Keep your Eyes on the Prize

A lesson on effort that flows from focus.

Run to get the prize video
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=5bbe5d9ffceabc46b291
1 : 16

Develop a personal mission statement.
It should be in line with God’s will for your life.

Remember that God’s will is good pleasing and perfect according to Romans 12:2.
You should be passionate about this mission.
The reason you’re alive is to accomplish this mission.

Run to win
1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

How do we live?
It’s likened to running for a prize. Running to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xZTCzP5_No
YouTube Video
4:38

There is a Soldier aspect to Being a Believer in Jesus!

2 Timothy 2:3,4
3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer.

1. Endurance of Hardships
2. Focus on the mission, (not civilian affairs)
3. Please the one in authority

1. Endurance
Romans 15:5
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,

God gives endurance
If you are a quitter then I encourage you to ask God for endurance.
Endurance
1 Thessalonians 1:3
We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Endurance is inspired by hope.
When we lose hope it’s not long until we begin to entertain thoughts of quitting and ultimately we will quit where there is no hope. Endurance will run out.

Endurance
Hebrews 12:3
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When we see things in the light of what Jesus went through it gives us endurance. Ask yourself, “Is it as bad as hanging on a cross?” Seeing life through this lens puts things in the proper perspective.

2. Focus on the Mission
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Focus on the Mission
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

We put our focus on the eternal realities we read about in the Scriptures. This is wise because the eternal realities will be here forever. However the temporal realities around us need some focus but not our best.
A good understanding
1 Timothy 4:8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Spend a little effort of the temporal things of this life but your focus should be on spiritual things.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.


When we prioritize the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and put them first. God takes care of the other issues of our lives.

Matthew 6:19-21
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Eternal treasures have a better return than the Earthly treasures.
Focus on Jesus
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus had Joy in going to the cross because of a heavenly attitude and an understanding of God’s ultimate plan.
How about you? Is your attitude joyful when facing difficulties? Do you have a heavenly perspective toward what’s going on or do you simply squirm under the pressure and get upset.
We’re supposed to fix our eyes on this part of Jesus. The part that endures scorn and shame.

3. Please God
Romans 8:8
Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

When sin is reigning in your mortal body you cannot please God.
Please God
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
1Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4that each of you should learn to control his own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; 6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. 7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Ways to Please God
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Be Sanctified v. 3
Avoid Sexual Immorality v. 3
Love your Brother more and more v. 9
Let your daily life win the respect of outsiders by working hard and being self-sufficient. Not dependent on anybody. v. 12

Please God
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Believing in God and believing for things from God pleases him. It’s not carnal to believe that God is going to bless you. It actually is pleasing to God.

Believe for the impossible!

The illustration is a simple one.
Give your best, give your all. Run to win, not just to finish.
When we get into a competition there are various levels of desire in all the athletes. Some people “really want it” while others are less committed in heart.

2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
Fully committed can be understood to mean, their giving their best.

1 Corinthians 9:27
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

When Paul speaks about being disqualified for the prize and beating his own body it makes me think that he is practicing the word of God not just preaching it. Just preaching it isn’t enough even though others will benefit from it. It must be practiced by the preacher to keep that prize from being lost.

Can you lose your salvation?
Yes but

Hebrews 6:4-6
4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

If you do lose your salvation you can’t repent and come back according to this verse.
If you think you lost your salvation and yet you sit here today desiring to be closer to God you couldn’t have lost your salvation because God’s grace wouldn’t have drawn you back to a place of repentance.

Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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This video ministered to me and I hope it ministers to you also.


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Raymond Howard Gets Water Baptized!

Raymond, by the prayers and witnessing of his family and especially his brothers has miraculously come to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior! Raymond spent many years addicted to various components of a worldly lifestyle but Jesus has captured his heart and he's a new creature in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Rejoice with us as God transforms Raymond's life from the inside out.

Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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Being Truly Spiritually Minded

Makes us Earthly good
By Tony Hammack

Overview
The concept so heavenly minded he was no earthly good is actually a misnomer.
We see in Christ the most heavenly minded person in world history who did the most Earthly good.
A new Cliché, “The more heavenly minded you are the more Earthly good you will do.”

People who are so “spiritually” minded they are not earthly good are really flaky and weird. I try to avoid any kind of spiritual discussion unless I’m targeting their redemption.

The lost world out there is looking for something that is real. They have real needs and problems and are looking for the practical solutions.

Truly heavenly minded individuals are doing good.
They are practically relevant
Discuss a situation where you were involved with a person who had all the trappings of spirituality but didn’t seem to have any real substance.

The first component to being spiritually minded is understanding that Jesus and the father are one.

John 14:9-11
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.

From this foundation flows all other spiritual thoughts. If this is not your spiritual foundation your spirituality is false and you are living in deception. It’s very popular to be “spiritual” however this false spirituality is a deception of the enemy to keep a person from the truth only found in Jesus Christ.


Can we be Heavenly Minded?
1 Corinthians 2:16
"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
Yes

Our Minds are made Spiritual only in Christ

2 Corinthians 3:14
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
Who are the people the Holy Spirit is talking about here in 2 Corinthians? Were these people spiritual?

There are many trappings of spirituality in the world that relate to crystals, nature, angels, idols, potions, education, etc. but the only way to be truly spiritually minded is in Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:38
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. What should a spiritually minded person do?

Spiritually minded individuals go about doing good and bring healing with them, or people get healed who are around them. I believe this healing predominantly refers to physical infirmities but I also believe it includes mental health and emotional health as well.

So if you get around a “spiritually” minded person and feel crazy or distressed in their presence either you have some kind of demonic problem or they are not spiritually minded after all.

2 Corinthians 4:4
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

What does the Devil do according to 2 Corinthians 4:4?

Jesus is the very image of God.

2 Corinthians 11:3
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

The Battlefield
The battlefield where the enemy is trying to take over your life is in your mind. If he can have your mind he can have everything else. It’s vitally important that Jesus is Lord of our thoughts. If he’s not the Lord of our thought life it won’t be long until he’s not Lord of anything.

Deceptive Philosophy
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Set your Mind on the Spirits Desire
Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
The Holy Spirit Desires us to Walk in…the fruits of his Spirit. When we plant our roots into Christ we can’t help but produce his fruit. When we’re planted into something else we will produce death.

Deceitful Desires
Ephesians 4:22
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

A deceitful desire is wanting something that will ultimately bring you long term harm. However when you are in the wanting stage you can’t / won’t see the long term consequences of receiving what you want. All you see are the benefits.

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Proverbs 11:14
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Make sure your advisers are Holy Spirit advisers who are living in a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.

Philippians 4:6,7 (Amplified)
6Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition ([b]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. 7And God's peace [shall be yours, that [c]tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall [d]garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The Peace of God is our Guard
Before you make any major moves it’s important to identify peace. Moving into a situation where there isn’t peace in your heart is likely to be a bad choice.

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Watch this 3 minute video when you can have no distractions. It's my prayer that God's grace would overflow you and The Holy Spirit would fill you to overflowing as you watch.



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