Chino Mendez was the most famous race car driver in all of Bolivia. In fact, for many years he was probably the most famous man of any kind in Bolivia. He won every race in the country. They did not race on special racetracks, but they would block off the roads in the country and have their races right on the roads.
We often heard the race cars speed by in the town of Montero since the main street was only a block away from our home. The narrow and crooked street, full of potholes, did not slow down Chino Mendez at all. He could drive down that street at 200 kilometers per hour. Everyone cheered him as he won his races and we never met a single school boy that didn't know his name.
Mr. Mendez had carefully practiced a certain corner of the road in Cochabamba. This was to be his next race. He knew just how fast he could take that corner and was well prepared to win another race. When Chino Mendez arrived at that corner in the race, the car before him had scattered gravel on the road. He turned the corner at 180 kilometers per hour and spun out of control and crashed. He never regained consciousness.
His coffin was carried on the shoulders of citizens of Bolivia all the way from the central plaza to the cemetery. Mr. Mendez had worked for fame and the cheer of the crowd. At the end of his life the very best the country could give to its most famous citizen was a coffin and a place to rest it.
What will be there at the end of your life? Are you working only for money or fame or pleasure? Those who leave God out of their life can expect no more from this world than Chino Mendez received. But God has prepared much more for those who are His children. He has prepared a home in heaven where there is a street of gold for all those who are cleansed from their sins. The Lord Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins. "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24).
We who are saved from our sins are not waiting for a coffin. We are waiting for the Lord Jesus to come to take us to heaven and to the magnificent future that is waiting for us. "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us... hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:4, 6, 74But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, (Ephesians 2:4)
6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6‑7).
Fame and riches were unimportant when Mr. Mendez left this world to stand before God. "That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. “Rom. 3:1919Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. (Romans 3:19). Will you admit your guilt before God and turn to Christ for salvation? His loving heart waits to give you a wonderful future in His own home in heaven. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).