Archive for October, 2024

Get in the Race

“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. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (I Corinthians 9: 24 – 27).

This text is a vivid summary of the drive and dynamic resulting from following Christ. The letter is addressed to Christians in Corinth. This great city with a population of 500,000 was the “Vanity Fair”of the Roman Empire. It was one of the most famous “good time cities” of all time. It was an athletic crazed city. The Isthmus Games, which were larger than the Olympic Games, were held in Corinth.

In considering what was required to participate in the games we can gain insight into what is involved in serving our Lord Jesus. Qualifications of the requirements will be the theme of this and subsequent posts. The theme is intended to help understand our relationship with Jesus. First, a participant had to  – – –

Athletes represented various Greek City States. To represent a city the athlete had to prove he was a citizen of that city.

To represent Jesus Christ you must be able to prove you belong to Him, a citizen of His kingdom.. That is, that you have by faith trusted Him in the forgiveness of sin. It is as simple as A, B, C.

        A. – ACKNOWLEDGE you are a sinner.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”  (Romans 3:23).  That’s us.

        B. – BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ.

“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness..”

        C. – CONFESS Christ as Savior.

“…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).

If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you. How about last night, last week? Some have established their citizenship, but failed to become competitors.

Athletic competitors have opposition. If nothing else, they compete against the clock. A Christian should not be surprised by opposition. Jesus said they hated Him before they hated us.

Where there is a kingdom there is a king. Believers pray “Thy kingdom come…” Having proven your citizenship confirm it by being loyal to your King by praying and living accordingly “Thy will be done.”

A Crown Awaiting You

The intrigue of the Olympics is most attractive. The ancient games were begun in 776 BC and ended in 393 AD. Being held along with the Olympic Games for years were the less known Isthmian Games. Most renowned games of the period awarded the winners with crowns.

Ancient athletic game winners were crowned with wreaths or crowns made of leaves or flowers, depending on the game and the Greek god being honored.

Winners of the ancient Olympic Games received a wreath of wild olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus. The olive wreath became a symbol of peace. Delphi: Winners received a laurel crown. Corinth: Winners received a pine crown. Nemea: Winners received a wild celery crown. The Isthmian Games originally awarded a crown of dry wild celery, but in Roman times it was changed to a pine wreath because pine was sacred to Poseidon. Games honoring Zeus: Crowns were made of olive branches. Games honoring Apollo: Crowns were made of laurels.

Herod the Great (Yes, the Herod of the Bible) built an imposing stadium in Caesarea Maritima, but had difficulty attracting competitors. He devised a new technique as an attraction. Instead of crowning a single winner he awarded first, second, and third place. Instead of a crown he awarded the three winners gold, silver, and bronze metals. Such was attractive feature for athletes. This practice is still used.

The analogy of crowns is used in the Bible regarding rewarding participants in the game of life.

The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “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 [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV).

The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “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?”

The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “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.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained.

The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”

The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers.

Like the Twenty-four Elders of the Revelation we can ultimately say, “‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’” (Rev, 4:10–11). Practice now.

A Good Olympic Example

The Olympic games are sure to inspire and motivate millions. This is the first of six posts related to the games.

A person who is a role model is a living life example. From previous Olympics came future competitors today.

Twenty-four years ago a little eight year old girl named Brooke Bennett watched the American swimmer Janet Evans win a gold medal.  Right then she was motivated and resolved to strive for the same.   Brooke Bennett won her gold medal in Sydney and no one was more proud than her model Janet Evans.

Mike Marsh, Barcelona Gold Medalist in the 200 meters, tells of a friend who was a coach urging him to participate in track without success. He finally motivated him to watch one of the world’s greatest athletes run on TV. Mike watched Carl Lewis and was fired with excitement. He was motivated by Carl’s example as no one had ever been able to motivate him. That motivation created an Olympic Gold Medalist in the person of Mike Marsh.

You may lack motivation for life. You may be without motivation to achieve your best in life. If you study the life of Christ you will find inexhaustible motivation in Him. He then can create in you the best “you,” you have the capacity of becoming. Contained in that “best you” is the most happiness and contentment for which you have the capacity.

Will trusting Jesus as Savior make you a Gold Medalist? Likely not, but there are other benefits. There is an old TV ad that will illustrate this.

A famous athlete is depicted as using a certain deodorant. An aspiring younger athlete holds up a container of the deodorant and asks, “If I use ‘Ban’ deodorant will it make doors open for me?”

A voice comes from nowhere saying, “No, but if you don’t it will make windows open.”

Turning to Christ in faith and trusting Him as Savior might not make you a Gold Medalist but it will make you the best “you,” you can be. Trust Him and see! He will motivate you to strive to be your best at everything you do. He did.

In general, Jesus’s leadership is characterized by his ability to inspire change, develop followers into leaders, and consistently demonstrate compassion and empathy.

Scripture says “…the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).

You will never personally replicate Jesus, but you can characterize many of His traits. Efforts to follow Him brings out the best in us, hence is fulfilling.

Jesus said, “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13: 15).

The Faith Factor in Life – Part Four

Read John 14: 1 – 7

Jesus said He was preparing a place that where He is there we may be.

We act like we are in the land of the living on our way to the land of the dying.

Actually, we are in the land of the dying on our way to the land of the living.

Now, how are we going to live in this time of transition?

Some people live dying. Others die living. Which are you?

You determine your destination by whether or not you do as Jesus said of Himself and “”believe also in Me,” that is, in Him.

Jesus, in the upper room, made a categorical statement which raised a question with Thomas. Having been told by Jesus that He was going away Thomas said, “We don’t know where you are going and how can we know the way?” Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

The way is not a process but a person.  Once we have chosen Him as our way to life we must make Him our way of life and not turn back.

The Mexican General Santa Anna forced Sam Houston and his rag tag army into an area of near impossibility. Defeat seemed imminent to many. To Houston’s back was the river. To his fore the army of Santa Anna.  He called his aid, Deaf Smith, and ordered him to burn the bridge across the river. Deaf protested that it was the only way out for them. Houston replied, “We ain’t going out that way, burn the bridge.” With that resolution he was committed to one way and offered no alternative. Do you have some bridges you need to burn to evidence your total dependence on Jesus?

Jesus is “the truth” embodied.

The Psalmist prayed, “Teach me your way, I will walk in truths” (Psalm 86: 11).

Jesus is “the life.” How can you know you are doing the right thing?

Proverbs 10: 17 answers, “He is in the way of life that keeps instruction.”

That brings us back to where we began. Faith is obedience. You are in the way if you obey His instructions.

Older theologians described saving faith in three words:
Notitia, that is, knowledge.
Assensus, that is, intellectual assent.
Fiducia, that is,  a trust of personal commitment.

If you have knowledge regarding how to be saved, and intellectually understand it, make sure you have personally committed your all to Him for salvation and how to live life.

The Faith Factor in Life – Part Three

Read John 14: 1 – 7

Doubtless few challenges confront us that are as great as the death of a loved one. When grief comes as a result of the death of a loved one we can entrust them into the care of the Lord also.

It is like standing on a pier next to a vast sailing ship. Its great mast supports the unfolding massive white sails. The breeze catches the sails and the vessel moves out. We watch it intently as it slowly moves out to sea. Each moment it moves further away and gradually its size diminishes in our gaze. It appears smaller and smaller. Finally, it reaches the horizon and as it sails beyond, out of sight, we say, “It is gone!”

Gone? Gone, where? Gone from our sight, that’s all. The ship is just as large in mast and hull as ever. The diminished size of the vessel in our sight lies not in you or it. At the very moment someone at your side says, “She is gone!” There are others in the port to which she sails just over the horizon who are saying, “Look, she is coming home!”

Jesus has gone before us to prepare a place and He awaits us.

Faith is even more rewarding by the fact Jesus said, “I will come again.”

Present tense  – – – to take them to myself, in time and for eternity. The resurrection of Jesus gives us such hope and inspires our faith. It did it for the first century believers and it will do it for us.

Often we think we have it difficult standing for Jesus, and it often is. Many of those first century Christians were thrown to the lions or forced to face gladiators. Nero once watched with wicked fascination as Christians knelt and prayed in the arena. He was astonished as they  looked heavenward and their faces seemed to glow with a heavenly radiance. He asked one of his aids, “What are they looking at? What do they see?” His advisor was secretly sympathetic to these faithful beliefs and replied almost reverently, “The resurrected Jesus!”

They had confident faith in Him. They heard Him when He said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”  (Matthew 5:11, 12). Will you be as faithful in your arena of trial as they and even rejoice?

Martin Niemoller, a Jewish Christian, was one of the few to survive Hitler’s Dachau Prison in World War II. To his last day he was tormented by the sight of men and women trudging to their deaths and the smell of burning flesh. Years later in a radio interview in Chicago he was asked how he kept his sanity during that time. He said, “You are much stronger than you think you are if God is dwelling in your life.”

You can stand far more than you think if you know Jesus is with you and you look at your circumstances through the eyes of faith.