“Sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes leveled to the ground, but I’m going to see the King.” (Old Spiritual Lyrics)
When it comes to movies franchises, there are many of which we are familiar. How about the “Rocky” movies, the “Jurassic Park” movies, the “Fast and the Furious Movies,” “The Godfather,” “Spiderman,” and “Superman” franchises? That’s just a few of them. A new one is “Creed,” which seems to be a carryover from the “Rocky” franchise, but it definitely has achieved it’s own stats as a franchise.
However. let’s stay with Rocky franchise. You don’t have enough fingers to count the number of times Rocky was knocked down and got back up; sometimes up and sometimes down. But courageously, and committed to his climb, Rocky continued his fights and in most of them, he won. What a franchise! His name is all over the movies in the franchise.
Here’s the good news, and it is not fictional. It is factual. You will be knocked down in life, but you have always been able to get back up, and you do so with great optimism, confidence, and perseverance because you my fellow believer, are going to see the King and you are committed to the climb! Yes, my friend, you have a franchise with your name on it! And one day you will receive a crown! Rocky had friends in his corner. You have topped his source of assistant and aid. For you have the Lord in your corner. And He will not let you lose! Oh, you might have to be brought down to come to your senses of how to fight your opponent or how to overcome your obstacles or practice by getting in the word regularly, so you can out-maneuver the mountain in your way, but you are destined to come out on top. I gave you the reason already! The Lord is on your side. The Lord is in your corner! The Lord is your encourager! The Lord, He’s your manager who equips you with every move! What you have to do is listen to what He says and fight the good fight of faith!
Be encouraged by the closing verses and go to work continuing your franchise! Your name is on it, but it is under a name higher than yours. Now, here is where you repeat that name, not Rocky, but the name of our Lord, the Solid Rock; the One who defeated the devil, death, and the dubious efforts to stop His ongoing franchise called “the church.” Yes, I am referring to Jesus! Are you ready! Well, it is time for action on the set of life. Take center stage, not as an actor, but as an actual winning witness for the Lord! Be blessed!
“If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us. As it is, there’s not much chance of that. You know for yourselves that we’re not much to look at. We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, he does in us—he lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus’ sake, which makes Jesus’ life all the more evident in us. While we’re going through the worst, you’re getting in on the best!” (2 Corinthians 4:8-12 The Message Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King