Recruiting Earthly Players for God's Heavenly Team

“In one word, the great pillar of the Christian's hope is substitution.” – C.H. Spurgeon

During my 35 years of running two sports-based prison ministries – and as a dad coaching our kids in multiple sports when they were young – I have made literally thousands of lineup decisions. Some decisions were relatively easy, such as batting Bud Collins third and positioning him in left field. After all, Bud was the best all-around softball player I’ve ever seen, a true 5-tool player meaning he could hit for both average and power, field, run, and throw… all exceedingly well.

But what do you do on an 8-day prison trip where your team is scheduled to play 24 games in grueling heat and humidity with very little rest or sleep in between? When, where, and for how long do you take your best player out of the lineup for some much-needed rest and, just as importantly, whose name do you write into the lineup to fill his oversized shoes?

I guess my decision-making abilities weren’t too shabby because our touring softball team would often go undefeated on such trips. And, over the course of an entire season, we would usually only lose a handful of games while winning 50, 60, or more against some extremely tough inmate competition. But, then again, maybe our team was so deep and so talented that they simply overcame some of my poor managerial decisions.

In either case, I am eternally grateful that when God the Father had to send Someone into the game to take my place and pay the penalty for my sins, He chose Jesus. He is the perfect Substitute and the Only One capable of getting the job done to absolute perfection.

In sports terminology, I am glad to be playing on God’s team for all eternity. After all, Jesus already won the championship on Calvary’s cross… and soon it will be time to celebrate in heaven alongside my earthly teammates and countless cheering angels.

If you haven’t done so already, I invite you to join God’s team today. There’s still plenty of room!

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” Revelation 7:9-10 (NKJV)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President