"A Crown Awaits You" - Inspirational Weekend

The above Hawaiian Black-Crowned Night Heron has expensive tastes !  He is fishing for koi, but the one he is eyeing in my photograph is longer than he is and more than he could handle.  He is looking to obtain a prize....edible smaller koi.

True believers should be trying to gain a prize... a crown, no less.  My intention was to write only about the crown of righteousness, as that is the one the Bible says is reserved for those who love the Lord and wait for His soon return.  However, in my research I discovered there are five crowns for believers that are mentioned in God's Holy Word.  Since Jesus will return at any moment during these present last days, I will concentrate on the crown of righteousness primarily but will also discuss the other crowns briefly.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 tells us  (7) "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  (8)  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."

Notice that the apostle Paul said he had fought a good fight and had kept the faith.   If you claim to be a Christian but still live like the world and are friends of the world and sin like the world and with possibly no remorse or no repentance, then you may not even make it to heaven to receive any crown.  You are probably not born again.   A true believer will want to be holy and will live a godly life, endeavoring to obey and please the Lord in his actions, speech, mind, and heart.

Back to the crown of righteousness.  The apostle Paul spent his life, after his miraculous conversion, in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and traveling extensively to spread the Word.  He suffered much persecution, beatings, one stoning, and several times he was imprisoned.   Yet his faith and obedience to the Lord remained strong and zealous.   He struggled hard to win "the prize", the crown of righteousness.   May true believers today be able to follow Paul's example.  Ultimately, however, it is Jesus we should imitate and follow.

We are to believe in Jesus' soon return -  and truly desire His return.  But, even if there were no crown, no reward, just being in heaven with Him for all eternity is reward enough in itself.    

         

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.  Even so, Amen."  -  Revelation 1:7

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."   --  Revelation 22:20

Jesus at John 14:2-3 informs us,  (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself: that where I am, there ye may be also."

Besides the crown of righteousness, there are 4 other crowns that believers will be rewarded with:

(1)  The crown of rejoicing:  

1 Thessalonians 2:19 says,  "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing?  Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?"

"Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."    -  Philippians 4:4

(2)  The crown of glory:

"And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."  -  1 Peter 5:4

This crown is primarily for pastors and elders.

(3)  The crown of life:

Revelation 2:10 tells us,  "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer:  behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried;  and ye shall have the tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."   

Although this crown is for all believers, it is especially applicable to to those who endure persecutions and sufferings for Jesus.

(4) The imperishable crown:

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 tells us,  (24)  "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain.  (25)  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."

Faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward:  "an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."  -    1 Peter 1:4

According to which website or source you encounter, some believe these crowns are figurative, and some believe they are literal.  The point is, we should live for the Lord, totally surrendered to Him, and love Him with all of our strength, mind, heart and soul  (Mark 12:30).  If you do that you will obey His commandments and live a life that is pleasing to Him, whereby you may eventually enter heaven.  Of course, first you must be born again in order to obey God and to endeavor to live a life that befits a true believer. You must believe in Jesus as the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary washes away your sins; you must repent in all sincerity of your sins and pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and believe in Jesus' resurrection.   Then you will be forgiven by the Lord, and you will be a child of God !  Remember, He loves you and wants to lead you home to be with Him.

Romans 10:9,10,13 says :  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."   

 Whether or not the crowns in heaven are figurative or literal, real crowns,  we should so love and serve the Lord that we only want to live forever in heaven with Him, crowns or no crowns.  What a blissful eternity it will be, to be with Jesus forever !


"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."  -  Titus 2:13


Have a Christ centered weekend.....and life !