Refined By Fire

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you obtain it. [25] And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. [26] Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. [27] But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. I love how Paul used athletic training and competition as a picture of the endurance and perseverance that we as Christian need to continue in our ministry. I've never been a disciplined person even when I played sports. The only time I would practice was when I actually had practice. I rarely ever took time on my own to practice to develop my skills and when I say rarely I mean never. So making the transition for me isn't an easy deal. I do struggle waking u

1 peter 4:7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. Peter was aware that the Lord will be coming back soon. He encourages us to be serious and watchful in our prayers. In the ESV translation says to be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of our prayers.  I've often thought sober-minded to mean to abstain from the influence of drugs or alcohol but you could very well not be of a sober-mind and lose that self-control while being completely sober and that was something that I've realized recently. To be sober-minded I believe is to be aware of the situation at hand, and not only that, but handling yourself in a manner that allows you to continue to be affective in your ministry. It was pointed out today that we don't have a lot of time left here in Antigua, and since we're drawing near to the end, we may have the tendency to become intoxicated with the excitement of going to our new field locations and even becomi

2 Samuel 11:11-13 And Uriah said to David, " The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my Lord Joan and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing." [12] Then David said to Uriah, "Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. [13] Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and made him drunk and that evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.  In the surrounding context we know that David did not practice self control when he saw Uriah's wife. He called for her and he had a sexual encounter with her and got her pregnant. In David's desperation he tried to trick Uriah into laying with his wife to cover up his wrong. It's interesting to see the contrast bet

1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. Disciplining yourself physically is nothing compared to disciplining yourself in the things that are godly. Even being in the setting that I'm in where it's geared towards removing distractions and truly gives me every opportunity to be immersed in the Word, I still find a way to miss devotion time regularly. Not to mention my prayer life. I'm sure it seems that it would be easy to maintain a prayer life but the truth of the matter is sometimes I just don't feel like praying . With that being said, those are the times I find I need it the most, and in that I believe that's when I need to press in even harder. Trying to be aware of situations that prayer would be important(Not saying prayer is not always importing) is not always an easy task. I find myself to be very distant at times and it's har

Philippians 3:12-13 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.[13] Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. Paul knows he's not perfect and he knows his need for growth and I can agree that if Paul is not perfect, then I am so far from it it's not even funny. I need growth and with growth comes times that will stretch you. Times that involve sacrifice. Times that will call you to put aside your comforts and step into situation where you're outside of your realm. But that being laid aside, I press on that I may lay hold of the perfect and complete resurrection that is our goal. That is the prize that we lay our eyes on, to be resurrected with Christ and to spend an eternity with God. It's easy for me to get stuck on certain things and

Philippians 3:11 - if, by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Romans 6:4-5 Paints a wonderful picture of what these verses are saying; [4] "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life [5] For we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection," Now, back to Philippians, if, by any means I key word MAY attain to the resurrection from the dead. Paul knows that if strays from Christ and isn't walking under the blood, He's not covered. I would dare to make reference to the Passover scene in Exodus, where Gods people were commanded to sacrifice a lamb and paint the door frames with the blood of the lamb and when the time of the Passover came, they were to be in the house or they would suffer death. Likewise, our faith must come with acti