✝ Daily Encouragement (10/11/23) "The Forever Crown"
Published: Wed, 10/11/23
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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![]() Home Archives About Us ![]() ![]() Wednesday, October 11, 2023
"The Forever
Crown"
Message
summary:
Our wonderful future reward of the crown of life gives us hope and sustains us when circumstances are most trying. Keeping a clear focus on our heavenly coronation where we will receive our crown of righteousness will help to properly align our priorities on this side of heaven as we run the spiritual race with our brothers and sisters in mind. We are not competing against them, but spurring them
on as we run this race together with the mutual goal of receiving a crown of righteousness from the righteous Judge.
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24,25). “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews
12:1).
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But we both anticipate getting an altogether different, future, forever
crown!
My parents named me after the only Stephen presented in the Bible. Of
course, based on that and many other characteristics, he is one of my favorite Bible characters. He was in the group of the first deacons chosen in Acts 6 but is best known for his power-packed sermon and subsequent stoning.
Whenever I feel like I'm experiencing a tough day or think that life
doesn't seem fair I need to remember Stephen's life, and how God used it to further the Gospel message through the persecutor and consenter of his execution (Acts 8:1), then known as Saul.
Stephen's name comes from a Greek word (Στέφανος) which means "crowned one". The New Testament uses the illustration of a crown seven times* in regard to a future promise and today I want to examine just one of them, the crown that will last forever after we faithfully complete our life's race. The Apostle Paul wrote today’s first portion of Scripture to the Corinthian believers. Corinth was located in Greece where the ancient Olympic games were held and many of his readers would identify with this illustration that stresses a vital spiritual truth. It seems that Paul was interested in athletics since he uses sport's illustrations in his writings such as running, wrestling and boxing. In this passage he is urging diligence in the Christian life as that of an overcomer. He urges the Corinthian believers and us to "Run in such a way as to get the prize".
He reminds his readers of the strict training required for the serious
contestant. "They do it to get a crown that will not last". The ancient crown of victory was a laurel wreath that quickly withered and died. Even the gold medals received by the winners in the modern games will one day perish.
Today many, perhaps most, are in pursuit of the various types of temporal crowns that will not last. For the great majority the pursuit of God is placed on a back burner in life to be dealt with at some later date, if at all. “But we do it to get a crown that will last forever". Praise God! This crown is not for a select few; note the plural pronoun “we”. Earlier in the passage he wrote regarding the competition in the ancient games that "only one gets the prize". Consider all the athletes who endure strict training for many years. They also give sacrificially of their time and money to be in the Olympics yet they don’t receive a medal and may never qualify to be in the Olympics for that matter. This is not so as it pertains to our future crown. All who faithfully live for Christ will receive this righteous crown! It is not by our diligent works of righteousness; this crown is a gift because of the shed blood of the holy and righteous One! In his final letter Paul expresses a tremendous assurance in God as he prepared for his departure from this life: “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). Our wonderful future reward of the crown of life gives us hope and sustains us when circumstances are most trying. Keeping a clear focus on our heavenly coronation where we will receive our crown of righteousness will help to properly align our priorities on this side of heaven as we run the spiritual race with our brothers and sisters in mind. We are not competing against them, but spurring them on as we run this race together with the mutual goal of receiving a crown of righteousness from the righteous Judge.
Be encouraged today,
(Hebrews 3:13
)
Stephen & Brooksyne
Weber
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* The seven crowns in the New Testament:
1. The crown for those who love His appearance. "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8). 2. The crown for those who compete according to the rules. "Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). 3. The crown for enduring trials. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). 4. The crown for those willing to feed the flock. "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away" (1 Peter 5:2-4). 5. The crown for those who are faithful unto death. "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). 6. The crown for those who minister to others. "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19) 7. The crown for those who master the old nature. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever” (1 Corinthians 9:24,25).
Regarding her dental work Brooksyne shares:
Good dental care is a
blessing, and having a good dentist is a double blessing. For many years our family dentist has been Dr. Dinse. He has a very friendly and gentle demeanor, is very competent and runs the cleanest and most pleasant dental office we have ever experienced. This pleasantness is also expressed by his staff.
I didn't have my first dental appointment until I was 16. Being raised in a family of seven my parents didn't have the money for dentistry unless there was an emergency which I thankfully never had growing up. In fact I didn't have my first cavity till after we were married. On that first visit at 16 years of age I recall being very, very nervous and didn't feel any better when I learned that my dentist's name was Dr. Hammer. A few years later Stephen and I married and I went for my second dental appointment in Bolivar, MO. His name wasn't any more assuring; Dr. Tremble. He was way up in years and he did, in fact, tremble as he worked on our teeth. (Thankfully Dr. Hammer didn't hammer.) I like the tooth friendly name, "Dinse" which rhymes with rinse - sometimes I tell myself while using mouthwash to help fight gingivitis, "Rinse for Dinse". Now that I have two crowns and Stephen has one it brings to mind a humorous list of hymn titles with double meanings such as the dentist's hymn, "Crown Him With Many Crowns". Humor aside, this hymn is actually an allusion to a powerful verse in Revelation 19:12, "...and on His head were many crowns." Stephen's first dental memory:
I was
waiting
in a dental office when the news came on that President Kennedy had been slain.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"When The Battle's Over"
Listen on YouTube Congregational singing (dedicated to Tommy Carpenter who lives near this area and I am sure has been to this church!)
Calvary Church led worship yesterday with the strings orchestration which we very much enjoy. In this video is a powerful song "The Victor's Crown" usually led by the choir before COVID so it really resonated with me - musically, lyrically, and
spiritually.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-823-0592
Daily Encouragement Net
https://www.dailyencouragement.net
Mail service provider is aweber.com
495 Kraybill Church Rd
Mount Joy PA 17552
USA
Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options