Raiders for Life is a non-profit entity created in September 2000 by Mike Arredondo of Livermore, California. Mike is a Raider fan who turned his life around.
For 20 years Mike thought it was his right to pollute himself every weekend. In addition, he put the Raiders first before EVERYTHING. The Raiders were his life. He would spend more time living and breathing Raider football than he would anything else. He built this website in their honor. He accumulated a lot of debt buying Raider tickets, merchandise, alcohol and going on road trips he couldn't afford. He even convinced his wife and son to follow the Raiders. Family gatherings were sometimes pushed aside. Work suffered from the hangovers and lack of focus. He thought he could balance it all. For a long time he did, but inside Mike was slowly destroying himself. His happiness was connected to a football team's success and to an organization that didn't even know who he was. He lived in idolatry and spiritual darkness and he didn't even know it. He came very close to losing his family.
On December 14th, 2003 in Oakland, he witnessed a drunk driver smash into the broadside car of a Raiderfan, killing her and severely injuring her friend. That day he made the decision to vhange the way he was living. God opened his eyes, cleared his mind and sanctified his soul through God's mercy and through the Holy Spirit.
Mike is NOT a "religious" man per say. He does not claim to have life "figured out" nor does he judge anyone. Simply put, he has found faith in God. He was aware that many who used to call themselves "friends" might avoid him due to his faith, but that was something he was willing to live with if need be. Mike has humbled himself and has made a decision to follow God.
People often ask, if there is a God why this or why that? Why would he let anyone go to Hell? Perhaps the question we should be asking instead is: why should He let anyone into Heaven? Do we think so highly of ourselves? Are we REALLY that ignorant of what is right and wrong? None of us are worthy. God's word says ALL have sinned. ALL have fallen short of the glory of God, meaning that EVERYONE has made mistakes due to the fact that we were born with this selfishness. No one can blame God for being unfair or for not understanding the pains or concerns of this world. (Sometimes we bring pain on ourselves, sometimes some people abuse their freedom and hurt others.) Jesus himself did not shield himself from pain, but submitted himself to unbelievable torture, ridicule and a gory excrutiating death in our place so that we can have the opportunity to live eternally (forever) in Heaven with Him. That was the purpose of the Passion of the Christ film, to give us an idea about how much our freedom cost and how muc He loves us.
Want to know more? Please read on...
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Why did God have to send his son?
People in the world believe in many different gods. How do we know which god is the one true God? Why did he let Adam and Eve sin? What about the dinosaurs? Why aren't they mentioned in the bible? Why is there so much murder & corruption if there's a god?
All good questions. The simple truth is that not everyone will understand or believe in God in their mortal state. Some may come to understand once they've died and it's too late. One thing's true though, if you are too busy trying to find ways to refute the truth, then you will not be able to see the truth. However Jesus said, "if you seek me with all of your heart, you will find me." His word also says, 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' - Romans 14:11 We have to open our minds and hearts and really want to know God in order for this to happen.
As far as the murder and corruption in our world, consider this: If God wanted robots to worship him incessantly, he would have created them and programmed them to do just that. However, the bible says that God is love, therefore it makes perfect sense that out of love, he gave man a "free will". He allows us the freedom to seek Him, worship and love him by choice as we live our lives. (His angels, which he also created have a free will but according to the bible, some chose to follow the Satan, the fallen angel and are what the bible describes as demons.)
Once Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the forbidden tree, they opened the door to sin and the price of sin. They violated a commandment of God and the penalty for sin is death. God warned them that they would die, but Satan lied to Eve and convinced her that they would not die if they pursued their own will over God's. They broke the one and only "law" God gave to them and they suddenly were afraid and felt naked. The rules of human existence changed from that point and man was in BIG trouble. Over centuries, God destroyed evildoers and wicked people by the thousands but despite this cycle of rebellion to repentence, people kept sinning against God. There needed to be a greater sacrifice.
This is the truth, Jesus came to become THAT sacrifice. To pay the price of death for our sins once and for all that would believe in Him. To reconcile His children to him out of love. We have a free will to choose to acknowledge this or to deny him. We have a choice whether to follow Him (meaning to draw near to him through prayer & worship, reading His word etc..) OR to deny His truth and to live selfishly, in darkness and ultimately in judgement. For those, the bible says that 2nd death awaits them, which is the Lake of Fire. It is a real place of torment and great agony. God created it for Satan and his followers. The enemy of your soul would like you to believe that He and eternal suffering and damnation are not real. But please be careful what you believe. In God's word, Jesus spoke of Hell more than anyone else because He wants to save us from it, not condemn us to it.
In terms of murder and corruption, living in a world where all have a free will means we are all vulnerable. People make choices every day. Some good, some not so good. God does not force anyone to do anything. But we do not need to live in fear. Because God is with us. (Psalms 23)
As far as the dinosaurs, the book of Genesis states that God created the beasts of the Earth. Why this is not good enough for some people, I don't understand.
Conclusion:
The bottom line is this, YOU are not an accident. You were designed and created.
Let me give you an example. Ask yourself this question...what is more complex? A wrist watch or a bean sprout? Any scientist could tell you that a bean sprout is far more complex. Why?
Not only is it living and growing, but for starters it's made of a vast network of dynamic cells which process water and harness the power of sunlight and minerals, split and duplicate, as well as grow to reproduce more seeds in kind. Stay with me here...
Many people believe in the big bang theory and evolution. I wonder then, how long it would take some minerals to collide into eachother to form something as simple as a watch? Would 900 billion years be enough to evolve? How about something like a pen or a simple arrowhead of even a simple spear? The truth is even an arrowhead has a designer. Someone must form and fashion it. God designed and created EVERY living thing. We are part of His divine plan and you my friend are no accident! You are His creation. God loves you and wants you to know that you were made for a purpose. He designed you and knew you before He even created the Earth. He wants you to get to know Him and live forever in freedom and happiness.
C.S. Lewis said, "There are 2 kinds of people: those who say to God 'Thy will be done' and those to whom God says, 'All right then, have it your way.' "
Bottom line, our days are numbered and we are ALL going to die someday. There is no avoiding this. Every person who was ever born has died. No one has escaped death, but we don't need to fear it! Thankfully, the moments following your last breath will not be the end of you. They will just be the beginning of your new life... your eternal existence. The question is, are you prepared for it? Are you ready? Will you be ready to face God?
The Earth and our physical bodies are just temporary. If you really want to find out more about the truth and in your heart of hearts want to live in peace with God forever, the bible says all you need to do is repent (turn away from selfish way of living) confess our sinfulness to Jesus and ask him to forgive you. Trust and surrender your life to Him in prayer and ask Him to come into your heart and change you that His purpose and will for your life will be done. Then get a bible and start reading it. (IMHO: Start with the book of John and Paul's letter to the Romans in the New Testament and also the Psalms and Isaiah in the Old Testament.) Pray daily and ask for strength, direction and wisdom in Jesus' name and he will grant it to you. Connect with other people in your area who believe, so that they can pray for you and share with you. Fellowship is very important and powerful in order to grow spiritually. When you make friends who have the same beliefs, it will help you to stay faithful to God. The bible says God's people (the church) are His body and we need to stay connected and true to Him.
After awhile, you'll be able to "clean house" so to speak. You'll get to the point that you just can't keep it to yourself any more and you won't be embarrassed about your faith. You'll feel free when you KNOW the truth and confident knowing without a doubt that you were created with a purpose. Does this mean you will no longer be tempted to sin? Not at all, however our ability to discern truth from lies will become much clearer. You'll be glad to help people, find joy in loving people and peace and grace like never before.
Consider your life to a garden. The man who nurtures and tends carefully will see his crop flourish. Poorly maintained though, a man who neglects his garden will come to discover that the weeds have overtaken the crop. And so it is with us.
Following the ways of Jesus, you will be better equipped to not give into temptation. The best part, is your soul will be assured a place in Heaven and your spirit will be renwed day by day. You will be able to live in truth, spirit and in freedom from the slavery and bondage of a sinful life. You will know peace and true love like never before, and no matter what adversity comes in this lifetime, you'll be better equipped to deal with it. You'll never be alone when you have God's spirit in your heart. God's word says when we are weak, he makes us strong.
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As for me, I still enjoy football and the Raiders will always be my favorite team. But they no longer are number one in my life. Not even close. It's just a game. A game he does not mind us enjoying. Athletics, food, even sex can be enjoyed as long as they are done within the provisions God has commanded. We should never abuse our freedom. The word says ALL things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial, so we need to be cautious about what we do. Let's always keep in mind God our creator is number one, above all. As for me and my house, we will worship the Lord! Before my family, before my concerns, before money or food or clothes, before anything, God comes first.
He is more than worthy.
He is Holy.
He is the Ancient of Days.
The Alpha and the Omega.
The beginning and the end.
The creator of everything.
He is ALMIGHTY GOD.
You know, when I was living in selfishness, I really didn't think I had a "problem". I looked at others who made a decision to follow Jesus and I thought to myself, "Good for him" without giving serious thought about the path I was on.
I'm sharing this not for me, but for you. To encourage you.
Are you 100% sure you're going to Heaven? Are there some things in your life that have been holding you back? If you stood face to face with Jesus right now would you feel secure about your future in eternity? That day is inevitable. We will all stand before Him one day and give account.
The word says, "All things are possible through Jesus Christ who strengthens me". Jesus came to "give life, and to give it more abundantly". I am only one of many people who have discovered what many have known for ages. That Jesus was not merely a prophet or teacher. Not just a name in history. No, He is the radiance of God's glory and is alive and well today... knocking on the door to your heart, waiting for you to ask Him to come in and free you. He has personally prepared a place in Heaven for His children and will return one day to take us home.
The question is, are you ready and willing to accept it? Will you be there at the big party? If so, may I suggest you get your name on the guest list. He's done all the work. ALL of it. When He gave Himself up and was crucified in our place, His blood payed for ALL who will believe in Him. And He paid for ALL of believer's sins. All you need to do is ask Him and believe. He does NOT want you to wait until you clean up your act, become holy or perfect. He loves you as you are now. The bible says, "That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Not after we stopped sinning. He wants you to trust Him, receive the FREE gift that He paid for you, welcome you into Heaven. He loves you. He did it for you. He's waiting. Do it now. Don't wait.
Sound silly? The enemy wants you to wait. He wants you. He wants to destroy you. He wants you to live selfishly and lead you to destroy yourself. Don't let him trick you into waiting. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not guaranteed. What do you have to lose except for the shallow things that have not fulfilled us? Just pray and He will do the rest. He will open your eyes to true love, joy and a life you never even dreamed possible.
Ready? Just say this simple prayer and mean it with all your heart:
"Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus Christ. I believe He came down from Heaven, suffered, died and rose again from the dead just as the Bible says. I'd like to take this moment to say, that from this day forward I hold no one accountable for doing me wrong. I leave it to you to judge them and I pray you have mercy on them. In the meantime, I ask you, please forgive me of my sins. Lord Jesus, I invite you into my heart. Come into my life and change me to be everything You want me to be. Help me to understand your word. Lead me to do Your will. Connect me with Your true followers and protect me from evil. Thank you for Your love and for the price You paid. Thank You for preparing a place for me in Heaven, now help me to get to know You better through Your Holy Spirit and through Your Word so that I can help others. From this day forward, I hereby give my life to You. In Jesus name I ask these things. Amen."
If you prayed this prayer for the first time, CONGRATULATIONS! Your name has been entered into the Book of Life in Heaven. Please e-mail me below and let me know. I'll be glad to recommend books, music, websites and most importantly pray for you. It will also encourage me, so please take a moment to write. I'm sincerely happy for you!
In the meantime, may the grace of God, the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen.
