Monday, September 24, 2018

Break Every Barrier

The Apostle Paul faced setbacks. He faced some of the greatest difficulties in recorded Christian history. Yet he did not turn away and make excuses for those troubles. He simply said he would forget what was behind him and press forward!

There is a lot of truth to the playground chant: "Winners never quit and quitters never win." But though winners don't quit, that doesn't mean they don't change. Quitting is not an option, but change is always a part of the winner's life. The good news is anyone who is willing to change can develop the winning attitude.

Hebrews 12:1-2 gives very important insight how: "Surrounded then as we are by these serried ranks of witnesses, let us strip off everything that hinders us, as well as the sin which dogs our feet, and let us run the race we have to run with patience, our eyes fixed on Jesus the source and goal of our faith (J.B. Phillips).

Notice we must deal with two things: the things which must be stripped away as well as the sins which weigh us down. The change that is so important is to find and strip off the things hindering us from moving forward. Things that may not be sins are often tolerated by Christians who ignore the fact that those things hinder them in running the race and winning.

Too many times old habits hinder the new attitudes of God's victories from being established. We have to strip off the things that are working to extinguish our faith and develop new habits that will enhance it.

We must develop new habits concerning our thinking, meditating, acting, responding, and making decisions. Choosing to change these habit patterns will put us on the path to new power.

The way we think can be an advantage or a stumbling block in our path. If we continue to think the thoughts of failure, defeat and weakness, we will fall flat on our faces. But the new attitude within us can create a new pattern of thinking. Thoughts of love, success, peace and strength will start to dominate us. Then our thoughts will be in agreement with God's thoughts.

Soon we will no longer see barriers and obstacles as limitations but as opportunities. We will see that any barrier can be broken. Any obstacle can be overcome. Paul said, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9b NKJV).

Like Paul, we can adopt an attitude that the weakness we face does not limit our abilities. The presence of God within us will empower us to break every barrier and overcome every obstacle.

Hebrews Chapter 12

King James Version (KJV)

12 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,

2 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.

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

29 For our God is a consuming fire.