RICHARD PETTY'S BIG ENGINE - Richard Petty's 198th NASCAR Sprint Cup race victory came amidst great controversy. It was October 1983 at the Miller High Life 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Petty won that race with left-side tires on the right-side of the car, and an engine that measured 381.983 cubic inches against a maximum allowable limit of 358 c.i. Petty was docked 104 points, but the victory was allowed to stand, amidst great complaints from his rivals. The Junior Johnson-owned second-place car driven by Darrell Waltrip was whisked away from the track before it could be inspected.
To name just a few who have been caught, AJ Foyt, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmy Johnson,Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress Racing, Penske Racing brings to light the bendable rules. NASCAR seems to have a double standard in the realms of cheating and racing. As did the NFL when the Patriots were caught. Pro baseball is littered with steroid users who set records and registered great statistics and the powers-that-be allow those records to stand. All of our idols get pardoned by the justification of "well, he's a good guy" or "he has lots of fans and we don't want to upset everybody"
So is it any surprise that all of this overlooking of truth would eventually trickle into the American church?
Jen Hatmaker, author of the book 7, has hit it on the head with this statement, "We've invented a thousand shades of gray, devising a comfortable Christian existence we can all live with- super awesome, except the Bible doesn't support it."
So why do the leaders of churches all across America allow it to continue? Imagine a preacher who only preaches the bible, "take up your cross daily", store up treasures in heaven not on earth", "love the least of these", Jesus tells his followers, you will be persecuted, you will be different than the world around you, the widow's two coins was ALL she had, her savings account, her 401K, it was a major sacrifice, "easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into heaven" No preacher who builds his life around the approval of his congregation would ever have the courage to say that in a message, without padding it or making it a "shade of gray". It might cost him his job or home or reputation, his fans. And unfortunately in the USA all of those things are valued more highly than truth and integrity. Jen Hatmaker, you give me a glimmer of hope, keep blogging sister!
To name just a few who have been caught, AJ Foyt, Darrell Waltrip, Jimmy Johnson,Michael Waltrip, Richard Childress Racing, Penske Racing brings to light the bendable rules. NASCAR seems to have a double standard in the realms of cheating and racing. As did the NFL when the Patriots were caught. Pro baseball is littered with steroid users who set records and registered great statistics and the powers-that-be allow those records to stand. All of our idols get pardoned by the justification of "well, he's a good guy" or "he has lots of fans and we don't want to upset everybody"
So is it any surprise that all of this overlooking of truth would eventually trickle into the American church?
Jen Hatmaker, author of the book 7, has hit it on the head with this statement, "We've invented a thousand shades of gray, devising a comfortable Christian existence we can all live with- super awesome, except the Bible doesn't support it."
So why do the leaders of churches all across America allow it to continue? Imagine a preacher who only preaches the bible, "take up your cross daily", store up treasures in heaven not on earth", "love the least of these", Jesus tells his followers, you will be persecuted, you will be different than the world around you, the widow's two coins was ALL she had, her savings account, her 401K, it was a major sacrifice, "easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into heaven" No preacher who builds his life around the approval of his congregation would ever have the courage to say that in a message, without padding it or making it a "shade of gray". It might cost him his job or home or reputation, his fans. And unfortunately in the USA all of those things are valued more highly than truth and integrity. Jen Hatmaker, you give me a glimmer of hope, keep blogging sister!