Keeping the Faith

II Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." This was written by the Apostle Paul from prison in Rome, near the close of his life, to Timothy to encourage him to keep on keeping on. Paul realized the discouragement of the times that no one really wanted to hear the truth. People for the most part gathered around those who told them what they wanted to hear and persecuted those who preached otherwise. Paul was saying that there was a fight to fight, a race to run and finish. And a faith to keep. There were some that would listen and there was a God to please, and a crown to be won, if he would keep on keeping on. About the only difference between that day and ours is the level of persecutor (in our country). Most people don't want to hear the truth, especially if it's telling them they are wrong. Tomorrow is always soon enough for that kind of truth, but we know that there may not be a tomorrow and we must be about our Father's business today. We need to be people with but a single focus, and that is with our eyes on Jesus. The Author and Finisher of our faith. Just as in Chess as one becomes more experienced, one bad move can lose the game; so in our Christian life one bad act or word on our part can cause some one we are trying to reach to miss heaven. Take some time today and consider these things.