Joy in this Journey By: FaithLine

Fix Our Eyes On The Kingdom of Heaven

• Jessica Berrios • Season 1 • Episode 13

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What if the distractions you're facing aren't just harmless diversions but obstacles in your spiritual journey? Join us as we uncover how to run the race of faith with endurance and purpose, guided by the profound wisdom from Hebrews 12:1-2. We dissect the subtle ways in which everyday distractions—like social media and personal ambitions—can derail our focus on Christ. Drawing on the example of spiritual giants like Moses and the teachings of the New Testament, we explore strategies to lay aside every weight and sin, inviting the Holy Spirit to be our guide and source of strength.

Our conversation doesn't stop at recognizing these hindrances; we delve into the heart of spiritual endurance and the joy of pursuing Christ. Reflect on Jesus as the founder and perfecter of our faith, who endured heartache for our sake, and consider how His example can empower us to overcome life's challenges with grace. Embrace the journey with us as we celebrate the encouragement found in scripture and the vital support of our Christian community, urging each other to fix our eyes on the kingdom of heaven. We also invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with us, fostering a community of faith-driven support as we continue this journey together.

Thank you for listening! Please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube @myfaithline to stay updated about our weekly episodes. Let us help you Find Joy in Your Journey Today!! To support our journey please visit our web page at www.myfaithline.com God Bless!

Speaker 2:

God bless you all and welcome to another podcast from Join this Journey Podcast by Faithline. Find joy in your journey today, there for us to push us forward and everything that we set out to do for him. It hasn't been easy, but we are here, amen, in the faith to press on, and I just want to unite with you in this moment to open our Bibles to the book of Hebrew and just going over these verses, these verses, god gave some words to one of our youth, ochaira, that is doing the Spanish podcast this week. She actually recorded it some time ago and a lot had risen after that and it took us, it set us back a bit, but we are here and I just went over it and the words that God placed in her heart. It touched me deeply and so I went before the Lord and I asked him to give me words for our English podcast. And so here I am and I encourage you to open your Bibles and I pray that it ministers to your heart, as God did minister to me, that we must press on, no matter what arises in our lives. Amen, that we are to continue this race, no matter how hard it gets, because we are not alone. Jesus Christ is with us and through His Holy Spirit, he is there every day to strengthen us and give us the victory. So unite with me and open our Bibles to Hebrews, the book of Hebrews, chapter 12. And we're going to be reading verse one and two, and we read the word of the Lord in name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit, amen. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witness, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run, with endurance, the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross.

Speaker 2:

Life is not easy, but here the author of the book of Hebrews says it is a race of the book of Hebrews says it is a race, not a relay, not a simple walk through the park, but a long distance race that calls for endurance and focus on the part of every participant. And just as a racer strips themselves of any excessive clothing, so too the believer is called. So the first thing that we see here it tells us to, and it calls us to, lay aside not only every sin but also every weight, and I know that there's a significance in this, in this explanation, because the word leads us to see that not every weight is necessarily a sin. For example, there might be habits in our lives that it distracts us, and it's not necessarily a sin, but it can bring us to a point that we then open the door to sin. And so these weights in our lives can be like social media, entertainment or goals that we ourselves set before ourselves, our own lives, and, like I said before, it's not a sin, but it can hinder us from pursuing Christ and a full, healthy, enduring stride. And I don't know what those things are in your life, but what I do know Is that it says here in Hebrews, chapter 3, verses 12 and 14. It says see to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has sinful, unbelieving hearts that turn away from the living God, but be encouraged. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have to come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Speaker 2:

So the author of Hebrew causes us to watch our lives and hearts closely, because the enemy is there to distract us in any way possible, then there's an opportunity for him to make a sin. So we have to watch ourselves, watch our lives, our hearts, closely that anything that might keep us from finishing the race. We must ask the Holy Spirit to help us see those things so that way we can close every door. We can close every door and so, as a runner is given the best of motives to throw off these weights and these clingy things that can weigh him down. Here God is motivating us to throw off all these weights from our lives that clings to us and could lead us into sin. And so we note here in in hebrews, chapter 12, verse 1, that there's a word that says also so this implies that present day he's talking to the present day saints to follow this example, to follow the witnesses of cloud, the cloud of witnesses, to follow the witnesses of cloud, the cloud of witnesses that they have left us an example to push off all sin and to push off all weights that might hinder us in our walk with Christ.

Speaker 2:

So I like this and it's very impacting because he gives us a list, like, if you need motivation I don't know about you, but in this walk, we all need motivation. We all need to know that we are going to make it. The enemy paints it as where we're not going to make it and that you're wasting your time and that you know, do what you want to do and there's just so much time that you can waste and we don't have time to waste. And so a lot of us, in our walk with Christ, need motivation, and thank God for his Holy Spirit that is there and his word that is there and he shows us motivations. You want motivation. You're asking God, god, I need, I need motivation and we look for people and sometimes we don't have it. But the holy spirit is there 24 7, and it's awesome because you don't need to call anybody else. You know at two or three in the morning that the enemy just attacks you, he attacks your mind, he attacks your heart and we're like where can I get this motivation? Right there, the holy spirit is there, just call upon him. And his word says call upon me and I am near, he will answer you. He is, he's real, he is a god that answers here. He's a god that responds. And so right now, god knows what you're going through. He knew what I was going through and right away, you know, in his time, he comes and responds to us like what are you doing? Get up, keep walking. You want motivation? Go to my word, see the motivation there and we get the answer.

Speaker 2:

And one person that we see in hebrews, chapter 11, verse 25 through 26, one person that he uses to motivate us is moses. And it says read with me. It says he man that really hit me because he chose this is something that you got to choose. Nobody can push you to do this you yourself, even though you're feeling tired, even though you're feeling no motivation at all. Moses chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. Verse 26 says and enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Speaker 2:

Verse 26 says he regarded disgrace, for the sake of christ, as a greater value check that out, that word greater value than the treasures of egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. And that itself should just impact your life, because when you're looking straight ahead to your reward, nothing and no one is gonna change your mind, your heart and your decision. He stood there and saw the value, the greater value than the treasures of Egypt, and we got to look at the greater value. The greater value is Christ. What Christ did for you needs to be more important than any temporary treasure or any temporary sin, or any temporary thing that the enemy is offering. And the only way that you're going to see that is if you maintain your focus to what is ahead. Get off everything that is on your life right now, what's on your mind, what's on your heart. Get it off in jesus name. Rebuke it in jesus name. Any sin, any weight that's weighing you down, take it off in the name of jesus and focus on what is ahead, because what is ahead is your reward. And so we notice at the end of the passage that he was looking to the reward.

Speaker 2:

Just as a runner prepares for a race because he wants to win the prize, so too, moses did, and he laid aside every weight and every sin. That's what you need to do today Lay aside every weight and every sin. That's what you need to do today. Lay aside every weight and every sin, because Moses desire was to attain the reward, the reward that was set before him. And that must be your goal, your goal before any desire, anything else that you want. Your goal, your goal, before any desire or anything else, that you want. Your goal, your number one thing, should be my reward, as I set this before me before I set any other goal, I'm setting before me my reward and that is to make it to the kingdom of heaven.

Speaker 2:

So be joyful today, enter into his presence, know him, know him as your God, know him as your peacemaker, know him as your father. He is there for us in any moment or time. There is an award for us, there is a reward for us. This should motivate us and the enemy is coming to discourage us and take away our focus. But today, in Jesus name, we get up because we see that there was a cloud of witness that endured everything to the very end, because they were focused on their reward. So it should drive us every single day to continue to go forward, not only in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament.

Speaker 2:

It is brought into the New Testament in Hebrews to remind us. In Hebrews 12, 2,. It says Let us now, now that we are here, you and me, present. Moses is no longer here. Now he made it. He's there, but now us, let us now, with endurance, the race that is set before us. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to who Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

Speaker 2:

The reward that Moses sought out Now has a name, and his name is Jesus To be like him, to live like him and to conquer everything and win like him. He is our Lord, he is our Savior, he is our God. He should be our very passion to get to the very end. He should be our passion of every heart that is listening to this podcast today. He should be your number one passion, nobody else and nothing else of this world. And so, by the power of this greater passion, let it affect us in a special way, in a positive way, to get up and throw off every sin and every weight that wants to distract us, that wants to harm us and that wants to detain us.

Speaker 2:

Let us push it off in Jesus' name, because he is our hope, he is our savior, he is our strength and he is there as our coach every step of the way, to tell you and to tell me keep going, keep going, keep going, because you're almost there. Keep going, don't look back, keep going, don't sit down, keep going, don't give up. He is there every step of the way to give us the encouragement not to give up. He is our finish line. So put your eyes on him, put your mind on him, put your heart on him, put your imagination on him. Let it be fixed. Fixed on him today, in the name of Jesus, because he did it all for us. He endured all heartache, he endured all suffering in our place that we can be with him.

Speaker 2:

So let us get up with the strength of the Holy Spirit and endure mile after mile in our race to the finish line, so we can be with our master forever. May he help us grow in grace. May he help us have better habits. May he help us get rid of any routines, any fears, any desires, any sins, anything that is dulling the light of christ in our life. May he help us get rid of it, anything that is slowing our pace, our pursuit for him. May he help us get rid of it. In jesus name, may we have spirit endurance, may we press on to know him and may we make him our own. And may he be perfected in us in such a way that we will never be the same.

Speaker 2:

And I leave you with this verse in Philippians, chapter 3, verse 12. It says not that I have already attained or am already perfect, but I press on. I might not be at the finish line, I might not be how you thought I would be, but you know what I'm still pressing on, I'm still walking, I'm still going forward. Amen that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. May I grab on to him as he grabs on to me, and may I never let him go. And may Jesus never let me go, and may he complete every plan and purpose.

Speaker 2:

To everyone that is listening to this podcast, may God glorify himself in your life and in my life. Get rid of everything. You know what it is. You know what's holding you back. You know what's holding you back. May you get ripped, push it off and press on to the reward of eternal life in Christ Jesus, who won it all for us. That through him we all can win this race. Amen. Pray with me, oh Father God, we come before you in Jesus' name and we praise you, god, for everything, for who you are and for loving us, for your love and mercy and for speaking to our lives.

Speaker 2:

God, thank you for your word because in your word, we praise you, jesus, for giving us examples. Giving us examples, giving us the encouragement that we need to press on. Lord, we have you. We have you, jesus. We have everyone that stood up for you, god, to show us that, yes, it is possible and we can do it in your name. Thank you, god, for your son, for leaving us his love, his mercy on our lives every single day. Thank you, god, because we are surrounded. We are surrounded not only by your word, but by the body of Christ, of believers, lord, that have made a decision for you and refuse to step back. Thank you, god, for those who are an example. Thank you, god for that great cloud of witnesses, lord, that great cloud of witnesses in the word.

Speaker 2:

God, thank you for those for in this time and this day, god, that are examples in our lives for us not to give up. God. Help us, father. God, help us, god. We need you. Help us to lay aside everything. Lord, god, you know who's listening.

Speaker 2:

Lord, in this name, in this moment, in jesus name, I ask god that you help them. Lay aside every weight in jesus name, everything that's been weighing them down, weighing down their heart, their mind, every sin that's been an obstacle, that is entangling us, god, entangling every listener. Lord, that you may free them in Jesus name, help us, god, to run with perseverance. Lord, help us run this race because, god, you have marked us for this time and the enemy knows that and that's why he has risen like a flood. But, God, it says, your spirit will lift up a banner for us. May you lift up a banner for everyone that needs it right now, to let them understand and remember the promises that you have made, that you are not a God that fails, that you are a God that completes every promise.

Speaker 2:

I rebuke every lie of the enemy, I rebuke every stronghold, in the name of Jesus, that our lives can be free, that our lives can be loose. Lord, take away all the weight, god. You see the weight that some cannot even walk, that some cannot even pray, that some cannot even praise God, that some can't even feel your presence. But I ask, in the name of Jesus, that you take away all weight now, god, every sin. Break every chain in the name of Jesus, that you may strengthen our eyes, fix our eyes on you, god, and you alone, for you are our God, the author. You are the one that perfects us and perfects our faith. May you help us every single day, god, and may you bless everyone that has taken the time out to listen to your word, and may they feel the difference, the freedom, the liberation.

Speaker 2:

God, in the name of Jesus, wrap us, lord, with your Holy Spirit and help us, lord, to press on and win this race. In the name of Jesus, amen. I pray that the word of the Lord has been a blessing on your life. Continue to go forward. Focus on Jesus, shake off everything that is not of him. Press on in the name of the Lord, for we are almost at the end. Don't look back and you will see. Your reward is right there. Amen. Be strengthened in the Lord. God bless you all and until next time. This is your host, jj. God bless you.

Speaker 1:

If you liked today's episode and find that our podcasts are helping you find joy in your journey, please leave us a review in the podcast app and tell us your story and how we assisted you in finding joy. Don't forget to reach out to us by taking a screenshot of any of our podcasts and posting it on your Instagram or Facebook, tagging us in at MyFaithLine, and we will comment back. Join us next week for more episodes on finding joy in your journey through faith. Until next time, remember to live in faith by faith, through God's grace. God bless you.