Bannerman – A music video by Steve Taylor
I first want to thank all those who are praying for me! I can’t say enough how important your prayers are! They are vital and I deeply appreciate you!
Long before Tim Tebow and his eye black bible verses, there lived the original bannerman. I don’t know his real name but he became famous for going to televised games and sitting in the end zone with his John 3:16 banner.
Something you may not know about me… I started a coffee house with live music in college. After a tour with Campus Crusade’s high school ministry I/we moved to Nashville so I could pursue a career in the Christian music industry. I ended up with Warner Alliance and one of the music artists I helped promote was Steve Taylor. Steve, a very creative and unique guy, took his signing bonus and traveled the more remote countries of the world and filmed videos for his songs. Bannerman is was one of those songs and it is a tribute to the Original Bannerman. Go to “show enclosure links” to watch the video.
I continued my banner ways at the broncos game yesterday. You may remember, I made a banner for the Broncos practice last month in Colorado. I went from the friendly and intimate setting of the Broncos practice field, to the larger platform of the the Jaguars stadium. In retrospect, I should have taken a picture of my 2 Timothy 1:7Banner. It turned out great thanks to the help of my bride. I was blessed to meet a young lady who was selling eye black bible stickers and added Philippians 4:13 under my eyes.
Philippians 4:13
13- I can do everything through him who gives me strength
I take this verse to mean, I can do everything He calls me to do, through Christ’s power living in me. No, it does not mean that if I want to be the next American idol that God will give me the strength and talent to sing at that level. If He had given me that kind of talent then I could look to Him to give me the strength to perform my best for His glory.This verse fits right in with my banner verse-
7-For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
If God has truly called us to a task or wild adventure, He promises to give us what we need to live it out each day. Such is the case with my wild Goose adventure. If some of my friends and family think my adventure is rather far-fetched, how much more those who are protecting Tim Tebow from the crazies out there looking to glom onto his shining star.
Needless to say, the odds are stacked against me! But, just as Tim has many nay-sayers about his ability to play in the NFL as a quarterback, he and I both know that we have to work with what God has given us and trust Him with the rest. We must do our part and leave the rest up to God. He is in control and we can trust His goodness and love, knowing that He loves giving His kids good gifts. Remember my new favorite quote!- The Glory of God is man fully alive! St. Irenaeus
I can’t tell you how much that speaks to me! When we are living how He intended, in relationship with Him, we come alive through Christ in us! This is the great mystery that Paul speaks of. Dead to self and alive in Christ! When we are alive in Christ, His power flows through our God given talents. We don’t become robots, nor does God disregard the talents and abilities He has given us. Those who fear surrender, fear that God will call them to do things they don’t want to do. It is true that He does call us to trust Him no matter what. Yes, He will ask us to do things that we had rather not do. But, with obedience comes blessing. He needs to know that He can trust us with the “little” things before we move into greater works.
We need to build our resume of faith and obedience! I don’t know if I have ever explained my take on this whole deal. First of all, I think it important to note that I am not nor will I ever be star struck with anyone except Christ. I may admire someone from afar but would never impose myself on anyone. I respect peoples space and privacy. They are humans just like us and deserve the same level of privacy that we cherish.
Of course, being a gator since 1974, the year I came to Jesus, I love Tim for many of the same reasons that the masses do. My feelings just go deeper due to the trials I was going through when he was entrenched in the swamp at UF. Just like those he inspires at the hospitals he visits, he came into my “room” every weekend during football season for 3 years- in the midst of my suffering.
After he finished his college career, I like any fan was interested in where he would end up. How high he would go in the draft etc. As draft day moved closer I thought to myself, “I would love to be near where he plays pro ball”. I had no idea who was considering drafting him. While I was working in VA, I started full-time end of January this year, I began “running into” people between VA and SC who had ties to CO. At first, I did not give it much thought but they continued until I could not ignore them. When I met my friends political advisor who had ties to Focus on the Family and to a lesser extent, John Eldredge, I thought that maybe God was opening a door for me to finally move to CO and back into ministry. Both deep desires of my heart. Tim Tebow was not on my radar screen for a job! When I finally asked God what was going on with all the CO happenings I did not hear what I was expecting to hear. My first response was… “What am I suppose to do with that God?” In my thinking, John Eldredge was the logical choice. After all, I love his ministry and God has used him in my life over the past few years more than anyone. But, I did not hear “Ransomed Heart Ministries” when I asked God the question. That would be a minor stretch but not a “God-sized” stretch of my faith, trust and obedience. Have I wrestled with God over this? Absolutely!!! After-all, Ransomed Heart has even branched out to England where my daughter, son-in-law and first grand baby live! But, I am ever reminded that God’s ways are not my ways and His thoughts are way above mine! I trust that He knows what He is doing.. He IS GOD! I am not here to say, “What are you doing God, have you lost your mind?” “Do you know how this appears, God?” “This is not how you work…. is it?” Or is it? Last time I checked, God calls His people to big, bold steps of faith and obedience over and over again. My human nature wants little, easy steps of faith and obedience. After all, does not our culture want God to fit our image, desires, needs and plans? “You want me to do what? Let me get back to you on that!”
This is the culture we live in! The culture of convenience and situational ethics. “I want the fire insurance God but I want to keep doing___________!” “God, you don’t really expect me to stay a virgin until I get married.” You get the point!
During my trials the main verse God gave me was;
Ephesians 3:20
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
This was a promise I was holding onto and standing on when nothing looked promising. When door after door closed and through many nights of tears and heartache, I took God at His word! So, when I heard “Tim Tebow Foundation” it took me some time before I began to see this as my “Eph. 3:20” Once it sunk in and God began to fill in the blanks of how this was a “God fit” for me, I took it very seriously! After all, I have learned what NOT LISTENING to the still small voice will do to you. “No more whale bellies for me!”
I am accountable to God and God alone. I know that the faith and obedience I am walking in is of God. He has birthed it in me in the dark pit of pain, hopelessness and despair. Psalm 139 says it better than I can-
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
The more I have thought about working with Tim, the more I get excited about it! God has given me so many great ideas for ministry. My creative juices are flowing! I am alive with God possibilities! Am I the likely choice to work with Tim? No! Was shepherd boy, David, the likely choice to be King? He was not even in the picture, forgotten! Man looks at the seen but God the unseen!
All this is not my doing! If you think so- you give me way too much credit. I am a mere man willing to trust and obey no matter what! This kind of faith and obedience does not come from the easy route but via the trials and storms- the hard road we would never choose to travel if given the choice. In closing, what Satan meant for harm, God is using for good. After all…..Romans 8:28
More Than Conquerors
28-And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,[a] who[b] have been called according to His purpose.
In closing, my day in Jacksonville was great! God blessed in many ways. I even got to see the game! God gave me a ticket! Blessings, Jon
