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Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – In Focus

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Let us run with endurance . . . keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. —Hebrews 12:1 –2

When I was in high school, I went out for track and field. I was a fairly decent short-distance runner, but I was horrible at long-distance runs. What’s more, I hated to practice. But if I happened to see a pretty girl in the grandstands, I found new motivation for running my best.

As we run this race of life, we have a better motivation than I had in high school. We run for an audience of one: Jesus Christ. He is watching us. He is praying for us. In fact, the Bible tells us that He lives forever to intercede for us (see Hebrews 7:25, NLT).

This is what gave young Stephen courage when he stood before his accusers who were ready to put him to death. Full of the Holy Spirit, he was given a glimpse of Jesus in heaven and said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”(Acts 7:56 NLT). Seeing Jesus gave Stephen the ability to run the race and finish it.

Seeing Jesus also gave Simon Peter the ability to walk on water. As he kept the Lord in sight, He did the impossible.

It’s so important for us to keep our eyes on Jesus. Why? Because circumstances will disappoint and, at times, devastate us. People will let us down and will fall short of our expectations. Feelings will come and go. But Jesus always will be there to cheer us on.

He has run before you, He is the ultimate winner, and He will show you how to run. But you have to keep looking to Him.

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Charles Stanley – Benefits of Having the Holy Spirit

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John 16:5-22

The disciples were blessed to be in Jesus’ inner circle—can you imagine the countless benefits they enjoyed from listening to His teaching and watching Him do supernatural wonders? Perhaps you’ve wished you, too, could have lived in those days and walked the dusty roads with Him. From our present perspective, we can’t conceive of anything greater than seeing Jesus in person.

Since that’s exactly how the disciples felt, we can understand why they were saddened when He announced that He was returning to His Father in heaven. But He promised to send them a Helper—and even said that it was to their advantage that He was leaving so the Spirit could come. Today, we live in the era of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but do we really understand the advantages we have because of His presence in our lives?

Although we can’t see Jesus face to face, we can have an even more intimate relationship with Him because we carry His Holy Spirit within our bodies. One of the Spirit’s tasks is to disclose the things of Jesus. If we need wisdom and insight, He’s ready to provide it whenever we read God’s Word. He’s also the one who unleashes power in our lives—the same divine power Christ used to accomplish His Father’s will.

Despite such wonderful advantages, many believers never sense the Spirit’s presence or access the insight and power available to them. Is God’s Holy Spirit your intimate companion, guide, and helper, or is He merely some vague Christian concept? Don’t neglect this treasure—understand that almighty God lives within you!