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Thursday’s devotion (11/20/2008)

Friday, November 21, 2008

OUT OF THIS WORLD

“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.” (John 15:18, ESV)

Insider or outsider, that is the question. Good or bad, golf is one of those arenas where lines are drawn.

Do you belong to the local club or don’t you? Can you speak the language of the game or can’t you? Will the foursome of scratch players or gamblers or execs or oldtimers let you in—or not? Society has always configured its lines of discretion and discrimination, and golf is a society all its own. Sometimes its lines are just as plain.

Jesus spoke openly of another line; however, its boundaries are much broader. He spoke of those who are of the world and those who are not. And His apostles followed up with similar differentiations.

Obviously, they did not mean the world as in the earth. Nor were they referring to the collection of people who occupy the earth. When Jesus spoke of “the world” in this way, He was considering what one commentary describes as “the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ.”

It was this world, Jesus was saying, that would love its own and hate those who were not of it. And most clearly, the followers of Jesus were not of it. Rather, they had been chosen out of this world and brought into an entirely different kingdom.

More than that, this choice resulted in enmity between this world and the kingdom, for this world hated Jesus. And there was no way this world can hate Jesus without hating His followers.

Does that fact disturb you? You would hardly be human if it didn’t. Our flesh is rather self-preserving, and when hatred threatens our flesh—including our mental well-being and social standing—we recoil. It’s natural. But as our spiritual strength increases while we live in Christ, and our “natural man” is put in its place, we long more and more to identify with Christ, even when that identity is fraught with inconvenience, unpleasantries, and even hatred.

--

Jeff Hopper

November 21, 2008

Copyright 2008 Links Players International

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Our current writers:

Stephen Bunn is the southeast regional director for College Golf Fellowship. He resides in Birmingham, Alabama. Past ministry includes years stateside and abroad with Campus Crusade for Christ. He gets to the range more often than the course.

Steve Burdick is the West Coast regional director for College Golf Fellowship. He resides near Sacramento, California. He was a member of the last national championship team at Stanford University, but is happy to get out once a month these days.

Brad Davis has served more than 30 years in pastoral ministries, primarily in California. He currently resides outside Seattle. He returned to golf several years ago and remains crazy about it, though he likes it much more when he’s playing with friends.

Baz Gascoyne is a communicator and passionate about Jesus. He does this through the men’s books he has co- written with his friend Lee Jackson. Check out www.leeandbaz.com. He also leads a Church with his wife Linda in Sheffield, United Kingdom (www.the-eccles.com) and has just recently started painting (www.zabart.co.uk) and stand-up comedy. And, of course, Baz loves playing golf.

Tom Gray is the Links Players Southeast Region Director, overseeing the development and activity of Links Fellowships from his home in Atlanta. A former quarterback at Vanderbilt University and a long-time pastor, Tom is now turning his athletic attention to his golf game.

Tracy Hanson is an LPGA Tour player who has written several articles through the years for the Links Letter magazine.

Jim Hiskey is a former PGA Tour professional and one of the founders of the Tour Bible study and the Links Letter. He travels in the States and abroad with Fellowship Ministries, reaching out as a relational evangelist.

Jeff Hopper is the editor of the Links Letter, the Links Daily Devotional, and is executive director of Links Players International. He is also lead pastor of The Father’s House Christian Fellowship in Fresno, California. He played two years of college golf and now gets out about three times a month.

Brian Viers is a businessman in Kankakee, Illinois, who also shares time in Tampa, Florida. He serves on the board of Links Players.

Randy Wolff is the South Central Region Director for Links Players. He is a former PGA Tour professional and has more than 25 years of experience in business and ministry.

Dereck Wong is the Southwest Region Director for Links Players. Based in Orange County, California, he assists men and women in forming Links Fellowships in and around their clubs and courses.