Friday Night Lights

So as friday night approaches again and kickoff is in about 10 hours, I find myself sitting on a hostel floor in Istanbul, Turkey, and my mind is fixed on all of the young men that I have gotten the pleasure to coach, love on, and share the gospel with!  I think of all the young men who were in seventh grade when I first meet them, immature little boys, crazy as can be, always wanting to wrestle Coach Anglea, as all ten of them would end up in a headlock as I would throw them around like rag dolls… as now those seventh grade boys are now growing into men, still probably crazy as can be, but in no way would I ever allow them to wrestle me for fear that I would now become the rag doll!!

                                                                                          

 

 

 

 

And as I sit here, my heart begins to meditate on all of the souls of these young men ……….. who in junior high and high school gave their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To be able to watch Christ grab these wild boys and begin to transform them into his followers was such a beautiful thing.  And oh how many tears we cried on each other’s shoulders, as we walked out what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus, while going through some of the hardest times in a young man’s life, junior high and high school!  And how so many times these boys, even in eighth grade, would find themselves fighting on their knees seeking Christ as they were realizing the love of Christ and how His ways lead to life, while everyone around them were in love with the Devil and all of his ways which lead to death! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I think on how great of a day it was when I baptized each and every one of you and how magnificent it was when Christ was revealing himself to and through you!…………………….  So as I sit here on this floor half way across the world, I wonder how you all are doing……I wonder if you young men are still trying to walk after the things of God or if the devil has deceived you and have decided to go the way of the world……I wonder when was the last time you hit your knees in prayer unto Jesus……I wonder when was the last time you opened up your Bible, which has the Words of life in them, or if it just collects dust on the table……I wonder when the other students look at you in the hallways, do they see a man of God like they used to or do they just see another guy, who will get drunk with them on the weekends…..I wonder what your relationships with your girlfriends looks like………I wonder if I were to look at the history on your computer, what would it say?………………As I sit here and write this I begin to tear up……….. I tear up because I know what it is like to be in high school and to be a athlete and to try to be “something like a Christian,” I know the struggles that you are going through……I’ve been there………..Especially at every corner your flesh just wants to do what everyone else is doing…….But I say to you………….you are not everyone else!!  You are a child of God………..God Almighty the Creator of heaven and earth has called your name to be special unto him!……I tell you today to Arise from the sin you find yourself in……God is a forgiving God …………..Arise and wipe yourself off………..God has a plan for you and it doesn’t include easy women and drunkenness………….But it includes a high calling, a calling in which he can use you to shine his Glory through!…….Remember the words I always leave with you, if you ever take two things from all of what I taught you it is this: STAY STEADY IN THE WORD AND IN PRAYER.  Always try to do these two things and God will take you places you can’t imagine.

It is not easy being a Christian, but it is well worth it.  Trust me, my boys.  I speak from experience.  I know what it’s like to stand in the cleats you will stand in tonight!  I want you to know that I Love each and everyone one of you……….I pray constantly for you by name, many of the tears that have flown from these eyes have your names on them!  Oh how I long to spend one more year with you so that we can really set your heart a blaze for Christ!  That you may be built up strong in the things of the Lord!!  If it is God’s Will! Until then, Strive to be like Christ and remember if you slip up and fall it’s not the end of the world, be strong. Stand back up on your two feet and get back to work for the Lord!