KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL

1. In a stadium teeming with thousands of raucous fans, PLAYERS know too well to KEEP THEIR EYES ON THE BALL. In a world grappling with perplexing instabilities, the BRIDE is the "AWAY TEAM", Satan is the "HOME TEAM" and SPECTAORS are his rag team of "TROUBLES"; "We are TROUBLED on every side, yet not DISTRESSED; we are PERPLEXED, but not in despair; PERSECUTED, but not forsaken; CAST DOWN, but not destroyed; ... For which cause we faint not; but though our OUTWARD MAN PERISH, yet the INWARD MAN IS RENEWED day by day" [2 Corinthians 4:8-9,16] When we are persecuted, lose loved ones to untimely death, our FAITH tested to breaking point in pursuit of business or buffeted by "THORNS" in the flesh, the devil's purpose is to DISTRACT from the "BALL"; the TREASURE of ETERNAL LIFE in us, "But we have this TREASURE IN EARTHEN VESSELS, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ... Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you" [2 Corinthians 4:7,14]

2. The TREASURE in earthen vessels is the PROMISE of ETERNAL LIFE in JESUS CHRIST, "... in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory" [Ephesians 1:13-14] "EARNEST" is the down-payment we have in this body; your "BALL", KEEP IT with all you've got. The present climate of wars, rumours of war and global disequilibrium are orchestrated by the enemy to take your eyes off the "BALL". We are surrounded by a bewildering atmosphere of fear, confusion and suffering must never be so "BUSY" as to compromise the WILL of God, 1 Kings 20:42, as Ahab did and was reprimanded with this parable, "... Keep this man: if by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver. And as THY SERVANT WAS BUSY HERE AND THERE, he was gone. And the king of Israel said unto him, SO SHALL THY JUDGMENT BE ..." [1 Kings 20:39-43] This is no time for compromise or emotional disabilities that entangle men in affairs of this world, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier"  [2 Timothy 2:4]

3. The PROMISE in Genesis 1:26 summarizes our INHERITANCE in JESUS CHRIST, "And this is the PROMISE THAT HE HATH PROMISED US, EVEN ETERNAL LIFE. These things have I written unto you concerning THEM THAT SEDUCE YOU" [1John 2:25-26] God fulfilled the conditions, becoming like us in JESUS CHRIST and we, are beneficiaries of His WILL through His death on the Cross,  "For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the DEATH OF THE TESTATOR. For a testament is of force after men are dead:..." [Hebrews 9:16-17] The TITLE DEED of our INHERITANCE is your TESTIMONY of the fulness of God manifest in JESUS CHRIST; written in our HEARTS not on PAPER, "BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU through PHILOSOPHY and vain DECEIT, after the TRADITION of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after CHRIST. For IN HIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULNESS OF THE GODHEAD" [Colossians 2:8-9] This the "BALL" and it is literally in your court, but there are DECEIVERS, "For there shall arise FALSE CHRISTS, and FALSE PROPHETS, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, THEY SHALL DECEIVE THE VERY ELECT" [Matthew 24:24] KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL and let no man or Angel steal your crown with doctrines of Balaam, manipulations of Jezebel and Depths of Satan [Revelation 2:24]

4. The DECEIVER is a formidable opponent but the ELECT shall not be DECEIVED, having UNDERSTANDING of SIGNS, TIMES and WHAT TO DO, "And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES, TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO; ..." [1 Chronicles 12:32] Listen carefully, it is well to recognize SIGNS in the sky, it is far more prudent to KNOW what to DO and DO the needful, "And there shall be SIGNS IN THE SUN, and in the MOON, and in the STARS; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ... And WHEN THESE THINGS BEGIN TO COME TO PASS, then LOOK UP, and LIFT UP YOUR HEADS; for your REDEMPTION DRAWETH NIGH" [Luke 21:25,28] Our obsession with SIGNS in the sky; computations and permutations of prophetic events are unwarranted distractions. Eclipses of the SUN, BLOOD MOONS and alignment of STARS are OMENS not DOCTRINE;; they are as weather forecast to the farmer, it is what we do with it that counts. Brethren, now more than ever is time to KEEP OUR EYES ON THE BALL, making your ELECTION SURE, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to MAKE YOUR CALLING AND ELECTION SURE: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall" [2 Peter 1:5-10]