Page 8 - Good News May 2007 paper

s a great amount of training that after enlisting others for the my Lord, and through it all I have
is needed for athletic race, I myself might be declared kept true to Him...In heaven a
Aactivities, so we must train unfit and ordered to stand aside” crown is waiting for me which the
diligently for the Christian life. (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Lord, the righteous Judge, will
Such training takes time, dedica- As believers we must train our- give me on that great day of His
tion, energy, continued practise, selves to run the race of life. So we return. And not just to me, but to
and vision. We must all commit keep our eyes on Christ - the Goal all those whose lives show that
ourselves to the Christian life, but - and don’t get sidetracked or they are eagerly looking forward
we must first know the rules as slowed down. When we do this, to His coming back again” (2 Tim.
prescribed in God’s Word: we will win a reward in Christ’s 4:7,8).
“Follow the Lord’s rules for doing Kingdom. The Christian life is a fight against
His work, just as an athlete either 2. Put all your energies toward evil forces from without and
follows the rules or is disqualified winning the race. temptation from within. If we stay
and wins no prize” (2 Tim. 2:5). “No, dear brothers, I am still not true to God through it all, He
1. Deny yourself many things in all I should be, but I am bringing promises an end, a rest, and a
order to do your best. all my energies to bear on this one crown.
“In a race, everyone runs but only thing: Forgetting the past and 4. Spiritual exercise will help you
one person gets first prize. So run looking forward to what lies grow in faith and character.
your race to win! To win the ahead, I strain to reach the end of “Don’t waste time arguing over for our hope is in the living God
contest you must deny yourself the race and receive the prize for foolish ideas and silly myths and Who died for all, and particularly
many things that would keep you which God is calling us up to legends. Spend your time and for those who have accepted His
from doing your best. An athlete heaven because of what Christ energy in the exercise of keeping salvation” (1 Tim. 4:7-10).
goes to all this trouble just to win Jesus did for us” (Philippians spiritually fit. Bodily exercise is As we must repeat exercises to
a blue ribbon or a silver cup, but 3:13,14). all right, but spiritual exercise is tone our bodies, so we must
we do it for a heavenly reward that Living the Christian life demands much more important... So steadily repeat spiritual exercises
never disappears. So I run all of our energy. We should forget exercise yourself spiritually and to be spiritually fit. When we do
straight to the goal with purpose the past and strain for the Goal, practise being a better Christian, this, we will be better Christians,
in every step. I fight to win. I’m not because we know Christ pro- because that will help you not living in accordance with God's
just shadow-boxing or playing mises us eternity with Him at the only now in this life, but in the next will. Such a life will attract others
around. Like an athlete I punish end of the race. life too. This is the truth and to Christ and pay dividends in this
my body, treating it roughly, 3. Fighting long and hard without everyone should accept it. We present life and the next.
training it to do what it should, not giving up. work hard and suffer much in [Life Application Bible, Tyndale
what it wants to. Otherwise I fear “I have fought long and hard for order that people will believe it, House Publishers, 1971].

ecently, an international We shouldn’t be surprised that a He is just as real, if not more so, On 26 - 29 April 2007 Christians
student of Virginia Tech growing number of them are than my ‘earthly’ father.” from all over the United States
RC o l l e g e i n A m e r i c a showing up on campus with Some people acted heroically in gathered on Virginia beach to
gunned down 32 of his fellow chronic depression and suppres- the midst of the shooting drama. pray (Visit this Project’s website:
students and professors, before sed rage. Professor Liviu Librescu, a 76- www.theassembly2007.org), and
killing himself. We serve a God who can heal their year-old Israeli immigrant and on 7 July 2007 thousands of
“What does God have to say to us pain - but He wants to use us to Holocaust survivor, sacrificed his young people from across
about this senseless tragedy?” show His supernatural love. Are life to save his students at America will gather in Nashville
asks Charisma editor Lee Grady. we equipped and willing to do it?” Virginia Tech by throwing himself to fast, pray and cry out to God
He calls on churches in America Many of today’s college students in front of the shooter when the for another awakening (Visit
to make campus ministry a are dynamic witnesses for Christ. man tried to enter his classroom. www.thecall.com).
priority. One of those witnesses is Lauren “All the students lived because of On this date Jaeson Ma’s book
“History proves that students are McCain, a 20-year-old Virginia him,” student Asael Arad - also an ‘The Blueprint - A Revolutionary
often key players in spiritual Tech freshman who was killed in Israeli - is quoted as saying. Plan to Plant Missional Commu-
revival. This was obvious during this act of violence. Interestingly, it was on Holocaust nities on Campus’, will be
the First Great Awakening, in the Since her death, hundreds of Remembrance Day that this released, a book that is expected
1806 Haystack Revival and in the thousands of people have visited Holocaust survivor gave his life to catalyze simple church move-
Jesus Movement of the 1970s. her MySpace page where she to save the lives of others. ments on university campuses
Many of today’s Millennial described herself this way: “The This year is the 400th anniversary all over the United States.
Generation grew up in a confu- purpose and love of my life is of the Gospel coming to Virginia,
sing world of divorce, alienation, Jesus Christ. I don’t have to argue and the 40th anniversary of the [Sources: Lee Grady, The
online pornography, parental religion, philosophy or historical Jesus Movement that touched Jerusalem Post, Lou Engle,
rejection and empty materialism. evidence because I KNOW Him. many universities in America. Jaeson Ma via Joel News].

ave you ever wondered do I do this?” And he realized, of desires. He will love God and could tie apples to a peach tree,
why you do what you do? “Because I like to.” want to talk to God in prayer and but that would not make it an
HOne former Navy pilot tells Before a person becomes a see what God has to say to him in apple tree. In the same way,
how he was living a wilder life Christian - I mean a real Christian, His Word, the Bible. He wants to adding religious activities to
than he knew he should live. not just someone who says he is - be around other people who love one’s schedule doesn’t make one
He decided his problem was that his “want-to” is broken. God; church attendance becomes a Christian. Just as the fruit of the
he was being led astray by his The fake Christian is not interes- meaningful. There is a new desire tree naturally flows from the
friends in flight training. So he ted in God. He is bored by church to obey God. nature of the tree, even so the
arranged to finish his work in the and by reading his Bible. He Why do we do what we do? The attitudes, words, and actions of
program early and be transferred cannot “make” himself “want to” answer is simple: we do what we our lives reveal the true nature of
to another field nearby. do right and he cannot “make” do because of what we are. It’s ourselves.
Yet, it wasn’t long, he said, before himself “want not” to do wrong. like fruit trees. Apple trees bear Jesus said, “Even so, every good
he was back in the same old bars, When a person is born again, God apples, pear trees produce pears, tree bears good fruit, but a bad
with the same girls, just with repairs his “want-to.” Even peach trees grow peaches. The tree bears bad fruit....Therefore,
different friends. One night out- though he still feels the pull of fruit is the natural result of the by their fruits you will know them”
on-the-town he wondered, “Why temptation, he will have a new set nature of the tree. I suppose you (Matt. 7:17, 20). - Selected