Honoring The Lord's Name
Remembering Madden
If you are a football fan and you see “Madden,” you are most likely to think video games. An annual, updated version of Madden NFL has been released since 1994, and before that it was called “John Madden Football” (from 1988 to 1994). Many of the earlier game players, those up to 2009, would have heard John Madden’s voice providing commentary for football games on TV and radio. However, if you are old enough, you know that the man for whom the ever-popular video game is named was a successful head football coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1978. After that, he was an NFL broadcaster for 30 years for CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC. Before that, as diehard Madden people can tell you, he was head coach of Hancock Junior College for two years (1962-1963).
What’s the point? Over time, John Madden went from football coach to broadcaster to namesake of one of the most popular video games of all time. The name “Madden” means one thing to a kid with a Playstation or Xbox and another to his Raiders-loving grandpa.
How many people, ideas, and words appeal to us differently, depending on our age, outlook, or experience?
Of all these, take the name “Jesus.”
To the child, He is the theme of Bible story books, the answer to every Bible class question, the subject of “Pew Packer” songs. To the skeptic or the searcher, He is an enigmatic religious figure who may be seen only as a teacher or a good man. To the nominal Christian, He is a shadowy, mysterious figure, a virtual stranger.
But to one who has walked with Him and continues in an ever-deepening relationship, He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named…” (Eph. 1:21). He is the highly exalted one, bestowed with “the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). “He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). He is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). He is unchanging, and therefore, “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).
The longer and better I know Him, my connection to Him grows more intimate.
How well do you know Jesus? I don’t know how far back you go with Him, but each day should mean knowing Him better and seeing Him in a different light. God wants Him to be, “Christ in you, the hope of glory…” so that He can “present every man complete in Christ” (Col. 1:27, 28).
Saving Up to Pay for Adoption
Fourteen year old Tyce Pender of Cayce, S.C., has started his own lawn mowing business using a $200 loan from his mom to buy a new lawnmower, rake, and leaf blower. To date, he’s mowed nearly 20 lawns and earned over $400.
That’s a nice stack of cash! He could now afford a new video game system, a primo new bike, or even some great new threads. But Tyce isn’t saving for games, gadgets, or new clothes. He’s saving for something far more important — his own adoption!
Tyce’s step-dad, Eric Jenkins, came into his life when he was just 2 yrs old. He’s been there every step of the way to raise him, mentor, him, encourage him, discipline him, provide for him, and protect him. He’s been everything a father could and should be to Tyce.
The family’s goal, from the beginning, was for Eric to adopt him. Yet times are hard and finances are short. So both Tyce and Eric have had to be patient and settle for Eric's fulfilling the role of "awesome step-dad" rather than "adoptive father." But their patience may not have to hold out much longer if Tyce has his way.
He has committed himself fully to raising money and saving toward the legal fees necessary for him to officially take Jenkin’s name and to be able, finally, to call him his legal father.
"This is important because Eric teaches me respect, independence and what a man is supposed to be," explained Tyce. "If anything ever happens to my mom, Eric is who I'd want to live with. … Court is expensive," said Tyce. "I thought I could make enough money to pay for the adoption."
Tyce may have to work hard to pay the legal fees required to be officially recognized as Jenkin’s son, and good on him for doing so!
But thanks be to God that adoption into His family has been paid in full by Jesus Himself!
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:4-7, ESV).
“This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (Romans 9:8, ESV).
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God … “ (John 1:12, ESV).