Daily Devotional for Tuesday November 30, 2004

The Real Story of the Recent Basket Brawl in Detroit

(2 Timothy 3:1-5)

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)

Very few people have not heard nor seen the video of the ugly riot at the end of the NBA basketball game between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons a week ago this past Friday in Detroit. It started out as a shoving match between two players then escalated into a brawl between players and fans in the stands and on the court. It has already resulted in one player being suspended for the entire season, other players being suspended for dozens of games without pay costing them millions, not to mention whatever criminal charges and the numerous civil cases that will be filed. It was a sad night for the NBA and a sad night for sports, but it was simply another example of where we are at as a people.

The television and radio talk shows spent every day for a week dissecting what happened that night in Detroit. They talked about the player's role. They talked about the fan's role. They talked about the media's role in covering what happened. The discourse then moved to the larger issues of over-paid and selfish pro athletes, how fans act, and even deteriorated into whatever racial issues that may have been at play. In all of the coverage this incident received, from all of the national and local television and radio personalities who commented on it, in all of the opinions from the general public on the talk shows, nobody understood the real story. The real story is the insatiable appetite of the general public for these types of tragedies, the real story is the utter depravity of man.

Let me tell you something my friend. The OJ Simpson case was a horrible tragedy for everyone involved. The public couldn't get enough of it. Jon Benet Ramsey was a horrible story. The public ate up every detail. The recent Laci Peterson case is another tragedy with no winners. The public can't enough of it. Politics has never been a world for the faint-hearted. But whatever level of decorum there used to be is long gone and it is simply now an all out war with no boundaries. Sports used to be wonderful family entertainment. It has now sunk down to the depths of the garbage Vince McMahon produces which is designed to appeal directly to the most base desires in man. "Reality television" is nothing but the glorification of man's misery.

THERE IS NO PLACE LEFT FOR THE "ENTERTAINMENT" WORLD TO GO BUT TO START HAVING PEOPLE DIE FOR THE PLEASURE OF THE VIEWERS!!! WE LIKE TO THINK WE ARE MORE ADVANCED THAN THOSE PEOPLE WHO USED TO SPEND THEIR AFTERNOONS IN THE COLISEUM WATCHING PEOPLE DIE FOR SPORT, BUT MY FRIEND, WE ARE NOT!

The anchor scripture today from Paul's second letter to Timothy gives us a clear picture of what man will be like in the last days. The fact is, it is a clear picture of what man is like TODAY! While we like to think of ourselves as kind, good, sophisticated enough to live above and in control of our base instincts and desires, the reality is there is a level of depravity in men today greater than what anyone could imagine. Man's inhumane treatment of man is greater today than ever before in recorded history. Sadly, I see too many examples of this each day in the emails we receive here at Liveprayer.

We are clearly living in the last days. Simply reading the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, Peter's words in 2 Peter 3, the passage from 2 Timothy today tell us we are in the last days and that Jesus is coming soon. Seeing the events unfold in our world today are also clear indicators that time is running out and at any moment we will hear that trump blow and the Lord return. The fact is, things are not going to get better, only progressively worse. But we should not be defeated by that fact, but emboldened since that is exactly what the Bible says is going to happen. Our job is to be found faithful, being about our Father's business when He returns.

I love you and care about you so much. As a people, we have a growing and insatiable appetite to see others in pain. We have a film industry that produces every kind or perversion man can dream up, a video game industry that creates violent "games" for children and young adults that desensitize them to death, a music industry that churns out one CD and video after another promoting every kind of ungodly act imaginable, a radio and television industry that has been more than willing to be the main carrier of man's depravity to the masses, and publishers who are more than willing to lower themselves to the lowest depths to feed man's unending hunger to read about the tragedy others experience.

The good news however, is that when you come to know Christ as your Savior, when you ask Christ into your life, He changes your heart. You no longer enjoy the pain of others, but hurt when they hurt. Where once you were apathetic about those around you, you now care for them. You can no longer hate your neighbor, but now have a great love for them. Instead of wanting to see people fail, you now cheer for them to succeed. Jesus Christ has miraculously transformed you into someone who loves other people.

It is out of that love for other people that you become a servant to them. Our purpose in this life is to serve and glorify God with our lives. We accomplish that by serving others. The world says to be successful you have to have others serve you. God says to be successful you have to serve others. He has called us to serve others in many different ways, but they are all based on sharing with them the love of Christ and that Jesus is their answer for this life and for eternity.

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will let Christ's love flow through you to those you meet in your life each day. While we are living in a world that becomes more depraved with every passing day, eaten up by those who choose to live their lives in rebellion to God, those who know Christ stand out like great beacons of light in the darkness. It is in their darkest hours that many will come seeking that light and looking for the hope only found in Jesus Christ. That is why now more than ever we must continue to reach out to the lost and hurting with His love, sharing with them the fact that Jesus loves them and can take their hardened black heart and turn it into a heart of flesh and love!

The real story of what happened in the Palace of Auburn Hills a week ago Friday was not the brawl between some NBA players and the fans. The real story was the utter depravity of man that craves and enjoys seeing human misery. But there is coming a day very soon when this world as we know it will pass away. There will be no more evil, there will be no more tragedy, there will be no more pain. All that will be left is the Lord Jesus Christ standing in triumph with those who have chosen to follow Him at His feet. May we be faithfully serving our Lord upon His imminent return!

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:12-17 NIV)