During the winter Olympics in
Lillehammer, Norway, the finest athletes from
all over the world gathered to compete in
various sports events. Jack and I were
especially interested in the skiing and skating
competitions, and watched in awe as both
men and women set new world records.

What a thrill to see these champions receive
the victor's reward and be presented with the
Olympic Gold Medal with the great crowds in
the stands looking on, and the television
cameras providing international coverage; the
whole world was watching!

Most of us could never compete in a world
class sports competition like the Olympics,
but as Christians, we are faced with the
challenge of running a race for the Lord. The
whole world is watching to see how we run the
race -- will we be champions or defeated
competitors?

The Apostle Paul had visited Greece where
the first Olympic Games were held centuries
ago. No doubt he was thinking of the
comparison between Christians and
Olympians when he wrote. Know ye not that
they which run in a race run all, but one
receiveth the prize. So run, that ye may obtain.
And every one that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a corruptible crown: but we an incorruptible. I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not
as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my
body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway (I Corinthians 9:24-47).

Dedication and Commitment

In order to be a winner, a competitor must
meet certain prerequisites and prepare his
body for the race. No one is born a Gold
Medal Olympian.

Athletes train and condition their bodies to
compete. They are temperate, or moderate, in
all things. They watch their diet, engage in
challenging, strength-building exercise, and
get proper rest.

The apostle says, "If they do this to gain a
corruptible crown, a reward that will pass
away, how much more should we be dedicated
and committed to winning an incorruptible,
eternal reward."

What does it mean to be temperate in all
things? We are to have pure lives! We are to
keep ourselves from contamination.

One of the saddest moments of the
Olympics in Lillehammer was when one of the
athletes was disqualified after tests revealed
illegal drugs in his blood. He went home in
shame and disgrace.

Paul warns that the same thing can happen
to us, but with far greater consequences. He
said he continuously worked to keep his body
pure and under subjection. Paul was saying
that he did not want to run the race, then be
disqualified. I keep checking up on my
personal dedication and commitment, he said,
lest that by any means, when I have preached
to others, I myself should be a castaway.

I'm sure you know of Christians who failed
to be temperate in all things... who did not
keep their lives pure. Perhaps they dropped
out of the race altogether, or sadly faced the
humiliation of being publicly disqualified.

I heard a report about a group of ministers
that came from all across the nation to attend
a convention at a major hotel. After the
meeting was over, the hotel management said
that 75 percent of the rooms occupied by these
preachers requested X- and R-rated movies.

Turn Loose of Hindrances

God help us to keep our lives pure.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us (Hebrews 12:1).

Let's lay aside "every weight" -- we can't be
just partially pure, you see. We must lay
everything aside. The writer goes on to say,
"and the sin which doth so easily beset us." I'm
fully convinced that each of us has a tendency
toward something that could cause us to fall.
The passage doesn't say "sins," but the one
particular thing that so easily gets to you. You
know what it is in your life -- I know what it
is in mine.

We need to examine ourselves to know
where our weaknesses lie so that we can defend
ourselves against the devil's temptations.

I was reading a devotional book about a
woman who was extremely obese and was
having a real struggle losing weight. (She may
have been like the person who said temptation
never bothered him because when it came
around, he succumbed.)

As this lady was praying, she said, "Lord,
You see what a problem I'm having. Why don't
You just take away my appetite?"

And the Lord answered, "If I did, what
would you have to do?"

You can keep yourself under control. You
can avoid things you know are hindrances to
victorious living. You can lay aside the weights
that slow you down... the temptations that
are your greatest weaknesses. God will protect
you from the evil one. He will not protect you
from yourself!

Patience to Endure

Let us run with patience the race that is set
before us (Hebrews 12:1).

Everyone in the race can look like a
champion at the starting line. But that's not
where it counts! The winner is determined at
the end of the course!

It's not enough to start strong. We must be
patient... and have endurance. I noticed in
the Olympics that particularly in the long
races, the winner often was not the runner
who started off in front. Sometimes the
winner didn't make his move to the front until
the final lap.

Patience and endurance are just as
important to a successful Christian life as the
dedication and commitment one has at the start.

At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul could
say, I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at
that day (11 Timothy 4:7,8).

Keep Your Eyes on the Goal

As I watched the Olympic contest I noticed
that no one ever turned to look at anything or
anybody else -- they kept their eyes on the
goal. If someone fell beside them, they kept
moving. If another athlete came near them,
they kept their eyes straight ahead.

I love what Hebrews 12:2 says -- Looking
unto Jesus. Even though it's a continued
thought, this statement is part of the verse
before it that talks about laying aside weights
and sin, and running with patience. While
you're doing this, the apostle says, keep your
eyes on the goal. LOOK UNTO JESUS!

There are many distractions in the world.
There are discouragements, especially when
we get weary, and when we see other
Christians failing and falling out of the race.

But if we look unto Jesus, He will help us
stay in the race. If we keep our eyes on the
goal, we can make it to the end. If we keep our
eyes on the Lord, it matters not what others do.

I hope you'll join Dr. Van Impe and me in
a new resolve to run a better race for the Lord.
There is a reward for those who finish the
course... and you can be a winner. "So run,
that ye may obtain." The Lord has a very
special race for each of us to run. You know
what your challenge is.

So we must be built up in the faith and
ready for the challenge ahead of us. I'm excited
about being in the race and... competing for
the gold.

I shall never forget the first time I saw Israel!
There I was, newly married and already
traveling to the land I had learned to love as a
little girl in Sunday school.

Israel wasn't modern then. I remember
thinking that the land looked just as it must
have in ancient times. Yet, it seemed to me to
be almost a bridge... between the past and
the future.

Surely, Israel is the most exciting nation in
the world. Its very existence seems to
culminate all Bible prophecy. My husband has
often remarked that Israel is the key to all
Bible prophecy.

I Remember My

First Impression of Israel!

Wandering through the narrow streets of
Jerusalem during my first visit, everything I
saw and experienced seemed so far removed
from modern times! In fact, some of the shops
I entered seemed to be just as they were 2,000
years ago.

My first impression of Israel, however, was
not just of a land rich in ancient history, but a
land that had been stripped and starved.

Not too many years prior to my first
pilgrimage, Jews from all points of the globe
had begun to flood back into their homeland,
fulfilling ancient prophecies with their arrival.
As a people, the Jews had been persecuted,
beaten, and deprived. Many were survivors of
Hitler's horrible death camps, having lost their
entire families as well as all earthly possessions
to the atrocities of Nazism during World War II.

Thousands of Jewish refugees arrived in
Israel with literally nothing more than the
clothes on their backs... and a fierce
determination to make their Israel bloom!

I Remember the Diversity of Israel!

When Jack and I returned to Israel a few
years later, I was truly amazed! Israel had
undergone an almost unbelievable
transformation! I could see the fulfillment of
Isaiah 35:1... the desert shall rejoice, and
blossom as the rose.

The Jews, with their innovative genius, had
installed irrigation systems throughout their
entire land... instantly transforming arid
deserts into fruitful, productive orchards and
gardens. And the desolate land shall be tilled,
whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that
passed by. And they shall say, This land that was
desolate is become like the garden of Eden
(Ezekiel 36:34, 35). I witnessed this!

Construction in the cities had also begun
to move forward, and amid the treasured
antiquities were now high-rise buildings with
every modern convenience.

Throughout the land, I was struck with the
diversity I saw everywhere! It was not unusual
to see a man leading a little donkey loaded
down with burdens alongside a busy street
teeming with trucks and cars. Nor was it
unusual to see a supersonic jet roar over the
head of an Arab riding a camel.

I discovered that in this incredibly diverse
20th century Israel, I could:

• Visit Qumran, where the Dead Sea scrolls
  were discovered... or tour the Department
  of Nuclear Physics at the Weizman
  Institute.
• Experience the coolness of the mountains
  and pastures of Galilee... and the parched
  deserts of the southern region near the
  Dead Sea.
• Learn about the rich heritage of the Jewish
  culture... discover more about the Arabs
  and their predominant religion, Islam...
  and also worship Jesus with other
  Christians.

I Remember the Sights of Israel!

Today, as I reminisce about Israel, I can still
see the fishermen casting their nets into the
Sea of Galilee... the shepherds caring for
their flocks in the fields... the barren desert
where Jesus endured the devil's temptations...

I can envision modern Jerusalem, with the
ancient wonders of old Jerusalem entwined
within it... the Jews praying at their Wailing
Wall... the tomb of Lazarus... the field of
Boaz, where Ruth and Naomi gleaned wheat
and where the shepherds later received the
angel's message of the Messiah's birth...

I remember the Garden of Gethsemane,
where Jesus' sweat was as drops of blood...
and Golgotha, where He suffered the shame
and the agony of the sum of mankind's sins.

Of all the places we visited, I can say that
the Garden of the Resurrection, where our
Lord first revealed himself as risen from the
dead, was the most profound place for me! In
fact, I was moved to tears as I sat quietly, just
praying.

I recall the awesomeness of the Valley of
Megiddo, or Jezreel, where the battle of all
battles -- ARMAGEDDON -- will take
place. It's such a vast, open area, and a place of
such prophetic destiny.

As we winded our way through the teeming
streets of Tel Aviv, I could not help but realize:
"This land means EVERYTHING to the Jews!"

For them, Israel is their home, their life,
their honor, and their purpose. Apart from
Israel, the Jew believes he hardly has an
existence.

I Remember the People!

I have many fond memories of the Jewish people!

My husband and I taped many television
specials and programs there. Many people
opened their hearts and homes to us! They
knew we were Christians, but they could also
sense that we loved THEM! Jack and I were
even welcomed to tape inside the Jewish
Knessett building! The members I
interviewed were so very kind and gracious!

I remember the openness of Israel's
President Yitzhak Navon. He was such a
magnetic personality, and will always live in
my memory as one of the most genuine, kind
men I have ever met. He knew his Old
Testament thoroughly and easily conversed
with Jack about Bible prophecies. We were
invited to his private residence, where he and
Jack discussed the Bible, end-time events, and
the role of Israel in the last days.

On another occasion, we were invited to
dinner at the home of the late Prime Minister
Menachem Begin. The dinner, however, was
canceled suddenly -- due to the assassination
of Egypt's President Anwar Sadat! Prime
Minister Begin had to leave immediately for
Tel Aviv and an emergency meeting of his
cabinet -- so I did not get to interview him
after dinner, as planned.

I was fortunate to interview Abba Eban,
former Israeli Ambassador to the United
Nations who was often called "the Voice of
Israel." And I met and interviewed Moshe
Arens, who then was Israel's Ambassador to
the United States.

I also remember the beautiful, innocent
children. On one of my videos, I taped songs
with a group of them. They sat on my lap, we
talked, we laughed and played together. When
I think of the war that has gone on constantly
there, and when I think of what the Jews as a
people have gone through, it tears at my heart.

The Jews of Israel are only a heartbeat away
from disaster!

I have a very dear friend -- Estee Levine --
with whom I have corresponded regularly for
many years. Her residence is in Jerusalem, and
she is responsible for preparing the
accommodations for thousands of tourists
who visit Israel each year.

During the Desert Storm operation, Israel
was frequently under attack by Saddam
Hussein's air raids. During those war-torn
months, Estee wrote me about the birth of her
granddaughter. She wrote: "We had a time of
great rejoicing! And we could rejoice -- even
in the midst of rocket attacks!"

I've always found that kind of optimism
among the Israelis -- even among the
children. They have such a valiant attitude of spirit!

It's as if God has instilled His own
optimism into His people, because they are
ultimately going to win. Micah 4:3 says, And
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not
lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they
learn war any more. That day of peace is coming!

I Remember Jesus!

Seeing the places where He walked,
recalling the events of His life, even receiving
communion in the place of His Resurrection
made me feel so much closer to Jesus!

Time and again, Jack and I found ourselves
retracing the steps of Jesus and the disciples.
There was Capernaum, where we explored
fascinating ruins and again traced the steps of
Jesus, who taught the multitudes there. I
almost expected to see the throngs described in
the Bible, pressing closer and closer in, to hear
the words of life! When we walked along the
Via Dolorosa, we could not help but painfully
recall Christ's final steps before Calvary.

We served communion to those of our tour
group in that quiet garden, and I was
emotionally stirred by the experience! I shall
never forget that from where I was sitting, I
could look up... to see Golgotha, the place of
the skull, where His crucifixion took place...
and I could also look down... at the stone
which had been rolled away from the tomb
that could not hold Him. What a powerful
contrast!

Experiencing Israel in all her diversity and
splendor has added more depth and
dimension to my faith, and has given me
many wonderful memories.