by David Brenneman
"The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness." Proverbs 15:9.
Paul spoke of running the race set before him. Here we read of pursuing righteousness. Paul spoke of running in such a way as to win the prize. Here's the prize.
The chief lesson to remember about the schemes of the devil is that he will try everything he's allowed in order to cause us to stumble or to fall.
To pursue righteousness is something pleasing to God. As we have been exhorted in the Word of God so should we be encouraged in the Lord to get in the game and run with the aim of Godly success in this.
Most don't recognize the schemes of the devil due to being so busy with worldly things. Pursuing success as the world defines it. Pursuing peace, love, joy, as the world defines it. Pursuing money because of thinking that's a badge of success. Spending on a whim rather that being satisfied with what one has. Not being organized enough to prepare for what comes in life. We have not because we ask with wrong intentions only planning to spend it on ourselves. We lack the spiritual eyes to see the work of God in Christ Jesus in ourselves and those He put in our lives. We lack the spiritual vision of His purpose for us and those whom we were meant to minister to.
Do you pursue righteousness? Do you rather pursue things of the world?
Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. If you're working towards worldly values you're going to miss Godly values.
What we do in Christ is what will survive the fires of His Truth on the day we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives.
Yes this is a repeated subject and with good reason. Look even back at the early Church. Much was written in our Bibles of being found ready for the return of Jesus Christ for His Church.
I've never met, nor even seen in television or movies, where anyone was truly overjoyed at being caught unawares when someone important came to not visit but to evaluate their lives.
At the point of the Rapture of the Church...the first to be raptured will be the dead in Christ. Those who have already physically died. They have nothing to be immediately surprised about concerning this taking place. Those who are alive and remain will be right in the middle of life. Right in the middle of work, of driving vehicles, of relationship issues, of medical treatments, of everything happening right now in the world. Some will certainly be caught flat-footed.
Will you be found to be running the race set before you or will you be caught on the bench, on the ground, on anything but running the race to reach for righteousness?
Will you be found with the mind of Christ because you lived a life putting whatever the Spirit taught you as first place in your life? Will you be found in a shameful situation?
The word of God says that we do not know the day nor the hour of Jesus's return. We ARE to seriously consider that if the owner of the house had known what time he was going to be robbed that he would have prepared for the robber.
Lesson being that we should always be prepared for that moment we step into eternity.
Be "Rapture Ready" and while being that, being on our spiritual feet running the race set before us. Pleasing the Lord that we are pursuing righteousness found only in Christ Jesus.
It's never going to matter what accolades we achieve in this world in light of eternity.
It's never going to matter what places we went to, spending thousands to go see and experience.
It's not going to matter what famous people we met if those people aren't going to be an encouragement in Christ to us and others.
It's not going to matter how nice a house, how nice a car or anything we can accumulate.
It's not going to matter how much we sacrificed for our kids to give them everything except the teaching to pursue the Lord with their everything.
Pursue righteousness. Pursue what pleases our Lord Jesus Christ. Bring Him joy in our pursuit of what pleases Him.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
(C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
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