Daily Devotional for Monday March 25, 2019

Why a baseball game?

(Matthew 5:14-16)

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, I cry out to You today. I have no place to turn but to You. My life is Yours. Do with it as You will and I will obediently serve You with my very last breath. IN the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..AMEN!

As spring season is winding down and we begin another baseball season, properly referred to as “America’s Pastime,” I was thinking back to a wonderful evening in May of 2005 when Liveprayer was the title sponsor for a Major League baseball game between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (a year later the name was been changed to simply the “Rays”) and the Minnesota Twins. It was a wonderful opportunity to reach out to the world, those who enjoy baseball, and make people aware of this oasis of hope called Liveprayer.

I remember receiving many emails in the months prior to the event after announcing that Liveprayer would be sponsoring the Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball game with the Minnesota Twins on May 7th (2005) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, asking why Liveprayer was sponsoring a baseball game. It is the same reason Liveprayer.com has purposely used our internet presence for the past 20 yrs, not to strictly reaching out to Christians, but to the lost and hurting masses outside of the four walls of the church!

In the 15 years of the Liveprayer television program, we have NEVER aired on Christian networks or stations. Instead, we aired the program on regular secular TV stations and networks to reach the better part of the past 2 generations who don’t go to church. We re-launched the TV program after a one-year hiatus last Thanksgiving strictly on major non-Christian streaming platforms in keeping with our mission to reach the lost and hurting with the Truth of the Bible and the hope and love of Jesus Christ!

Why do you see Coke every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Why do you see Ford every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Why do you see McDonald's every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Why do you see Levitra every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Why do you see GEICO every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Why do you see Visa every time you turn on the TV or go anywhere? Every time you turn on the TV, the radio, go to a sporting event, go to a movie, open a newspaper, read a magazine, just drive down the street, you are inundated with messages from companies reaching out to the masses with whatever their product is.

What we are actually dealing with is the basic, foundational philosophy of what Liveprayer is all about. We are not here to preach to the choir, but to reach the lost and hurting in this world who don't go to church, will never watch Christian television, listen to Christian radio or music, or buy Christian magazines and books. These people all have 3 things in common. First, one day they will die and at that moment they will either spend eternity WITH God their Creator or SEPARATED from God their Creator.

Second, Jesus died for their sins just like He died for your sins and mine. Third, like everyone who lives they have to deal with the trials of this life such as finances, health issues, relationship problems, people who die, and all of the other trials of going through this journey called life.

Since prayer is a universally accepted concept that people worldwide understand, Liveprayer is the perfect vehicle to reach people at those times in their lives when they are dealing with the problems of life and looking for answers, looking for hope. They don't have to come to a church, attend an event, or buy a book or tape. Liveprayer is there to pray with them and give them the hope they are looking for with no strings attached. The prophet Isaiah said, "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost." (Isaiah 55:1 NIV)

You see my friend, what the world is really looking for is the same thing each person is really looking for and that is truth and hope. That is why so many people follow the cults and false religions. People are searching for truth and people are searching for hope. There is only ONE TRUTH, and that is found in God's Word. There is only ONE HOPE, and that is found in Jesus Christ. If Coke reaches out to the masses to sell people a soft drink, if Budweiser reaches out to the masses to sell people beer, if Ford reaches out to the masses to sell people a car, if McDonald's reaches out to the masses to sell people a hamburger,

WHY SHOULDN'T LIVEPRAYER REACH OUT TO THE MASSES TO GIVE THEM THE TRUTH AND HOPE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR???

I love you and care about you so much. I want to encourage you today to open your heart and understand that Jesus told those who follow Him to NOT hide their candle under a bushel. Sadly, that is what the church has done for too long. We have created the Christian trough and hide in our own little subculture that is comprised of the church, our own TV stations, our own radio stations, our own music, our own books and magazines, and left the masses outside of the trough for satan to destroy.

That was NOT God's plan! Jesus took His ministry directly to the lost and hurting. Paul spent his entire ministry taking the Gospel to the lost and hurting in the world of his day. The Great Commission to reach the far ends of the world for Christ has not been changed or repealed.

I want to encourage you today to do your part. You don't live where you live, work where you work, recreate where you recreate, shop where you shop, have the hobbies you do by accident. Every single day God brings people into your life, across your path that are looking for His Truth and hope. It is no accident or coincidence you meet the people you do.

If you knew there was a store where people could go buy a new plasma screen television for $50 you would tell everyone you know about that great deal. If you would get so excited and tell everyone you know about a great deal on a television, why can't you get even more excited to tell everyone you know how they can have tremendous peace, joy and abundance during this life AND be assured of living forever with God their Creator when their life is over?

We had a great evening that night at Tropicana Field. Many friends of Liveprayer took advantage of several hundred free tickets we gave away and were able to come to with their family and have a nice night at a baseball game. Sadly, the ownership of the Tampa Bay Rays changed hands that offseason and the new ownership group refused to allow us to be the sponsor of any games due to the “controversy religion causes.”

That didn’t stop them from having “gay night at the ball game,” or any number of other promotions, but a Christian ministry was deemed too controversial. To many not such a big deal, but it was just another example of the culture trying to remove God, the Truth of the Bible, and the Christian faith. So we continue to find other opportunities to reach the lost and hurting with the only Truth and the only hope there is for each person...Jesus Christ!!!

In His love and service,

Your friend, brother, and co-laborer in Christ,

Bill Keller