Day 1 - Keep Fighting

[twc_admin]

Here we are, friends - the final week of Pure Praise!

Today's lesson, Day 1, is "Keep Fighting" - the first of Five Keys to Finishing Well - the Main Thing.

What did God speak to you during this devotional today? What does "finishing well" look like to you?

[RuthABraun]

The author asked what drives us to keep fighting and not give in. For me, it's knowing that the God who created the universe, who holds all things together, is fighting before me and behind me and beside me and in me, and He's fighting for me! The battle is not mine, it is God's, and He will win it. The more I am able to move aside my fears, agendas, ideas on how things should be run and let Him lead, the more I will be blessed because the more I will become like Him.

[MimsiGal]

This has been an amazing study! I can't wait to start discussing it with our team this week.

I liked the question at the end - why keep fighting? Why strive to finish well?

For me, this is one of the few areas that I do strive to finish well. I'm really good at starting well, and I can even keep the momentum going for a bit if I really focus on something, but finishing it? That doesn't happen so much. But when it comes to sharing the truth of Jesus... with the sacrifice that He already paid, how can we not?

Add to that the fact that the war has already been won, and it's easier to keep fighting to win just another soul or two. We know what they will face if we fail to share what God has given us to share, and that is yet another reason to keep on fighting the battle.

We just have to remember who and what we are supposed to be fighting against - and who we aren't.

[MandoRon]

I spent some time thinking/praying about what might keep me from "finishing well". For some reason, "pride" kept crossing my mind...

But something else caught my attention:

A few sentences toward the bottom of page 147 really hit home too. Dwayne talks about Christians fighting each other, instead of the real enemy.

My church (pastor, staff, board, leaders, etc...) recently decided to step away from the United Methodist denomination. Interestingly, the issue was vision and not theology like so many similar events... It was just announced March 1.

There have been two articles in the paper, including the front page today. Lots of bloggers talking about it. In addition to the healthy discussion, there have been a lot of ridiculous comments.

We were kind of hoping that this would be a fairly quiet thing, but apparently that doesn't happen when you're a 700+ congregation... And, understandably, the UMC is pretty shocked/disappointed/upset/etc. There have been hurtful personal attacks by both sides and outsiders, and a lot of things said that break the heart of God.

Non-christians see this and just shake their heads.

It's my prayer that this will all blow over soon. If not, Satan wins.

There are bigger fights to be fought!

[dwaynemoore]

Hey everyone, just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all of you who have participated in the Pure Praise online forum. I will always be indebted to you for being among the first to take the journey after the release of Pure Praise. We have placed a link on our site under companion resources to this forum (www.PurePraiseWorshipStudy.com). Your comments and insights will no doubt help many people who will go through the study in the future.

I want to say a special thanks to Fred, whom I consider to be both a friend and colleague. It was Fred's vision to do this study online as a community.

My older son, Stephen, and I will be leaving for Guatemala for a mission trip in a couple days and be gone through next week, so I wanted to get my thank-you's in now.

Blessings on all of you, and please don't hestitate to contact me if I can ever help you in any way.

-Dwayne
dwayne@nextlevelworship.com

[Rogenia]

Keep Fighting - As I was studying and reading, it became so clear and raiment to me that I have the desire and the will to keep fighting. Because my worse days are better than any of my days that I endured when I was apart of the world. A person would only have to walk in my shoes and know that God delivered me from the pits of hell.

No matter what takes place in my life; I do my best to guard my heart and remember that the Bible tells me that I am in a race, and that I am to run so as to win the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24). In addition the race is not to the swift (Ecclesiastes 9:11), but to those who run with patience (Hebrews 12: l) and are able to endure (Matthew 24:13). The battle is the Lords and not mine. For sure, victory is to come if I continue to run the race and let Him fight my battles.

Yes, there are challenges to my faith; there are times when I am tempted to give up and quit. But the word of God, say “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” What great glory it will bring to God if I keep fighting the fight and running the race! And what a great reward will await me at the finish line!

Now is the time for us to believe God and trust in His Word more than ever before. The Bible says in First Timothy 6:12 that we are to fight the good fight of faith. These are the times when we must stand our ground and not quit, even if it looks like we’re going down for the count. Don’t quit! God will cause us to be victorious if we will believe His Word and not give up. It’s one thing if you quit a fight in the natural. But when we embark upon this spiritual fight and we quit in the middle of it, the consequences can be extremely harsh; whether or not we stay in the fight could mean life or death.

[Mike S]

The question is why keep fighting. To me it boils down to, because God called. Has it been all sunshine and roses? No. There have been many more times in the presence of God leading with the "glow that shows" than rough times.

When will it end? When God calls me to move onto something else, calls me home, or returns here.

For now, I can't sit idle and am compelled to serve our Saviour with you my sisters and brothers in Christ. Thanks to Dwayne for writing the book, The Worship Commmunity for having a spot to talk, and of course all of you for sharing what God is up to in the world near you.

Just in case you too are heading away this week let me say, may God bless you in abundance with love, courage, compassion, vision, great joy, and the strength to do God's will in the world.

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Life is not a playground, it is a battlefield. Unfortunately, in the mid-20th century, many churches became religious country clubs. It is that country club mentality that is keeping many churches today trapped in the last century.
Maybe the change in the political and economic climate will awaken those churches to the reality of the battlefield.

Now about the armor of God. This passage has always troubled me, especially the breastplate of righteousness. How can I wear the breastplate when I am so unrighteous? God has given me the insight that none of the armor is ours, it is His. He gives it to us when we ask him for it. that's why it's called the armor of God. So I don't have to "become" righteous. I can't. it is God's righteousness, His breastplate that he custom fits for me! All of the armor we are to put on comes from him. All I have to do is ask for it, and he gives it to me. Daily.

Thank you , Lord God, for the armor you make available for me to wear. Thank you that it is made to fit me; it's not too big or too small. And thank you that it is your armor; I don't have to make myself what I can't become on my own, you do the making, you do the changing. Hallelujah! Give me the desire to come to you each day and be fitted for your armor. I can't live the life you called me to without your armor on me.

[Wannabe a Worshiper]

Why keep fighting? The battle is won, but it is not over. Hell's population is growing at a much faster rate than heaven's. And God has appointed us to be the ones to change that. Therein lies the fight: Our adversary, the devil, is hell-bent on populating the lake of fire. We must be "heaven bent" on populating heaven.

Finishing well? Never lose hold of what I just wrote; take to heart what I have learned in this study, let God make the changes in me that need to be made. Live the last third of my life with enough godly passion to make up for the two-thirds I wasted.

[Wrapped in Jesus Love!]

Dwayne - Thanks for writing Pure Praise. God really had a hand in working through you in the writing of this book. There is some amazing stuff in here that I am sure we will all ponder over for a long time to come. This is not just an ordinary book.
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Keep Fighting - There are many times in my life when I wonder what God's purpose is for me and what he wants to accomplish through me. Why am I here? The answer - I am here to fight the good fight - to remain faithful during this fight - and to someday finish the race. My goal throughout all of this is to never quit, to share Christ with as many people as I possibly can during my life here on earth and to finally reach my resting place in Heaven.

How do I accomplish this goal? Keep watch and pray! Use the biggest weapon I have against Satan - the Word of God - that is my sword! I need to hide God's words in my heart so I can use them when I need to defeat Satan. I need to submit every area of my life to God. I can't pick and choose which parts I will give to him. The words from the book in this lesson that jumped out at me are in the second to last sentence. Satan will spear you directly in that place in your armor that you have left unprotected. We all need to make sure we have ourselves well protected.