Since 1984 I have undertaken numerous US Sports Ministry study tours and several of these have been associated with Nelson Cook who was initially with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Dallas Texas, then he established Coaches of Influence in LA twenty years ago.
Nelson like my wife Delma and I live by faith financial support and I've kept a close eye over the years on Nelson's fund raising letters and how he brings a story to impact the hearts of his readers.
Nelson recently wrote in such a letter that he remembers a typing class, that the first line the students had to type was: Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.
He cited a letter from Billy Graham for the recent November 6 US Presidential Election now come and gone. Nelson wrote that he liked what Billy Graham said in a full page article in the Orange County Register, Sunday, October 28th. This is his direct quote.
"On November 6, the day before my 94th birthday, our nation will hold one of the most critical elections in my lifetime. We are at a crossroads and there are profound moral issues at stake. I strongly urge you to vote for candidates who support the biblical definition of marriage between a man and woman, protect the sanctity of life, and defend our religious freedoms. The Bible speaks clearly on these crucial issues. Please join me in praying for America, that we will turn our hearts back toward God."
(The American system of electing members of the House and the Senate are different to Australia in that an individual is elected to represent the constituency. They vote accordingly, not on Party lines as it is in Australia. The concept of Crossing the Floor in the US is foreign as they vote on issues).
Alexander Tyler 1887
Nelson Cook continued that the US needs to come back to the Word of God. If we don't, Nelson warns, then we are on the slippery slope stated next and cites Alexander Tyler.
In 1887, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior:
"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.
"From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, [which is] always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's greatest civilisations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:
From bondage to spiritual faith;
From spiritual faith to great courage;
From courage to liberty;
From liberty to abundance;
From abundance to complacency;
From complacency to apathy;
From apathy to dependence;
From dependence back into bondage.
This same prayer reflects Christmas
Nelson Cook asks for prayer for the US, its leaders, our pastors, our teachers, our coaches, and those of us in the para -church realm. He concludes: "Thank you for continuing to stand with us as coaches are ministered to and with. May God get the glory."
These ideas are just as important for Australia. Christmas is more than a time to rejoice in the birth of our Saviour, rather it is just as critical to reflect on the purpose and meaning of Christ's birth into this fallen world.
Every person plays their own part in a democracy, in Australia we are truly blessed and Christmas is certainly a time to offer our individual thanks for such a Saviour and the message of Salvation to each one of us. Yes, Merry Christmas and for what's its worth, out with the bath water with that insidious "happy holidays" nonsense when celebrating Jesus' Salvation.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at
www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
