May 31
2 Sam 17:1-29 | PS 119:129-152 | Prov 16:12-13 | John 19:23-42
Finish lines. There are many throughout our lifetimes. There are graduations from kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and college. In certain religions and denominations there are communions, confirmations, and bar mitzvah's. Each is generally marked with a celebration of some kind commemorating the accomplishment. The truth is the one being celebrated might have not really paid attention during their religious instruction, might not have tried that hard in school, etc. Though celebrated, many limp past these finish lines. But there is still time, as the ultimate finish line is when we pass from this life to the next, marked by our death. What will that finish line look like for you? Will you limp past it, as you spent the bulk of your existence on yourself or the things of this world which you can't possibly take with you. Or will you leave, thinking, "mission accomplished", sprinting into eternity. We know from Psalm 139:16 ("Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.") that the actual date of entering eternity has already been established by God at the time of our birth. But we have been given free will as to how we live those days. If you have accepted Jesus' free offer of salvation, then you are a brother or sister, but how you choose to live each day, and the course of your lives is still a matter of free will. A good verse to consider is 1 Corinthians 15:31, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." Yes, not once in a lifetime, or even once a week, "die daily" to self.
We read in John 19:28-30, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." Jesus knew that "all things were now accomplished", as He said, "It is finished!". This was not a cry of defeat but of victory. He led a perfect life, had a specific mission, and this mission was accomplished by His perfect work on the cross. Mankind was in bondage to sin and was in fear of the snare of death. Jesus' death on the cross freed us from bondage, as His death freely and completely covered each and every sin in our lives. When He rose from the grave, we were freed from the fear of death, as those in Him will one day rise to join Him in heaven. In the book of Revelation we encounter the two witnesses in chapter 11. We read in 11:5, "And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner." Nothing could harm them for those first 3.5 years, because they still had work to do. We then read in 11:7, "When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them." It's not that the beast, or Antichrist, is more powerful than the others, it is because they had finished their testimony. After their death they are resurrected for all the world to see in 11:11-12.
God already knows the date of our finish lines. We don't. The question remains how will we pass that finish line. We read in Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." We read in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26, "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...". Die daily to self. Run the race as though today could be your last. Don't waste moments, days, or years. We will all cross that finish line one day. Let's make it a cause for peace and celebration.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: