What Tiger Woods and Barak Obama Teach Us

The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don't show up until much later (1 Tim. 5:24 MSG).

I am intrigued with what is going on with Tiger Woods. I know some of you probably heard enough and I really can’t blame you for feeling that way. After all, what really is the big deal? The revelation of a famous athlete (or actor, rock star, or politician) having an affair may titillate, but we hear of it so often that it rarely does shock us.

But upon closer inspection, there are three main characters involved in these things. First, there’s the “entitled men,” those who sincerely believe that they are deserving of having affairs. Second, there are the “willing women,” those who make themselves available to such men because of their image and, I guess for the thrill of the moment. Third, you have the “deceived wives,” those who hurt the most by the affair and all the publicity that comes with it.

Okay, so these are the same players over and over, nothing really changes. So why am I so fixated on this?

I may be wrong in explaining this for others, but for me, it all boils down to being “betrayed.” The image of Tiger Woods was all a fraud although his talent was very real. I dislike golf. I personally see no value in it. But that’s me and that’s why I do not have a billion bucks.

But I did like the image I often received with regards to Tiger Woods -- the low-key demeanor, manners, and a sweet smile of countless sports-page photos, and magazine covers. He seemed like a really nice guy, and personally, I’m sure he is.

But for me the larger lesson is not what Tiger Woods did. It is not about his affairs (not that I am trying to excuse them, I’m not!).

What really bothers me is all that went into in constructing a public figure in order to create profit and power. Like any other normal kid, Tiger came to us young, single, and filled with hopes and dreams. Then right before our eyes, this young man was transformed into a sensational superstar because Buick, Nike, Gatorade, Gillette, EA Sports, and Accenture saw profits to be made.

I guess in the eyes of some, Tiger Woods was sort of god-like. He was made out to be a symbol of tolerance, monogamous and the center of a happy family. The public ate it up. Although I don’t like golf, I would become fixated to my tube watching his latest highlights and listening to his interviews. Tiger was bigger than life itself.

Now while this marketing ploy was going on to show us Tiger Wood’s good side, the other darker side was conveniently kept from us. Those who knew of Tiger’s questionable character ignored such things in order to keep giving to us the image that we wanted to see and hear about as well as to keep the profits coming.

In fact, in order to keep Tiger’s image from totally unraveling, his wife is being asked to stay with him for anther two years and if she does, she will receive a huge payment of $55 million. The powers to be want to keep his image alive as much as they can in order to rake in the profits. Remember, here was a man who made about $100 million playing golf and the other $900 million came from endorsements. There are huge profits in marketing the right image before the public.

So again, why am I fixated on this? Because this is how Barak Obama came to us as well. Just a short time ago, he was not even heard of. Then the media got a hold of him, started to market his image and he became the most powerful leader in the world.

Like Tiger Woods, those who know Barak Obama’s darker side are not going to say anything either. We the public will have to find out ourselves – and we will. Paul told Timothy that the sins of some people will go before them and land them in court, while some sins are trailing behind and will not come to full exposure until some time later. Oh yeah, we will find out, but the cost of finding out who the real Obama is may come at a time when it may be too late for some.

The media is doing all it can to keep Barak Obama’s candidate image before the public even though his policies and ideas are making life worse for the country.

Now there is greater reason why I am fixated on the Tiger Woods controversy and it is this – Just like the powers to be gave birth to the image of Tiger Woods and Barak Obama, so it will give to the world at the right time the image of a “false messiah” known as the Antichrist.

This person will be introduced to us and over night he will become a sensation to the public. His charm, his charisma, his innocence, his wisdom, his personal and public skills will be highlighted and the world will be stoked! Just like millions of people have been betrayed over the real Tiger Woods and Barak Obama, so they will be betrayed over the real agenda of the Antichrist. He will tell the world that he has their best interests in mind, but the sins of some men will follow them in order to be revealed at a later time.

When the Antichrist’s true agenda is made known, which is control over as many people as possible and to be worshiped (Rev. 13:15-16), scores of people will already have been given the mark of the beast and will be forced to use the mark in order to live. And here’s the dirty little secret: He will tell the world how important it is for them to have the mark. How it will be for their own good. How it will make their lives much better. “Trust him,” he will say.

Once people cross over the line of no return, this is what the bible says: 9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb (Rev. 14:9-10 NIV).

Betrayed? Yes! Deceived? Yes! And the price of blindly following the image of someone who was created over night by the powers to be and the worldly media will be eternal separation from God.

So I am not fixated on what happened to Tiger Woods because I love golf, I don’t. I am not fixated on Barak Obama because I don’t like the guy. I got nothing personally against him. I pray for him and our country. He is my president and the man whom God has raised up to lead this country. God does not make mistakes. Everything is going according to the plan of God.

But I am fixated on both these men because of the examples that they represent: Overnight stardom; public approval and a god-like acceptance; and a dark side strategically kept from the public. These two men give to us a visual of the one great leader to come – inspired by Satan and every trick in the book will be used to dupe the world into accepting him and his ways.

Don’t let the Tiger Woods and Barak Obama examples elude you. There is a lesson here to be learned. Stay alert and be vigilant. God is providing for us and for the world teachable moments. Class is in session.