Daily Thoughts 03-21-2015

Luke 8:15

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. 

Jesus persevered thru the task His Father had given.   Knowing what was coming He still pushed on knowing that God had a purpose for His life.  

We too must push on, not get down but look up knowing our Heavenly Father has a purpose for our life.  

You are the good soil, you have the good heart and your efforts will bear fruit.  Push on for the Glory of The Lord.  

Enjoy your day!  Keep reading on down a great reflection passed along by a brother who is fighting the good fight.  

YBIC

1 John 4:4b

The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Arnold R
Date: March 20, 2015 at 1:52:24 PM 
Subject: RE: [acts-2014-eagle-lake] Daily Thoughts 

Amen Brother! 

 

How True!  No would enter the Boston marathon without training weeks, or even months in preparation.

 

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 

 

Question: "What did Paul mean when he said he had finished the race?"

Answer: "I have finished the race" is the second clause of three within a passage written by the apostle Paul to Timothy: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). The apostle wrote these words near the end of his life. These three statements reflect Paul's struggles in preaching the gospel of Christ and his victory over those struggles.

In the 1st century, the Romans celebrated both the Olympic Games and the Isthmian Games. Competitors would spend up to ten months in arduous physical training. Because the Corinthians were very familiar with these events, Paul used the games as an analogy for a believer's life of faithfulness. He wrote the church in Corinth saying, "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. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever" (1 Corinthians 9:24-25). Paul's exhortation is that believers should be as focused and dedicated as those ancient runners in the games. Our motivation in serving Christ is much higher; we "run" not for a temporary crown, but for an eternal one.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul is not commending himself for having "run the full distance" (TEV); rather, he is simply describing what the grace of God had enabled him to do. In the book of Acts, Paul says these powerful words: "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24).

So, by declaring "I have finished the race," Paul is telling Timothy that he had put every effort into the work of proclaiming to all the gospel of salvation. He had completed the course set before him; he had left nothing undone. He was ready to cross the finish line into heaven.

In a race, only one runner wins. However, in the Christian "race," everyone who pays the price of vigilant training for the cause of Christ can win. We are not competing against one other, as in athletic games, but against the struggles, physical and spiritual, that stand in the way of our reaching the prize (Philippians 3:14).

Every believer runs his own race (1 Corinthians 9:24). Each of us is enabled to be a winner. Paul exhorts us to "run in such a way as to get the prize," and to do this we must set aside anything that might hinder us from living and teaching the gospel of Christ. The writer of Hebrews echoes the words of Paul: "Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

May we be diligent in our "race," may we keep our eyes on the goal, and may we, like Paul, finish strong.



Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/finished-the-race.html#ixzz3UxAYbcSp

 

YBIC,

 

 

 

 

From: acts-2014-eagle-lake@googlegroups.com [mailto:acts-2014-eagle-lake@googlegroups.com]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 6:04 AM
To: acts-mens-2015-flatoniatx@googlegroups.com
Cc: Acts-mens-2014-ColumbusTx@googlegroups.com; Brothers Acts
Subject: [acts-2014-eagle-lake] Daily Thoughts 03-20-2015

 

1 Timothy 4:7-8

 

Avoid profane and silly myths. Train yourself for devotion, for, while physical training is of limited value, devotion is valuable in every respect, since it holds a promise of life both for the present and for the future.

We are all in training while alive.  The goal of everyone should be heaven.  That is the price that we all seek.  This is accomplished on our daily walk.  In our devotion to Jesus, God and Mother Mary, they are our Heavenly Family. 

 

God is always there even when you doubt, He is still there.  Know that you are loved beyond tomorrow.  Keep the head down and continue pushing forward towards the goal.  

 

Brothers, may Jesus be the example as you follow Him today.  

 

YBIC

 

 

1 John 4:4b

The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 

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