The Victor’s Crown
Olive is a spiritual encourager who sees through ‘Jesus eyes’. She knows the deep things of the soul and recognizes the work of God in the lives of others. When she invests the time in you to share a message of encouragement, it means something; because Olive sees and feels and loves beyond the surface… to the deepest longings of the redeemed heart. She knows that we all want to make a difference, to matter, and to exchange the totality of all that we have been given in this temporal life for something of eternal significance… in the the lives and hearts of others, in the very heart of God, and for His Kingdom.
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“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.”
I Thessalonians 5:11
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When Olive is sharing a message of encouragement, she looks into your face and your eyes. The topic might be something she has seen or the Lord has revealed to her concerning your parenting, ministry, or life. Even so, the message that I’ve received from her every time is the same. She is telling you, “I see… and He sees… Jesus in you. I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that what you do in Him matters… that it makes a difference for the Kingdom… that God is using what you are giving back to Him to do more than you know or could imagine. I want you to know… and He wants you to know… that there is eternity in these moments… eternity in surrender and obedience… eternity in every little sacrifice… eternity in His Spirit leaking out through you.”
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“When he (Barnabas) arrived and saw what the grace of God had done,
he was glad and encouraged them (Christians at Antioch) all
to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.”
Acts 11:23
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As Olive is encouraging, she also sees how you receive the message in the very depths of your heart. Her Jesus eyes have looked beyond my blurry eyed ‘thank yous’ to the vulnerability and doubt inside. She knows, without my ever saying so, that I never think it is enough or that I am enough. She knows that I am hard on myself, because my eyes somehow give me away. She continues encouraging, seeking to get the message across through the fog created by the fear of being less… the fear of insignificance…. to the very core of my being. Olive pours the oil of encouragement over and into all the fractures of imperfection that I fear will be my legacy, and somehow God’s Spirit anoints the beautiful brokenness… the weakness that can only be perfected in His strength… with the message He is giving through Olive: “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”
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“You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
You encourage them, and You listen to their cry.”
Psalm 10:17
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Last night, the Lord used Olive to encourage me once again, but this time I want to share it…
because this message is for you, too!
“He sees… and it all matters!”
You see, during last Sunday’s worship service at our church, our worship ministry team shared the message of the song, “Victor’s Crown” (written by Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, and Kari Jobe). This was far more than just singing a song during church. Our Adult Choir, Orchestra, Praise Team, Rhythm Section, and Tech Team all worked together to share the message that Jesus has overcome the world through the testimony of the song, with His glory as the cry of our hearts. In addition, there was a visual representation of this message of Christ’s majesty, supremacy, sovereignty, and glory. Our student dance team, young ladies who are learning to use dance, movement, and sign language in worship and praise for God’s glory, had prepared to share the message through meaningful choreographed movement. Finally, at the end of the song, an oversized crown representing the majesty and glory of the King of Kings was carried to the front of the Worship Center and placed upon a pedestal as the words, “You wear the Victor’s crown… Jesus, you have overcome the world!” were being sung. The media on our screens had also been designed to convey the message of the song, and countless hours had been invested by everyone who had been involved in the rehearsal and preparation (not only for this message but for all of the worship service as a whole, that Sunday… and every Sunday). Our shared motivation was and is to glorify the Lord and to encourage God’s people as He speaks to each heart through the messages that are spoken, sung, danced, projected, and displayed in every manner possible.
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Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory
and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
I Chronicles 29:11
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During the preparation for sharing the song, “Victor’s Crown”, I had the privilege of making something special… the oversized crown representing the glory and sovereignty of our King of Kings, Jesus. It was a joy for me to take some hours from each day over a couple of weeks and use that time to make His “Victor’s Crown”. I am not an artist or a seamstress, but I had made a Presentation Crown once before, at our former church. It’s a major project that also involves a lot of thought and prayer. Everything about the crown had meaning for me, like the red jewels representing the blood of Christ, visible from every angle and from the top of the crown to the bottom.
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“To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Jude 1:25
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When I made a Presentation Crown several years ago, there was a longer period of time to complete the project, so I was able to put the supplies away after every work session. No one had seen the crown in progress at that church. This time, however, there was more time pressure. It was necessary to keep my project table set up and do some of the work when others were around, once even singing during part of a choir rehearsal as I worked. Olive was one of the people who had observed the process.
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“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,
do it all for the glory of God.”
I Corinthians 10:31
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So, what Olive came to tell me before choir rehearsal (on the Wednesday night after “Victor’s Crown” was shared during worship) was that it all mattered. She shared the fact that she had spoken to others who had been profoundly moved as God’s Spirit spoke to their hearts through the message that they heard and witnessed and deeply felt. This time, however, Olive was determined to impress upon me that, “all of those hours and days and weeks (spent making the crown)… for a five minute song,” had made a Kingdom difference to her and to others, repeating those words about the time frame more than once. The fact that she recognized the investment of time in creating as compared to the brevity of the time for that investment to have made an impact seemed to concern Olive; because she wanted me to know again… “I see… He sees… and it all matters.”
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“But we do see Jesus,
who was made lower than the angels for a little while,
now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death,
so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
Hebrews 2:9
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I thanked Olive and assured her that the amount of time invested in making the crown for the brief presentation didn’t bother me at all, because I’m used to that. Although the crown was seen for only a few measures of music near the end of “Victor’s Crown”, and then throughout the hymn that followed {“Crown Him (Lord of All)”), I know how God can use words, music, media, and any other kind of expression to touch hearts, often in just a moment. So many times, my own heart has been touched, my faith strenghthened, my hope restored, and my soul inspired by what has been shared by others and by our worship ministry team. I know that God can purify and amplify our imperfect efforts with His own righteousness. I remember many really incredible spiritual moments from years and even decades ago. The eternal significance of anything we do is only a result of His sanctifying presence working through us. He is the One who makes it matter.
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“All this is for your benefit,
so that the grace that is reaching more and more people
may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”
II Corinthians 4:15
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Even as Olive was speaking to me, I couldn’t help thinking that as choir practice began in a few moments, time would be given by everyone present (including Olive) which would be longer than the time spent eventually sharing the music we would be learning. In worship ministry, it’s all about preparation and time invested in order to bring glory to God… and how He is transforming our lives from the inside out through that process. All of the worship team members invest lots of time into every brief worship service, but none of us count that time as lost. It also occured to me that this is how my husband (and all Worship Ministers) spends his work time… in preparation and helping others to prepare. Investing countless hours into preparation for one worship service is nothing new when it is your calling, ministry, and life’s work.
And you, in the service you are doing in Christ’s name and in seeking to live your life for His glory… are also investing time in ways that don’t always allow you to see an immediate result. This kind of investment in lives and in service is so much more than a time clock of minutes served. It’s all about our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the foundational love and mercy of our God, which give us the purpose and the motivation for every minute… every hour… every lifetime.
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“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one
who speaks the very words of God.
If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
I Peter 4:11
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So, for worship ministry team members… and for every Christian…
for every parent, every neighbor and friend,
everyone who is striving
to make an eternal difference in this life,
the work of the Kingdom is all about the investment
of minutes and hours,
days, weeks, and months,
years and decades,
and lifetimes…
in prayer, preparation, relationships, and work,
investing in people, in serving the Lord,
in surrender and in obedience,
and using all that we have been given
through the mercies and love of God in Christ
with the help of His Holy Spirit
to bring Him glory.
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“For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work
and the love which you showed for His sake in serving the saints,
as you still do.”
~Hebrews 6:10
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What a blessing it is to be part of God’s Kingdom ministry in this life…
for all the moments, big and small, during which God is at work in the lives of His people…
moments of service and help,
moments of love demonstrated,
moments of grace manifested,
moments of holy reverence,
moments of joyful praise,
moments of hope realized,
moments of profound meaning,
moments of mercy,
moments of sweet fellowship,
and of encouragement given…
and received.
And, when blessings are hard to see, in the moments when the answers to prayer have not come as we had wanted, when obedience simply means waiting on the Lord and seeking Him with a broken heart… when God is still at work in ways that we have not yet been able to understand, we are blessed by His sustaining love and presence. Still, every moment matters. Not a single moment of grief will be wasted. He will redeem it all… every teardrop.
So, whether you are spending you time wiping little noses, reading Bible stories, and keeping up with school for your children, working in or outside of your home, helping others through volunteering, or doing all of those things…
❤ He sees your heart and your work for others. ❤
No matter how you serve through your church, whether you are teaching, singing, or greeting visitors…
❤ He sees how you love His bride, the church. ❤
When you are studying in Seminary to prepare for a life calling or caring for a loved one who is ill,
❤ He sees your ministry. ❤
When a large part of your energy goes to the temporal, mundane tasks that never stay done
or you wonder if your efforts, both large and small, are in vain,
❤ He sees your faithfulness. ❤
When you struggle with the pain and grief of this life and cry out to Him in the rawness of your need,
❤ He sees your stubborn faith and your hope in Him. ❤
When you mess up… and you know it.
❤He sees your brokenness and answers with His mercy. ❤
Whatever your age or station in life…
when you are living to bring glory to the Lord, working and loving and serving as to the Lord,
❤ He sees you, and it all matters! ❤
In this life, we are simply giving back what we have been given, Because Christ sacrificed and gave His all, investing His life in us, we can now invest our lives in His Kingdom. It’s so amazing that God allows us to particpate in His work and ministry, with the help of His Holy Spirit, in ways that will have meaning even in eternity, always for His glory.
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And, beyond all that…
you and I can look forward to
eternity in the presence of God
at the feet of Jesus.
In the company of the saints, we will be
free from sin and sorrow;
free from pain and death;
and living in a place beyond anything we could ever imagine.
There, we will fully know even as we are known,
and we will experience in full measure
the vast, immeasureable, eternal,
pure, holy, and victorious
love of God
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Know this, child of God:
In every moment of time,
for now, and for eternity…
He does see.
And, yes, it all matters.
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“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
and the exact representation of His being,
sustaining all things by His powerful word.
After He had provided purification for sins,
He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Hebrews 1:3
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VICTORS CROWN (official video)
Written by: Darlene Zschech, Israel Houghton, Kari Jobe
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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
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❤ Thank you, Olive, for being an encourager, for your love for the Lord, ❤
and for your desire to worship and serve Him.
You’ve helped me to think of God’s work in our lives in new ways.
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The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make! The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation. Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.
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