 | Blogs > Noah235 > PLOUGHMAN'S LUNCH > ONLY JESUS CHRIST IS WORTHY OF OUR TRUST |
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The unofficial religion of the North East of England is FOOTBALL. That's the round ball variety that is called "soccer" in North America to distinguish it from a game that is popular there and known as "football" despite the fact that players routinely use their hands!  Specifically the object of the worship of thousands of "Geordies" {as natives of Newcastle upon Tyne are known} is the football club Newcastle United, known as "the Magpies" or the "Toon army".The football-worshipping public of Newcastle are currently suffering frustration because of the resignation of their manager, Kevin Keegan. Let me explain that Kevin made his name with Liverpool and England in the 1970s, but played for Newcastle at the end of his career in the 1980s. He came back as manager in the 1990s, restored the club's fortunes, and in 1996 came within a whisker of stealing the coveted League Title from Manchester United with a team that played the greatest football I have seen in my entire life. Shortly after that he left the club and among other posts had an unsuccessful stint as manager of the England football team. In January 2008 Kevin came back to manage Newcastle and was hailed as "the returning Messiah" by the Geordie faithful {not so much a Second Coming as a THIRD Coming  } and hopes were high of a revival in the club's fortunes and maybe even the chance of winning a major trophy which has not happened since 1969. After a promising start to the season in August there was a dispute between Kevin and the owner of the club and the result was that this week Kevin resigned after just 8 months back in the job, breaking the hearts and dashing the hopes of thousands in the process.Like most Geordies, I do not attach blame to Kevin for this situation - the general view is that the owner made a mistake in not giving our beloved hero full control over which players to bring in etc. Nevertheless a lesson I learned over 30 years ago has been reinforced in the most dramatic way possible, and thousands of Geordies are now in the process of learning the very same lesson. In the 1970s my personal "religion", if I owned up to having one, was football. However the failure of the club in those days {nothing changes  } led me to realise it was futile to base your life hopes on anything as fickle as a football team {although as I said thousands of Geordies do precisely that}. This was a key step in the process to me searching for, and finding, the one PERSON who WAS worthy of basing my life hopes on. At the same time, looking back, I can see the hand of God at work 'behind the scenes', orchestrating these events and drawing me closer and closer to himself.After 30 years of following Jesus Christ, I can honestly say that he really is the ONLY one who is worthy of our trust. I have let him down a multitude of times, BUT HE HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN EVEN ONCE. I find myself hoping that the present failure of the local football club is the precursor to many of my fellow Geordies embarking on the same search as I went on in 1977, with the same end result. Peter  "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2 v 15 |
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 9/6/2008 10:21 pm |
Too right, Noah......He never lets us down!  Penelope Captive of Hope 
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 9/7/2008 12:13 pm |
Hi Peter, Cor blimey.As soon as i saw football mentioned i nearly went, .I hate it.I bet you think i should be ashamed of mesel bein northeastern n all,, but i`m not.Anyway readin on i thought ,how true.He will Never let us down.If things don`t happen that we want it`s coz He doesn`t think it`s right for us.Peace be with you, Wendy  P.s. Were ya prayers answered yet?  Show me the way Sweet JESUS.Lead and i Will follow. 
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