“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Hebrews 12:1–2

  

Your focus determines your impact.

 

Flight 401 was bound for Miami from New York City with a load of holiday passengers. As the huge aircraft approached the Miami Airport for its landing, a light that indicates proper deployment of the landing gear failed to come on. The plane flew in a large, looping circle over the swamps of the Everglades while the cockpit crew checked out the light failure. Their question was this, had the landing gear actually not deployed or was it just the light bulb that was defective?

 

To begin with, the flight engineer fiddled with the bulb. He tried to remove it, but it wouldn’t budge. Another member of the crew tried to help out…and then another. By and by, if you can believe it, all eyes were on the little light bulb that refused to be dislodged from its socket. No one noticed that the plane was losing altitude. Finally, it dropped right into a swamp. Many were killed in that plane crash. While an experienced crew of high-priced and seasoned pilots messed around with a seventy-five-cent light bulb, an entire airplane and many of its passengers were lost.

 

Isn’t it amazing that in the midst of the situation, not one person felt the plane diving or saw it getting closer to the ground? I don’t know about you, but I would have been yelling and screaming for the pilot to focus on flying the plane rather than staring at the little light!

 

As we approach the holiday season several little lights will come into your life. Lights that at other times of the year may go unnoticed. There’s shopping for gifts, decorating the house, planning vacation, baking holiday goodies, attending school and church programs, and so on. These little “lights” can draw your attention away from the true meaning of the season.

 

Be careful of what you focus on this holiday season. It is a fun time of year! Our focus should be on Christ and the birth of our Saviour more than on presents and fun times.   (From Daily in the Word)

Sam Jones was an old-time circuit riding preacher who travelled over the country preaching revival meetings. He often referred to them as “Quittin meetings.” His preaching was primarily to Christians, and he urged them to give up–quit, the sinful practices in their lives. His preaching met with great success, with many folks vowing to quit their particular sins.

On one occasion he asked a woman, “Just what is it that you’re quittin?” She replied, “I’m guilty of not doing something, and I’m going to quit that too!” Great point—although she had no bad habits to give up, she wasn’t serving God and had decided to do something about it.

We need to think about that. Most often we put all the emphasis on the things we are doing, without ever giving a thought to what we’re not doing. It’s fine and dandy to repent of the sins of commission, but we need to give serious thought to the sins of ommission as well. You can quit every bad habit known to man and still waste your life. Disobedience is sin whether it is doing something you shouldn’t or not doing something you should. Sit down and make a list of all the things you know you should be doing and it won’t take long to reach the point of embarrassment. This would be a good day to quit putting off those things you should have been doing. Think about it!

Psalm 101 is a song wherein David vows to live righteously. In just eight verses the word “will” is used nine times and the word “shall” is used five times. This is a record of David’s resolves–we see his promises and plans. Notice the strong emphasis he places on singing.

“I will sing.” It would be good if we all determined to do so. Christians have something to sing about. Reflecting on our Redeemer how can we remain silent? Some people sit through a worship service watching the song-leader like a calf looking at a new gate. They refuse to open their mouth or even give any expression of joy. What a sad sight! They wouldn’t be comfortable sitting next to David.

“I will sing of mercy and judgment.” That is wise.Romans 11:22 tells us that we are to behold both “goodness and severity of God”. David felt that both of these are fit subjects for song. Spurgeon was right when he said,”We ought as much to bless the Lord for the judgment with He chastens our sins, as for the mercy with which He forgives it; there is as much love in the blows of His hand as in the kisses of His mouth.”

“unto thee, O Lord will I sing.” This tells us to Whom his song is directed. He not only sang about the Lord, he sang “unto” the Lord. He had no desire to impress or entertain others. His only concern was to please the Lord. That should be our desire also.

How is it with you? We live in a sin saddened society and, as believers, we need to maintain our song. Regardless of how dark the night or how bleak the day, we always have something to sing about. That “something” is Someone–Christ the Lord. Let us then sing about Him and to Him, leaving no doubt to those around us as to where our focus is. Will you, this day, resolve to follow David’s example? God is waiting to hear from you.

There is a very strange command found in Ezekiel 46:9. God forbid the people to leave the temple the same way they they came in. Those who entered through the north gate were to exit through the south gate and those who entered through the south gate were to exit through the north gate. Why? No explanation is given. Maybe it was to prevent confusion and congestion. Or, as Matthew Henry wrote, “We may suppose that they came in at the gate that was next their own houses, but, when they went away, God would have them to go out at the gate which would lead them the furthest way about, that they might have time for meditation; being thereby obliged to go a great way round the sanctuary, they might have an opportunity to consider the palaces of it.”

Whatever the reasons might be, they were not to leave the same way as they came in. I believe that can serve as a lesson for us.The church has replaced the temple as God’s house of witness and we Christians are warned about “Forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”(Heb. 10:25). We should be faithful in church attendance. We should attend for the purpose of worshipping God and to “provoke” one another “unto love and good works”(Heb. 10:24). And, since none of us are perfect, we should leave God’s house different than when we came. Attendance there should change us for the better.

I’ve often said, when you leave church you always leave in a better or worse condition than when you came. If you hear the Word of God and refuse to obey it you will leave worse than you came. But, if you submit to God’s Word you will be the better for it. Worship should be a transforming experience. So, when you attend church next Sunday, ask God to change your life. Don’t leave the same way you came!