by Brian Hobbs | Feb 2, 2017
It’s only a few days away – time to buy those red roses to express your deep love.
No, I’m not talking about St. Valentine’s Day (though I really love that holiday). I’m talking about buying roses to give to your Oklahoma elected officials at the annual Rose Day Pro-Life Rally on Feb. 8.
For more than 25 years, pro-life Oklahomans have flocked to the State Capitol each February, red roses in hand, to show our belief in the sanctity of unborn life and love for pre-born children. In that time, the abortion rate has fallen in Oklahoma, and some 16 life-protecting laws have been passed by the Legislature.
Tragically, though, abortions continue at a conscience-shocking pace in Oklahoma. In 2016, two new abortion clinics were opened in the Oklahoma City area. This means that we, as a pro-life movement, need to stick together more than ever.
We must speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. We need to support women in the midst of crisis pregnancies and after the birth of their children. We need to re-double our prayer efforts, asking God to help us change hearts and laws.
We also must stay positive in our message and hopeful in our expectations that God will make a mighty move in Oklahoma, in America and around the world. Rose Day has become a flourishing event and a major uniting day for Christians and other pro-life Oklahomans. Let’s pray it continues to be such a beautiful expression of love, as beautiful as a red rose.
by Brian Hobbs | Jan 19, 2017
The time between Election Day 2016 and Inauguration Day 2017 has been one marked by tension. On the one side, you had people who generally disagree with President Obama who are upset his tenure was not over quicker so Mr. Trump’s presidency can start.
On the other, you have some who generally loved and supported Mr. Obama and dread the idea of President Trump. Yes, the days, weeks and months between November 8 and January 20 have been grueling and full of longsuffering on both sides. There’s been bawling on both sides, you might say.
What many people do not realize, however, is that until the 1930s, the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day was much longer. Originally, presidential elections were held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years, following by inauguration in March.
When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected president over Hebert Hoover in 1932, several significant events took place between November and March, including the rise of Adolf Hitler to German Chancellor abroad, while the effects of vast unemployment and the Great Depression dragging on at home. It was partly for these reasons that our country’s leaders shortened the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day in the late 1930s.
In life, like politics, often the “times in between” can be some of the most trying. When God’s people wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land, that was a period of judgment and grief. When Joseph languished in prison before being raised up to be the number-two man in Egypt, that time in between was deeply difficult.
The times in between, however, can be where we learn the most. It is these times in which God can give us patience, forcing us to rely on Him, not other people or our circumstances. It is these times in which we learn to walk by faith not be sight.
We never wish for or desire the in-between times. But perhaps I, perhaps each of us, can learn to bear through these times better, with more patience and forbearance. So help us God…
by Brian Hobbs | Jan 12, 2017
Whether or not you are a sports fan, by now you know the Clemson Tigers football team took down the Goliath of college football, the Alabama Crimson Tide, earlier this week.
Beyond the final score and game results, what is gaining headlines is the emotional postgame interview from Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney.
Coach Swinney, an Evangelical Christian (a Southern Baptist) known for being outspoken in his faith, when asked to describe “what it’s like to win it?” said this: “It’s indescribable. I mean, you can’t make it up, man. I mean, this is… only God can do this” (To see the full interview or read a full transcript, click here).
I am not a fan of postgame interviews in general (and for the record, I’m not a fan of Clemson or Alabama). Even the best ones are too charged with emotion with words that often are open to misinterpretation. It’s difficult to dissect every word, as though they are carefully planned speeches or policy papers. Be that as it may, Swinney’s postgame comments are being evaluated word-by-word by sports commentators, so I will join their conversation here.
When Swinney said, “only God can do this,” the “this” appears to refer to Swinney’s personal journey. He said, “only God can do this – take a guy like me from Pelham, go down to Alabama, win a national championship, come to Clemson and then have a chance to win a national championship against the best team in the country up until the last second of the game.”
Swinney also thanked “the good Lord” in the interview. As is often the case, when outspoken Christians in sports attribute credit to God after a win or any sort achievement, criticism will come. While I understand the frustration this can cause people who tend to be skeptical, I generally take these comments to mean, not that God chose Clemson over Alabama (or the winner of any given game), but that they are thankful to God for the achievements they have realized and that they don’t want sole credit going to the coaches or athletes.
What caused the most outcry, though, was Swinney’s assertion that love was the deciding factor. He said, “I told (my guys) that the difference in the game was going to be love.”
Popular Oklahoma sports columnist Berry Tramel, after penning a column titled “Loss to Clemson Only Proves Saban’s Greatness,” then wrote a column titled, “Why Dabo Swinney is wrong about Clemson’s Victory.”
While I generally enjoy Mr. Tramel’s columns, this particular piece went far in tearing apart Swinney’s postgame reactions. He also seems to impugn Swinney’s sentiments.
He said, “What did Dabo Swinney really mean when he says Clemson beat Alabama because the Tigers love each other? Swinney is saying that the Clemson Tigers won because they are better people than Bama. Not better athletes. Not better football players. Not better trained or better conditioned. Better people. Swinney is saying that Clemson’s innate or acquired goodness lifted the Tigers past the Tide. He’s saying that the Tigers are superior people. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is horse hockey. … Clemson beat Bama not because the Tigers are better people, but because they were better ballplayers.”
Yikes! That’s what I call reading between the lines. Mr. Tramel is right to analyze the game from an athletic and playmaking standpoint. It is possible to say, though, that sometimes players are additionally motivated to make plays by factors including a love for their teammates.
Did Clemson edge out the win because of love? Probably not. Did a love for and special chemistry among teammates and coaches factor in the win? Maybe so.
Be that as it may, this entire moment offers several good reminders to us all. This is a good reminder to weigh our words carefully, knowing that people are listening. Next, we are reminded that what we want to say, and what people hear, are not always the same thing. Lastly, this is also a reminder that we can more often believe the best about one another and not the worst, when someone says something puzzles us or grates on us. If we learn from this, that will be a win for everyone involved.
by Brian Hobbs | Dec 27, 2016
Two juveniles were charged with arson, according to news reports, in connection with the wildfires that ravaged Gatlinburg, Tenn., and the Great Smoky Mountains in November, killing 14, wounding others and scorching thousands of acres.
If these accusations are true, I wonder if these two people could have imagined the devastation that would come from their actions. It makes me think of two other people whose actions had consequences beyond what anyone (except God) could imagine. I refer to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
When they partook of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, sin—real sin and death—entered the world. From that one action, all of mankind fell, and the world and all the people in it would be scarred and scorched.
Like the original sin in the Garden, the Tennessee fire is a tragic reminder that life is real. When something like this happens, we are saddened and stunned by the devastation actions by humans can make. It also serves as a reminder that the choices we make have a real effect.
It’s popular in our culture today to unplug by wasting away hours on Netflix and other entertainments to kill the time. We do not always realize that we are accountable to God for every moment, every thought, every deed. Every person’s actions matter to God. To that end, we must learn to “take every thought captive to the will of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
Apart from God’s redeeming grace made possible by Jesus Christ’s life, death and resurrection, our sin would permanently separate us from God and send us to the place where fires don’t burn out and torment doesn’t end. Thanks be to God, in Christ we have a Gospel that brings renewal and new and everlasting life that any sinner can receive.
by Brian Hobbs | Dec 2, 2016
Orange and black, or crimson and cream? Cowboys or Sooners?
On Dec. 3, the answers to these questions will erupt to the surface in a volcanic way, with the Big 12 football match up of the year. Of course, I am talking about when Bedlam, one of the greatest rivalries in college football, comes to Norman. Stark divisions will arise in our state, communities, neighborhoods—and in some cases, houses—on that Saturday. Yet wouldn’t it be great if the unity that comes on the following day would surpass any divisions?
What if on Sunday, Christians throughout Oklahoma came together in a unity that was even more noticeable than school colors or cheers? The results not only would be God-honoring, but also could change for the better our whole society and nation. Now, I am a huge sports fan and have my own bias in the Bedlam debate (that I will not reveal here). Also, I think it is not only fitting but also acceptable for fans to cheer on their teams passionately.
Sure, it can be easy to get carried away and place more time and emphasis on sports than ministry. But, I am not calling for us to set those team allegiances aside. Instead, I am taking this as a moment to remind everyone—including myself— that there is a more important allegiance we share. Using an acronym B.E.D.L.A.M., I would like to offer some examples of things that unite Christians far more than they divide us.
Bible—Baptists are said to be “a people of the Book.” We stand alone on the Word of God, as the children’s song says. The Bible is the best-selling book of all time. It is our inspiration and guide for all of life. It is the Sword of the Spirit, which enables us to do ministry. It is the healing balm which nourishes our souls in days of troubles. It contains the words of life, without which we all would be lost. More than any other document, the Bible unites the people of God. What a playbook is to a sports team, the Bible is—and so much more—to us.
Evangelism—“The good news is our team is the top in our conference,” you might hear someone say. The phrase “good news” is often thrown about in a casual way. As Christians, though, we were given the ultimate Good News in the Gospel. The best part about it is that our gain can be enjoyed by others. In the world of sports, someone’s good news is another’s bad news. For every winner there is a loser. In Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, He has provided atonement for any who will accept this free gift.
Doctrine—The saying goes, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things charity.” While there are countless secondary doctrinal issues and questions that divide us, essential Christian doctrine brings us together. We believe in the Trinity. We believe in salvation by grace, through faith in Christ. We believe in the forgiveness of sin. We believe in Heaven (and hell), and the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. In these time-honored, main and plain doctrines, Christians find solid ground on which to stand together.
Lordship—It is always a sore sight to see a team without a coach. How much more terrible if the people of God did not have a leader—The Leader. Jesus is the Chief Shepherd of the flock. In the coming weeks, the Baptist Messenger will be presenting a series to focus us on Christ this Christmas. Truly, He is the ultimate uniter. He is the only One who will never let us down. There will be no scandal or disappointment in Christ. In His Lordship, we rest.
Afterlife— Death has a way of bringing about unity or division. Oklahomans have faced some of the most terrible tragedies— even recently—and the hardship has been not wasted. In times of the greatest tragedies, people remember the more important things of life. As Christians, we believe this life is not all there is. In His masterpiece, The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis put it like this: “At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of the morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in.”
Membership—One of the appeals of being a fan of a team is a sense of belonging. Fans talk about “their” team. “I can’t believe we missed that field goal,” you will hear people say, as if they are part of the team. One of the beauties of the Christian faith, though, is that in Christ, we truly do belong. The Apostle Paul talks about this in his first letter to the Corinthians. “For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ.” (1 Cor. 12:12) What a remarkable, meaningful truth. Whether or not a sports program or franchise will long endure, we do not know. But we do know the Body of Christ is eternal.
These, of course, are just a few examples of what unite Christians. Above all, it is Jesus Himself—our Savior and Redeemer—Who brings us together, not only on Sundays, but also every day. Those of us in Christ, after all, are all on the same divine team.