Category Archives: Perseverance

Are You Out Of Focus??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #397

27 Wednesday Sep 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Distractions, Faithful is He that has Promised!, I Will Never Leave You, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, Perseverance, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #397   Are You Out Of Focus???

 

I’d like to share a rather lengthy passage with you today, and make a few comments, but mostly I’d like to call each of us to ponder the question that I posed in the title of this article: “Are You Out Of Focus?”

We are all being inundated with political pundits who tell us what we ought to think and feel; with immorality on every hand; with a media that wants to convince us that right is wrong and wrong is right. So what are we to do? We are to follow our Lord Jesus Christ and learn from all that He has taught us! We must “study to shew yourselves approved unto God” by feasting on the Word of God rather than the lies of the world. Just as Paul told his son in the ministry, Timothy, all scripture is “inspired by God” and it is beneficial to holy living because it is: “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” and it will work in our hearts and lives to grow us in spiritual maturity to be “throughly furnished unto all good works”! (See 2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16-17)

But let’s consider what Jesus said, and “think on these things”! (See Philippians 4:8)

“No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life more than meat,

and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air:

for they sow not,

neither do they reap,

nor gather into barns;

yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.

Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought

can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field,

how they grow;

they toil not,

neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you,

That even Solomon in all his glory

was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass

of the field,

which to day is,

and to morrow is cast into the oven,

shall he not much more clothe you,

O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought,

saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”     Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus isn’t calling us to be ‘thoughtless’, but to be faithful to follow HIM, doing what He says to do in all our ways. He clearly tells us in verse 33 that if we will “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”, that God will provide and “all these things shall be added unto you”! So in bringing these thoughts to a close, here are a few things that we might want to consider, some things that may challenge us to “walk worthy” before our Lord and a lost and dying world! (See Eph. 4:1 & Col. 1:10)

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” Hebrews 13:5-6

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. 13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-13

Just as Jesus said to His followers in Matthew 6, we can count on Him to keep His word, as ‘we’ keep His Word! So whatever is weighing on you today—give it to Jesus and follow Him. Remember it’s not the government, nor the weatherman, nor the economists, nor the media moguls, nor even honorable politicians that have our days in their hand—IT IS GOD Almighty, the ONE who IS in charge and HE IS TRUSTWORTHY—in all things!

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

How’s your ‘spiritual prosperity’ quotient? Don’t let the things of the world distract you!

“And a voice came out of the throne, saying,

Praise our God,

all ye his servants,

and ye that fear him,

both small and great.

6 And I heard as it were the voice

of a great multitude,

and as the voice of many waters,

and as the voice of mighty thunderings,

saying,

Alleluia:

for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”    Revelation 19:5-6

May we ever keep our eyes on Jesus—our soon coming King! Don’t be distracted! We win, but we’re to keep fighting the “good fight” until He comes. It’s what we’ve been called and saved to do. Amen and Amen!

‘Dis’Traction Is No ‘Traction’??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #392

08 Friday Sep 2017

Posted by in Confidence, Distractions, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Perseverance, The Only Way, The Word, TODAY, Traction, Walking With Jesus

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Bible Ballistics: BBs  #392 ‘Dis’Traction Is No ‘Traction’???

 

I thought we’d take this Friday and remind ourselves to watch out for the “distractions” of the world, for when we get side-tracked by the distractions of the world, we wind up with ‘No Traction” spiritually. And when we aren’t going forward with Jesus we are not standing still, we are loosing ground. And God calls us to press onward not backward!

“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, (mature)

be thus minded:

and if in any thing 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.”    Philippians 3:13-16

One of the big things that I believe that Paul is telling us today, is that if we will heed The Word, and learn how to walk with and before our God, we are to “keep up the good work!” We are to persevere in His ways.

“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”    Luke 18:1

We are often cautioned in the scripture to willfully press on, without distraction, keeping our eyes on Jesus—HE is our purpose! He will supply all we need to not “faint”!

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight,

and the sin

which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run

with patience

the race

that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus

the author

and finisher

of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down at the right hand

of the throne of God.

3 For consider him

that endured such contradiction

of sinners

against himself,

lest ye be wearied

and faint in your minds.” Hebrews 12:1-3

This is one of my favorite passages of scripture; for it reminds us so clearly that our goal is to follow Jesus. I don’t believe (as some do, and that’s ok) that this is the picture of a great sports arena in heaven, and the saints are sitting around cheering us on; rather I believe this is a summation of chapter 11 (The great chapter of faith!), reminding us that as those who have gone before us have been faithful, and have testified to the faithfulness of God, we are also to press on with no distractions, but rather “Looking unto Jesus”! And we can only do that when we determine to not be ‘distracted’ and loose our traction—not to loose our footing in the race. And, as the author of Hebrews so clearly reminds us, we are to run “the race that is set before us” with our hearts and minds “Looking unto Jesus”, not being distracted by the race that others may be running or any other distractions around us. We keep our traction by focusing on Jesus and running ‘our’ race in ‘our’ own lane!!!

We can do that all because Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith”! He brings us to Himself, and He provides all that we need to run the race that HE has “set before us”! So take heart my friends, we serve the God who is able and faithful to supply our every need, if we’ll but keep our eyes ‘fixed on Jesus’! He is our ‘true’ north!

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Philippians 1:6

He is “the author and finisher of our faith”; He knows where you are today. Look up, press on, and walk forward on your race—with ‘traction’ not ‘dis’tractions! God has a job for YOU—today! Go for it dear one—Go for it!!!

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10

You can do it!!! It’s hardly ever easy:

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”    Philippians 4:19