24. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
We are all in the race. Some of us feel as though we're not moving very fast and we're not moving very far. I have encouraging news. If you're in it, your moving!
I don't know about you, but it seems as though we had a lot of starts and stops. Every time we seem to start moving it's time to stop again. These stopping times are very important! These are times when God does His deep work inside of us. If it is going to make me more like Jesus I want it!
. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion (that's us), and he that remaineth (endures) in Jerusalem (peace), shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living (living in the Spirit of God, flesh nature is crucified) in Jerusalem (peace):
Verse 3 takes place after verse 4 has been done in us.
4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (that's us), and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment (God is using curses here from Duet. 28:15-68 to accomplish this), and by the spirit of burning (baptism of fire).
If you don't believe what you are going through is a curse, read the list and see if any of them apply to you. I know that this goes against the teaching that we are covered in the blood and these things shouldn't be upon us. But we have a responsibility to seek God and repent for known sins, presumptuous sins Ps. 19:13 and hidden sins Ps 51:6. Then there are trespasses too. Things we have entered into without permission. Believe me, I was just as astonished by this when God began to show me how He was using these things to purify me. The wonderful thing is that we can recognize it for what it is and repent. Then we can apply these curses to the cross of Jesus where they belong.
5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. The NKJV says, "over all the glory shall be a covering." We are to be the "glory carriers! That means that once we have gone through the purging and cleansing of God, He alone will cover us. It doesn't matter what is going on in the world around us. We will find our abode in Him.
6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Isaiah 4:3-6
1. 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. 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Hebrews 12: 1-6
Judgement does not have to be a bad things if God is using it as a tool to refine us and bring us into Christ's likeness. We just need to find out what is God is dealing with, repent and move on in God. The quicker the better.
The whole time I was looking up the word Race the word Grace would come up.
So let's not forsake the Grace of God by continuing in our sin. Let's embrace it and make the necessary changes.
25. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
We are all in the race. Some of us feel as though we're not moving very fast and we're not moving very far. I have encouraging news. If you're in it, your moving!
I don't know about you, but it seems as though we had a lot of starts and stops. Every time we seem to start moving it's time to stop again. These stopping times are very important! These are times when God does His deep work inside of us. If it is going to make me more like Jesus I want it!
. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion (that's us), and he that remaineth (endures) in Jerusalem (peace), shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living (living in the Spirit of God, flesh nature is crucified) in Jerusalem (peace):
Verse 3 takes place after verse 4 has been done in us.
4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion (that's us), and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment (God is using curses here from Duet. 28:15-68 to accomplish this), and by the spirit of burning (baptism of fire).
If you don't believe what you are going through is a curse, read the list and see if any of them apply to you. I know that this goes against the teaching that we are covered in the blood and these things shouldn't be upon us. But we have a responsibility to seek God and repent for known sins, presumptuous sins Ps. 19:13 and hidden sins Ps 51:6. Then there are trespasses too. Things we have entered into without permission. Believe me, I was just as astonished by this when God began to show me how He was using these things to purify me. The wonderful thing is that we can recognize it for what it is and repent. Then we can apply these curses to the cross of Jesus where they belong.
5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. The NKJV says, "over all the glory shall be a covering." We are to be the "glory carriers! That means that once we have gone through the purging and cleansing of God, He alone will cover us. It doesn't matter what is going on in the world around us. We will find our abode in Him.
6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.
Isaiah 4:3-6
1. 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. 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Hebrews 12: 1-6
Judgement does not have to be a bad things if God is using it as a tool to refine us and bring us into Christ's likeness. We just need to find out what is God is dealing with, repent and move on in God. The quicker the better.
The whole time I was looking up the word Race the word Grace would come up.
So let's not forsake the Grace of God by continuing in our sin. Let's embrace it and make the necessary changes.
It's God's GRace that helps us run this Race!
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