“Jesus saith unto them, ‘My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to FINISH HIS WORK” (John 4:34).
We have just finished the Winter Olympics where the finest athletes from all over the world come together to compete for the corruptible crown.Recently in a meeting we attended, Ted Camp made the statement ... “at the beginning of a race everyone looks like a winner … at the end of the race, only one looks like a winner.” This is a very true statement. We all start our race for Christ looking like a winner. Let me challenge you as I have been challenged, to be a winner at the end of the race. I know that there are pitfalls that we will experience, as well as some successes. It is important that we will not allow our failures, or our successes to get us off the race-track.
There is a great danger after both a failure, and a success.After failure there are real temptations to quit. There are times that we will all fail. The temptation is to get out of the ministry for God. Why is that so? If we fail at work, sports, or learning something new we would not think about quitting. When we are talking about the ministry, we will allow little failures to slow us, or stop us completely.
When we have some big success, we will sometimes lose our hunger to improve or continue in the ministry. I believe that successes are harder to get over sometimes than failures. We sometimes sit back after being successful, and we do not finish strong. When I was in High School I ran on the track team. In my first race (the 100 yard dash), I learned a very important lesson. About 50 yards after starting that race I realized I was in front … I turned to look to my left and saw I really was in first place. But, when I turned to look straight again, I saw that two other runners had passed me on the right side. I was thinking I had won the race at the 50 yard mark because I was enjoying my success, only to realize I was in third place!
Let’s be careful to start the race like a winner, but to determine that we will finish the race like a winner too.I recently finished the book entitled, “End of the Spear.” It was written by Steve Saint, the son of Nate Saint who was murdered in Ecuador many years ago. He made a statement that I think is a real encouragement about this idea of finishing strong.He said, “A hundred years from now, no one will care how much money any of us made, or what we did with our lives unless it serves a purpose that outlives us.”
As you read this prayer-letter, will you please stop and ask God to help you finish the race like a winner? Will you also ask God to help Terry and me finish the race as a winner?Ted Camp made this statement, “The greatest fear I have is that His hand might be removed and the ministry would become my responsibility without Him.” Pray that we will finish winners!
Spring has arrived in full force and colors here in the Northeastern states! We are enjoying the majesty of God's creation, and marvelling at how He can change the dead things of the winter months into such beauty and splendor in the spring. It is amazing how much you can see while driving down the road in the winter months with no leaves on the trees. Now, it is as though a whole new world has come.
We are enjoying the beauty of the creation around us, but we are also thankful for the new life that we have in Christ. We are much like the nature we look at around us. Before Christ breathes life into us, we are dead and without any beauty. When we trust Him as Savior, everything changes. The Bible says "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). That explains it! Jesus Christ is in the transforming business. He comes in to an old run-down life without hope and fills it with life and excitement that nothing else can bring.
I feel sorry for people without Jesus Christ. I don't know where in the world they will find hope, help, fun, enjoyment, peace, love, contentment ... etc., etc. I have found all these things in a growing relationship with Christ. What about you? A little further in that II Corinthians 5 passage the Bible says, "... He [God] hath made Him [Jesus] to be sin FOR US, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (II Corinthians 5:21). GREAT NEWS!!!!!! Your wretched sin can be forgiven! You can be made righteous! It will not happen through some "self-help" book you can read, or DVD's you can watch. It will happen when you realize your sin; understand that that sin will keep you from entering Heaven; recognize that God sent His perfect Son to die in your place; believe that His Son, Jesus, died for you and rose from the grave for you; and finally, when you ask Jesus to forgive your sin, trusting only Him. Then you can have all the hope, help, fun, enjoyment, peace, love, contentment, etc. that you are looking for.
If you want that read through what I wrote above and put it into a sincere prayer to God. He is waiting to hear from you. If you made that choice, please let me know about it. I would love to rejoice with you, but also, I would like to get some good information to you to help you understand all that you have done. Spring is a great time of year! New life is seen all around us. I hope you have experienced this new life in Christ!
Thank you for taking time to visit us at SWM Northeast. We praise the Lord for the work He is doing in our area, and we trust this website will be a blessing to you.
If you do not knwo for sure that you are going to Heaven, please consider the following:
The Bible says that all people are sinners - no person is perfect - Romans 3:23.
The Bible says that because we are sinners, we do not earn the right to be in Heaven. Our sin earns us separation from God (Who is perfect) - Romans 6:23.
The Bible says that God was not satisified with our separation from Him, and that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to live perfectly, and die in our place to pay that price for sin - Romans 5:8.
The Bible says that each of us has a responsibility to recieve this gift ourselves. You must believe that Jesus is the only payment for sin; believe that He died in your place; believe that He rose from the dead, and that He is the only payment for your sin. You must receive His payment for your sin - Romans 10:9-10, 13
Why not pray a simple prayer, like ... "I know that I am a sinner. I know that my sin will block my entrance to Heaven. I believe that Jesus Christ lived perfectly, and died as a perfect payment for my sin. Today, I believe in Jesus Christ to forgive my sin, believing that He died for me, and rose from the dead for my sin. I accept Christ, and will trust only Him for forgive my sin, and save me from my sin. In Jesus' name, amen."
Let us know if you made this important decision. Enjoy the website. We are thankful for your interest in the Deaf world.
Jim Bracelin I was raised in a Christian family. Both my father and mother are saved, and continue to faithfully attend church. When I was six years old, I recognized my sin; recognized Jesus died for my sin and rose from the dead; and invited Christ to come into my heart to forgive my sin and save me. I desired from that time on to serve the Lord in full-time Christian service in whatever way He chose.
Terry Bracelin I was raised in a Christian family also. When I was nine years old I attended a Christian camp. On Friday night of that week, we had a campfire, and a missionary as the speaker. He challenged us by saying that God did not have any grandchildren, but only children.
