But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Acts 20

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul.  Today, I move to chapter three - Steady in His Calling through Incomparable Sufferings.  This chapter describes Paul as "utterly devoted" to Christ despite and through "incomparable sufferings."  Piper shares how Acts 20:24 highlights Paul's single minded devotion to sharing the gospel. Paul's single mindedness to his mission as given to him by God is further clarified in Romans 15:20 where Paul shares how he seeks to share the Good News of Jesus Christ "not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation."  Broadly speaking, Philippians 1:20 describes Paul's mission to glorify God regardless of whether through life or death - this is how he is able to endure the incredible suffering as he described in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28.  Believers should all live on mission to glorify Christ as this is why we exist and do as Paul does to live with such single-mindedness (and with intention) that we are able to push through anything, including suffering.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who lived with singular focus - to live a perfect life, to save others, to die on the cross, and to rise again so that those who believe can be saved and sealed forever.  Thank You Jesus for the life You led and for giving us other examples such as Paul for how to serve as You desire all of us to do.  I am not worthy of how You save and for the grace You pour out.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 23

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. v17-18

Satan is constantly tempting us and we often fall prey to envy of others for what they have, what they may be doing (appearing to have fun, looking cool, status, etc.) and drop our focus on Jesus.  We must have endurance and maintain focus on Jesus.

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2.

 

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. 1 Corinthians 9:24

 

We must also be alert.

 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9 

 

We must maintain hope - see also Jeremiah 29:11.

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love and compassion for me...and You are patient beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I am lazy and I lack patience for others.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith. Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus so that they accept You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me lead and serve my family and serve You and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven.

Psalm 123

I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. v1

I am very often distracted by my own thoughts and by what I see around me.  Focus on God is VERY important.  When we don't focus on God, we cannot hear Him, and we won't have the awareness to see Him where He is.

Am I too concerned with myself as Xerxes was?

Focus on God requires us to focus on His Word and what He promises...it requires faith.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  Hebrews 12:1-3

My Prayer:  Lord, You are an awesome God and worthy of my full attention and focus...Your hand produces incredible wonders in the world and in my life - You have blessed me well beyond what I deserve.  I am far too easily distracted by things of this world - please forgive me!  Help me overcome and turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 86

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. v11

I now I am easily distracted by things of this world, and I too desire an undivided heart. 

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

As we "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles" us, we are called run the race marked out for us.  And we need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Everyone's race is unique in terms of of developing and using our spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12).  I am reminded of John Ortberg's book If You Want to Walk On Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat.  We have to get out of our comfort zone and focus on Jesus...He is the only one who can can do this for us.  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God, able to accomplish all things, creator of all things and in control of all things.  You hold my life in Your hands and You are full of gentleness, patience, kindness, mercy, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worthy of such treatment.  I am not willing to get out of my comfort zone...please forgive me Jesus and help me have an undivided heart and to fix my eyes on You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, apply, and be obedient to Your message for me today and every day. 

Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 58

Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” v11

Just as David cries out for justice and is comforted in knowing that God is just, we too should feel comforted and at peace that all will be made perfect in the end.  Our focus should not be in worry, envy, jealously, anger, etc. at this world but instead on God Himself, the author of life and of our faith.  He is just. For believers there is hope in this justice in that we are spared...and that we will live eternity in Heaven with God our Father.

He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”  Revelation 21:6-8

My Prayer: Lord, You are both just and merciful...and full of love, power, knowledge, wisdom, etc.  You ARE my all in all.  Apart from You I can nothing and certainly no good thing.  I must abide in You for my sustenance.  Thank You for the blessing of every day.  I need You desperately in my life because I am broken.  I continue to worry and act out of this worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength. Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.

Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.

Psalm 39

Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure. v5

We are reminded this morning that God is in control, that our earthly security is a mere phantom, that every new day is a gift of grace from God (and we are not deserving of such a gift) and that we must live life with the end in mind.

David expands and clarifies this further:

Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be. v6 

In light of God's dominion over our life, Peter admonishes us to live a life of reverent fear:

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear.  1 Peter 1:17

Living today with intention will provide us with hope for a secure future in Heaven: 

In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.   

Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. 

 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. Micah 4:1-5

My Prayer: Lord, You are our hope....our only hope.  We live on earth as foreigners assaulted from all sides...but You protect us and You rescue us...and through faith in You we receive not just forgiveness from sins but eternity in heaven - our true home.  What a great God You are!  Thank You for such gifts Jesus but I am not worth (Matthew 5:3) such a God and I am completely dependent on You.  Forgive me for my many sins of impatience, anger, etc.  Help me overcome and turn from such sins towards You and help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation. Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. v11

When I think of the path of life, I think about how it may not be as planned but it is all for my good and God's glory.

[The people] are the shoot I have planted,

the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.  Isaiah 60:21

 

The path of life is towards the eternal and that is where I should focus.

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. v8

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  Hebrews 12:1-2

I am the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6

My Prayer: Lord, You are way, the truth, and the life. Apart from You I am nothing.  Yet I often think about my abilities as though they are my own hand for my glory.  You have been so patient and graceful to me...thank You Jesus.  Yet I am not worth such a God because I think of myself too often and my glory.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You instead.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Please help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin, and serve You Jesus.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12

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, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. v1-2

We are Christ's Ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) - given the gospel and told to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to all.  People know this and are watching us...these are our witnesses.  Because we have witnesseses we must as best as possible avoid sin and be Holy...as God asks us.  (Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7).  We must also persevere by fixing our focus on Jesus.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are a great God - pure, Holy and blameless.  You came to earth to suffer and die for me, knowing everything about me including my sin.  You persevered...for me.  What a great God - thank You for all that You are and all that You do.  I am not worth such a God.  I am broken.  I am lazy and too quick to anger...among my many sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me focus my eyes on You...help me avoid sin.  Protect me.  Help me persevere.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa comfort, strength, and freedom from pain.  Please heal and cure Lisa of her cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Colossians 3

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. v2

Paul is writing to the Colossians to warn them about the dangers of false prophets and heresy.  He simply states the key to victory of these dark forces.  Similarly, Paul did the same in Romans:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

My Prayer:  Lord You are the Way, Truth and the Light..."no one comes to the Father except through You".  You are the Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and You are in and above all.  Yet You came down from heaven to willingly suffer and die for me...personally.  Thank for such an incredible gift.  I am not worth such a gift.  I know what I deserve.  I am broken.  I am selfish, quick to anger, impatient, disobedient, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You!  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure Lisa of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Lift up my brothers in BSF...support and encourage them them with Your uplifting arms.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. v16-18

I am not sure there are going to be as many passages of scripture that speak to Lisa's cancer and our circumstances as squarely as these passages written by Paul.  For sure, I don't see Lisa wasting away but our earthly lives are temporary compared to eternity in heaven with Jesus.  I pray that I can fix my eyes on Jesus and can help Lisa do the same.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are that give us both external and more importantly, internal or inward strength.  You provide like no other!  We need no look elsewhere for our care and provision!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such care and love...I continue to sin...I am selfish, lazy, I worry...etc.  Thank You again that You love me despite my sin and knowing about my sin even before I sin.  Help me turn from my sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength and give Lisa strength.  Help me serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.