"PRESSED ON TOWARD THE GOAL"

Act 22:10 - "I said, What shall I do, Lord? "

Philippians 3:12-14 - "Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on toward the goal."

When Paul was finally tamed and came into the presence of the Eternal God, his whole life was changed immediately. In fact the flash of the Light in the road to Damascus enabled him to see the exalted Savior. Paul learned that he was against and antagonizing the purposes of redeeming grace, and that vision changed his life in all his purposes and actions. From that great moment of truth Paul forgot the things that were behind and endeavored to apprehend that for which he had been apprehended by Christ Jesus. It was this new era of his life that Paul finally realized his ambition to build on the pattern shown him on the "The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character" delivered by Jesus on the mount .

As we read and reviewed The Apostle: A Life of Paul, the churches he had founded, the cities he had evangelized,the epistles he had written, surely he might have surmised what he had apprehended, but as he climbed more and more the step to eternity, he might have foreseen the beckoning beyond his attainments. Is this what we should see in us today to look and understand the vision of God’s purpose with what we-have realized?  Oh, Lord give us the years that have gone so that we may do better, be more accurate and successful in the transmission to living fact of those fair ideals, which you have called to us years ago. The vision in the sanctuary may never be perfectly realized by these bungling apprentice-hands.Yet God accepts and forgives the mistakes. "It is not that we have already attained, or are already perfect, but we follow on, " and God forgives and accepts our poor patchwork and broken vessels and can mold us to perfection.

What must we do to achieve our ideals? We must be more often in the Word of God, and spend more time in Prayer. God hears and understands us in our prayer, and He speaks to us in His Word. We must be more often in the sanctuary, in fellowship with Christ Jesus, to whose image we are to be conformed. The  Psalmist says :"Whom have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none on the earth that I desire beside Thee."

 As we look on Him, we shall be changed into His likeness. As He is, so shall we become. Remember those martyrs on the night before their agony and death; reformers hesitating at their tasks; scholars wondering whether their long self-denial was worthwhile; fathers and mothers; teachers and workers; preachers and missionaries, all these have stood in the sanctuary of God, until they have seen the vision and ideal. They have reckoned that what God had taught them to long for, He was prepared to enable them to effect, so do we as we await and anticipate His Return .... Be of good cheer because "All things are possible to him that believeth." .

 In a moment like this I just want to say I love you. Thank You Jesus !!!

Lapaifonua (aka) Taniela Fonua

The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character The beatitudes reveal to us eight qualities that bring God's blessing: meekness and mercy, poorness in spirit and purity of heart, mourning and hunger, peacemaking and persecution. Jesus highlighted these to offer both encouragement and instruction on living distinctly as his followers in a world with values much different from God's. Eight studies are included in this study, one for each of the beatitudes. Questions are in an inductive format with commentary notes, personal application, prayer helps and leader guidelines. After you have worked throughthe questions and notes in the guide, you may want to read the accompanying commentary by John Stott in the Bible Speaks Today series (WW2965).