TRAINING FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
Greetings in the name of Jesus:
There is so much that continues to go into our preparation and the life we live on a daily basis that it can be over whelming to us. We know that we each one should have a goal that we want to reach in Christ, but so often from day to day we loose track of what it is we are trying to achieve. I want to take the time today to share with you some of what the word tells us about that preparation. For those of you are attending the Thursday night study group...and let me say here you don't have to attend the Gathering on Sunday's to be a part of what we do on Thursday nights; we are preparing now for the great studies that we will have beginning in January in the book of Acts. What I give you here is just a help mate to understand a little better what we need to be focused upon individually.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 refers to the race that we are running together. The term "Race" is more of a metaphor so that we can keep our eyes upon Christ ; who is the goal of our life for finding God's Mercy and Kingdom. This refers to the prize that is set before us, and we don't want to get side tracked or slowed down in reaching that goal. Philippians 3:13-14 speaks to focusing all of our energies toward staying in and finishing that course...or winning that race. Unlike any other race we have seen in this world there is no first , second or third place winners. Living the Christian life take every bite of energy that we have to stay on course...it is very demanding in many different ways. We must forget the past that we have lived, ad actually strain forward to that what God has promised us. We cannot continue to be influenced by the lies of not being good enough that sin would place within our pathway, or by our our guilt and remorse from a past life lived. We continue to look ever forward to becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 4:7-10 gives us some spiritual exercise that will help us to grow in faith and in character. We need one another for this because by ourselves we do far less exercise than we would when working out with a friend. Like any other exercise we repeat repetitions of the same thing to train our mind and our body to spiritually grow. We intentionally study to show ourselves approved unto God which is our reasonable service. We may not realize it but it is this that draws other people to Christ. The world around us needs to see that it can really be done in the first place. People really do need to see that lives can be changed and transformed by the renewing of the mind and heart. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 deals with the great fight that will no doubt be in our life to maintain such things. For many of us this is the battle that is now raging within us as we continue to persevere to the end of that race. This life we live is against everything that this world has adopted to stand for. The temptation and the forces of evil are simply too strong for most of us to fight against alone...we need one another desperately in this life to maintain our strength. God makes this promise to us; if we stick to it through the end we will have both rest and a crown which we can then lay at the foot of Christ our Lord and Savior. There is no greater victory for us than to live forever more in the presences of God the Father in His love and mercy...may you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
There is so much that continues to go into our preparation and the life we live on a daily basis that it can be over whelming to us. We know that we each one should have a goal that we want to reach in Christ, but so often from day to day we loose track of what it is we are trying to achieve. I want to take the time today to share with you some of what the word tells us about that preparation. For those of you are attending the Thursday night study group...and let me say here you don't have to attend the Gathering on Sunday's to be a part of what we do on Thursday nights; we are preparing now for the great studies that we will have beginning in January in the book of Acts. What I give you here is just a help mate to understand a little better what we need to be focused upon individually.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 refers to the race that we are running together. The term "Race" is more of a metaphor so that we can keep our eyes upon Christ ; who is the goal of our life for finding God's Mercy and Kingdom. This refers to the prize that is set before us, and we don't want to get side tracked or slowed down in reaching that goal. Philippians 3:13-14 speaks to focusing all of our energies toward staying in and finishing that course...or winning that race. Unlike any other race we have seen in this world there is no first , second or third place winners. Living the Christian life take every bite of energy that we have to stay on course...it is very demanding in many different ways. We must forget the past that we have lived, ad actually strain forward to that what God has promised us. We cannot continue to be influenced by the lies of not being good enough that sin would place within our pathway, or by our our guilt and remorse from a past life lived. We continue to look ever forward to becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 4:7-10 gives us some spiritual exercise that will help us to grow in faith and in character. We need one another for this because by ourselves we do far less exercise than we would when working out with a friend. Like any other exercise we repeat repetitions of the same thing to train our mind and our body to spiritually grow. We intentionally study to show ourselves approved unto God which is our reasonable service. We may not realize it but it is this that draws other people to Christ. The world around us needs to see that it can really be done in the first place. People really do need to see that lives can be changed and transformed by the renewing of the mind and heart. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 deals with the great fight that will no doubt be in our life to maintain such things. For many of us this is the battle that is now raging within us as we continue to persevere to the end of that race. This life we live is against everything that this world has adopted to stand for. The temptation and the forces of evil are simply too strong for most of us to fight against alone...we need one another desperately in this life to maintain our strength. God makes this promise to us; if we stick to it through the end we will have both rest and a crown which we can then lay at the foot of Christ our Lord and Savior. There is no greater victory for us than to live forever more in the presences of God the Father in His love and mercy...may you richly bless God through your life in Him.
THE UNWORTHY SERVANT
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