Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Fix Your Eyes On Jesus


Let us run with perseverance
    the race marked out for us.
Let us Fix Our Eyes On Jesus,
    the author and perfecter of our faith
 – Hebrews 12:2
 
Fix Your Thoughts On Jesus,
    the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
 – Hebrews 3:1

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
    Set Your Hearts On Things Above,
        where Christ is seated at the 
            right hand of God.
Set Your Minds On Things Above,
    Not On Earthly Things.
For you died, and your life is now hidden 
       with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is your life, appears,
       then you also will appear 
            with Him in glory.
 – Colossians 3:1-4
 
Therefore, we do not lose heart.
Thought 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.
For what is seen is temporary,
    but what is unseen is eternal.
 – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Then Peter got down out of the boat,
    walked on the  water and came toward Jesus.
But When He Saw The Wind, 
        He Was Afraid
    and, beginning to sink, cried out,
       "Lord, save me!"
Immediately Jesus reached out His hand 
       and caught him.
"You of little faith," He said, 
     "why did you doubt?"
 – Matthew 14:29-31

Satan wants us to Doubt the Word of God.
He wants to Distract us from spiritual things.
He wants to Disable us in the Lord's service.
He wants to Destroy us physically.
His primary strategy:  Deception.
The only way to avoid these tactics is
to keep our eyes on Jesus 
   and not on the problem.
     – Dr. Charles Stanley

Many believers gaze at their problems and
        glance at the Lord.
We need to gaze at the Lord and 
       glance at our problems.
– quoted by Joni Earekson Tada

When we are blind-sided:
* Focus on the cause of the anxiety
    (becomes a magnet)
            or
* Focus on God
    (when you take your focus off God,
        you will be thrown off balance)
 – Dr. Charles Stanley

How shall we fix our eyes on things unseen?
There is no other answer but faith,
faith in the character of God Himself.
That and no other is the anchor for our souls.
                                                                          – Elisabeth Elliot