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it underscores the need to uphold him in prayer, as I wrote the other day (http://wp.me/p22m6n-K). Interestingly, it seems that the conversation surrounding Tebow frequently turns to matters of faith, and this seems to be a good thing, and perhaps God is using Tebow to turn the conversation this way. It is not out of the question; though it is also not possible to definitively affirm such a suggestion.
I've watched Smith and Bayless go at it a number of times over Tebow. Slowly, Smith is starting to give Tebow more and more credit and Bayless is getting bolder and bolder as the Broncos keep winning with dramatic comebacks.
Your first reaction is that they're just doing this to get people to watch. Maybe. But the emotional edge to their conversations makes it seem genuine. They have a real difference. People are rarely neutral about Tebow.
Certainly some of the hatred for Tebow is hatred for Christianity. He represents Christ to many in our society.
So many athletes who profess faith in Christ are fruitcakes. Carl Lewis did work with a Christian athlete-type group. But then pictures came out of him of him offering sacrifices in a Hindu temple. Ray Lewis professes faith in Christ but he also got himself in some tight fixes with the law. One could go on and on.
Tebow's faith seems genuine. He is pro-life. His parents were missionaries. He was home-schooled. He's a virgin and proud of it. He is unashamed of Christ and speaks of him willingly and joyfully. From a distance, the fruit seems good and the fruitcake quotient is low.
Are there other reasons why Tebow is so loved by so many? Sure. He's handsome and a hunk. How many mothers (and fathers) are out there dreaming that Tebow will marry their daugther? A lot. How many young girls are imagining scenarios where they'll meet Tim and fall in love? Probably more then we could imagine.
Is God involved with Tebow and his team in a special and extraordinary way? Maybe. Each week it seems more and more like it. But Tim also has a real competitive fire. He inspires the men around him. And he works extremely hard. Read the article on Yahoo Sports about him and his preparation. Astounding.
So really, let's pray for the man (that he not fall) and root for the Broncos.
He is simply a guy who loves God and football, and he is really good at both.
This will seem to be quibbling to some, so please pass on to the next comment if quibbling distresses you! I, who among The Reformed can only say truthfully that I am barely so, am gobsmacked to read Brother Wegner's comment:
“Is God involved with Tebow and his team in a special and extraordinary way? Maybe. Each week it seems more and more like it.”
For a number of reasons that I expect The Reformed to agree with, King David's confession about himself is also true of every man: “And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” (Ps. 139:16; see the rest of the Psalm for additional testimony to God's extraordinary and special involvement in every detail of David's life, from its beginning in his mother's womb until its culmination in eternity, vv. 23-24). And, yet, such “control” as any author has over any story he constructs does not, in God's case, constitute us as puppets or robots, subject in all points to fate, even if His fate. For, unlike we creaturely authors, God has power to write stories, with characters who can know Him (in creaturely ways, of course) as He knows us, which characters can – and as Scripture shows us, continually do – offer Him prayers about what He writes on the pages of their own and others' stories.
So, most certainly God has written Tebow's story, and He most certainly shapes the stories of countless others who watch Tebow's story unfold before our very eyes.
What we do ~not~ know is what is written in His book for the days in Tebow's story we have not yet seen. And, to judge by King David and other righteous men in Scripture, God is pleased to hear our praises for the days in all those stories that we have seen, and to hear our prayers for those days we have not seen, that they would include (or not include) this or that. If prayer and answers to prayer are anything more than mirage, then the Author of all these stories includes in His secret counsels the petitions of those characters he has created as their own and others' stories become known to them.
You're right, of course, Father Bill. God is sovereign over all things and He is actively involved in all things, including football games and wedding ceremonies and birds falling to the ground and deer running across the road and the failure of airplane engines and the sins of businessmen and the corruption of politicians and the lusts of teenagers and priests and old men ...
What I meant to say in that paragraph is something like this: Is God causing Tebow to succeed, and the Broncos to win, because he honors Him so publicly? Or should we just look for explanations in the natural realm? Then we would say things like, Tim inspires confidence in his teammates, his dedication and determination gets them to play harder and better, his competitiveness makes them better competitors ...
It's easy to answer the latter. We're scared to answer the former since we don't like to be proven wrong. And Reformed men especially don't like to be proven wrong. And so we hedge our bets and answer, "maybe." Or we say, it's a combination of both, so we can dodge behind that one also.
If we don't know isn't the right answer "maybe" while acknowledging that God is sovereign and if He wants Denver to thrive with Tebow they will. But while acknowledging He can do that I'd hesitate to be dogmatic in asserting that this is what has happened. I would be dogmatic that God loves those that honour Him and is utterly faithful even when we aren't. How that manifests itself is at His discretion.
I'm not a consistent fan of football, but am enjoying watching all things Tebow.
I'm hoping that when/if the Broncos are on a spectacular losing streak, Tebow will continue to carry himself in the same manner; that would be impressive and a great encouragement to me as his brother in Christ.
Known fact, people aspire to those around them that believe in what they are doing. Tebow is aspiring to be a man who loves the Lord. Enough said when many other professional atheletes are busy finding worldly rewards.
I ~thought~ you meant something like that, David. ;) Thanks.
And, after reading your comments, I clicked on a news aggregator site I read and the top story was here:
http://news.yahoo.com/lib-radio-host-bill-press-tells-tebow-t-200226382.html
Bill Press doesn't like Tebow-talk, especially from Tebow. Reading this made me imagine a scene during the Doom when Press is asked by The Judge to comment on something, after which some angelic techies serve up a compilation of Tebow's comments before and after football games, said comments containing more than enough testimony to the grace of God in Christ to convict Press of rejecting everything to which Tebow was testifying.
We won't know, of course, until/unless we get to observe such things. But, I've always imagined that the evidence in such scenes would far more often be the incidental testimonies of otherwise invisible Christians than the ones from mass evangelists or from fellows like Tebow.
Our Lord does deploy their testimonies too, obviously. And the result of all these testimonies -- from Tebows and from nobody Christians alike -- is just as often to harden hearts as it is to soften them. Maybe, even, hardening is the more common consequence (cf. Matthew 7:13-15).
Bill,
Even your quibbles edify!
Thankful for you,
Daniel
So, how "sovereign" is God? It seems that He has been in the stands rooting, and perhaps doing a bit more for the Broncos. His ways are beyond our capacity to comprehend or foresee, but His purpose, that He receive glory, is certainly being accomplished in Tebow's testimony, currently, and perhaps in the argument over God's hand in the play. I do know that we should pray that Tebow remain faithful.
>>How sovereign is God?
More sovereign than we'd like to admit. Remember, it's not just a matter of God causing a strong Christian (who's also a strong quarterback) to win games. It's more like God causing Tebow to exist, giving him a strong faith, making him a good quarterback, and then reaping the fruit as Tebow glorifies his Creator. Which we are all called to do, albeit in different ways.
Sincerely,
Is God sovereign over football? Yes. Can we be certain that it is all centered around Tim Tebow? No. Maybe he is humbling a CHristian on the other team, maybe he is making rich an unbeliever betting on the game to bring him low later? There are far too many levels of why God does what he does to give a simplistic answer about how the team is blessed because of Tim Tebow. COuld it be? Sure. Is that certainly the reason? No. It reminds me of the Christian movies where the good Christian team always wins the championship game. Is that the sort of Christianity we promote, where all things work out swimmingly in the present if we believe? I think not.
And what would last weeks loss mean? A whole new can of worms. Providence only tells us what is, but does not come with the interpretive key as to "why" it is.
But in Amos 4, God reminds the people of five things He did to them (famine; drought; scorching wind and mildew; plague; being overthrown) and says after each, "Yet you did not return to Me". The people say, "There are far too many levels of why God does what he does to give a simplistic answer about how our nation is cursed because of unrepentance," but God doesn't commend them for properly understanding the unsearchability of His ways -- instead He says, *You were responsible to understand that it was judgment from Me*, and to repent.
Another example: the Apostles had great favor from the Lord and from the people at first. They didn't say "We can't be sure if this is the blessing of God" but rather were "praising God and having favor with all the people". When things went from favor to persecution their praises turned to petitions, but they didn't repudiate their former praises or say "We praised God too soon and should have reserved judgment".
So today, with Tebow -- the favor is from God (where else would it be from?) so how can we but praise Him? Tebow's glory will not last, and our trust is not in him, but when God grants favor we should praise Him with joy and gladness, without delay or worry.
Praise the Lord, who works through frail men like Tebow, and like me.
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