Looking to Jesus

 Isaiah 51:1
 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence you dug. 

The start of a new year is always a good time to reflect on the previous year. The events we experience in 2024 no doubt shaped us and molded us in some way. Hopefully, it was for the good. Personally, it was a very stressful year. Dealing with the health decline of my mother and her passing was tough. Through it all, I was reminded that life is but a vapor. We enter into this world, find our purpose, live our destiny, and leave a legacy behind us. My purpose was to live for Jesus, to follow after righteousness, and daily seek His face. To always remember that He brought me out of sin, gave me a new life, and to live a life that would bring glory to His name. We do not want to live in the past, but looking back to see how God has worked in our lives can help our faith to believe that He is still able to do great things in the future. What the future holds, God only knows. Life is uncertain as to the days we have left, but we are to be vessels, ready and willing to be used by God for as long as He gives us breath. In 2025, let us look to Jesus. He is our help and refuge, our Rock of salvation. In every situation, He will bring us out and save us in times of trouble. 

Look To Jesus

 Heb. 12:2
looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God
Jesus says, “Look to Me, faith in God begins with Me. Without Me there is no faith. I went to the cross on my own free will, gave my life for you, took on your sins and bore your shame. I now sit at the right hand of the my Father, making intercession for you, that you may not grow weary and lose heart during times of tribulation and suffering. I and the Author and finisher of your faith, I alone can save you and set you free from the bondage of sin. Look to me you sinners, for I came to save you. Believe in Me, trust Me with your life, give me your heart. I am the way, the truth, and life. There is no other name under heaven that can give new life. Look to Me and you will have eternal life, and dwell with me forever and ever.” 

Looking Out for Others

 Philippians 2:4
 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Jesus spoke similar words when he said to treat others the way you would want to be treated. Common phrases like, “I need to look after myself, because no one else will,” and “what’s in it for me,” are grounded in the carnal desire to please self without any regard to others. The golden rule of life in how we act can be summed up by putting Jesus first in our life, serving others in love, and taking care of our well-being emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The key to living each day with JOY is Jesus, Other, You. Living a life to serve is made possible when we realize that our service is towards God and not to man.  We are busy people with lots of responsibilities, but each day is given to us as an opportunity to serve others. Start each day and ask yourself, “How can I help someone today? Looking on the things of others and not just my own cares and burdens.

Look Toward the Holy Temple

Jonah 2:4, 7 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple…When my soul fainted within me I remembered the Lord: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

Did Jonah turn his back on God? We do know that he refused to do what God wanted him to do. I believe Jonah wanted to do the right thing, but was caught up in his own fears and prejudices. Nineveh was a wicked city and it showed no tendency toward serving God. Weather Jonah sense that it was of no use, or if he feared what the people would do to him, he fled away from what God wanted him to do. He jumped from the fire pan into the fire when he decided to board the boat that would whisk him away. It was at sea, in the storm and eventually in the belly of the big fish that Jonah looked to God for help. He remembered what it was to be in the presence of God and to sense God’s glory. He realized that God would not forsake him. Even as Jonah fled, God was chasing him. To think that the God of the universe loves us so much that He pursues us in spite of ourselves. Like the prodigal son who remembered his home and looked to toward his father, Jonah looked back toward the holy temple, and remembered the goodness and mercy of God. It is never too late to turn to God. If we turn from our ways of disobedience and turn our hearts toward the holy temple, God will receive us.

Looking to Christ

Psalms 146:8 “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind; the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down; the Lord loveth the righteous.”-

The Lord loves all of His creation, but to those who seek after Him and desire to do what is right, He pours out His blessing, and His love is unabated. The blind man who desires to see truth is made to see by the Lord who opens the spiritual eyes of those that live in darkness. To them that have lost hope, and have beed defeated by the devil day in and day out, God will raise up. Victory comes by trusting God to help us look up and see the redemption of God. He is still in control and He will not be denied. Our political world in our nation looks bleak and our nation is in the balance of become one nation under Self. But God will watch over those who love and fear Him. He will cause to righteous to look up and see that there is one coming that will set all things right. Let us not give up, but hold on and see God work.

The Hindrances to the Race

 Feb. 26^th, 2012 pm

The Hindrances to the Race.

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. Hebrew:12:1-2

Admonition is to the believers. To those who have found forgiveness through the shed blood of Christ on the Cross. Born again, new babes in Christ.

We witness the faith of those who have gone before us that they dared to believe God in spite of the circumstance.

We also have those who are now witnessing or watching us press toward the prize that is set before us. 

Or

The cloud of witnesses are those who have gone before us watching and cheering us on so that we do not give up and persevere to finish the race.

How important it is that we show the way for those who are watching- 

Or

Knowing that the torch of faith has been passed on to us, we don’t want to disappoint those who were willing to die for the faith.

Let us “lay aside” the Greek word:  Apo Pithimi.  Means to put away- to place or lay something down. The implication is to be far from you, leave it alone, have nothing more to do with it. 

The Weights: Ogkos- a burden, something heavy that impedes progress.

What weights impede you from going all out for Christ?

What keeps you from being a Spirit filled Christian?

Bad attitudes, self-gratification, critical spirit, foolish pride, ego, selfishness, lack of temperance, reckless behavior, carnal anger, fear & timidity to share the gospel, worldly pleasures that cause leanness of heart, uncooperative spirit, unwillingness to prefer others before you.

The Sin- singular, could be the one thing that always trips you up, or it also could imply THEE SIN- the carnal nature that wars inside the heart vying for your attention, always wanting to have its own way.

The theologian, John Wesley speaks of it as the sin of our constitution. That which always brings us down to defeat. 

The Race- The Christian walk or journey is given the analogy of running a race, a marathon with a prize to be awarded for completing the race. RUN with patience (long suffering, endurance, perseverance, through all trials and tribulations) 

Looking to Jesus- It is only through the Cross and the Holy Spirit that He promised that we are able to complete this race. Keep your eyes on the goal. He sees the race from start to finish. He knows the obstacles that you will be facing. Keep your eyes steadfast on Him. 

The Price has already been paid- He went to the cross, took on us the sin of us all. The remedy for SIN has been provided. We just must avail ourselves to the grace he provides by shedding the weights that hinder us from achieving the finish line.