NFL vs. the Church

Last year, bragging in an interview on the popularity of football in America, NFL head Roger Goodell smugly stated that the Super Bowl had become a national holiday, implying it was ‘bigger than Christmas’.

Now in 2020, Goodell is overseeing a COVID ban on NFL players attending church in groups larger than 25% of the seating capacity. Players who violate this ban and attend church risk huge fines and suspension.

Roger Goodell is totally fine, however, with football players attending Black Lives Matter riots in as large a number as they please. Ten thousand protesters jammed in a space with the majority unmasked? No problem!

A June 5 tweet from the NFL affirmed that “We, the NFL…encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
WE, THE NFL, CONDEMN RACISM AND THE SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION OF BLACK PEOPLE. WE, THE NFL, ADMIT WE WERE WRONG FOR NOT LISTENING TO NFL PLAYERS EARLIER AND ENCOURAGE ALL TO SPEAK OUT AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. WE, THE NFL, BELIEVE BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Here’s some New Testament verses pointing out the importance of church on the first day of the week:

“And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” Acts 20:7

“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
1 Corinthians 16:1,2

The early church met on the first day of the week for worship services, for fellowship, and collecting the gifts necessary for its operation. What the bible calls the ‘first day of the week’ is Sunday.

Sunday is also the day that the NFL has claimed for its own, the congregation are football fans, and their church buildings are sports stadiums. Football is the largest religion in America, and it has just declared war on Christians and the church.

Satan vs. Church

As Satan continues to roar against the church in America, his latest anti-Christ recruit team seems to be the NFL who he’s enlisted to do his bidding.

Here’s their latest anti-church scheme. NFL teams may “rely on contacts within the community to contact the team if/when violations are witnessed,” or even use a tip line. In other words, the NFL wants members of the community to report any players they see trying to attend church. You’re kidding right? Nope… dead serious!

It’s quite despicable to watch the NFL align itself with the schemes of the Devil (2 Cor. 2:11) and readily turn against the God-fearing players who have stand-out testimonies and want to attend church.

Roger Goodell knows full well there is a strong contingent of born-again players with powerful testimonies in the NFL. But apparently, he doesn’t care about their civil rights, their Christian commitment or what the Bible has to say. It’s another sad day for America.

Satan knows the important role the church plays in God’s plan and he’s putting a full-court press to shut down the church in America.

The church is God’s primary program for believers in the church age. The Apostle Paul even goes so far as to describe the local church as the ‘pillar and ground of the truth,’

If I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)

God gives us a specific command to attend church in the end times when it becomes obvious the Lord is coming soon,

Don’t forsake assembling yourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

It’s not God’s design for those living in the last days to shrink back from attending church and pretend you’re worshiping the Lord at home.

God uses the church to encourage the saints with fellowship, to align hearts through the preaching of the Word, to raise a hallelujah by singing praises and to observe the Lord’s Supper and baptize new believers every week!

I would like to encourage all believers to find a place where you can gather every week. Don’t forsake the believers responsibility to ‘gather together’ in the last days!

The collective gathering of the body supports the whole church and lifts everyone up!

Watchful and Vigilant

The following e-mail represents the need for watchmen in these last days:

“I am viewed as crazy just by mentioning how excited I am for the Lord to return and about the times we are in. It makes me nervous to even mention world news and events, or end-time prophecies, with anyone who claims to be a Christian. The reactions I get are so very negative. I haven’t found even one person at my church, work, or extended family who would be willing to discuss any of these issues.”

We are in the most biblically relevant times in history with the least amount of interest in them.

We are in a season of exploding “signs of the times” yet we see the most amount of people scoffing at the thought (all predicted).

Everything is now accelerated and on overdrive—except the interest in all of these things.

And as a result, the watchmen are growing weary!

Some Reasons For This

• Way too many people are in love with this world. They cling to it and derive tremendous pleasure from it. And b-u-s-y has become the new four letter word.

• Reality has become terrifying. Some are saying life won’t return to normal, whatever that was as recently as six months ago. And those voices just might be right. Life may have turned a dark corner in 2020.
• Satan is the distractor! He is in a hyper-active mode keeping people from paying attention to how late the hour is. If they aren’t watching the times, he can cripple them with fear and keep people from even sharing the gospel.
• Detaching from reality is a coping mechanism. Some can’t keep hearing, listening, and watching natural disasters, pandemics, riots and looting, persecution, and suffering. These things crush their spirit.
• Many churches and Christians today represent Laodicea. This church represents the last-day church and it was lukewarm and indifferent. It was focused on self and self-gratification. If you are consumed with looking within, your watchman focus will be out of focus.
• Many church pulpits remain silent. If the pastor is not talking about the times, the sheep feel they don’t need to pay attention to the times! Too many pastors want to avoid anything controversial or cutting-edge. They will not address some of the stunning events taking place daily, even if the events have biblical significance and effect the city where they minister.
• The obsession with social justice has replaced the good news that the King is coming. It has also replaced the Great Commission and the gospel of salvation. Many would rather save the planet from racism than save souls or talk about the Lord’s return.
• Many Christians know they are not right with God and they avoid reality. If the signs of the times remind them their time is running out, they choose to tune out. Sad.

This recent email says a lot: “I am looked at like I am an alien just because I track with what is happening and relate it to the Bible. A few of you online teachers help me celebrate my alien status. I feel like a lonely gold fish in a bowl. So much of what the Bible predicted is coming true every day! Keep sounding the alarm.”

So what must Noah have felt like? He preached for 120 years and was totally ignored! And he didn’t have Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. He didn’t have a microphone or a pulpit. Finally the Ark door closed on a scoffing society.

It’s going to close again, but this time it will come by way of the Rapture of the Church. And millions will miss it because they didn’t listen to the watchmen. But some will, so don’t be silent.

Let’s seize this moment in history. Even the secular world is noticing that we are in unprecedented times.

And time is running out.