OSacrifice is a pregnant word. It is a common word heard in our culture and produces many images when used. It used to describe the commitment and dedication of athletes who train long hours, parents in their hard work to provide for their families, police officers and the firefighters who put their lives on the line to protect and serve and military personnel who leave family to go abroad to provide a line of defense for our freedom. Regardless,What images come to your mind when the word "sacrifice" is used, the concept is of the selfless giving one's self for the greater benefit of others, sometimes at the forfeiture of the life itself! Maybe, it is of your mom who without a new dress so you could have shoes? May, it is of your wife or husband who worked and carried the extra load around the house as you finished your degree? Maybe, it is son or daughter whose picture is near beside that died on a foreign battlefield. The word sacrifice in the Bible is visibly illustrated in the Old Testament sacrificial system; an animal was offered as a sacrifice was slain as an offering to the LORD. The whole sacrificial system starting with the first offering found in Genesis 3, where the LORD made the first offering for Adam and Eve, continuing to the giving of the Law to Moses taught many seminal truths about the need for a Substitute who deliver us from our sins. Jesus Christ is the Substitute who came to deliver us by taking our place on the Cross and dying for us so the we can be rescued form our sin and the wrath it incurs!! He is the Savior. However, in Romans 12:1-2, the Apostle Paul challenges all Christians to become "LIVING SACRIFICES" for the glory of God. One of the marvels of Christianity is we are to be "Living Sacrifices" as an act of worship for the One died for us and now lives, Jesus Christ our Lord. Just think for a moment about the awesome salvation we have in Jesus Christ. Paul used the first 11 chapters of Romans to describe this tremendous work of grace in us. Let me give a brief outline: Chapters 1-3 OUR SINFUL CONDITION, Chapters 4-6 HIS SAVING GRACE, Chapters 7-8 HIS Sanctifying GRACE and Chapters 9-11 His SOVEREIGN GRACE. Now at chapter 12, he begins with a "Therefore", so characteristic of Paul's thinking as reflected in His inspired teaching, because he desires for us to make application of the great doctrines of salvation declared in chapters 1-11 in our personal lives. Real biblical teaching is not merely disseminating facts but transforming teaching through the power of the Holy Spirit that is life altering! The essence of his teaching form chapter 12 to 16 is how to live out the Gospel as redeemed people who continually being transformed by Gospel! The Gospel makes a deep, radical change in our personalities! To be sure the transformation is not complete, but the make-over has already begun! Amen!! When Paul challenges to "present our bodies of living sacrifices" he doe so with the Old Testament sacrificial system's imagery in mind. We are to place our brains, hands, feet, mouth, ears, personality, gifts, talents, relationships and experiences on the altar as an offering to the LORD. Please note, not as a sin offering, because Jesus already did that on Calvary!!! Hallelujah, what a Savior. We could not save ourselves, remember the truth illustrated in substitute lamb? However, in the Old Testament sacrificial system there were not only "sin: offerings but "thanksgiving offerings", or we might call them today, "love offerings"! Jesus died for us so that He could give us life and we could life for Him (John 3:16, 10:10)! Our lives are to be one continuous act of worship by daily yielding Him ourselves as a daily "thanksgiving offering"! Chuck Swindol once said something that has stuck with me for years, "the problem with living sacrifices is they want to crawl of the altar from time to time"! An amazing analysis of the battle we face when struggling to live out our salvation for the glory of God. To be a living sacrifice means that we make tough choices about every aspect of our lives form how we spend to how we spend time! These means there are times of anguish and struggle because we still deal with our old carnal nature that wants to rule on the throne of our hearts As a matter of fact , right now you and I are hearing the summons to the altar. Is it your marriage, your dreams, your money, your habits or your attitude to must lay on the altar? Give it to Him because He gave you Himself!!!
Human beings have an insatiable craving to know the future. We have been this way from the beginning as testified by the rituals of our ancestors such as the Greeks consulting the Oracles of Delphi and Babylonians use of astrology. Today, this craving causes both the educated and uneducated to seek to lift the veil of tomorrow by seeking revelation from tea leaves, chicken bones, tarot cards, horoscopes and psychics. Some have even gone as far as to dust off of the books of Nostradamus, Edgar Cacye, Jean Dixon or buy the latest modern day pseudo-prophets predictions in hopes that the fog that hovers over the future will be lifted. The truth is there is only one Book that lifts the veil of the "yet to be" and it is the Bible. While some people think the Bible is about as credible as the National Enquirer, Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God! The reason the Bible speaks with authority and clarity is because it reveals the God who alone knows the end from the beginning and He speaks of things yet to be as if they were done ( Psalms 33:11,Isaiah 44:6-8, 44: 24-27,46:5-11, 2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 6:17-18, 2 Peter 2:16-21, Revelation 1:1). The Bible condemns all other practices of determining the future and warns of the demonic deception associated with it! Preachers have preached for years that we are living in the "Last Days". Is there any evidence for such assertions? Yes, there is and it is found in the study of the Word. Let me suggest a few "signs of the times" that indicate we are indeed "living in the last days". The extraordinary technological developments within the last 150 years is predicted in the Bible and with it other Scriptures are more easily understood. Read Daniel 12:4 predicted that we would travel at a frenzied pace and that knowledge would explode. Over 200 years ago, some predicted that man would be able to travel at the astonishing speed of 50mph! Today, that is the pace of the slow lane!!! Think about how radical and different our lives are form those that lived 100 years ago because of the explosion of technology. Furthermore, it is predicted by experts that knowledge will triple in the next 10 to 15 years! Some the latest technological discoveries enable the student of biblical prophesy to understand some Scriptures that were shrouded in mystery for centuries; Just look at the Book of Revelation: the whole world watching the two prophets rise from the dead- satellite television and the internet has given the ability to watch unfolding news from around the world in an instant. Just think people can watch from on devices in their cars and on their smartphones and laptops! The mark of the Beast - today there are tracking and data devices so small that can be implanted under the skin and we all know about GPS; cashless society - today, people are comfortable with debit and credit cards, apps on smartphones, automated deposits and withdraws ; One World Economy - the recent global economic depression and the lose of trillions of the world's currency along with the push of Socialistic emphasis to redistribute wealth; the continuing rumors of war and war itself- new and more devious threats continue to emerge along with the efforts of rogue nations and organizations to develop nuclear, chemical, cyber and biological weapons. In spite of the best efforts of our leaders, we are moving to Armageddon; Israel, much of biblical prophecy spoke of Israel in the land as a people and nation during the 'last days" - Israel has been a sovereign nation for 68 years and the Middle East continues to be the world's epi-center of continuing political, economic and military quakes that ripple throughout the rest of the world. The Bible gives detailed names of the nations which will come against Israel in the "last days" and most have arrived on the political stage! Furthermore, the on going desire of the orthodox Jews to rebuild the Temple is reaching a fevered state. Plans and provisions already exist for the new Temple to replace the one destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. In prophecy, there is a Temple in the "last days"; the coming world leader - Biblical prophecy speaks of a coming false messiah who will deceive the world with the cunning of the Devil and promise to be the world's savior. The problems will be of such magnitude, the desperation will be so intense and the lack of leadership will be so great that the countries of the world will unite for a time under his leadership. Today, there is fear, frustration and a sense of futility around the globe; there seems to few answers to our growing problems and even less leadership. These are but a few of the reasons I believe we are living in the "last days". Thank God, as Christians, we have the Blessed Hope and His name is Jesus Christ! Yes, He is the Christ, the Messiah of whom the prophets wrote. In the New Testament, Jesus is named the Christ over 600 times! He is the Anointed and Appointed Savior of the World! Just like His first coming (Galatians 4:4-"the fullness of time"), His second coming will be at the right time! He will fulfill every prophecy. For every prophecy concerning His first coming, there 8 referring to His Second Coming. No detail will be left undone and no lose end untied! Thank God we are not waiting on something bad to happen but we are looking for someone great to come, Jesus Christ the Lord! Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Are you ready?
I am sure you have heard the phrase, "Walking to beat of a different drummer" used to explain people who don't follow the crowd or have a "herd mentality". As Christian, we walk to the beat of a different drummer. We walk by Faith in Jesus Christ! As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5: 7, "for we walk by faith not by sight". Because we are believers, we move at a different pace and a different direction from the world around us. For this reason, some will think you are "weird", "radical" or even "unhinged" because of your belief in the presence, providence, power, purpose and provision of God! Good!! You and I are come from a long line of faith walkers! I love how Hebrews 11:8, "he went out knowing where he was going" describes Abraham. The key to understand his journey of faith is to realize Abraham responded to the call of God to go and he took the first step on a remarkable journey as trusted the Lord to direct his subsequent steps. Linger over that whole verse for a moment and let it sink in. The Lord did not give Abraham a detailed travel itinerary or even a road map! Abraham had to trust step by step on the way to the Promise Land. I am sure his friends and family thought he was crazy! Can you imagine their questions to him, "Where are you going", "Have you seen it" and "which way are you going and how will you know you have arrived" and "how long to you think it will take to get there"? At least at that time he and Sarah didn't have kids asking him, "are we there yet"!! To all these questions and many more, Abrahams reply was he was trusting the Lord to lead him! He did!! Let me tell you, I have been on a similar journey the last 16 months and it has been amazing to experience the direction and provision of the Lord!! God is faithful. I wish I had time to tell you all Angie and I have experienced these past several months, but there is not time; furthermore, the black and white of the print cannot convey the joy and excitement in our hearts like a face to face visit. When we made the decision to obey the Lord, family and friends asked us many questions to which we only replied, " we are trusting the Lord". I can tell you that Jehovah-Jirah does see and in deed provides. The Lord has opened many doors for us and provided for all of our needs. We have not asked for money or opportunities from any one or any church. We have not tried to manipulate people to open doors, but the doors keep opening. The most exciting aspect is being part of churches experiencing real revival and living being transformed by the Gospel. Every place we have gone has been a God appointed time! I can't wait to see what happens next! Have there been times of testing? Have there been times of struggle? Has Satan attacked us with worry and fear? Yes, by the Lord has been faithful! Have you obeyed the call of God to go? Don't miss the blessing! Go. Trust the Lord and leave the consequences to Him. If He has called you, go! Go witness to that person He has put on your heart, go on that mission trip, go to camp with the kids, go get involved in the ministry He has put on your heart! Go!!! You march to a different drumbeat; it is time to get in step! The next incredible experience God wants to give will start with a step of obedience! Go!!!
The Market is up and the Market is down! Oil is up and oil is down! The Banks offer little return of your savings and Real Estate is so unpredictable! If you have a financial advisor who is helping make money in this climate of volatility, you are blessed! Have you noticed that when the bank account gets low the blood pressure get high? Life is never on an even keel! What you build up over here is torn down over there! We spend our health trying to make wealth and then we spend our wealth trying to get our health back!!! For the Christian, the Bible has the best investment advise! Read Galatians 6:6-10. We are given the "Laws for Spiritual Investment". Paul uses the metaphor of the harvest to illustrate the attitude and actions each Christian should mirror in making wise choices in the investment of our lives. The Four Laws are as follows: 1) We reap what we sow. If we sow to the flesh we will reap the flesh. If we sow in Spirit we will reap the Spirit's blessing. Are you sowing anger, doubt, bitterness, selfishness, and discouragement? These ugly weeds of the soul will bring forth! Don't be surprised! If we sow blessing, love, forgiveness, patience, encouragement, hope and faith, then the fruits of blessing will spring forth! Do you give the Lord of your time, talent and treasure? Who are you blessing and encouraging for Jesus' sake? WE REAP WHAT WE SOW! 2) We reap more than we sow. When we plant one tomato plant, if all goes well, we receive back several tomatoes! When we sin, it always yields more consequences that imagined. When we sow in the Spirit, He takes our seed blesses it ways we could have never imagine! God always balances the book! Are you blessed? Could your lack of blessing be your are not sowing the right seed? I believe we should be more concerned about being a blessing instead of how can we be blessed! I have found the Lord will always take care of the latter if I am willing to fulfill the former! WE REAP MORE THAN WE SOW! 3) We reap later than we sow. No gardener expects for the seed to mature into a plant overnight! Are you patient? Are you easily discouraged when you don't see immediate results and blessings? This "microwave" generation needs to learn to rest in the Faithfulness of the Lord! There is a harvest coming! Keep sowing! Have you become complacent? Are you too casual in your attitude to the things of the Lord? Every farmer has faith! Every Christian should walk by faith in the promises of God! He keeps His Word. There are no crop failures in the Kingdom of God!!!! I think of all those country churches that encouraged me as a young preacher boy. To be frank, I was not a very good preacher, but they loved me and encourage me. They made an investment in me for the sake of the Lord! Today, I am a better preacher 35 years later and every time I preach they share in the harvest of souls because they believed and practiced the Scriptures! Have you ever heard of the famous Evangelist D.L. Moody? He was won to the Lord a Sunday school teacher named Mr. Kimball. Thousands upon thousands were saved in Moody's ministry; A Boston Sunday school teacher had no idea how God would use his faithfulness to lead a young man to the Lord that blessed two continents. Mr. Kimball's reward in Heaven is great! WE REAP LATER THAN WE SOW! 4) Now is the time to sow. Don't wait! we are to take advantage of the opportunities the Lord brings into our lives each day! They are present. Can't you see them? Ask the Lord for discernment because now is the time to serve the Lord! Today not tomorrow! Do you what a harvest? Start sowing the seed today! Start praying, witnessing, serving, encouraging, trusting and encouraging today in the Name of Jesus Christ! Ask the Lord to send someone to you to bless or to spring into your heart someone you know to bless! Don't be a "Dead Sea" Christian! A "Dead Sea" Christian is like the Dead Sea in that much flows in but none flows out! You will become a stagnate pool of pity and you will whine about how you are not blessed. The key to blessing is blessing someone else in the Name of Jesus! As the poet said, " Only one life to live and all will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last"!
"Lost", not the ABC hit from a few years ago, but the word used by Jesus in Luke 15 describing the person who has not repented of their sins. The scripture is very clear that God's demographic study of people is far different from that of the sociologist and the advertisement agents because He sees only two categories of people, "lost or saved"! I believe one of the reasons the church experiences little of the joy of witnessing people being saved is because we do not see people as being lost! Do we really believe in Hell? Are we really convinced Jesus is the only way? Do we really understand that the greatest need of people is a Savior to rescue them from their sins and that the Cross of Jesus is the way of rescue? All around us are people on the Highway to Hell! The church today appears to have embrace the attitude of the world concerning the claims of the Bible and Jesus Christ concerning the need of Salvation - It is not relevant for out time! On the authority of the Word of God, I tell you it is always relevant because the Bible is the timeless Word of God, not used to be the Word, and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, Praise His Holy name! We need to be heartbroken by the Holy Spirit! We need to be shake-up out of our complacency! Hell is real and it has a big flashing "Vacancy Sign, it is not full and it is not air conditioned!!!
In the old days, traveling sale men would travel, first in covered wagons then in automobiles, far and near peddling their wares. Often, they were accused of shady dealings. In some cases, it would be correct to call them con-men, swindlers, cheats, and hucksters! I have heard my paw-paw talk about "BLUE-JOHN" that was sold by peddlers. "BLUE-JOHN" is milk so diluted with water that it has a blue hue; it was passed off as 100% perfect whole milk right from the cow containing all the finest qualities nature's goodness. The reality was it was not pure but it was diluted in order to have more product to sell there by making a greater profit! In Corinthians 2:17, Paul states that real ministers of the Gospel do not "peddle the Word". The work in the Greek means to adulterate the Word; a God called preacher does not water down the Word in order to manipulate the circumstances for his gain regardless if the gain is popularity, position, or prosperity! As you read verse 17, four characteristics mark a Preacher of the Word: authenticity - no hidden agenda, authority- the call of God, accountability- to God and anointing- by Spirit as result of union with Christ. No wonder Paul exclaimed who is sufficient for these things in verse 16 and later in Chapter 3:4-7. We are not sufficient in ourselves, but our sufficiency if found the Spirit's enabling; it is our availability and His ability! We preachers and teachers are to present the pure unadulterated Word because we have been commissioned to represent the Lord and preach His Word! We are not to have a "Sales Pitch" to manipulate the consumer. We don't have anything to sell! I promise you I don't try to sell "Peter and Paul" salt and pepper shakers to make a buck! Furthermore, the God called man can't be bought regardless of what form compromise masquerades in!!! Revival will come to the Church again when the preachers and teachers in the church begin to display a "Not For Sale" attitude in their approach to ministry! We are to be sold-out to Jesus!
Today is Ground Hog Day; the whole nation tunes in to watch with festive crowd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the appearance of the fur covered meteorologist, the Ground Hog. According to Hog doctrine, with the emergence of the icon, the forecast for the coming days is revealed; if it is cloudy, spring will come early, but if it is sunny, supposedly he sees his shadow, the verdict is six more weeks of winter. This ritual is provides a welcome relief to winter's icy boredom but no one plans their schedules according to his appearance; it is all folklore and fun I can't help believe that many that worship on Resurrection Sunday, Easter Sunday, have the same attitude concerning the emergence of Jesus Christ from the tomb 2,000 years ago. I call them Ground Hog Christians! For these seekers, Jesus Christ appears from the tomb one time a year and they make sure He goes back into the tomb before Easter last egg is found! Just like the fury creature of Punxsutawney, Jesus Christ receives a casual glance but has little impact on the gathered crowds; it is all folklore and fun! Their lives have a shadow of doubt cast over it. Here is the reason for their lack of commitment to Jesus Christ and His church. They live as if He doesn't live today! The sad and sickening paradox of unbelieving believers is zapping the church of her power! The Early church along with the Apostles, eyewitnesses of His Resurrection, were absolutely certain of His Resurrection so much so that most were martyred for their uncompromising testimony that Jesus Christ is Lord; they could not deny the fact of the empty tomb and His appearances to them! When the stone was rolled away, their world was turned upside, or should I say right side up with His glorious resurrection; they became transformed and triumphant people as recorded in the Book of Acts. The Gospel spread like a wild fire on the west Texas plains in July; great personal,sacrifice, persecution, and death could not retard the Gospel flame as leaped frogged across seas, oceans, mountains and deserts. What explanation is there to account for the victorious conquest that led millions to saving faith in Jesus? There is only one explanation, HE IS ALIVE FROM THE DEAD! HE STILL LIVES TODAY! Because He lives, every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday; because He lives, everyday is a celebration of the Resurrection. If Jesus Christ is not alive today and seated at the right hand of God, Christianity perpetuates a 2,000 year old hoax! Without the actual, literal, physical, and historical resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity crumbles under the weight of a dead savior's corpse. As Paul stated to the first Ground Hog Christians, the Corinthians," and if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!"( 1 Corinthians 15:17). The early church believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ was alive from the dead. If the Twentyfirst century
Have you noticed the yellow sign in residential areas warning, "CHILDREN AT PLAY"? I sometimes believe it would be appropriate to place one of those signs at the parking lot entrances of some churches! Why are so many of our churches so stunted in maturity? Why are so many of us "childish" instead of "child-like"? Why has the Spirit given discernment vanished in some fellowships? Why all the carnality evidenced by dissention and disunity? While there are many causes, I believe a primary reason is DIET! We are missing the vitamins and protein found only in the meat of the Word. Just as certain as food selection and cooking techniques insure nutritious meals, I am convinced that expository preaching and teaching of the Word and the application of it would cure much of what ails the church! James 2:22 reminds us to live-out the Word, yet it is also essential to the personal growth of the individual as well as the fellowship for the Word of God to be "rightly divided"(2 Timothy 2:15) and given application ( Nehemiah 8:8) by the preaching and teaching of the Word. Paul warned Timothy of a coming out-break of Infection within the Body of Christ; It is the Infection of Defection prophesied to come in the Last Days before the return of Jesus for His church (2 Timothy 4:1-4). Folks, it has happening and the outbreak is reaching epidemic proportions in America as well as Europe. While there are steeples that fill the sky and church buildings that litter the landscape, there is a shocking absence of uncompromised preaching in the pulpit. The pulpit has been turned into a concession stand which offers no more that the "junk food" in some places. The message is consumer driven instead of Spirit driven in order to keep the crowd coming and the money flowing!! Sermons have replaced messages; Stories have replaced studies. Ignored are Scriptures concerning hell, judgement, sin, sins and the only remedy, the Cross of Christ. By-passed are Scriptures dealing anything deemed "politically incorrect and insensitive". We are becoming a biblically illiterate church in America! Some Christians no longer know what they believe or why they believe it; They don't know how behave either! We you join me in prayer for pastors and preachers have a spiritual awakening that cause fire to return to the preaching and light to the teaching
It was late in the fourth quarter when Bear Bryant had to put in a back-up quarterback, who was slow and chubby, to lead his Texas A&M aggies to a victory. There were only a few minutes left in the game and A&M had a small lead. Coach told his quarterback, "whatever you do, don't throw the football; just run-out the clock". The quarterback followed the coaches instructions until the Aggies were near the goal line. The young back-up decided to throw. He dropped back threw a pass that was intercepted by the fast player the field, a Texas State 100 meter champion. It appeared the game was over and A&M would lose as the defensive back sprinted down the sideline; Then all of a sudden, the young quarterback ran down the Texas DB! The game ended and A&M won! After the game the opposing coach said to the Bear, " I don't understand how that happened, the fastest guy on the field couldn't out run your back-up quarterback?" The Bear's response was classic! He said, "it is simple; your player was running for a touchdown and a win; my quarterback was running for his life!" MOTIVATION makes all the difference! We all struggle with motivation, especially this time of the year right after Christmas and New Years. The struggle to get back into the daily routine and the daily grind. One can even see the effect of this lack of motivation within the church this time of the year. People are tired from the Christmas rush, worn-out from the holiday hassle, over-extended in their budgets and over-weight from Seasonal indulgences. It is cold and dark! Motivated? Isn't it a minor miracle just to survive? Let me encourage you to not let the "after Christmas blues" get you down. How can we be motivated? In Philippians 3:12-14, Paul wrote, from a prison cell in Rome, one of the most motivating testimonies recorded in Scripture! Read it and you will be motivated! The words "Press On" will jump off the page as you read; The phrase is part of the metaphor Paul is using, one of his favorites, comparing the Christian Life to Athletics. The picture is of a runner who is determined to cross the finish-line, "Pressing On" in spite of the challenge of the course, the pain, and the competition. Some of the most motivated people in the world are those who train and participate in sporting competitions. The imprisoned Apostle writes passionately of his desire to continue on because he has so much more to learn and experience in his relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus Christ and so many more people to reach with the Gospel! Paul refused to be a prisoner in prison because he served a Living Lord who was in control of all things( Philippians1:12-18). If Paul can be motivated by the Holy Spirit while in a prison, you can be motivated as well regardless of what has chained you down! Ask the Holy Spirit to give you fresh wind and fresh fire today! You are running not for your life but because of His life (Galatians 2:20)! Be motivated in the New Year by the opportunities and blessings the Lord Jesus has for you! Run! Happy New Year!
As we round the corner for the last lap of this 2015, let me encourage you today! How has the past year been going for you? Has it been stressful, disappointing, and discouraging? Have you taken a step forward to only go five steps backward? Has it been joyful, surprising, and encouraging? Have you grown in your walk with the Lord? All of us, I repeat of all of us, are located in between these two descriptions! Do you remember the ABC Sports show "Wide Sports" airing on Saturdays and was hosted by Jim McKay. The opening narration included these famous words, "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat". That is were we live! Let me encourage you with the words found in the Epistle of Hebrew. In Hebrew 12:1-3, the author of Hebrews, whom I believe to be Paul the Apostle, uses the metaphor of a race to describe the Christian life. Throughout the Bible, many metaphors are used to describe our new life in Christ and I find this one most helpful. We are runners! Here are a few applications of the truth of these verses for you and I. First, the race is a GREAT PURSUIT - Like the "cloud of Witness", the Old Testament saints listed in the "Hall of Faith" in chapter 11, who pursued the Lord's will for their lives, we are to pursue - apprehend, chase, rundown, track down - God's purpose for us with the determination of a runner who enters a contest (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 3:7-17), What is your great pursuit? Now is our time! The baton has been handed to us to finish this part of the course in God's will in history. Second, the race requires GREAT PREPARATION - Athletes are dedicated, determined and disciplined. A runner will train many long hours and give attention to every detail of daily life in order to win. We are encouraged to " lay aside every weight and besetting sins which does hinder us". Are you running with weights? What is weighing you down? Do you need to shed somethings like making excuses, blaming others or comparing yourself self to others? What is slowing you down? What sin is tripping you up? Anger, lust, greed, bitterness, or something else, or should I say many things? No need to go through the whole catalogue. We all have battles with particular sins and your battle may not be with the same sin that I battle. "Besetting Sins" are the sins that easily trip you. In the context of the Book of Hebrews, I think the besetting sin is unbelief. It much like the condition of de-hydration for athletes which cause a multitude of other problems. Unbelief leads to all other sins! Unbelief will tangle your feet! Third, a race includes a GREAT PLAN. All athletes have a strategy, a battle plan. Paul gives a three spiritual running strategies. They are reflected in the live of Old Testament champions - 1. The Pace - "Run with Patience"- this not a sprint but a marathon! Many times have we sprinted to only run out of gas! The marathon will last until you cross the finish line at the gates of glory. Don't fizzle out or drop out! Don't give up because do not understand what the Lord is doing! Joseph would tell us, "God is not in an hurry " 2. The Path - "the race set before us" - your course is different from mine, although we may cross paths. When we cross paths, it is very important that we encourage one another! "Keep running", "you are making a difference" and "the Lord is faithful" should be some of the inspiring cheers we give to each other! We are not competing against each other!! Our course is determined by the will of God as revealed in our particular circumstances such were we live, work, and as well as many other specific and unique details about us. Each day the course is laid out for us! Like a cross country runner, we will encounter hills, valleys, creeks, and twists! Remember Romans 8:28! Moses would tell us," If God brought you to it, He will lead you through it! 3.The Point of Focus - All runners agree that focus is key. We are reminded to be "looking unto Jesus". He is our focus, example and source of strength. As a matter of fact, the phrase actually means to "look away toward Jesus"! We are to take our eyes off anything thing that distracts us and we are to look toward Jesus! How? We are look to Jesus primarily by coming to the "Throne of Grace"(Hebrews 4:16) in prayer and study of the Word, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us. We are to consider all the Lord endured for us in order that we might be saved! He is the "author" of our faith," trailblazer, pathfinder" who has opened way for us to follow and He is the "finisher" of our faith insuring we will finish the race! Philippians 1:6 gives a glimpse into this truth! Don't let Satan devastate you with one of his powerful weapons, distraction! The devil wants you to doubt God's provision If distracted, you will become deceived, depressed, and distressed about the course! Abraham would tell us, "Do go down to Egypt, stay focused". So, run! Run! If you have dropped out, get back in! Failure is not final! Lace-up the running shoes and run! If you are tired, need a second wind and unmotivated, ask the Holy Spirit for fresh wind and fresh fire! Run! If you have hit "the wall", look away to Jesus! Run !2016 is full of opportunities ready to be revealed on the continuing course! Run! I hope to "run into you" in the New Year! Happy New Year!
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Doug MillerEvangelist Archives
May 2021
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