Overcoming life and its problems by looking to the future Glory!
: : Every human needs hope to survive this life. Today I want to spark a renewed hope in you to see the glory of God so that it will ignite a passion to live this life and to be eager to live for Christ and to enjoy Him in this life and the next. : :
Helen Lemmel
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Saviour,
And life more abundant and free!
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more has dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!
His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!
Number 1- a heart after God rather than the world
When we look to Jesus the things, the attractions and the lure of this world, like football, money, toys (x-box, iPad) play, cars, start to loose there shine. What we once treasured and found precious here on earth no longer has a strong pull on us. When your heart yearns after things outside of yourself your problems will seem less significant and life will seem brighter!
Christianity is a heart that treasures Christ and His glory more than football, money, power, popularity, play, toys. (John Piper)
My story:
: : GYM and attractions: When I was in my late teens going on 20 I used to be obsessed with body building. I would live, eat, drink and sleep gym, I would buy the latest gym books, speak about gym to my gym buddies and always be thinking about it. I poured large amounts of money into my diet and other supplements because that is what I lived for BECAUSE it gave me self worth and confidence. Gym in itself is not a bad thing its only bad when you draw your self worth and your meaning for life from it that it becomes a bad thing. : :
Psalm 73: 25-26
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
I enjoy the Apostle Paul’s outlook on life where he says
Phil 1:21
for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Wired to give things praise
- We are wired to give praise to things that are beautiful
- to give glory to things that are magnificent.
When we see Christ and his GREAT BEAUTY we are naturally going to give him praise and praise means give him glory.
Grand designs - old ruin of a castle has been restored to its former glory? what do i mean to say of “its former glory”? When they show the new restored castle - What comes to mind, give me some words?
== splendor, beauty, grandeur, greatness, opulence, a wow factor ==
Romans 5:1-2
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Quote John Piper
Romans 5:1-2 And the greatest thing that Christians hope for is to see and enjoy the greatest beauty in the universe—the greatest good and the greatest power and the greatest justice and grace, namely, the glory of God—the beautiful totality of God’s infinite and manifold perfections. Verse 2: “We have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
In Romans 8:18, Paul says this hope makes all the sufferings we have to experience in this life worth it: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” The glory of God will be so overwhelmingly satisfying that the horrors of a long illness and a painful death will be as nothing in comparison. To Quote (2 Corinthians 4:17).“For this slight momentary affliction [this whole painful life seen as momentary!] is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporary and short-lived, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
When the songwriter wrote the words turn your eyes upon Jesus what was she trying to say?
Number 2- satisfying ourselves in God and not the what the world has to offer
When we look to Jesus the problems and worries of this world start to become, in our hearts and minds, more manageable and more attainable to overcome, where there seems to be no way God makes a way. I lacked in self-confidence when I was in my late teens.
My story:
I used a thing of this world namely alcohol to boost my confidence I used it as a tool to fix my problem but it was always only temporary and not progressive. When i focused on Jesus then I started to grow in a confidence that was built up from knowing that Jesus was personally involved in my life and that He cared for me. I am reminded of these scriptures
Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the LORD,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.
1 Peter 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you
What things in this world do we use to help overcome our problems and our need for satisfaction/entertainment instead of God?
Think of examples of your past and if there are times even now when you might do this.
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