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TOSSING THE WEIGHTS & REMOVING ALL DISTRACTIONS

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copyright(c) 2018 Daneille Gray Snowden
2018

TOSSING THE WEIGHTS &
REMOVING ALL DISTRACTIONS


  God has been impressing me in my own life, to look at what all is - 'taking-away' from what He intends for-me and to do through-me. It wasn't hard to see what these things are; social media and tv are my biggest 'DRAINS'!  😔
by Tabitha Snowden photographer

         Here is what I posted on my Facebook Page:
"Removing those things that definitely doesn’t add to my life; but also those that take away (the importance’s) of life.
What are they for you?
We have the abstract, visuals, to the spiritual. [Drugs, alcohol, lots of entertainment, maybe even toxic people or at least their behaviors & the list continues.]
In the Bible we read about producing good fruit in our lives. And that fruit also be multiplied because of the seeds of life within. If this be; we must be nourished from the God who purposefully created us!
If we are watching hours of tv, reading meaningless book after book, spend hours on social media; it feeds emptiness! We then take note that not only is the Body of Christ weak in their spiritual walk, but dying too!
We are not prepared for battle, trials, reaching out to others, and more!
From this day forth, I DANEILLE SNOWDEN: “... 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,” Heb. 12:1"


Hebrews 12:1-3 In the Message Version it says this:
"It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!"
by Tabitha Snowden Photographer

REMINDER: Our enemy (the devil himself) - wants to blind us of our PURPOSE God intends for our lives!!! He will throw obstacles to TRIP US up, tempt us to believe we need things, that we truly don't at all and place fears that totally can debilitate & blind. 

We must -
1.) PREPARE: 
      * Lay Aside EVERY weight & sin (note The Message said parasitic sin).
      * Inordinate Affections (let them go) this is the excessive, unwarrantable, needless & extreme things we have been 'FOOLED' to believe we actually NEED!
      * This is 'DEAD WEIGHT' - that PULLS DOWN the soul when in actuality needs to be UPWARD, it also PULLS BACK when we are to PUSH FORWARD!
"It makes our duties & difficulties even harder and heavier!"
2.) BE PERFECTIVE: 
    In a race there is a mark and a prize.
       *It is 'SET BEFORE' - marked-out    HOW SO?
     God's Word, Examples OF Faithful Servants (the Great Cloud of Witnesses). 
'GET ON YOUR MARK!'
Mark defined:  is a land or spot to be when the race is beginning. Means to 'get-ready!' 
God has indeed provided the MARK... with His Word and examples; including Christ Himself.  We need to just 'GET' there!

The ROAD OF LIFE/THE RACE is SET by Proper LIMITED Directions.
  *First; we have the Road God has designed in His Word; 
       This is accomplished by living an obedient, holy life, worshiping in an assembly of fellow believers, seeking first the Kingdom of God, waiting on Him, and so on.

  *Second; We have different callings in all our lives. Thus, as it parallels with God's Word; we walk this by listening to His Voice, and being open and obedient. 

  *Third; After carefully walking the twist, turns, hills, valleys, storms and peaceful shores.... WE RUN TO OUR PRIZE! It's WHY WE RUN...WHY WE LIVE OUT THIS AMAZING, PURPOSEFUL LIFE GOD INTENDS- it is
JESUS!

  *How to Run with
'PATIENCE'   &  'PERSEVERANCE'
In Patience: we gain from encountering difficulties. We just don't automatically have patience. We have to learn it from day 1 until we take our last breath. 
     BY NOT HAVING PATIENCE...as we are running this race; we can loose focus and get off the path. Dangers lurk don't they when we veer off paths that were designed.
                I have hiked in the mountains numerous times; especially when we lived in the Appalachians. God bless the trailblazers who worked hard carving out a hiking trail for those who are pursuing an uphill adventure to the top! There were so many 'drop-offs' (cliffs), snakes, bears, poison ivy and more. We wanted to stay on that trail for our safety, and we knew for sure where it would take us, even when we didn't see 'WHERE' yet; because the trail had markers. 

               With sore muscles, becoming out of breath and being plum tired; there is nothing like finally arriving to the summit! The long hard trek was quite rewarding, and I know for me; the realization, I just became stronger, wiser, and victorious was worth it!   YET...It required PATIENCE!

AND 

Perseverance: which is with God's strength that helps us to... 
RESIST ALL TEMPTATION
&
TO NOT QUIT or TURN 
Heb. 12:2  " [looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith..."


   In the Reformation Bible it says -
 *EVERY WEIGHT is defined as - 'burdens' to be thrown off, 'fears' to shrink in the face of suffering (Heb. 10:38,39), bitter discouragements that defiles us (12:15).
 *LOOK TO JESUS where our encouragement comes from. 
                               Who is the 'PERFECTOR' of our faith. 
 v.2 "who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, [b]disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work]." ampl.

         HE IS OUR EXAMPLE, HE IS OUR ROAD MAP!
He was joyful, because He was accomplishing the goal of HOPE & SALVATION.
Where did He GO (where we are to follow)? 
TO THE CROSS 

Crucifixion on the Cross,  was regarded as the MOST SHAMEFUL form of punishment.  So-much-so; that no Roman Citizen was crucified in this manner. 
The Jews even believed "everyone hung on a tree was cursed."

This is where many will turn away; and walk no more in the PURPOSEFUL LIFE God has intended for them. 
It results in a 'FRUITLESS' & 'UNFULLFILLED,' very sad life. 

Personally, I don't want that: I am not as young as I use to be. The 'THINGS' I regarded as vitally important are not so much anymore. 
The way I have spent my time, is more important to me now, more than ever before. 
I want my footsteps to count!
I want my life to make a DEEP IMPRESSION - because I have so many others God has placed in my path: who need to see, hear and follow Jesus for themselves. 
I want to look back and see so many walking for GOD and living out who God created them to be. 
THAT IS REWARDING!
~Daneille









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