to the Christian faith.
Mosab Hassan Yousef (his name is well known so I am not putting him at risk) grew up in a militant Islamist family; indeed, his father was one of the founder members of Hamas. To cut a long story short he repented of his allegiance to Islam and became a Christian. To find out more google "Son of Hamas" and be thrilled with his true story.
When I read of these accounts I am strengthened in my own faith and confirmed in my calling as an Evangelist. I KNOW that God will convert people to Christ; He WILL draw them and He WILL glorify Himself as He presents these dear ones as "Trophies of Grace".
Psalm 115 v 3 - Our God is in the Heavens, He has done whatsoever He pleased".
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Reaching young people for Christ
Last week I had the great privilege of attending a bonfire party for young people and giving a short talk outlining the truths of the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
About 20-25 young people came and I took about 15 minutes presenting the truths of John 3 v 16 viz. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.".
I started off by saying that this is the most important message they could ever hear and then went on to make 4 essential points:
1. The world that God loves - This is not speaking of the physical cosmos but the people in the world. God loves us despite the fact that we have all let Him down and broken His laws. We have all fallen short of His standards. None of us can say that we are perfect; indeed, the Lord Jesus lived the only perfect life of any person who walked on this earth. Moreover, our sins (because that is what our wrongdoing is called) have caused a barrier to be put between us and God, and no amount of self effort can remove that barrier.
2. The Son that God gave - This was, of course, the Lord Jesus. The perfect one who came for one purpose above all others - to die as a sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus was hanging on the cross God took all the sins of all people, from all generations, and heaped them upon His own Son. The Bible says: "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity (wrongdoing) of us all" (Isaiah 53 v 6). 3 days later He rose again, thus showing His power over death, and thus showing that His sacrifice for our sins was complete.
3. The response we must make. It is not enough to acknowledge Jesus as a figure in history; no credible historian denies that Jesus lived. However, we must be sorry for our sins and accept Him as our personal Saviour. To believe in Him as a personal Saviour is to believe in Him in our hearts, in a way that affects every part of our lives.
4. The eternity that we all face. Just as believing in Jesus gives us an absolute assurance of eternal life in Heaven, so not believing in Him puts us under God's condemnation. John 3 v 18 says that those who don't believe are condemned for simply not believing. I made the point that a person may be "good living" and law abiding, but if that person doesn't believe in Jesus then they are condemned, they are heading for Hell when they die.
Moreover, I strongly asserted the truths of John 14 v 6 that Jesus is the ONLY way to eternal life.
After this talk I offered small booklets entitled "Knowing God personally" and was pleased to note that about half-dozen of these were taken.
Among those young people were three groups - those we know that are saved, those who attend church youth groups but we are not sure if they are saved, and those who were brought along by Christian friends and, at the point of hearing that talk, were not right with God.
Please pray that God, in His sovereign mercy, would be pleased to bring those young people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
About 20-25 young people came and I took about 15 minutes presenting the truths of John 3 v 16 viz. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.".
I started off by saying that this is the most important message they could ever hear and then went on to make 4 essential points:
1. The world that God loves - This is not speaking of the physical cosmos but the people in the world. God loves us despite the fact that we have all let Him down and broken His laws. We have all fallen short of His standards. None of us can say that we are perfect; indeed, the Lord Jesus lived the only perfect life of any person who walked on this earth. Moreover, our sins (because that is what our wrongdoing is called) have caused a barrier to be put between us and God, and no amount of self effort can remove that barrier.
2. The Son that God gave - This was, of course, the Lord Jesus. The perfect one who came for one purpose above all others - to die as a sacrifice for our sins. When Jesus was hanging on the cross God took all the sins of all people, from all generations, and heaped them upon His own Son. The Bible says: "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity (wrongdoing) of us all" (Isaiah 53 v 6). 3 days later He rose again, thus showing His power over death, and thus showing that His sacrifice for our sins was complete.
3. The response we must make. It is not enough to acknowledge Jesus as a figure in history; no credible historian denies that Jesus lived. However, we must be sorry for our sins and accept Him as our personal Saviour. To believe in Him as a personal Saviour is to believe in Him in our hearts, in a way that affects every part of our lives.
4. The eternity that we all face. Just as believing in Jesus gives us an absolute assurance of eternal life in Heaven, so not believing in Him puts us under God's condemnation. John 3 v 18 says that those who don't believe are condemned for simply not believing. I made the point that a person may be "good living" and law abiding, but if that person doesn't believe in Jesus then they are condemned, they are heading for Hell when they die.
Moreover, I strongly asserted the truths of John 14 v 6 that Jesus is the ONLY way to eternal life.
After this talk I offered small booklets entitled "Knowing God personally" and was pleased to note that about half-dozen of these were taken.
Among those young people were three groups - those we know that are saved, those who attend church youth groups but we are not sure if they are saved, and those who were brought along by Christian friends and, at the point of hearing that talk, were not right with God.
Please pray that God, in His sovereign mercy, would be pleased to bring those young people to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Monday, 4 November 2013
Sporting events - 2 observations
A few days ago I was watching a DVD of some of the highlights from the London 2012 Olympics. On Day 8 Britain won 3 gold medals in the Track and Field events in just 45 minutes, one of these being the Men's Long Jump. When the winner of this event was being interviewed he spoke of how he felt that, after winning this Gold Medal, he had everything.
As I pondered his words I was struck by the following question - he may have "everything" as far as material things and sporting success is concerned but what about his soul? What good is a 1,000 Gold Medals if one's soul is unsaved? What good is a huge amount of sporting success if one is heading for the torments of Hell upon death? This can be applied right through life; what good is a huge bank balance if one's soul is under condemnation? What good is the adulation of the world if one doesn't know Christ as a personal Saviour?
Many years ago I read the following quote in a magazine - "My greatest fear is not that I'll be a failure; my greatest fear is that I'll be a success at the things that don't really matter." I was so impressed by this that I cut it out of the magazine and pasted it on card to use as a bookmark. It's now attached to the fridge as a constant reminder of the importance of getting one's priorities right.
The second observation centres around the attitude we have to sport. Is sport wrong? Is it sinful to watch sporting events and take an interest in how your favourite team is doing? The short answer is - no. It is not sinful to take an interest in sport and watch events. However, when it becomes an idol that is another matter. The way people in this country worship football and praise their favourite "stars" is a form of idolatry and it IS sinful.
If, as Christians, we find ourselves getting too interested in sport to the point that we begin to worship it what should we do? First, we need to ask God for forgiveness and repent of not putting Him first in our lives. Secondly we need to focus on Christ and His cross; when we do this we will find that the things of this life lose their appeal.
We do well to head the words of Colossians 3 v 2 - "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things".
Finally, it is worth remembering the words of an old chorus
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
and the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and Grace".
As I pondered his words I was struck by the following question - he may have "everything" as far as material things and sporting success is concerned but what about his soul? What good is a 1,000 Gold Medals if one's soul is unsaved? What good is a huge amount of sporting success if one is heading for the torments of Hell upon death? This can be applied right through life; what good is a huge bank balance if one's soul is under condemnation? What good is the adulation of the world if one doesn't know Christ as a personal Saviour?
Many years ago I read the following quote in a magazine - "My greatest fear is not that I'll be a failure; my greatest fear is that I'll be a success at the things that don't really matter." I was so impressed by this that I cut it out of the magazine and pasted it on card to use as a bookmark. It's now attached to the fridge as a constant reminder of the importance of getting one's priorities right.
The second observation centres around the attitude we have to sport. Is sport wrong? Is it sinful to watch sporting events and take an interest in how your favourite team is doing? The short answer is - no. It is not sinful to take an interest in sport and watch events. However, when it becomes an idol that is another matter. The way people in this country worship football and praise their favourite "stars" is a form of idolatry and it IS sinful.
If, as Christians, we find ourselves getting too interested in sport to the point that we begin to worship it what should we do? First, we need to ask God for forgiveness and repent of not putting Him first in our lives. Secondly we need to focus on Christ and His cross; when we do this we will find that the things of this life lose their appeal.
We do well to head the words of Colossians 3 v 2 - "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things".
Finally, it is worth remembering the words of an old chorus
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
and the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and Grace".
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