"There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God." --Psalm 46:4

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Serving God with His people at Faith OPC has been a great joy and blessing. When I grow up, I want to umpire Little League Baseball. I will revel on that day when I can say to a 10-year-old boy after four pitched balls, "Take a walk in the sunshine." My wife of 30+ years, Peggy, consistently demonstrates the love of Christ and remains my very best friend. Our six children, our four lovely, sweetie-pie daughters-in-law, and our four grandchildren serve as resident theologians.

Friday, May 8, 2009

The Body, Baseball and Entertainment


Dodgers All-Star ball player Manny Ramirez and his 50-game suspension for the use of human growth hormones splattered the news yesterday. Talk has focused on how long it will take for the fans to forgive and forget the drug-happy antics of the entertainers on the diamond and get back to the game. Concerns about the HGH sins of Major League Baseball will last about 30 seconds. Romans 1: 22-24 tells us the first thing to go, to spin out of control downward in degradation, is the body. Apart from grace, for ball players, dancers, doctors, students, rockers, truckers, teachers and more, the first thing to go is the body. Lusting, abusing, killing, and tattooing all line up and take a number. Sins of the body are the opening chapter telling the tale of paganism and idolatry in the church and the world. Want to see worship of the creature? Look at the body. And as well, at the opposite end with respect to help, hope and renewal, getting rid of bodily sins is the toughest thing; it's the last for full, final and total sanctification---Romans 7:24, O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Entertainment and bodily sins can easily go hand in hand. Sinful man, tied as he is to the sins of the body, can't fight his way out of a bodily paper bag. Ball players need Jesus. The fans need Jesus. We all need Jesus. Deliverance from the flesh only comes by submission to Jesus. Romans 7:25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!

G. Mark Sumpter

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