I will visit you after passing through Macedonia…. For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. (1 Corinthians 16:5-9, ESV)
On the same weekend that Bubba Watson was in China for a $2.5 million tournament in Shenzhen, USA Today ran a story reporting that 66 golf courses have been closed in China and that development on new courses has been frozen for the past year.
My first thought on seeing (through Twitter) that Bubba was in China was one of delight because of his popularity and his open love for Jesus. My first thought on seeing the article was for those who are helping spread the Good News in China through golf.
That, of course, is the way of the church throughout history. There have always been barriers, there have always been people in power with agendas that do not create favorable conditions for Christianity. But God has always opened doors for the gospel in the right places at the right time, just as he did for Paul. He wrote to the Corinthians that he wanted to get to Ephesus quickly, because the door was wide open and the adversaries were already present.
To bring this to a more personal level, all of us at Links Players have experienced doors closing, doors opening, and adversaries being present when we go in. That is true for those on staff and those who are forming, leading, or even simply participating in Links Fellowships. You see, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. That we have been called to fight at golf clubs does not make it less so.
Our preacher this past weekend said, “The surest way to lose a battle is to be unaware you are in one.” We are called to share Christ through the great game of golf, which does not sound very “battle” like. The setting is tranquil, the conversation is civil, the game is enjoyable. How could this be a fight? Ah, but it is, and we need to know that we are in a battle, lest we lose for thinking we are not.
When you head to your club this week, whether it is public or private, remember that you are going into battle—not just with the course, not just with your own swing, not just with your opponent, but with the adversaries. The battle is for the hearts and minds of men and women, and that, my friends, is the battle that counts.
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Lewis Greer
April 22, 2015
Copyright 2015 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.