Tag Him In

Gracious Father, I come before your magnificent presence, humble in all ways I can be, and to tell you thank you.  I thank you for life, health and strength.  I thank you for your hovering Spirit over my life.  I thank you for the hedge of protection that you have deployed over my family.  I thank you for your mercy, grace, and love, and I thank you for your Son Jesus.  I pray this morning that these blessings not only be with me, but with all of your children. I pray a blessing on all who read this message.  I pray a blessing of covering over their lives.  I pray a blessing of comfort when there is none.  I pray that you provide a way out of no way.  I just pray oh God, that you help us combat all the attacks the enemy will throw at your children.  And Father, we pray that you forgive us of our sins, committed whether by thought, speech, or deed.  We love you, we honor, and we give you all praise.  This we pray in your Son Jesus name.  Amen

Growing up in the 80’s, before it was WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), I loved to watch wrestling.  At that time it was called WWF (World Wrestling Federation).  I am not sure who are the stars now, but the big names of that era was, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, Tony Atlas, Jimmy Superfly Snuka, Randy Savage, Roddy Pipper, Jesse Ventura, The Samoans, and other names at this time I cannot recall.  I mentioned this list for the simple fact that at one time or another, everyone listed, fought each other.  At one point in time, Hulk Hogan fought Andre the Giant.  In another match they would be teamed up against others.  Tag teams were what they were called back then.  In all of the matches I have ever watched, for some reason I enjoyed the tag team events. 

You would have a pair of wrestlers compete against another pair of wrestlers.  Two fighters (one from each team of course) will enter the ring.  The goal is to pin the other opponent’s back to where the shoulder blades are flushed against the canvas (floor of the ring) for a count of 3 pounds or slaps on the canvas by the referee’s hand.  If a fighter gets too tired, or if he wants his team mate to have a chance at the opponent, he would go over to him and tag his hand, then the original wrestler will exit the ring, and the one that was tagged will enter.

THE MATCH

There was one match, and I do apologize if I do not remember all of the players, nonetheless it was interesting to watch.  The only one I remember was Hulk Hogan.  He and another wrestler were paired against another pair.  Hulk Hogan was on the side of the ring watching while his team mate wrestled first.  His team mate was doing extremely well.  At one point it appeared that his (Hulk Hogan) team mate was going to win the match.  He had his opponent pinned and the referee began the countdown.  However right before the third count, the opponent lifted up his shoulder which voided the count, and allowed him to continue the fight.  He raised his opponent up to deliver a harsher beating, but his opponent escaped and tagged his team mate’s hand.  When his team mate came in, he (the opponent) delivered one of the worst beaten I have ever seen on the show.  They say it is fake, but I am not so sure back then. 

Hulk Hogan, in the mean time was on the side of the ring watching helplessly.  At one point he tried to enter the ring without being tagged, and the referee forced him out, because it was against the rules.  So Hulk Hogan had to helplessly sit and watch his teammate get pummeled over and over again. There were many opportunities for him to tag in Hulk Hogan but he didn’t.  Finally, after being beaten to a pulp, he somehow managed to get to Hulk Hogan, and tagged him in.  Hulk Hogan, whooped some tail.  I mean he beat him (the opponent) senseless.  The other opponent came in without being tagged, and was knocked out.  Not to drag this any longer, Hulk Hogan won the match for him and his team mate.

TAG GOD IN

Just like in the wrestling match described above, we have opponents that we are able to handle and overcome.  However, there are opponents or circumstances that are just too big and strong for us, where we will need some assistance.  This assistance will come from God by way of Jesus Christ.  There is a hymn that we sang in church.  Part of the stanza states “Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bare.  All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer” This is so true.  We allow ourselves to go through some unnecessary struggles.  We allow ourselves to go through some unnecessary pain.  We allow ourselves to go through some unnecessary battles, and in the mean time, God is sticking out His hand and saying “tag me in my child; let me take care of that for you.  You do not have to go through that alone.  I am here for you.  You are my creation, who I love and adore, and it pains me to see the adversary attempt to sift you like wheat, but if you just tag me in, I will handle it for you”

·        In Genesis God said to Cain after denying Cain’s offering, “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” (Gen 4:7)

·        In Deuteronomy Moses, instructed by God said to the children of Israel “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil” (De 30:15)

·        In the book of John, it is written “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (Joh 3:16)

In the three above references, and there is many more, God gives us choice.  If you do well, or if you don’t do well, (meaning either doing good or not), life/good, death/evil, the choice is yours.  Whoever believes in Jesus will not perish, but if you choose not to believe, then what will you believe in?  The point that must be understood is that God gave us certain sovereignty, and in that sovereignty, we have a choice to accept God or not.  When we choose not to accept God, it is open season on us.  When we choose to lean on our own understanding and not trust in God, we find ourselves out numbered and out matched, and yet God with His mercy and grace watches and still stretch forth His forgiving hand and wait for us to take hold of it.

There is a real enemy out there that all of God’s children need to worry about.  He is the devil.  His sole purpose is sift us like wheat.  When I say God’s children, this means both the ones who believe and the ones who don’t.  Those who do not believe in God are not forming an alliance with the devil.  The devil hates them just the same.  This enemy at times, if we are not careful will put us in circumstances which will require us to fight in order to get out of it.  Some, we come out winners on our own, others, we are pummeled to where we need some assistance.  These circumstances can be the various trials as described in the book of James, or it can be temptations as described in 1 Corinthians, or even fear as described in the book of Job.  No matter what the issue is, no matter what the circumstance, no matter how difficult it may seem to you, God is saying, do now worry about your inability, but have faith in my ability and tag me in.  Amen!