Voice of the Kingfisher speaks out …from a different perspective
by Elinor Montgomery
January 30, 2010
The slogan for this year’s Winter Olympic Games at Whistler is Do you believe? The more appropriate question one might ask is, “What is it that you believe?” The real question for each athlete is “Who are you?” For you are whatever you believe about Jesus – either a child of God or a child of Satan, a black and white situation, with no grey matter in between. The athletes who do not believe in Jesus will serve Satan and his mythological gods of Olympus.
In the Winter Olympic Games held in Italy, it was evident from the show presented there, that it was Satan who was being served. After all, they were on the soil of the old Roman Empire of the Babylonian system. The athletes who believe in Jesus will serve the Lord God, Ruler and King over America. The interesting thing is that truth is not subject to our belief system. Truth remains the truth regardless of what it is that anyone believes. Ultimately it will boil down to the question of whether or not the athletes stand on truth or on religion in this great land of Canada.
One of the parables of the New Testament gives a very strong message for believing Canadian and American athletes, or, for that matter, any believing athletes, who are participating in the Games. It is the parable of the talents as found in Matthew 25:14-30. Heaven is described like a man traveling to a far country entrusting his goods with his servants. Prophetically, it is as Jesus, having been returned to the right hand of the Father above, entrusting the truth to His church, with every member being given different talents, both physically and spiritually.
What it is that Jesus requires of His servant is that he/she uses those talents to the best of his/her abilities, in whatever circumstances he/she finds him/herself, to be a witness to the truth. The purpose of this is to be as fruitful or as productive as possible in directing or bringing more people into the knowledge of the truth, so that they in turn can become witnesses to the glory of God and His coming kingdom.
Is it the great athlete’s calling to remain in church buildings among so-called believers, or is he/she called to go into all the world, including the Olympic Games if chosen, as witnesses to the truth and to the glory of God through the use of his/her talents, so that the entire world might see? If, as a believer, one engages in the competition, and as a medalist receives the glory for oneself instead of giving it to the Lord God, is one not, in fact, burying one’s talent for the sake of pride and the praises of men?
Is it not burying one’s talent if one is afraid of possible controversy by rendering honor to God at the risk of being rejected by the others who compete for the gods of Olympus? They have no shame in recognizing their pagan gods. Is one willing to submit by default so that when the Master returns and requires a report, one will make an excuse for one’s lack of fruitfulness having gained nothing for the talent entrusted to one by one’s Master?
If a believer should become a medalist at the Olympic Games, the world becomes his/her oyster, with an audience he/she could only dream of having. His/her talent led him/her to the Olympics, where the entire world is watching whatever he/she does or says. Such was the case for Eric Liddell, who was perhaps the greatest witness there has ever been among Olympic athletes. He had the opportunity to display principled behavior before the world at the risk of great personal loss. What could have been loss, resulted in a victory remembered to this day, which otherwise would have been forgotten soon after the Games were finished.
In the event of either victory or defeat, the athlete is able to demonstrate different values from those of the world who serve its gods. The believer has his/her own torch of light to carry, which is a far cry from the Olympic torch. Imagine an Olympics in Canada in which the majority of winners give the glory to God for their individual victories and where the number of torch-bearers of the light outshines the number of pagan torch-bearers crossing this country with the Olympic torch?
As the believing audience and fellow countrymen, we should pray for them and encourage them to let their light shine on the Olympic podium, giving all the glory to God. If we are ashamed of the name of the Lord, one day, He will be ashamed of us before God. What a victory it could be to see Satan defeated here in Canada in his scheming to conquer God’s people and their territory one more time before judgment falls upon this world!
The apostle Paul ran the great race of God along side of the Olympic racers of his time. His victory is remembered to this day. Can anyone remember the name of one Olympic gold, silver or bronze medalist of his day? Paul was the servant who did not bury his talents but worked and used them to the fullest of his abilities. I can only imagine the Lord saying to Paul, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord (Matthew 25:23)’”. We are not talking here about the emotionalism, which is induced at church conferences by what is liberally called worship, but rather the joy and reward of real relationship in obedience to the call of the Master upon one’s life, for having faithfully carried out the great commission of Jesus even unto death.
What does the Lord say about those who are afraid to engage society? They were wicked and lazy about using their talents properly. If one never engages, how can there be reaping where seeds were not sown, and gathering where seed was not scattered? The Olympics are obviously a place where one might find fertile ground, but the practices of our daily lives also serve to witness to the audience of the limited world, which surrounds each one of us.
‘Preachiness’ is not a use of talent; we witness by the lifestyles we choose to present to the public. Eric Liddell went on to sacrifice his own life and family in order to serve others in a Japanese concentration camp during WW11. It was a choice he made to remain behind when he sent his family away to safety in order to help others who were forced into the camps, though he could have left. His was a lifetime commitment to death, like that of Paul’s, for he died there serving and teaching others so that they might live.
Such use of talents from the Master can change the world, in some cases, the hearts of many, and, in some cases, just the heart of one person. There is rejoicing in heaven over the salvation of one soul.
Do you believe? If so let your light shine as you raise high the light of liberty and truth over this land so that Canada can be seen by the world to be a country with a difference under God. Run the good race, giving all the glory to the One Who deserves it by letting the world know just exactly what it is that you believe and to Whom you belong.