Pastor's Corner
September, 2004
For a sport fan like myself, I really enjoy watching the Olympics. I enjoy watching the competitions among the best of athletes. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat are written on their faces. You can sense their anxiety from looking at their facial expressions while they are waiting for the official result.
Though Olympic is just another worldwide sport competition, it has all the elements of “Life” itself. We are taught to compete ever since a child. Students from
I like to watch the award ceremony in the Olympic. It gives me “goose-bumps” when athletes from
Time has changed. Winners today also receive endorsements and cash prizes, but in the beginning, athletes trained to compete for the love of the game, the pride of their country, and the “crown” on their head. In Life as well, we engage into a lifetime of training in hope of gaining success. Unlike in sport where there is a definite winner, success in life is difficult to measure. How do you measure success in life? Is making “six-figure” success? Is having a big house success? Is having a loving family success? Is “success” measurable? Different people will have different answers. As Christians, I believe the ultimate success is when Jesus Christ puts a crown on our head when we stand before the Judgment Seat. According to the New Testament, there are three crowns we may receive on that day: the Crown of Righteousness (II Tim. 4:8), the Crown of Life (James
Before I sign off, let me encourage each of you to take a moment now to thank the One who will place the crown(s) on your head one day (I pray that everyone will receive at least one crown). Without the Crown of Thorns on His head, there will not be any crown for any of us.
Pastor Larry