Men who leave their mark

The NBA is quite different from other sports tournaments, because of certain customs that began in the USA. One such custom, which has now crossed over into other sports, concerns the 'sacred number'. If a very good player has had a certain number on his shirt the number is not used by anyone else. It no longer exists. For example, Philadelphia has retired the number 6 in honour of JULIUS ERVING; the Boston Celtics likewise in honour of BILL RUSSELL; The LA Lakers dropped number 33 after K ABDUL JABBAR.. These people have left their mark in US basketball.

God also has some sacred numbers in heaven. They would fill pages of glorious reading, written by thousands of people from around the world throughout history. People who, in God's power, overcame the kingdom of evil and have flooded it with the light of the gospel. People unafraid of worldly or satanic powers and authorities, who set out to obey the voice of God, come what may. People who perhaps have worked in some faraway corner of the globe to make known the glorious love of God. Simple people, many of them, but willing to pay the price to have the victory and make God's glory known wherever they could.

Yes, one day in heaven we'll meet loads of people like David's brave warriors, who weren't frightened of obeying their king even if it meant losing their lives. Men and women chosen by God, many of them nothings in the eyes of their contemporaries, but hand-picked by the creator of heaven and earth. These are visionaries, conscious of the spiritual lostness of the world, who have striven long and hard in God's power to get the message of salvation across to both great and small. Many turned their backs on their possessions and positions so they could help others. In fact many are complete unknowns to us - but their glorious stories are written in heaven and thousands of angels sing a song of praise to God as they arrive there.

God still needs men and women willing to lay claim to the inheritance which he has promised them, willing to fight for victory on all levels in their lives. To work for God's glory; to fight for others' good; to cast off the evil ties that hold back millions of people from eternal life! God's on the look-out for men and women who'll leave their mark. Are you one of them?