By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Saturday, Jan 31, 2009

Editor's Note: This is a revised version of a devotional time I had in the past. It has to do with the parable of the 4 seeds and presented as a modern day parable in a hypothetical allegory before the Superbowl XLIII game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals! The idea for the allegory was diagramed on the blackboard years ago during a Bible study by Kevin Leibach, former InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff volunteer. Based on the diagram and spending time in prayer, I was able to expand it into a revised devotional. No team is compared to God or Satan for this is just an analogy to make important implications for our lives.

Now imagine God being your Quarterback (QB) with a perfect passer rating. This means there are no errors on the part of God as a quarterback. Let us hold that constant so any error that occurs will be because of us wide receivers. As a quarterback throws a football and as a farmer throws the seed, God sends us His Word.

What if Jesus talked football and farming?

"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up." (Mark 4:3-4, NIV) 

"The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them." (Mark 4:14-15, NIV)

As wide receivers, we need to be in the right position listening and following the quarterback signals. When the ball is thrown, we can see it coming towards us but unfortunately there are times we are not positioned correctly. The end results is it’s taken away by the defense. We just allowed an interception because we were not in the right position to receive the ball.

In the same way, God sends to us the receivers His Word. We need to be in a position to hear the Word coming and receive it. But many times we can have a tendency just to hear the Word and let it end there. The end result is what’s sown is easily forgotten. It is as if it were taken away.

For that not to happen, it is important to position our selves correctly.

 In football, when a play is misread, the wide receivers have a general idea what they could have done to position themselves better. They go and try again without letting the mistake stopping them.

 In our lives, we need to find ways to position ourselves so we not only hear the Word but also are careful not to let the enemy take it away. It is great to hear the Word on Sundays and other times but there is nothing like personal time with the Lord to complement our corporate times at fellowship, Bible studies, and church.

 Let us get our life in a position where we can meet alone with God without having a hardened heart and let Him speak to us so Satan cannot make us forget the Word. In essence, let us have daily devotional or quiet times. I have realized that this alone is not enough as scenario 2 sheds more light.

 "Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root." (Mark 4:5-6, NIV)

"Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away." (Mark 4:16-17, NIV)

As wide receivers, not only do we have to position our selves correctly but be committed to catching the ball and holding on to it. In excitement, we do get our hands on the ball but unfortunately we cannot hold on to it because we get frightened of being tackled as we hear footsteps behind us. In essence we are not committed 100% to the sport and it results in an incomplete pass. The quarterback threw it well and we should have caught it.

 In the same way, when God sends His Word, we can now be in a position to hear it and receive it with joy because we have taken the time to position our lives to spend time with Him so we know where we should be. This is a sporadic thing though and not consistent so we have no root. For a short time we can be getting along fine but then persecution comes our way through trials and tribulations and we mess up. We may not be committed 100% to carrying the Word in our lives because of all sorts of persecution ranging from ridicule from others to low self-esteem on our parts. Also, we may be afraid of what other people will think of us as we take the Word and run in our lives. So we drop the Word from our lives and fall to our own ways not wanting to be committed to God.

For that not to happen, we need to be committed 100% whether it is carrying a football or carrying God’s Word in our lives.

 In football, the wide receiver learns about commitment by spending time alone, watching clips of himself playing, analyzing the mistakes he has made, looking at the playbook as important. It is one thing to just look at it and another thing to study it and practice it. He comes to realize about commitment from his coach and other players. In essence, he has 100% commitment to become a better player.

 In the same way, the best offense for us would be to spend time alone thinking through the actions we have done, analyzing the mistakes we have made, and looking at our playbook (the Word of God) wanting to improve, not allowing trials and tribulations to hinder us. The playbook (Word of God) is very important. It is one thing to just look at the Word of God but another thing to study and practice it. We need the Lord's help for apart from Him we can do nothing.

 "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8)

You can realize about commitment from the Master coach Jesus Christ. In essence, you can make a 100% commitment to become a better Word carrier.

So when persecution comes, you need not be intimidated by fear but can boldly say, "God has not given me the spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Tim 1:7)

I have realized that being positioned correctly to receive the Word and committed to carrying it is not enough as scenario 3 sheds light.

 "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain." (Mark 4:7, NIV)

"Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:18-19, NIV)

 In football, the wide receiver is now positioned and committed so he is able to receive the football and run with it even though he hears footsteps behind him.

 In excitement, he wants to make the touchdown on his own strength though without relying on the help of his teammates. The 3 F’s flash in his mind: fun, fame, and fortune. He now gets the ball and keeps running with it without realizing the danger he is in. The defense does not give in but piles upon him forcing the ball loose before he hits the ground, stripping the ball away and taking it, causing a fumble and recovering it. 

In the same way, when God sends us His Word, we are now positioned and committed to receiving it and run our daily lives. We run our lives well for a while with the joy of the Lord but not wanting other peoples help though. Soon the worries of this life ‘such as academics, relationships, careers, and so on’ hit us so hard that we forget our eternal perspective. The end result is living a secluded life in brokenness making our lives unfruitful.

For that not to happen, it is important to receive the help that is provided.

 In football when a wide receiver fumbles the ball because he is overpowered by the defense, he should not be shunned by his teammates but he should take their support next time that they provide it.  

In the same way, we should not try to be a lone-ranger Christian in our lives. We should not think we don’t need anyone’s help. We should follow God’s Word and take His help leaving the worries of this life in His Helping Hands! He provides His help in many ways mainly through His Church, the body of believers.

 "Let Him have all your worries and cares for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." (1 Peter 5:7)

 Going to Church, small groups, fellowships, retreats etc will give us a support structure that will help supplement our time with the Lord and be an effective wide receiver as we carry the Word continuously with us. We need to do our part but also depend on others the Lord wants to use in our lives.

 "They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47)

 After we are positioned correctly to receive the Word, committed to carrying the Word, and are in a community of believers in the Word, we are now in a position as wide receivers to win with the Word in our lives as scenario 4 shows.

"Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times." (Mark 4:8, NIV)

"Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:20, NIV)

In football, the wide receiver now sees and hears the football coming. He knows he should position himself in the right place, be committed to what he is doing. He receives the football and runs with it making sure to take the help and support of all his teammates. While his teammates block the defense, the result is 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 TOUCHDOWN!!!

 In the same way when God sends us His Word, we now position our lives according to His plan and commit to carrying the Word. We do not stop there but are part of a community of believers in the Word. When we run, we now know the essence of teamwork. We ask God to take control of our lives and submit ourselves 100% to Him. While we are running, when the devil attacks us, we draw our strength from being part of a community of believers in the Word and our personal relationship with the Lord through prayer and study of His Word. The result is 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 ETERNITY. We have gained a spiritual touchdown against our adversary, Satan. In God's eyes we become a champion and that's the best championship we can have because we will be surrounded by the Ultimate Champion: Jesus Christ!

"Carry each other’s burdens, and this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."

Anyone who knows the Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner knows how much his faith in Jesus Christ has influenced his life and how he proclaims his faith to his teammates and others around him. The Superbowl run for the Arizona Cardinals could not have come to a better team this year than the Arizona Cardinals to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. No matter who wins, it can be a win-win situation.

We do not get results with others by shouting at them or making them feel discouraged but we can get results by lovingly reaching out to each person and letting others feel loved and appreciated. Anyone can rule with an iron-fist but it is the one that rules with love that will have lasting results.

Yesterday at work, I made that mistake of 'ruling with an iron-fist' and I decided to go apologize to my employee and how sorry I was. I told him that I could have asked him politely even when he messed up instead of jumping on him figuratively. I told him his outburst was partially my fault too. I thank the Lord for that opportunity to swallow my pride and tell him that. My immediate supervisor was very proud of me and said, 'Ramesh you are a big man for what you did [saying sorry to the employee and focusing on his positive attributes].

Friends, I need to imitate Jesus Christ in my life and when I am so focused on Christ and His Word, He convicts me with His love. That's what happened to me. When I was about to leave, I was switching my work hat with my 'From the manager to the cross: Jesus died for your sins' hat.  I felt as a Christian, I had acted very badly and needed to reconcile with the employee before going to Living Acts cell group to lead a Bible study, etc. That's what I did and it started with Jesus.

Friend, Jesus Christ is the best example of that which Tony Dungy & Kurt Warner, etc tries to imitate their life after and I want to do that too!  Jesus Christ did not come to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom to many. That is awesome to know friend.

Yes, it is friend. Friend, Jesus loves you as you are and He can give you the best championship in your life, being a champion of Jesus Christ. When others see you, will they see that you are different because Jesus is in your life or will they see that Jesus has no bearing in your life and your faith is just a religion without substance.

Tony Dungy and Kurt Warner are two examples of many who live out their faith in times of joy and times of tribulation. My prayer is that we can live our lives for Jesus Christ no matter what is happening around us knowing Jesus Christ who created us will always take care of us as He has paid for our sins with His cleansing precious blood. May His love help us to live lives of love! Amen!

"Farming/Football Offers Omnipotent Truths By Almighty Lord's Lessons!" (F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L)/"What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?"  

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for the parable of the 4 seeds and how you used Kevin to explain the parable using a football diagram on the board. Lord, because of that I was able to analyze the similarities between farming and football and come up with this devotional. Oh Lord, I wonder if you were walking the earth today if you would have used football. Thank you for the applications and principles I have gotten out of your Word. Lord, help us please to be those on good soil so we can have victory as Christians. We need your help Lord for many times we fail and go back to the other soils and we don't like that. Lord, even when we mess up you are there to put us back on the right track. Thank you for your awesome promises and grace. I pray Oh Lord that people's hearts would be touched and that they would come to know you more and more and have an excitement to study your Word and meditate on it. Please help us in our Christian walk for your honor and glory as we live here on earth. Thank you so much Jesus for all your help! Thank you for hearing us and answering us. We are so sorry for our sins and give ourselves to you acknowledging you as our Lord and Personal Savior. Please come into our heart and make our heart your home. Live in us Jesus and we will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of our lives. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior, for saving us. Whatever your will for our lives, give us the willingness and strength to bear it as we turn ourselves to thee. Thank you Jesus we can turn to you. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you so much that we are never out of your love. No matter what is tormenting us, you are there for us. When there are days we cannot get through and loneliness has gotten the best of us because we are isolated in our torment and sin, you are still there. Just as the demon-possessed man saw you, ran to you, and fell before you for healing, we can come to you too. Thank you Jesus! You made yourself available to the man with the evil spirit. Thank you Jesus for making yourself available to us now when we call your Name for we are never out of your love and never out of your reach. You Oh Lord know what we have done; you know what we will do. You know what Satan will do to entice us and torment us. We come to you Lord and ask you for your healing presence in our lives. Take any addiction and torment that people face and fill them with your power to live for you. We know you can do it Jesus. Only you have the power to deliver us from any torment and find peace in you. Thank you so much Jesus. We come to you now Jesus and ask you to forgive us of all our sin. Deliver us Oh Lord and cleanse us with your cleansing blood. We believe in you Jesus; we believe you are the Son of God, we believe that you died and rose again; we believe you are here right now standing in our presence with the power to heal now and the grace to forgive. Help us Oh Lord as we turn this song “I Believe” into a prayer to you Oh Lord. Thank you so much for coming into our heart and making our heart your home as we ask you in. Take us in Oh Lord and be our Lord and Personal Savior as you lead us and guide us. Help us to help others as you help us! Thank you so much Jesus you are in our heart making our heart your home. Thank you for living in us. Thank you for being our Lord and Personal Savior! Thank you Jesus you have heard our prayers and answered us! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!