THE BIGGEST WIN

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will let everyone who wins the victory eat from the life-giving tree in God's wonderful garden.

Revelation 2:7 CEV

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Everyone likes to be a winner, at least pretty much everyone I have ever known, and there are plenty of opportunities in life where we have a chance to finish number one, some good and some not so much.

Maybe a person like to play individual or team sports. When they become good at what they do or are a part of a team that is a collective of good players, then just winning isn’t enough. One wants to be considered the best of all winners, a victorious champion who often receives a special recognition and reward for their achievement.

Then there are those who maybe play online games against others with the goal of winning. Whether one who plays video systems and their associated games well (like my brother) or possibly play lower level games via apps, we have virtual opportunities to compete against others with a hope of winning. I always try to take a break every day and get away from my work, engaging in apps like Scrabble or Major League Baseball where I am vying for supremacy against others. The goal is always to win and I am proud to say I do so far more than I lose.

Unfortunately, there are money traps out there that prey on a person’s desire to feel victorious. For example, state lottery programs or casinos for example offer a person to play and win, for a price. The problem with this is that a majority of people lose far more than they win and that’s the point of the business, right? They want to make money off the backs of those who are willing to lay down their earnings for the chance to win, even though the odds of winning anything significant are astronomical.

With all this in mind, here’s a question for you.

Would you be interested in a way where you are guaranteed to be a winner and gain the greatest valued prize in human history, a prize that will not cost you a penny (or whatever the lowest monetary unit is within your country’s system)?

I hope your answer is a resounding “Yes!” for as we see in today’s scripture passage, Jesus reminds all who reads His words of the eternal rewards found by anyone who simply believes in Him and turns their ears to the Holy Spirit who dwells within every believer. Here’s what he said at the end of His letter to the church in Ephesus:

If you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will let everyone who wins the victory eat from the life-giving tree in God's wonderful garden.

Here we learn that the ultimate win in life comes the moment anyone places their belief and trust in Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead them to walk in His ways and truth. This ultimate win brings the eternal reward of the Kingdom of Heaven, a place we read about at the end of this book. Look at these words from chapters 21-22:

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!””

“I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 21:1-5, 22-13; 22:1-5

Friends, this is a glimpse of the glory that every victorious Christian will experience as they live in the presence of the Father and Son forever, serving them and worshiping day after day after day while basking in their majesty and light, and eating from the “life-giving tree in God’s wonderful garden”.

The bottom line is that no matter how good any one day has been, no matter how many worldly triumphs you may have in life, everything is going to pale in comparison to the amazing blessing of everlasting life a Christian believer will experience through their belief in Jesus.

My prayer today is that you are counted in that number. If not, please make the day of your salvation and gain the divine, immeasurable riches found through believing in Jesus as Savior.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.