We are in a race, a marathon from the Cross through the World to heaven but who are we competing with? Who are you competing with?
In a marathon you must know;
- The rules and the regulations – in the marathon to heaven, the rules and regulations are the laws and commands of Jesus Christ. People who do not run by the rules perish – go to hell
- How long the marathon is – the length of the marathon is different to every person individually
- Who you are competing with
In the previous study, from the cross to heaven is a marathon not a sprint, we have seen the rules and regulation and how long the marathon is. Let’s study the competitor.
The Marathon Race – Who are you Competing With?
A race is called a race because there is/are competitor/s. When you are competing with the best, you put your best in the race for you to win and your celebration at the finish line is great if you win.
In the marathon from the cross through the world (wilderness) to the Promised Land heaven, we have a competitor out to steal kill and destroy – he is Satan and his entire kingdom of darkness.
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10)
Satan steals people crowns (rewards), kills and destroys you not to finish the race – not to win
Reason it is written,
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places (Eph 6:12)
If you are competing with the best, you will put your best in the race. Many people underestimate Satan and his kingdom whom in reality has overcome and corrupt them
Jude 1:8-10: Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, did not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
Look at every person who takes Satan casually, who underestimate and disrespect him, he has corrupted them all.
Satan camouflages himself that you find yourself competing with people and things but not him – you lose sight at your competitor. The moment you lose sight at your competitor, he defeats you.
Because you cannot see him, he destroys and kills you without being hindered or stopped. You can only stop the thief you see from stealing from you but not the thief you cannot see.
How does Satan camouflage and make you lose sight of him?
1. He changes your race course and direction
Every race has its course and direction. If you run on the wrong race course, do you win? No. If you are supposed to run to the east but you run to the west, will you win? No!
How does Satan change your course and direction?
a) By raising brood of vipers
When Satan rose up Korah, Korah was to lead the children of Israel to the wrong course and direction not the course and direction God was instructing through Moses.
Korah represents the brood of vipers – the counterfeits, the religious (Pharisees). As Korah and all his company perished, so it is with all who follow brood of vipers.
Ask yourself, is that person leading you a True Jesus Christ servant? (Only Jesus can answer you and the scripture bear you witness). See the person leading you determines hell or heaven
b) By making sure that you do not carry and finish your specific assignment on earth – the Will of God
Satan was out to stop Jesus from going to the cross. He is out to stop every person from carrying God’s assignment s/he is created to do. By stopping or diverting you from the assignment – Satan wins the race against you and you perish.
Many people will go to hell for not doing God’s Will; doing and finishing the assignment they are created to do on earth.
Ask yourself this question; what is God’s Will in your life? What did He create me to do on earth?
c) By making you do his work not God’s Work
Satan’s diverts people from doing God’s work to doing his work.
God never created a human being to abuse, persecute, slander, gossip, rumormonger, etc – these things are works of the devil. When you are abusing, persecuting slandering, etc, you are doing Satan’s work – who is doing yours?
A woman was not created to toil in the same manner you will never see a man in labor ward giving birth (Gen 3). A woman is a helper. See women were not created to toil (next)
The time you find a woman toiling, she is doing Satan’s assignment and hell awaits her if she changes (repents) not. In the same manner, if you will ever find a man in labor ward giving birth, that man is a hell firewood.
If you are not carrying out the assignment God created you to do, whose assignment are you carrying? Satan’s. Whose Will are you doing? Satan’s. The end is hell if you repent not.
See also no 2 people are send with the same assignment on earth
2. Gives people wrong competitors – competing with the wrong person
When you compete with the wrong person, you run the wrong race and you lose – never win.
When you compete with the best, you eye is always on him. But Satan makes sure that people eyes are not on him but on other things of the world and of men.
The moment you lose your eye from the thief, the thief steals. The moment you lose your eye on Satan, he is stealing killing and destroying you. You can only stop the thief you see not the one you do not see.
Satan camouflages himself and gives people other competitors to compete with thus losing their eye from him.
Reason we have people in love of the world and its things. Many people today are busy after the world and its things. They includes money, riches, cars, houses, careers, fame, jobs, etc, reason they are after blessings – blessings with worldly things not heavenly things.
Do not love the world or the things in the world …. read 1 John 2: 15-17
The time you start competing with world things, to get them, Satan makes sure that these things are always beyond you so you continue running after them and focusing on them while him (Satan) is busy stealing killing and destroying you unhindered, unstopped and at the finish line, you realize you lost the race and hell is opening its mouth to sallow you.
Reason you are seeing young women running after money, careers, world education, sexual immorality, etc, by the time they are 35 years 40 years, they realize marriage, happiness, joy, etc, has fled from them and sicknesses and diseases, curses and dogs are eating their flesh. It is Satan who gives them money and careers to run after while destroying them unhindered; unstopped.
You are seeing men after money, careers, fame, drunks including alcohol, sexual immorality, etc, while Satan is out stealing destroying and killing them unhindered thus by the time they realize, they have lost everything and hell is opening its mouth to swallow them
People are busy after blessings with world things not heavenly things, by the time they realize, hell is opening its mouth to swallow them. Look at every person after blessings, they are in curses; sicknesses and diseases, poverty, addictions, sexual immorality, etc, because the time you’re busy after blessings, Satan is killing destroying and stealing everything unhindered.
Seek Jesus Christ to be blessed with heavenly things. See seek first the kingdom of heaven and His righteousness and all shall be added unto you
People are busy after world education, promised the world by it only to realize at the end it is all lies; poverty, takes the TRUTH (Jesus) from you and only makes you a servant of the world. See world education is a lie
Satan has made people compete with each other. Competition among humans is always because of envy and self-gain. When you are competing with one another, you have lost sight of the thief and he is stealing killing and destroying unhindered.
Satan enjoys seeing humans compete and fight each other because when they are doing so, they make each other the enemy without seeing the real enemy who is making them compete and fight and in that he destroys humans unhindered, unstopped.
Reason we have competition, bragging and showing off in people today – people competing to get things of the world for show-off, to be better than the other person. The end is hell – and this is what is in today’s church.
Competition in the church, in preaching the gospel is Satan causing it. Have seen people who think that preaching the gospel is a competition and others think that prophesying is a competition.
True Jesus Christ servants are in a competition only with Satan not with a fellow human being. Brood of vipers compete among each other and with fellow humans – Satan kills steals and destroys them unstopped.
Satan always gives people an object to pursue, to run after, another human being to compete with and in doing so, he is stealing killing and destroying you completely unhindered.
What are you pursuing in life? What are you mindful of (Mt 16:23)? What are your eyes on? Sit down, pause for a moment and evaluate your life.
If you want to know you are losing the race, look at where you eyes are, your mind is and the vanities you are chasing after; things of the world you are chasing – the wind you are chasing(Read ecclesiastics to see the vanities). Look for look for curses in your life; diseases and sicknesses, addictions, loans, failures, stagnations, barrenness, etc.
If you see them turn, focus and pursue Jesus Christ only for Him to stop the works of Satan in your life (1 John 3:8).
Majority of the people are after things of the world, ways of the world, mindful of things of men and yet saying they are on the way to heaven – you are lying to yourself
Every person competing not with Satan is running a wrong race heading to hell, if you do not open your eyes, see and repent (change) when still alive on earth
The race to heaven is a race between life and death. In that race you make a choice either to win or lose, either to have life or perish, hell or heaven. It is a personal choice which no other person can make for you
Jesus is coming
Repent Repent Repent
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
 to the Promised Land heaven, we have a competitor out to steal kill){kind=link}