A CROWN WE SHALL WIN!

A CROWN WE SHALL WIN!

As I sit here on this warm summer afternoon, I look out at the beautiful blue skies, and begin to think of all the summer activities, the races, ballgames, the games children play.  And many are competing for a prize.  And as we walk with the Lord, we too, are competing for a heavenly prize.  We continue to run in this race with Jesus. 

And sometimes we tire and want to give up in the race, but He calls us on.  And someday the battles of this life will be over and we will be rewarded by our Lord for the service to Him.  I am looking forward to that day, that great day of joy!  And I think of those who recently have won their heavenly rewards. 

I am thinking of a former pastor, who was instrumental to me in my teen years.  I think of his many years of service for his Savior and Lord, and now he has finished the race and gained the heavenly prize.

AND WHEN THE BATTLE’S OVER

“And when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown!  Yes, we shall wear a crown!  Yes, we shall wear a crown!  And when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown in the new Jerusalem.

Wear a crown, wear a crown, wear a bright and shining crown; and when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown in the new Jerusalem.” (Isaac Watts)

The Bible lists five crowns which will be given to believers.  Are you looking forward to your glorious crowns of victory?

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” I Corinthians 9:24-25.

In all the games we play, all the races we run, all may run but only one receives the prize.  In Paul’s day the winner of the games won a crown of flowers or such as that.  But we are running in our race an Incorruptible Crown, a crown that never will fade away.  This is also called the Imperishable Crown, this is a crown for eternity.  Oh, Praise the Lord!  But this crown calls for sacrifice, to lay aside our earthly desires and give our all for Jesus, and to complete the call and mission God has called us to do.  Yes, it will take much sacrifice and laying down our own fleshly desires to walk with the Master.

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?  For you are our glory and joy” I Thessalonians 2:19-20.

This crown is called the soul winner’s crown. Paul calls it a Crown of Rejoicing!  This crown is given to those who faithfully witness to others about Jesus, and lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Oh, what joy to lead a soul to Jesus!  I am looking forward to this crown.  I have seen the joy in faces as Jesus comes into a life, and He calls all of us to be witnesses for Him.  He calls each one of us to be in prayer for a lost and dying world and to desire a burden for souls, and then go out and do the work, led by the Holy Spirit.  I have seen wonderful doors open to witness and lead others to Christ. And truly the angels in heaven rejoice when one soul invites Jesus into their life.

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12 (Revelation 2:8-11).

This crown is for those believers who endure trials, tribulations, and severe suffering, even unto death.  This crown is also called the Martyr’s Crown.  Jesus says that He will give this crown to those who undergo severe hardship, testing, tribulation/or physical death on His behalf.  Being willing to die for your faith in God would be the ultimate sacrifice.  We think of those down through the years who have given their lives for the cause of Christ.  And many, many in our world today are laying down their lives for the cause of Christ.  The Lord would remind us to be in constant prayer for the persecuted Church around the world.

“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” 2 Timothy 4:8.

Are you looking for the coming of Jesus?  Are you anxiously awaiting His appearing?  This is the Crown of Righteousness. This crown is given to those who are walking daily in Christ’s righteousness.  If you are a believer you have been made righteous before God the Father as a result of Jesus dying on the cross for all of your sins.  This means that the righteousness of Jesus has now been imputed to you.  So we watch the skies, anxious for that day when He comes back to gather His children home. 

“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over whose entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” I Peter 5:1-4.

This is the Crown of Glory, or also known as the Pastor’s Crown.  This crown will be given to all our pastors who have been faithful in service to their flock.  I am thinking of the former pastor I mentioned earlier and that he has been faithful to receive the Pastor’s Crown.  It would also be applied to preachers and other ministers who feed the flock of God.  Even faithful Sunday School teachers who have been faithful to their calling will receive this crown.  It will go to all those faithful in teaching the Word of God.

There is one other “Crown of Glory” that I would like to mention to all my senior friends out there: “The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness” Proverbs 16:31.

Yes, the Lord sees your lovely hair as it were a crown to Him.  You have walked the way of righteousness over the years, and He smiles upon you, looks upon your “crown” as beautiful.  And someday, the battles will be over, the victories won, and all who are faithful will receive their beautiful crowns.  Oh, what a day that will be!

In Jesus’ Name

Pastor Sharon