Who's Calling the Game?
Posted on March 20, 2008
Filed Under Christian Living
Who’s Calling the Game?
by Pastor Sam Livingston
We are in the midst of March Madness a time when conference tournaments are concluding and champions are being crowned. College students are having trouble staying focused within their class room settings, graduates of schools are praying that their college make it to the dance and on to the final four with hopes of winning a championship. March madness, as we now call it, is a very exciting time of the year for fans of all walks of life.
The one thing that I have noticed about every game played is that they all have a few things in common. Certain things must be in place to call it a basketball game. There must be a place to have the contest and two teams must be present. The final part of any basketball game is the referee. The referee is needed to start the game, control the game and stop the game. It cannot be a contest without a referee.
In life we have been made to keep up with everybody’s business but ours. The National Enquire, CNN, MSNBC, Oprah, Tyra, Dr. Phil, the local news, etc continues to feed us people’s business. Every affiliate tries to get the most dirt on those who are in the spotlight to increase their ratings. Because after all, increased ratings means more viewer ship, more advertisement and more $$$$$$$$. In Matthew 7:3 Jesus said,
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye”? It is amazing to me how we all do this so well. The government does it, married couples do it and yes even the spiritual institution that we call the church does it. We need to consider our faults, weaknesses and sins before we make efforts to correct the mess in the lives of others. We have seen too many great leaders from biblical times to now fall to corruption mostly involving sex and or money. We constantly stumbles over the beam sized sins in our lives but easily detect the spec of sawdust in the lives of those around us. The truth of the matter however is simple if you are saved and washed in the blood of the Lamb of God you have a referee on hand at all times. That referee is the Holy Ghost.
If the Holy Ghost was to suit up as a natural referee during this season of March Madness, it may blow the whistle and put both hands on it’s shoulders and say you need a time out. When everything that you try fails to work you need to heed to the call and consult your team owner (God) through Coach Jesus and say “Father I stretch my hands to thee, no other help that I know….” We cannot go through life recklessly learning through trail and error. If it’s not working, it must be fixed by the creator himself. When the Holy Ghost referee takes one hand and grab the wrist on the other hand you are guilty of a holding violation. It is clear then that you are trying to hold on to some things that you need to let go of like lying, stealing, fornication and whatever else that is keeping you from growing within the body of Christ. We sometimes hold on to baggage too long.
We must do as the writer say, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” (Heb 12:1). Let go and let God take control of your life. When the Holy Ghost referee lifts one hand and flashes three fingers the call is three seconds. This means that you have been in the lane too long and have not done a thing. You have been a part of the deacon’s ministry with little to no contribution, you have ushered and still refuse to smile, you have preached but you denied the power of God so you need to get out of the lane! When the HG referee puts both hands on his hips it means that blocking has been called on you. You are standing in God’s way he wants to move in your house. He wants to move in your church but you keep blocking his flow. In these last days we must lead follow or get out of HIS way.
There are so many other calls that the Holy Ghost is making but the one that sticks out to me is this scenario. The game is on the line and you have the ball of life with five seconds left on the clock but you are down by two (2) points and the coach has just made a time out call. You step over to the sideline and have a little talk with Jesus and he tells you “all or nothing”. You know the play it is a three point play that you need to win the game. You get the ball, two seconds expires from the clock and from behind the three point line you release the ball. With three seconds left on the clock, you watch your last shot sail through the air three, two, one the buzzer goes off and the ball swishes the net and the Holy Ghost referee makes his final call and he puts both hands in the air for the three pointer. The ball going in represents us making it in to heaven to spend eternity with the Lord.
What does this all means? It means that every confrontation that we have with the devil and his demons can never take place without the referee (The Holy Ghost) being there. God would not have it any other way. So if we lose the game its nobodies fault but ours.
This my friend should bring you comfort!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pastor Sam Livingston is a seasoned pastor, lecturer, teacher and Author of “The Essentials of Fellowship”. He is married to Meraldine Hicks Livingston and blessed to have two children, Sammy K Livingston Jr. and Candace I Livingston. Pastor Livingston is a graduate of NC A&T State University; B.S., Webster University; Business Administration, MA and he is a student at Luther Rice Seminary’s Master of Divinity program. Total Package Ministry airs via television bi-weekly throughout Coastal South Carolina. He thanks God for the opportunity to carry the healing ministry to a hurting nation.
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