OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL-FRIDAY-12/08/2016-THE CHRISTIAN RACE-BY PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE
THE CHRISTIAN RACE
Memorise
And
if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive
lawfully. 2nd Timothy 2:5
Read
Philippians
3:13-17
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let
us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be
otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already
attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and
mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
KJV
MESSAGE
Apostle Paul
admonished us in his epistle to forget those things that are behind us as we
journey through the pilgrimage of this earth. We should not allow the things of
this world to distract us from the goal of eternal dwelling. A Christian cannot
lay hold of that which he strives for if he is still distracted by the
ephemerals of life. The greater a person grows in the knowledge of Christ, the
greater his desire to be with Jesus will be. This is why my hope for Heaven is
strong.
As a
Christian who wants to dwell with Jesus, you have to deliberately submit yourself
to the narrow way of Christian living. We must give our attention to those
things that will endure the passing of this material world. As a soldier of the
cross, you must allow your life to be influenced by those whose minds are set
on things above. We must live up to the spiritual nature of the gospel after
which we are called. We must continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of
God.
It is
necessary to allow the Word of God to direct your life as you press on to
greater spiritual heights. This is the only way you will be able to communicate
the nature and character of God to the world. We have to submit ourselves to
the gospel, and allow the Head of the Church (Jesus Christ) to give us
direction in all our ways if we are to end as divine champions. Those who will
be champions for Christ will be people of rugged determination who have set
their minds on certain goals. They will pursue these goals relentlessly until
they begin to see the kind of reward they desire in Christ. You will never find
a believer who understands the nature of the Heavenly race retreating because
he is being discouraged. They will never give any excuse for non-performance
neither will they allow failure to be placed at their door step. They have only
one life to live and they do everything to please Jesus Christ, the Author and
Finisher of their lives.
There are
many people who have lost their miracles and blessings because they stopped too
soon. They were not determined enough, they gave in to certain impossibilities
as they journeyed through life. This is a lie of the devil to cheat you of your
blessings in Christ Jesus. Nothing is ever impossible before God according to Luke 1:37. In my little walk with Jesus, I have met a lot
of people who said what they wanted to do at some point in their lives was
impossible. The moment you agree that it is impossible, it becomes impossible.
There are people who believe that it is impossible to live holy and this is why
holiness is not a venture for them. Unfortunately, it is a strategy of the
devil to deny them the blessings of living a holy life. There are young
converts who have been discouraged by their leaders. They discovered that there
is a great difference between what their leaders teach and what they practice,
hence they give up their faith. This is why it is very dangerous to put your
trust in any human being. Put your trust in God because He is the only one who
will never fail you. Make Jesus your Senior Partner. Know that if God is for
you, nobody can be against you. Know that if God is the one backing you up,
there is no amount of conspiracy against your life that will ever come to pass.
No matter the size of the enemy and the direction of the attack, you are
divinely secured.
Prayer Point
Father, please let me
finish my race without losing any battle in Jesus’ name.
Bible in one year
Isaiah 11:1-14:27, Psalms
33:1-11
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