WINNING THE RACE, GAINING THE PRIZE

WINNING THE RACE,

GAINING THE PRIZE

As have many of you, we have been watching the Olympic Games from London.  We watched the Opening Ceremonies, and saw the Queen arrive by Helicopter.  We also saw what appeared to be her descending from the skies with a parachute, and the crowds waving and cheering and looking up into the heavens.  It reminded me of our Great King, as someday He really will descend from the skies, and all eyes will behold Him, King of kings and Lord of lords, and how we look forward to that grand day! The glory and splendor of His coming will eclipse the coming of any king in history, as the shout of the Archangel and the sounds of trumpets announce His coming.  This very earth and the heavens will shake with the sound of His glory!

Meantime, we are enthralled by the runners in the races, the swimmers in their lanes, the bikers on their paths, all racing toward the prize of a gold medal, or maybe a bronze.  But the crowds line the streets, or sit in the grand stands cheering on their various countries. And I like to imagine the heavenly hosts lining our pathway cheering us on in our race!   As we run this race, the path sometimes has dangers along the way.  There are rocks of sorrow and grief in the pathway, which may cause us to stumble in our race for the prize.

“Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize.  You also must run in such a way that you will win.  All athletes practice strict self control.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize” (NLT)

In Paul’s day, the Greek Games were popular, and the tradition continues with the Olympic Games.  They were awarded a woven crown of leaves, as I understand.  Today our athletics win various medals, but you know all earthly prizes will fade away someday.  But we are running for the heavenly prize.  Our eyes are fastened on the heavenly city just over the next horizon.  Yes, trials will come, the skies grow dark, we fall down, but we get up and keep running, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the “author and finisher of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2).

This race we are running here will be worth it all when we finally see Him face to face.  When we have run the last mile of the way, and have reached our goal of the heavenly calling of Jesus Christ.  I was reminded of an old hymn, written by W.E. Mark.  It reminds of a truth we cannot forget:  The joys of Heaven, the hope of no more sorrow, no more pain, no more parting, the hope of seeing God, all of these are dependent upon our finishing the race and the course we have started.  We must run the race and complete that race and strive on to the “The Last Mile of the Way.”

“If I walk in the pathway of duty, if I work till the close of the day, I shall see the Great King in his beauty when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.

If for Christ I proclaim the glad story, if I seek for His sheep gone astray, I am sure He will show me His glory when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.

Here the dearest of ties we must sever, tears of sorrow are seen everyday, but no sickness, no sighing, forever when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.

And if here I have earnestly striven, and have tried all His will to obey, ‘twill enhance all the rapture of Heaven when I’ve gone the last mile of the way.”

In the last few months, and in the last week, and even today, I heard the news that another brother or sister has gone home to Jesus.  We lost our beloved mother, a brother in the Lord last week, and today, another precious saint has finished her race and is home with her Lord and Savior.

We are all running in a race.  We are all striving for a prize at the end of our journey, but what are you striving for in your race, my friends out there?  Are you running this race with Jesus, competing for the heavenly prize?  Or are you on a course that will end on the broad way that leads to eternal destruction?

Make your choice today, my friends.  Run the race with Jesus.  Remember, as I have said before:  “This life has many choices, eternity has only two.”  We choose the heavenly prize, or destruction in hell, separated from God forever.  Make your choice with Jesus today.  Time is very short, and we never know what tomorrow will hold for each one of us.  Make sure your life is secure with Jesus on this race we are running.

And what is the heavenly prize we are running for?  It is not a gold or bronze medal, or a woven crown of flowers which the Greek Athletics wore.  My mother, my brother and sister in the Lord have completed their race, they have run the last mile of the way, crossed over that last hill and glimpsed the heavenly city, and Jesus was waiting for them there.  Oh, yes, we sorrow and their going home leaves a gap in our lives, but someday it will be certainly worth it all that we have run the race and finished our course.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing” 2 Timothy 4:7-8.

So that prize that we are running for is a Crown of Righteousness!  And Jesus, Himself, will award those crowns, to the runners who have finished the race, who have been faithful in serving Him, despite all the trials of this life, and it will also be given to all that love and look for His appearing.  So keep looking up, keep on the path, keep running the race to win the Heavenly prize.

In the Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon