ESPN/ Lord’s Return

Bulletins

Brian Nielsen
09/08/24 - General

So we wait all summer for football to start, it arrives, and...

No ESPN!

At least that has been the case this week for me and my television satellite provider. A contract dispute. We read about it when going to the sports channel. Every time we turned to see Monday night's Boston College-Florida State game we only get a screen saying the contract had expired and it thanked us for our patience during negotiations.

This writing isn't going to argue about the negotiations between two businesses or the importance of watching ballgames. If you aren't interested in them, you are probably smarter than me. If we are too upset about missing some sports on TV, we need to reassess our priorities. We could read again what Jesus said in Luke 12:34 -- "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

My whole analogy here isn't perfect. As football fans, even missing some channels, we can still see tonight's NFL opener because the Chiefs and Ravens game is on NBC. On Saturday, channels other than ESPN have college football as well. In what really matters -- our eternity -- we don't have options. In John 14:6, we read, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." We need to remember what really matters and that there is only one way to eternal salvation.

We do have one similarity between televised games and our eternity, assuming the Disney-ESPN differences are eventually settled. Every day this week when turning on my TV, I have checked to see if ESPN is back again. I also do this during commercials of other shows I am watching. Just in case. You never know. Even more unknown is when our Savior returns to the earth with righteous judgment as He said in Matthew 24:42, "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

Infinitely more important than anything on our TV, we know judgment day is coming and worth the wait as Isaiah 25:9 says, "And it will be said in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.' "

Waiting to see when I can watch a TV channel again is insignificant. Being ready for the Lord's return is essential.

(Written September 4, 2024; Scripture quotes are from the NKJV)