The Right Scoop
God is using Tebow to do wonderful things.
If it was that important for him to keep the speaking engagement - somehow, someway I am sure God would speak to Tebow's heart for him to be there, and apparently he has a big heart.
Regardless - God Willing - he will continue to reach people, especially children and give them a chance to learn of Jesus because the rest of the world sure ain't gonna do it.
I read all of the good pastor's article about Tim Tebow who I also admire and am very glad that Tim Tebow has such a good friend to speak up for him when the barracudas in the media go on the attack against this good and decent man.
It is nothing but character assassination which the bullies in the state-run media are infamous for.
John Craven
New Orleans
Once we admit the right to kill unproductive persons,
then none of us can be sure of our own life.
(Rev. Clemens von Galen, Catholic Bishop of Munster,
Germany, speaking out against Hitler’s euthanasia
Policy, 1939)[In: “Black Robes, Black Heart” by Debi Vinnedge,
Celebrate Life, July/August, 2005]
Somewhere a Tebow hater has stumbled across this article and the only part of the headline he sees is:
"A Pastor’s Defense: Cut Tim Tebow..."
May G-d bless and protect Tim Tebow.
Tebow needs the love and support of ALL Christians in standing up against religious persecution.
Don't people realize that by this one act. Tebow has garnered more attention for the First Baptist church of Dallas, and it's pastor Robert Jeffress then if he would of attended. So, who played whom...the media sure look like fools now!!
Thank you RightScoop! My respect for you which was already high, has ratcheted up even further.
You publish an article taking Tebow to task, then recant and show us a more positive view. Kudos sir.
Often we see here on this site articles and videos bemoaning the fate of Christians worldwide. The comments section will contain remarks from us where we decry the tretment of our far flung brothers and sisters in Christ.
For some odd reason, if that christian happens to be an American icon such as a Tim Tebow, or a Sarah Palin, we fill free to heap criticism upon his/her shoulders.
And the commonality?
BOTH profess their Love of God, and Salvation through Jesus as their reason for being. How very sad that people who are Saved and acknowledge their Salvation openly, are castigated for it. Of course, Jesus Himself said it would be so. Christ is still batting 1.000!
If You want a real life testimony how this fine young man lives his life, you don't have to look any further then the way he has behaved in his tenure with the New York Jets where he was brought up to be the back-up quarterback for Sanchez, Sanchez had a really absurd record this year, where he threw more interceptions then touchdowns, and his coach just did not want to give Tebow a chance to start, after being embarrassed by his own coach all year Tebow took it with out complaining and did not badmouth his coach or his team, no matter your view on Tebow as a player, he is a winner just about everywhere he has been in, and for the New York Jets to not even give him a chance it is one of the biggest injustices ever perpetrated on any individual human being. God bless this young man.
Maintaining my admiration for Tim Tebow is so easy. He is what every one of us should aspire to be like whether you share his beliefs or not, simply put, he has not compromised his religious beliefs, he has not returned fire on any of his critics, and has spread the word of God with the most positive reactions to some very critical naaysayers. In this day of Christian bashing here we have a legitimate roll model for our young athletes, a person that shows the courage to profess his love for God while at the same time having the patience and tolerance with his detratctors by staying on course and not getting into negative back and forth dialog with them. Tebow, you're the Man.
But when asked who he supported for President last election, he refused to commit to an answer. Obama supports abortion and infanticide. That was an easy answer for you Tim. You were a coward because you were afraid to offend some people and be called a racist. Who did you vote for?
None of our business. That's why it's called a 'sceret' ballot. If he doesn't want to comment and wants to stay out of the political circus, I see no problem with that.
Its obvious this kid isn't a coward. All the things he has done before this incident proves to be true. He's done much braver things than speaking at a church so I appreciate the story which gives credit where credit is due.
Go Tim Tebow!!! Hope my Dallas Cowboys will give you a job...we may need you if Romo goes into a tailspin.
We could all wish for a son like this...What courage...Regardless the reasons for not speaking... Be proud that he has the stength to carry our standard...Pray for him and his family and all those whom have the guts to stand against this horrible evil we face...
God Bless Tim Tebow. He is a man among men. I have nothing but respect for him. If he felt uncomfortable speaking, then he had only one choice, otherwise his speech would not have been genuine.
I still think he gave in to outside pressure, but it is his decision. I've let it go. No hard feelings.
The problem is with celebrity Christianity. I love Tebow, and hope he is successful at everything he does, however why does he get a platform in so many churches because he plays professional football? The Scriptures warned us about favoritism because of a person's standing in the culture. But not only the church, the individual Christians start to put people like Tebow on a pedestal because of the standing in culture. And finally you have Tebow. He wants to be liked by the world and therefore he must show that he is not a hateful or unloving person, even if hateful and unloving is being defined by a anti-Christian culture.
I haven't been able to read Tim's mind so I don't know if he wants to be liked by the world.
but when he refuses to stand on that pedestal he gets creamed too.
so his choices were go and have people worshiping him or not go and be vilified because people worship him.
all things being equal he probably made the right choice in retrospect.
No, those are not the only two choices. He could take the route that almost every other Christian takes, which is to live out his faith without being setup as a Christian trophy because he plays professional sports. He encourages this by speaking at all these events as if being a cultural icon makes him qualified to do so.
you're right about the favoritism issue, but he did not plan it that way, although he took the opportunity and ran with it.
He sees an opportunity to evangelize, and when invited goes. I bet my 2 cents that he would be doing the same thing in evangelization IF he NEVER was given the NFL platform. In what I have observed, he yearns for salvation to all for the sake of Christ.
Let us pray in union that he can reach as many souls as possible...especially the young.
I am glad to see RS correct it's "ugh" article about Tebow a couple of days posted.
He needs a breather--- and there AIN'T been any indication he is caving on God's principles.
Hang in the 'Bow, you are in our prayers.
Aloha
And blacks loathe him because he took attention away from Cam Newton which can never be forgiven.
Love me some Timothy Tebow. Do not love me some NY Jets.
Many in the media treat Christianity like it's a semi-automatic weapon or something which cannot be open carried. It cannot be concealed carried either, unless it's never discussed, seen, heard, felt, or written about. If you're loaded down with all manner of worldly-legal sin though, flaunt it. Wear it as a hat with a long bright plume in it. Flash it, flaunt it, and fly it like a flag.
In this case Timothy is darned if he do and durned if he don't from some quarter or other.
Here's a couple of verses from 1 Timothy. The biblical Timothy might be Tim's name-sake, though I have no corroborating info on that. This can be truly said though. The New Testament Timothy lived well before this latter day Timothy. The Biblical Timothy also came from good folk, as our current Timothy does. As you know, the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy as an epistle.
"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share." (1 Timothy 6:17-18 NIV)
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV)
"To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." (2 Timothy 1:2-5 NIV)
Yep. Love me some Timothy...both of 'em :-)
Awesome! Pastor Scroggins makes excellent points. Plus, he's known 'Timmy' and the family for years.
Tebow and his mom starred in a pro-life commercial during the Super Bowl in 2010. Although the National Organization for Women viciously castigated him, he cheerfully made the ad and took a principled stand on a biblical issue. Sound like a coward to you
Talk about going into the lions den. He's gained many, many chits from me just for this.
First of all, thanks for the Scroggins piece, it is very thoughtful and factual. Second thanks for being a man about your change of heart.
I never assumed Tebow lacked courage as I said here the other day and I staed we could not know the whole story. In any event thanks again for presenting this view from someone who obviously knows Tebow well.
Tim is not a coward. Peter denied Christ three times. The Devil turns Christians against each other. Tim is a great man of God and so is Dr. Jefress.
But his statement suggests that he DID back out due to pressure:
"While I was looking forward to sharing a message of hope and Christ's unconditional love with the faithful members of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas in April, due to new information that has been brought to my attention, I have decided to cancel my upcoming appearance," Tebow wrote. "I will continue to use the platform God has blessed me with to bring Faith, Hope and Love to all those needing a brighter day. Thank you for all of your love and support. God Bless!"
...
According to the statement, Tebow called Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, on Wednesday evening, "saying that for personal and professional reasons he needed to avoid controversy at this time but would like to come to First Baptist Dallas to speak at a future date."
Yeah he backed out because he wants a football career and felt it was in his best interest to avoid the controversy to achieve it, I thought that at was obvious from the start, and why I didn't have a problem with it like some have seemed to.. I don't remember if you did but bringing up the point that he backed out due to pressure seems to highlight that sentiment. The pressure from the controversy isn't Tebow's fault and shouldn't get the blame for doing what he thinks is best for his life and football career. He's a football player.
So what? When did Tebow become Jesus ?
He's 25 years old and has stuck his neck out a long way, much longer with more risk than most of the faithful will ever do in their lifetime.
Tebow is great, he is not however Jesus Christ himself He doesn't have to die on a cross for you to feel he's faithful enough
Look we've got an Iranian-American pastor in jail, tortured and threatened every day from those running the prison and the inmates. He has been told he'll be released if he just denies his faith. He chooses to stay and put his life in God's hands. THAT, my friends, is a testament to faith.
I don't pretend to know Tebow's heart. Maybe he felt it was wrong to give such a church publicity that his presence would surely generate. Personally I think he could have done greater good by speaking and speaking out against the things in this church he thought conflicted with Biblical testimony. If he he thought they were in the right, then not to speak was wrong. To whom much is given, much is required.
We've become a lot of weak warriors for Christ. I'm including myself in this, btw. We're worried about people not LIKING us for heaven's sake. Meanwhile we have witnesses around the world dying for their faith. How lame have we become?
So nothing. He never became Jesus, but I don't recall making that distinction anyway. And I've read my post a couple times to be sure.
But since you bring it up, being a Christian means "sticking your neck out like Jesus Christ".
"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24
The late AW Tozer once said: "You knew one thing about a man carrying a cross outside of the city -- you knew he wasn't coming back."
When you take up your cross and follow Christ, there is no coming back. You die to your own self preservation.
Tebow has been very noble to stand up for God up to this point, and I applaud him, but it's when controversy strikes, when it COSTS YOU SOMETHING that is the test of a Christian. And that is understood by very few in this modern church age. It's easy to be everyone's friend when they like what you're saying, but it's when you take a stand on truth and principle and the Word of God in the face of opposition that separates the men from the boys.
In fact, Jesus Christ would never have been crucified had He only told folks what they wanted to hear! But He always offended someone. ("But woe unto those to whom offense come.")
As the pastor quoted rightly, Jesus Christ Himself warned that "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
The point is that Christians are NOT GOING TO BE LIKED. It's just a simple truth that somehow evades the modern church.
I don't give a CARE how much you try and force the Gospel into a culturally sensitive message. The world is not going to like it nor like you for preaching it. The message of repentance is unbendable and because of that homosexuals, backslidden lukewarm Christians, other religious persuasions and everything else in between will hate it. You might as well just get used to that if you wish to be a Christian.
I would never attempt to suppose why Tebow backed out. That's his right and his business.
Like I mentioned before, I agree, but unlike some, I keep up with Christian trends quite a bit. I have followed many of the movements within Christianity over the years. Two of the biggest is the "Seeker Sensitive" movement (aka "Church Growth" movement) and the "Emergent Church" movement (which is also "seeker sensitive").
The "Seeker Sensitive" movement was popularized by the likes of Donald McGavran, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren and Joel Osteen just to name a few. The thrust of the movement is to give the "sinner" options as to what sort of church he/she would prefer.
For instance, a seeker church will serve you coffee for those tough mornings at church when you just can't seem to get going to worship God. Have a bagel and a hot cup of Joe while you listen to the preacher tell you how "loved" you are.
But that's not all. What they're also going to do is send you a survey in the mail that will ask you what YOU, the sinner, prefer in a church. How long would you prefer the sermon? What would you like to see in a pastor? What kind of music best describes your personality. What sorts of words offend you? What topics offend you?
Words like sin, hell, death, blood, repentance or the cross are forbidden from being spoken at these churches. In fact, I could tell you stories of those who were shut down in mid-sermon for mentioning these terms at seeker sensitive churches.
The point is that the entire seeker church is geared around diluting the gospel of Jesus Christ through a massive effort of suppressive strategies aimed at shielding the sinner from offense. The reasoning is that if you don't offend, you will gather more congregants.
Everything is closely monitored. From the style of music, to the atmosphere, to the language of the sermon, to the brand that the church portrays to the community; it's all a fictitious show aimed at selling a face.
And there's so much more.
This entire movement is responsible for turning the entire Gospel on its head in the West. It has defanged the message of salvation and repentance giving millions a false sense of eternal security.
Where does Tebow fit in? My worry, (and again, I'm not going to impose upon another believer something that is not true), is that the church in Dallas, because it took a stand against gay marriage, is falling prey to the "seeker sensitive" strategy of avoiding controversy.
When it comes to a cross, this is where the Bible says it will determine where WE as believers stand in our faith. When we're offended by the church will we abandon God? When we're faced with persecution, will we abandon the faith in favor of self preservation like Peter did the night of Christ's arrest? When the cards are stacked against us, will we crumble or stand? In this modern "seeker sensitive" church age this possibility is foreign to us, but to the true Christian it is the ultimate sign of obedience.
"My life for the Gospel!"
I don't know if its already been said but Tebow has shown more strength than probably all us put together. He has taken a beating for a long time. We talk here but this man went to the lions den. I can think of no other person who has held his candlestick higher than he. I mean professing you are virgin? And you play professional football? That's really brave in itself.
stage9, I promise I'm not being a smarta$$. Just my two cents.
I guess Tim was supposed to do anything any Christian anywhere thought he should do to prove he was a real Christian and never have a choice to say no for any reason.
Having had my say, your comment came the closest to what I felt but couldn't come up with.
It very well may be true, and disappointing....but I shudder at the thought of putting myself and my family through the kind of pressure that those we look up to have to deal with. Politics are one thing- this is the young man's personal life and career. Last I checked, not one person I know is perfect, and he should be allowed to make his own life choices without his "allies" throwing stones at him.
My friend, I would like to invite you to read a very interesting book. It's called "Foxe's Book of Martyrs": http://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/home.html.
And if you don't want to read that one then I would like to suggest "Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand, founder of Voice of the Martyrs. This second book is free for the asking here: http://www.persecution.com/
These two books will give you a peak into the world of the mighty Giants of Christianity's past and the sacrifices they often made at the expense of life and liberty to preach the uncompromising Gospel. These men and women laid everything down and did not love life "even unto death".
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