244-Don't Run Away from Your Goals#
244-Don't Run Away from Your Goals
(JP Text Group - Life Like an Eagle)
Philippians 3:13-16,
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You, thank You for preparing this time for us to share Your words together. As the new year begins, let us set our own goals, and be able to run straight towards the mark like Paul, to receive the rewards that Jesus Christ has given us. Lead each brother and sister, using Your words to continually renew our thoughts and minds, so that we increasingly embody Your likeness in our lives and live it out. Thank You and praise You, in the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Today's topic is: Don't Run Away from Your Goals
Why not say "deviate"? What does "run" represent? Everyone is actually moving forward, but in the Bible, Paul uses the word "run." Our lives are limited; we do not know how long we will live, but God knows, and He has arranged a path for each person to walk in their lifetime. On this path, you can choose to stand still, walk, or run; this is a choice for everyone.
You must believe one thing: Today is God's gift to you. No matter how the days are, remember: today is God's gift to you. You must make the most of today to accomplish the goals that God wants to give you. In other words, every day, God prepares grace for us; you must seize this time, live out God's likeness, and you will receive this grace and reward.
If we spend the whole day today being angry, that’s fine, but there will be no reward! You suffered for a day, and there is no reward from God, so you wasted that day. Therefore, you should enjoy every opportunity that God gives you, not just coming to church on Sundays to enjoy God's presence, praise, sing, and worship Him; it should be the same every day. Just because today is Sunday, you are living in church, while at other times you are in the workplace, at home, or elsewhere, you should see God's glory and recognize where God's rewards are given to you.
Today, you should set a goal for yourself. Even non-believers in companies are encouraged to set goals and summarize at the end of the year. Many churches also do summaries during this time, reviewing what was done last year, what shortcomings there were, and setting new goals for the new year to strive towards.
Everyone must not live too "spiritually." Some people say, "What goals to set? That's what secular people do! I just follow the leading of the Holy Spirit."
Many people have this phrase on their lips: "No need to set any goals; I just live according to how the Holy Spirit leads me." Many preachers also say: "What to prepare? No need to prepare; I just speak as the Holy Spirit leads me." This is good, but setting a goal is even better.
Did Jesus have goals while preaching? Yes, if He didn't have goals, He wouldn't have so many restrictions. For example, when a Canaanite woman came seeking Jesus, if Jesus had no goal, why not save anyone? The reason He said to the Canaanite woman, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs," is that at that time, Jesus' ministry was primarily to preach the gospel to the Jews; that was His goal.
Did Jesus have long-term goals? Yes, He trained twelve disciples to carry out the longer-term goals, including Paul, whom we know as the apostle to the Gentiles. If Jesus had not had this goal from the beginning, then at the end, when He died, He would have said, "I am dead; you can just do whatever you want; whoever can preach the gospel can do so." Is that so? No, Jesus, the Son of God, a person with such ability, had goals and methods while working in the world; how much more should we?
In the first three years of His ministry, Jesus was very low-key, healing people and telling them not to spread it around casually, but to testify to their priests. Why did Jesus do this? He had specific goals. If He had publicly proclaimed Himself in the face of opposition, He would have faced more attacks. Is this not Jesus' method? Jesus was a person with goals; what to do in the first year, what to do in the second year, what to do in the third year, He had such goals in His heart.
We must not live too spiritually: "It doesn't matter; tomorrow I will just follow how God leads me, and do according to the prompting of the Holy Spirit!" I hope everyone sets a goal for the new year. When you have a goal, you will have the passion to achieve it, and you will enjoy it; but this is different from worldly goals.
For example, some marketers constantly tell you: "If you don't do it, you will fall behind; if you don't do it, you will have nothing; others will take everything from you!" No, we need to have goals, but we enjoy the grace of Jesus Christ. Do you understand this? We set a goal: This year, I want to experience more of the grace of Jesus Christ. Isn't it better when we have testimonies?
Because our situation here is quite special, we haven't done this for a long time. In the past, we had an all-night prayer meeting every January 1st, and I asked everyone to write down their goals. We have done this for several years, and we will do this again in the future, but the conditions do not allow it now. Next year, write down what you hope God will do for you, write it down specifically.
Many people start writing: Next year, I hope God blesses our family; our salary can reach a certain level; next year, I hope my husband can believe in Jesus; write down expectations for work and other aspects, etc. Everyone is different. I have done this for several years and found that over 90% of the goals written by people were all achieved by God. What about the 10%? The focus was wrong. Many people in that 10% wrote: I hope God blesses our family in the new year. That's it.
How can this be achieved?
Even if God fulfills it for them, can they see it? Because it was too vague. I tell our brothers and sisters to write specifically, for example, if you have a certain illness, hope God heals this illness and makes you a healthy person; also write down what else you want God to accomplish.
When you write these down, that is your goal, and you will see the blessings that God gives you. Brothers and sisters, in the past, many people came in, and we preached the gospel to them. We did not have this concept; it is not that we did not do it, but how much we actually did, how much God fulfilled for us, how much God used me; we did not have this concept.
I tell you this to help you set goals because you will see with your own eyes how much God has accomplished from the goals you wrote down before. When you look back, you will be immensely grateful to God. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
I hope everyone goes back and writes down their goals, no matter what your goals are, write them down specifically, and then you should pray for this goal every day. Christians should never live without a goal; that is called wasting time. We do not waste time like that. Nor do we do a bunch of work we do not like, hanging out with those who drag you down.
Without a goal, when others say there is a lack of one person, you just go because you have no goal. I do not want everyone to have no goals at the beginning of the year and then muddle through the year. It should not be like that. When you set a goal, you will see God's grace with your own eyes.
The first step is to set goals for yourself, including short-term and long-term goals. We are children of God, which does not mean we do not need to set goals. We must set good goals, and these goals must align with the Bible; this is the practical application of God's words in your life, making God's words truly become your life. Amen!
For example, in the short term, what do you hope God will do for you this week? This is a short-term goal. Some may say: "I have a headache; I hope God heals my headache and makes me healthy." This is a short-term goal. You cannot set this goal for a year; short-term goals must exist. What do you want to achieve in five years? In my mind, I have a long-term goal for this place; I have a plan for when to achieve the first step, then the second step, the third step, and what kind of effect we want to achieve within five years. I hope each of you has your own goals. Hallelujah!
After a year, I find that what God has given is much greater than the goals I set myself, and God accomplishes it even better. Therefore, you need to place your goals in your prayers; you need to understand what God wants you to do, and then move towards the goals you have set. As long as you have goals, no matter what difficulties you encounter, through prayer and supplication, God will give you strength to overcome all difficulties.
Let me give you an example. Since Philippians was written by Paul, you need to know if Paul had life goals. Do you know what his mission was? He was to establish various Gentile churches and teach the grace of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He knew what his mission was, and although there were obstacles, Paul did not give up. From the moment he established the first church until the end in Rome, he did not deviate from his goal.
Were there no difficulties in between? Were there no setbacks? Yes, but when he encountered problems, he did not say, "Lord, did you make a mistake?" No, he did not doubt whether his mission was correct; he prayed to God, asking for strength to overcome all difficulties. This is Paul.
You must understand where your goals are. When you overcome, you will experience the joy of overcoming, and God will reward you. Therefore, I wish for every brother and sister to set their goals and run straight towards the benchmark of Jesus Christ! You must set a goal for yourself; otherwise, you will continue to waste this new year.
Many people have no interest in doing anything because they have no goals. Life only happens once; time passes, and there are no second chances. A day passes, and it will not come back, so I wish for every brother and sister to make good use of each day, not to waste your time on meaningless things, as that would be wasting your life.
You need to have a clear goal and fully understand what God wants you to do. You cannot waste your time aimlessly; you must be a person with goals, knowing what you are doing and where you are going in the future. Jesus knew, so you need to know too. Therefore, you must make good use of every opportunity and fill your life with the grace of Jesus Christ.
If you do not know what God wants you to do and do not take action, even if God gives you grace, you will not be able to grasp it, and we will waste it. So focus on your goals and let God help you achieve them. We are not drifting along; we do not follow others' goals. Just because others say something, we do not have to follow them; we must know what God’s calling for you is. Amen!
In the song we just sang, it says, "You are a unique existence in the world." So you should pray to God: "Lord, what can I do for You?" Many people say, "I don’t know." I tell you, the first principle is to do what you like, and the second principle is to align with the Bible; that’s enough! For example, for me, I really enjoy preaching because through preaching, I can see many people’s lives change because of the word of Jesus Christ. At that moment, I am joyful because I believe this is the most meaningful thing in the world; this is my goal, but it does not mean that everyone thinks this way.
Many people want to do their best in their careers, which is completely fine. No matter what industry you are in, set your goals to glorify our Jesus Christ, whether you are serving in the workplace, at home, or in the church; it is the same. If your goals are not clear, you will easily give up when you encounter problems.
Do you know how many preachers and ministers have ended up in the world? I have many classmates and coworkers around me who, when they encounter problems, cannot continue and stop pastoring, going to the world to make money, thinking that the path they started was wrong, coming to such a conclusion because their goals were unclear.
I have also experienced such environments. At first, I had nothing, or I could only maintain a basic living. Who would want to live like that? But I had a goal; all of this is temporary. What God has prepared for me must exceed what I ask or think. Today, it seems that God does not lie.
If I had given up in such a difficult environment at the beginning, started complaining about the believers, asking why they did not contribute more to help me think about what to eat next, I would not have. I knew my focus was not there; my focus was on Jesus. So no matter what goals you set, your focus must be on Jesus, as He walks forward with you. Hallelujah!
Many people keep changing jobs, and the reason is also due to unclear goals. Changing jobs ultimately leads to narrowing one’s goals and achieving nothing. God hopes that we will be successful in this world. Everyone must remember this: God hopes we will be successful in this world.
It is absolutely not to make you live like Lazarus in this world; that is not God's promise. God hopes you live like Abraham, like Paul, as a person of achievement. Time passes, and people still remember the contributions you made in this world, so you need to set goals for yourself: "Lord, use me; I am willing to do this, open my eyes to see more."
If your goals are unclear, you may really give up halfway, but if you determine your goals, you can be a beautiful witness for God in any industry. Do not be distracted by unimportant matters; this means once you set a big goal, walk in that direction; do not get too caught up in the small matters. Sometimes we get too focused on the small things, leading us to forget the ultimate goal.
Let me tell you a story I saw somewhere. There was a person at the airport waiting for a flight, and in the terminal, he saw a slogan on a machine that read, "Know the future for just one dollar." This person was curious, so he put a dollar coin in, and the screen displayed: "Your name is John, and you are taking the 2:20 flight to New York." This person exclaimed, "Wow! How did it know? I didn’t show it anything; how did it know my flight time and destination?"
He called his friend to come see, and he put in another coin. His friend saw the screen say: "Your name is John, and you are taking the 2:20 flight to New York." He said to his friend, "See, isn’t it amazing?" The friend smiled, looked at the screen, and walked away with a surprised expression. Should this person have stopped? He said, "No, I need to try again to see what else the machine will say."
He found he had no coins left in his pocket, so he went to a newsstand outside the airport to change for coins. There was a long line, and after finally getting a bunch of coins, he put one in, and the machine displayed: "Your name is John; sorry, you have missed the 2:20 flight."
What distracted him from his goal? It was that he did not know what he was really doing. His friend was very rational: "It can say your name and know where you are going; so what? I need to get on with my business; I won’t be distracted by this little thing."
Think about how many times in your life you have been distracted by such little things, getting angry to the point of not doing what you should do. How many people say, "I’m not going to work today! I’m angry! I’m not going!"
Whose loss is it? Some people say, "I’m not going to church; if that person is there, I won’t go." The loss is ours because we do not know what our purpose is for coming here. Your purpose is to listen to the word, to worship God, to receive the words that God gives you. As for that person next to you, can they influence you? Do not let others or these little things shake your goals; do not run away from your goals, so focus; otherwise, you will start to get distracted by very small things and run away from your true goals.
Many people get stuck on small matters, so they zone out, look up, and realize a whole morning has passed. Isn’t that wasting time? Many people also get angry, confused, resentful, and regretful, and after a year, they have done nothing. Some people have spent ten years or twenty years still entangled in small matters. The most regrettable thing is that life is about to end, and suddenly they realize they have wasted so much time. Do not forget why you came into this world.
In the past, we sang a Korean song called "You Came to This World to Receive Love." This song is very accurate; you came to this world not to regret for a lifetime but to receive the love of Jesus Christ. Therefore, what you should do every day is to set your own goals: Today, I want to experience more grace from Jesus Christ. In my work, life, and relationships, I want to see what the grace of Jesus Christ is, how He can help overcome all problems. This is what everyone should see every day: Receive the love of Jesus and pass it on. Remember, you are a person with a mission, so do not waste your time and energy on those small matters; set your goals and run straight towards Jesus Christ! Amen!
1 Corinthians 9:23-26
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
You will find that Paul could get along with all kinds of people in life; he lived under the Jewish law with those under the law; he became like a Gentile with Gentiles; he could get along with anyone. Why did Paul do this? Some people ask why he stayed with those under the law. What should you do when others criticize you?
You must know what you are doing. If you are unclear, when someone says something to you, you might say, "Right, why am I here?" Paul stayed with the Jews, even attending Sabbath gatherings; he knew what he was doing. When others said, "Paul, you are still a pastor; why are you attending the Sabbath gathering? You are a heretic."
What would Paul say? God bless you! Do you understand? Because they did not know what Paul was doing, Paul attended the Sabbath gathering just to reach those people who gather on the Sabbath. When Paul ate with Gentiles, some said, "How can you eat with filthy Gentiles? You don’t look like a Jew!"
When these people criticized Paul, what would Paul say? God bless you! He was not hurt at all; he knew what he was doing. When you know what you are doing and are walking in God's will, you will not care what others say about you. Because they do not understand.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel. Today, many people still do not understand what grace is and keep asking, "Can I do this? Can I do that?" It is really not about whether you can or cannot; it is about your purpose, what it is for. Amen! Paul said, "I do all this for the sake of the gospel."
When Paul was with Gentiles, with Jews, with all kinds of people, what was his purpose? It was to preach the gospel to them; that was his goal. Because he knew his mission was to preach the gospel, he would not care what others said when doing these things; he only did one thing: to let others share in the blessings of the gospel with him.
Paul gave us an example: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? You should run in such a way as to get the prize. In the races of this world, whether in the Olympics or other leagues, the athletes are already on the field. When the referee goes "bang---" with the gun, do you see anyone there walking slowly? No, they are all running forward; some run slowly, some fast. Is there anyone who goes "hmm-hmm-hmm" walking and says, "Why are you running so fast?" Will such a person get on the field? No, they do not know what they are doing. As soon as the referee's gun goes off, everyone rushes toward the goal. Is there anyone who turns around and runs backward? No. Everyone is clear about their goals, knows which track they are on, and cannot run on someone else's track. So the meaning here is that all who are racing are running to win a prize.
In the new year, our goal is to expand your horizons. Expanding your horizons does not mean just getting saved; it means receiving rewards. You are already at the starting line; who gives you the results? Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has redeemed you from all your sins on the cross, and you are now standing at the starting line for rewards. The goal is Jesus; run forward with all your might, and the more you run fast and do more, the more rewards God will give you.
This is different from the world; in the world, only one gets the prize, and there is only one gold medal. But we are different; everyone who reaches the finish line will receive a reward. Our lives are like a race; we must set our goals for where to run this year. If you do not set this, you will definitely not run. Do not let those small matters delay you; set your goals, and then run straight towards the benchmark of Jesus Christ! Hallelujah!
Some fans, you may have seen on TV, right? There are such people around you, right? For example, during a football match, they sit in front of the TV watching the game, and at home, they are anxiously "kick, kick, kick, kick faster..." more excited than the people on the TV. When someone scores, they jump up high, but they still have to pay the electricity bill.
Now you need to know: the main character is you. When you run forward, God wants to reward you; you are no longer the one watching from the front. Everything Jesus Christ did through His cross, you are already qualified to stand at this starting line. What you need to do now is to run forward; do not say, "Can I really be saved?" You are already standing here; why do you still doubt this? What you should be saying is not whether you can be saved, but rather: "Lord, when can I run quickly to You?" This is what we should be thinking about. You have already believed in Jesus; starting this year, I will no longer say to you that you believe and are saved; I will now say: Expand your horizons and run forward! Do not look back; it is not important. Amen!
In verse 25, Paul says, everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Athletes have discipline; for example, a 100-meter sprinter has discipline. They do not sleep until ten in the morning and go to bed whenever they want at night. They must train, and the purpose of training is to run faster. "When the time comes," they receive rewards; our discipline is for the purpose of receiving rewards.
Receiving rewards does not only refer to the heavenly rewards that God will give you in glory and crowns; there are also rewards on earth. If you are a disciplined person and know where your goals are, you will definitely have discipline. This discipline does not depend on what others say; you know what your goals are.
So brothers and sisters, you must remember who you are, children of God. Jesus Christ has given you a qualification; you have already entered the field. You are at the starting line, and you must run forward. Do not be slow and say, "Why is the sun so hot today?" Does that matter?
Have you ever seen someone at the Olympic venue say, "The sun is too harsh today; I am not running!"? No one does that. When you determine your goals, the opinions of those around you become unimportant. Hallelujah! Everything has discipline; you do not care what others say; you just need to run towards the goal of Jesus Christ to win the imperishable crown.
In verse 26, Paul says, therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly;
Do you think Paul was running around like a headless chicken? "I want to go here to preach the gospel; I will try it; I want to go to this church to preach; I will try it." No, Paul had goals. He initially wanted to preach the gospel in Asia, but the Holy Spirit forbade him, so he went to Macedonia. Later, in Europe and the Mediterranean, he established many churches; this was his goal. Therefore, Paul was definitely not running around aimlessly.
He said, I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. What does that mean? Paul knew who his enemy was; he knew what he should do. If someone is dissatisfied with you, what should you do? Just do your best according to the inspiration God gives you, and how others respond to you is their problem, not yours.
This is how it is in the workplace; do not think everyone in the company should like you; that is absolutely impossible. There will always be people who do not like you. It is the same in the church; you cannot make everyone like you; that is impossible. There will always be opposing voices. When you encounter these voices, you must know what your goals are, and you do not need to solve or care about these small problems.
Always remember: You do not need to solve everyone’s dissatisfaction with you because you cannot make everyone satisfied. Jesus did not do that. When Jesus preached the gospel, did everyone like Him? Some hated Him, so this is very normal, but Jesus did not neglect His goals because of these people.
Brothers and sisters, do not run away from your goals. Some people do not want to be at peace with you; they just want to distract you, wasting your time, making you do unimportant things. Once your days are wasted, you will regret it. Do not respond to every criticism; do not try to convince yourself to improve yourself so that everyone likes you; that is impossible. You only need to know whether what you are doing aligns with God’s will; that is enough. Amen!
At the beginning of the new year, I hope brothers and sisters set a goal for themselves and then move towards that goal without caring about the opinions of those around them. Because some people, no matter how much you give, will never be satisfied; you have no obligation or responsibility to make someone like you for a lifetime. Our attitude should be to remain friendly and respectful.
If others are sulking all day, you do not need to be like them. Your mindset should be to live joyfully every day; this is God’s calling for you. Amen! When you go out, whether to work or elsewhere, do not wear a long face as if someone owes you two hundred and fifty dollars. Others do not need to see your face; what we should bring to others is the likeness of Jesus Christ. Jesus always brings joy and hope to others; this is the attitude we should all have.
You say you cannot do it; what should you do? Turn to God for help; do not ask people for it; you cannot get it from people. Do not let anyone stop you from receiving God’s joy. Today is God’s gift to you; once time passes, there is no chance to return. Live joyfully today! Life is too short; do not waste time. Why talk about this at the beginning of the year? Because many people only realize at the end of the year and the beginning of the year that time is too important. We must know that you should live in the goals that God has set for you every day. Amen!
For example, if someone makes you angry, you should let go and wait for God to avenge you. Some say, "No, I must wait for him to apologize; otherwise, I will not be joyful; I will suffer." When encountering such people, tell them: Your joy is not based on others' words. Do you know why Jesus asks us to forgive? Look at a passage of scripture, Matthew 18:21-22, where Peter said:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."
Everyone has read this passage. Do you think Jesus is being harsh on His disciples? Peter has done quite well; if others offend Peter, if I offend someone seven times, and I forgive him seven times, that is too easy; anyone can do that. The problem is the other way around; when others offend us, we must forgive them. Some say, "Being a Christian is so suffocating!" The real suffocation is not being able to let go of yourself, forgetting what your goals are, and then wasting all your time on these meaningless things; that is true suffocation.
The best way is, if someone makes you angry, forgive them in your heart: "In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you!" Forgiving him releases you. Peter said, "I can forgive him seven times; that should be enough, right?" Jesus said, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times." What does that mean? Four hundred and ninety times?
Seventy is a complete number in the Bible; seven is also a complete number. It means complete forgiveness. Jesus asks us to forgive those who offend us to prevent us from being bound by these matters, **to let you know you should walk your own path and not be tripped up by those around you. Amen! Thank you, Lord!
The Bible also tells us not to let the sun go down while you are still angry. People can be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger. Between spouses, friends, and sometimes colleagues, there will be things that make you angry. The Bible never says do not be angry. The Bible says you can be angry, but do not let the sun go down on your anger. Why is it okay by sunset?
The Jewish way of counting time is that after six o'clock in the afternoon, when the sky is no longer visible, it is the next day. The meaning is do not let your anger carry over to the next day; digest it today. How to digest it? Forgive! Many people have no joy and enthusiasm because they go to bed every night with hatred.
Let me give you an example. My son is just over two years old. One day, during the day, his sister hit him. That night, he cried loudly, and his mother comforted him to sleep. The next morning, he got up early and "slapped" his mother, saying, "I will beat you to death," and then went back to sleep.
Because this was rare, we thought about it: it was because his sister hit him yesterday, and he went to sleep with hatred, crying. We see this as a child's situation, but many times we live like this! Someone says something, and we get angry; we get angry and go to bed at night, hating them, bringing that hatred into the next day, neglecting what we should do, and missing the blessings God wants to give you: to live joyfully.
Many people go to sleep with unforgiveness, with bitterness, and then wake up with bitterness, startled by hatred. This blocks the blessings God wants to give them. God originally wanted you to rest in His arms, but you say, "No, I want to be angry!" Then who suffers?
Do not forget today, God's mission for you is to live joyfully every day; do not block God's peace and joy from entering you. For those who hurt you, we must choose to forgive. You say, "I cannot forgive." That is okay; as long as you are willing to choose to forgive, God will give you strength. Through prayer, God will give you the strength to forgive them.
I suggest that every night before going to bed, you pray to the Father. You must develop this habit: "Heavenly Father, I want to be released from the negative things from that person!" Release these things. Develop a habit of handing over all negative, bitter, complaining, and hurtful things to our Lord Jesus before going to bed. "Lord Jesus, I give it all to You; I believe Your grace is sufficient for me." Hand it over and then go to sleep! Amen.
Many people suffer from depression because they get stuck on a "small" matter, getting into a dead end from which they cannot escape. They forget that there is a bigger road ahead and cannot see it, so they keep digging, digging, digging into that place. Once they are depressed, they cannot think clearly. The solution is very simple; as long as they realize that Jesus has given them something better, this problem will be resolved. This is why many patients with depression keep listening to sermons and hearing God's words fill them inside, and suddenly it all disappears, and they can sleep.
Many patients with depression cannot sleep at night, still thinking about negative things and how others have hurt them. "Why did that person look at me like that?" It is these matters. If they realize they are loved by God and know God's calling for them, they will sleep peacefully. Amen! Thank and praise the Lord!
Many people always like old things and prefer things to remain unchanged. The world is changing; why does God give us four seasons in a year? Because seasons are more beneficial to our health; isn’t that a transformation? Today, I want to give you a new perspective through these matters: the arrival of the new year means that God will let some friends leave you. Do not be angry or regretful because of their departure. When these people leave you, God will bring new friends to you, especially when you have new pursuits towards God. God will arrange the most suitable friends to help you. Amen!
Recently, someone told me: "In the past, I was in a good church; the pastor helped me a lot; he was very caring. I had suffered a lot before, and coming to this church helped me greatly. But now, his messages no longer satisfy me. When I tell him my new insights, he says I am arrogant, proud, and conceited. In fact, I really am not like that. What should I do? Until one day, I went to a new church, and that message captured me, making me realize: Yes, this is the place I need to be; I should be at this gathering. But I am struggling inside..."
Isn’t this a problem many people encounter? There is an emotional connection there, while here is your life's need. How should you make a choice? Leaving is correct. You now feel that he has issues with his preaching; he has targeted you. I said, "Do you know? His way can only help a group of people like you before, and once those people are healed, they will leave."
He said, "You are so right; that place cannot keep people. The people who come are all those who have been hurt, and this pastor comforts, protects, and cares for them. Once they are well, they all leave, so the pastor is hurt. The church keeps bringing in such people, and once they are healed, they leave."
Now he faces leaving and finds it hard to let go. I said, "Do not struggle with this decision; this is God opening a new path for you because your life needs to be elevated to another level. God will prepare new partners to help you. He, God has rewards for him; what he is doing is just right for helping that group of people."
He said, "Now I completely understand."
I said, "In that case, even if he hurts you and condemns you, bless him!"
He said, "I have understood; I can bless him now. During this time, he has criticized me enough. I even wonder if the good he did for me in the past was with ulterior motives."
We should also look at the people and things around us with this perspective. At every stage, some people will leave, and some new people will come in; this is God's calling for you. God wants to continually elevate your life in every different environment and time.
In Genesis, Joseph had friends who were his brothers when he was at home; later, his friends were a group of slaves; then, his friends were a group of prisoners. But these were not the friends he always had in life. Do you understand? In the end, when he became the prime minister of Egypt, were those still his friends? They were all replaced.
If Joseph said, "No, my old friends were great; I need to go back and chat with them," the more he chatted, the more discouraged he would become. If you do not believe, try it! You are already the prime minister; do you go to the prison every day and say, "What do you think today? Share with me!"
What can you talk about? All you will get are negative things. At this time, you should see that God has already prepared people of the same level to help you. Do not always think that those past friends were good; the new ones God prepares for you are the most suitable for you. Amen! This is your goal; when you reach a certain goal, God will prepare a group of people to help you. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
But people have a habit of always liking the past, thinking that the old way was good. But today I want to tell you that some people enter your life like movie clips; they only appear for a short time. Marriage is an exception; do not say, "Let’s quickly change a few wives today!"
I am talking about friends, interpersonal relationships, including your colleagues at work; they come and go like this. The purpose is for you to rise, and God will arrange better friends to help you. But when the time comes, I want to say that when the time comes, you have a new goal, God will prepare new people for you, new friends, perhaps with completely different personalities and hobbies, but they will definitely be beneficial to you. Amen!
I also believe that our encounters are definitely not coincidental. Each of you has different personalities and hobbies, but during this time, we can walk forward together. Hallelujah!
Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Now do you know what your goal is? Even though you are in work, in the workplace, or in your circle, you are serving the Lord Jesus. If you think you are serving the Lord Jesus, whether the people around you accept it or not, that is their business; you just need to serve wholeheartedly. Whatever you do, do it from your heart. This means: When you serve the Lord, do not expect to receive rewards from people.
Serving in the church is the same. For example, if today I want to help David, what kind of mindset should I have? I help him because I am serving the Lord Jesus. With this mindset, how he repays me is not important, and you should not say, "Why don’t you help him?" That is our own matter; that is our own goal, which is different from others because God shows and inspires each person differently. Amen! After you do well, if he repays you, you say thank you, Lord! If he does not repay you, God will repay you; you should do it with this heart. Interpersonal relationships, workplace relationships, and relationships between colleagues should all be handled this way because you know where your goals are. You are not serving people; you are serving our Lord Jesus Christ, and from Him, He will surely reward you.
If you always think: I have given so much to people; why haven’t they given me anything in return? If you think about getting rewards from people, then do not give. Similarly, let me give a more sensitive example. Take offerings, isn’t it the same? When you give to others, do not think that others will give you more; otherwise, do not do it.
Today, serving in the church is like this. I wish everyone would use this principle to serve in various industries, and then you will never be hurt. Because God wants to reward you and give you even more. Amen! Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, I believe that everyone who accepts Jesus Christ has rewards laid out before them today; the key is that you must run forward. Do not be frightened by the surrounding environment or stop running because someone says something to you. Do not be like that. Once you have determined your goals, the whole world will make way for you. God is particularly willing for you to complete this mission, and then He will reward you. Amen!
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus was able to overcome all suffering, slander, and shame because He saw the joy ahead, saw the glory ahead. Amen! You should also see the glory ahead; you should see the joy ahead; that is your goal. The Bible records many witnesses; what happened to those witnesses? All of them had good endings. Thank and praise the Lord!
Just like a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, you now see them encountering suffering, but they did not forget their goals and continued to move forward. You now need to throw off every burden. Sometimes this burden is something you imagined, something that does not exist; sometimes this burden is given to you by others, but now you need to let it go. The failures of the past year have become the past; do not mention them again. Set a new goal for yourself and run straight towards that goal.
Throw off the sin that so easily entangles us. Jesus did not let you come out of sin by yourself; He has already saved you from sin. Amen! So what you need to do now is to fix your eyes on Jesus Christ, who is the author and perfecter of your faith. When you fix your eyes on Jesus, start running forward, running towards the goal of Jesus Christ! If you continue to run forward, you will also receive rewards like Paul.
2 Timothy 4:7-8,
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
In his life, Paul knew what he wanted to do: to be the apostle to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Before his death, he said: I have fought the good fight, knowing that the fight he fought would never fail because Jesus Christ was walking forward with him. Amen! I have finished the race; this refers to him completing the work that God entrusted to him. My life is over; my race is finished. Do you know where the finish line of this race is? The end of your life is your finish line. Amen!
I have kept the faith. What does this mean? Paul, in his old age, made a summary of his faith: I know whom I have believed. You must know whom you believe, and you must also know where your goals are. From now on, he has done all of the above, and he says, there is a crown of righteousness laid up for me. Is it only for Paul?
Is it also for you? Yes! The following says, not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Today, we are all looking forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ. The purpose of looking forward to Jesus' return is that we will no longer have to run; the time for rewards has come. As long as you look forward to the arrival of this day, congratulations; today, start running forward! Hallelujah! In the new year, set a goal for yourself, do not let those outside your goals hinder you, throw off every burden, and run forward!
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for renewing us through today’s words. We need to have a goal so that we do not deviate from our goals, because Jesus is our goal. It is not that I have already obtained it; I am now forgetting what is behind and striving toward the benchmark of Jesus Christ, because I want to obtain the abundant rewards that Jesus gives me. Thank You and praise You!
Please **give me a heart that always remembers the mission that Lord Jesus has given me. I receive Your love in this world, and I am here to receive love. Thank You and praise You!
Every day, I want to see the various graces You give me, and with this faith, run forward. Hallelujah! Thank and praise You! You give me strength to run straight towards this goal in the new week, no longer being troubled by small matters. Thank and praise You! All glory be to You! In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!