Keep Your Eyes On Him

     " We do not want you to be uninformed brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)."      Paul and Timothy knew firsthand what suffering was. As you can see in the above verses, there were times that it seemed all hope was gone. At one point they even "despaired of life." Notice though, they did not lose their focus. Though the pain and the suffering were beyond what they thought they could handle, they relied on God-His power and strength to get them through the difficult times. What a great example for you and me today. Throughout life, in the good times and bad, as a follower of Christ, you have a hope that is not dependent on your circumstances or people, but on the Lor...

     "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood , having obtained eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11:12)."      Jesus Christ shed His blood so that you and I could have peace with the Father. He made a way where there was otherwise no way. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:21)." Before Jesus came, under the Old Covenant, people sacrificed goats and calves to atone for their sin and to be reconciled to God. Blood symbolizes cleansing; blood is life. So when an animal was sacrificed, it's blood was shed which represented new life for another and their sins were forgiven. When Christ came, the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. This curt...

     "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers  (Romans 8:28-29)."      We love to quote Romans 8:28, especially when we go through trying times, but often we leave out verse 29 which is vitally important. Gods purpose is not to make our lives easy and trouble-free, His purpose is to make us more like His Son and for us to make Him known. Granted, God loves blessing His children and graciously provides more than we could ever ask or imagine, however, we need to remember to stay focused on the Giver, not the gift. Jesus is the One who satisfies,  who heals, who forgives, who loves, and gives new life. Our relationship with Jesus should take precedence over everyone and everything in our lives.       The...

     "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14)."      My friend, the day that you chose to follow Christ marked the day your life was forever changed. He put His Spirit in you-His seal of ownership-and gave you a new heart. It was the moment the transformation within you began. Your old life passed, and new life begun! Praise the Lord! You.will.never.ever.be.the.same. There is a distinction (or should be) in the life of every follower of Christ, and that is, you no longer live for yourself. You live for the Lord Jesus. In doing so, you lay down your life-your desires and your wants...

     "It is written: I believed; therefore I have spoken. With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause God thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart . Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16)."      Praise God in Christ, this life is not the end. As a matter of fact, the time spent here on earth is nothing in comparison with eternity. It is hard for us to wrap our minds around the thought of living forever and ever, but we will, because God promises this. He promises that for those who long for His appearing, there is a crown of righteousness that God Himself will award to us on that day (2 Timo...