Fight the Good Fight

I was listening to a sermon by John MacArthur on Ephesians 6:14. I had never heard this hymn before and like it, so I thought I would pass it along. :) Hope you're encouraged.

"Fight the good fight with all thy might,

Christ is thy strength and Christ is thy right.

Lay hold on life and it shall be

thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God's good grace

and lift up thine eyes and seek His face.

Life with its ways before thee lies,

Christ is the way and Christ the prize.

Cast care aside, lean on thy guide,

lean and His mercy will provide.

Lean and the trusting soul shall prove

Christ is its life and Christ its love.

Faint not nor fear,

His arm is near.

He changeth not and thou art dear.

Only believe and thou shall see

that Christ is all in all to thee."  

- John Monzell

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of GOd in Christ Jesus."

                                                                                                                                             (Phil 3:12-14)

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I dscipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." (1 Cor 9:24-27) 

Just a Moment

I've found myself thinking a lot about this life recently; I can be distracted with random stuff, taken up with cares of today, fears and concerns for the future, and yet somehow my thoughts seem to rarely dwell on eternity and on the day when I will be able to see the Lord. I can dread the separations that life brings, I sometimes fear what kind of trials may come, but I forget that this life is just a moment, a vapor, here and then gone and that our faithful Shepherd is walking through life with us. This life is not the end-all; we as believers have eternity to look forward to. I recently heard someone speaking and I was impressed by his eternal perspective on life. He was sharing about getting ready to move across the country, and admitted that leaving close relationships was difficult, but he concluded that this life was but a short time before we would all be together worshipping the Lord before His throne. I was so encouraged by his perpsective on life - he was interpreting his blessings and trials through the lens of eternity. How differently we view life when we look at it from an eternal perspective. How I work at my job matters because I will give an account to the Lord for how I applied myself to the task He gave me. How I interact with other believers matters because we are in a warfare and are all marching towards eternity and need exhortation and encouragement along the way. How I interact with unbelievers matters because this life will be over soon and they will stand before the Lord their Judge. Blessings can be rejoiced in because they are but a small taste of what heaven will be like, and difficulties can be endured because, as Paul put it, they are just "momentary light afflictions," and our ever-present Savior gives grace sufficient for every trial (2 Cor 12:9). Earthly joys can be enjoyed but not lived for, because we have been freed from living for lesser things and now have the immense privilege of living for our Savior who is coming again. May the Lord further develop an eternal perspective in me and cause me to view my life in light of His return.

"Only one life to live, will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."