Welcome!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Today: Fix your eyes!
Passage: Hebrews 12, Psalm 34
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb 12: 1-2, NIV 84)
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. (Ps 34: 4-7, NIV 84-emphasis added)
Yesterday, we were looking at the great and precious calling of God, calling us from darkness to light, making us His own special (chosen) people, royal priesthood and a holy nation! (1 Peter 2: 9)
God has placed us in the same place as Jesus Christ! (Eph 2:6, 1:3)
Now, where is our focus, our concentration?
Is our focus fixed on Jesus or on others/other things?
We are in a race- the faith race of life. We need to get rid of unnecessary burdens and sinful addictions in our life, to win this race. Focus on Jesus, who is at the finishing point, waiting for us!
The disciples, even while walking with Jesus, got distracted sometimes, as they started looking at each other’s face!
That is what is happening even today. Instead of looking at Jesus, we are looking at others finding faults, while we look “very good” in our own eyes!
We forget that God is watching us as well as the great cloud of witnesses in heaven are watching us. They are watching, how we run and finish!
Back in India: when the neighbor’s cat eats/drinks something from your kitchen, it closes its eyes. It may be thinking, “Nobody is seeing me”!
Do we do something similar to that sometimes?
When Peter and the 120 separated some time to be with God after the ascension of Jesus, God did great and mighty things (Acts 2)
Instead, if they were having discussions about “How to run the ministry, now that Jesus is gone”, what would have happened?
If we have time to look at Jesus, he has time to look at us and our issues!
God made Moses the leader of the Israelites. No one could replace him in all those 40 years. It was God’s appointment, and Moses did everything exactly as God commanded him (Exodus 40- read it if you can)
When the tabernacle was to be built, God told Moses how to do it
God anointed people with special gifts and talents. Moses appointed the same people for those jobs. Moses did not make his own choice!
The Church is Jesus’s own. When everything goes the way He wants, He will be with us and protect us
It is time to take our eyes OFF everything else and take time with Jesus. It is time to get on our knees and cry for ourselves, our family and the Church
God bless you and your family
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am sorry for taking my eyes away from you and getting distracted with so many other things. Help me to focus on you, your word and talk to you much though prayer. Amen