(Pail said) Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider
myself a winner yet. This is what I do:
I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to
win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.
Staying
in one place too long is not a good thing in my opinion. It is important that we keep moving, making
progress and seeing that we, and the people around us, find success.
As
Jesus encountered people He was always challenging them, and one of the most
difficult was when he dealt with religious leaders, as in the Pharisees and
Sadducees. These were the people who saw
Jesus rocking the proverbial boat the entire time He was on earth. Jesus questioned their reasoning, their piety
and their self-absorbed religious practices.
Their beliefs were based on the law and tradition rather on faith in
God.
I have
just returned from a visit to the LA Dream Center, and Keith Fulcher returned
home from the Dream Center’s discipleship program. Without getting on an airplane or in some
kind of transportation, this trip and Keith’s growth would not have
happened. Without stepping forward with
a group of people seven years ago, The Community Fellowship would not have
began and thousands of people would not have been helped in our community. Without moving forward with the purchase of
our new campus, the future ability to bless more people would not be becoming
even more of a reality. We have had to
and we will continue taking positive steps forward.
It
might be law or the status quo that keeps us from taking positive steps
forward. It might be fear that keeps us
from stepping forward. It could be a
lack of understanding that keeps us from moving forward. It could be a combination of those or
others. What we do know is that
following Jesus gives God glory and makes us press forward. By plugging our lives into Jesus there will
fruit in our lives.
Let me
give you some thoughts on the issue of staying where we are or of taking
positive steps forward:
--- Staying
where we are is safe but boring. We will
possibly encounter less trials or struggles if we stay where we are. But we will also miss some of the great
things that happen in life.
---
Moving forward makes me stretch myself.
It is kind of like having to jump across a hole in the ground. It is risky, yet on the other side is some
great stuff.
---
Staying in one place means keeping what we have. That might not be true because you might use
up all you have.
---
Moving forward could help you gain more blessings and more strength than you
have ever thought you could have.
John 15:4 GWT
Live in me,
and I will live in you. A branch cannot
produce any fruit by itself. It has to
stay attached to the vine. In the same
way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.
That’s
only a few thoughts about the struggle to stay where you are or to move forward. I believe God is calling me to move
forward. God has instructed me to
challenge others to move forward. We
must face our fears head on, live with radical faith and watch God do
incredible things in and around our lives.
Start where you are and move forward.
Hear from God and move forward.
Find a spiritual friend who is following God that you have things in
common with and move forward with them.
There
are things that God wants you to experience.
There are lives, including yours, that God wants to change. There are blessings that God wants to place
in your life. But none of that will
happen if you play it safe, if you stay where you are, if you don’t face and
pass your fears. It is time to take
positive steps forward. Are you with
me? Lets go!
Hebrews 11:6
GWT
No one can
please God without faith. Whoever goes
to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewards those who seek
Him.
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