Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!

It was my eighth grade year in school. I was fit and in shape. I found my stride in the 880 yard run or also known as, the half mile run. I had practiced until I was outrunning everyone at my own school, for this distance.

Because I grew up in a home where there were lots of chores, which I had to tend to each day (on a farm). I didn’t have the chance to go on a lot of the track meets, my school went to. But the ones I did go on during this year, I ran undefeated in the 880.

I remember one day, while attending a neighboring schools track meet. A very fit, young African-American male and his friends walked up to the staging area for the next race. He looked over the small crowd of us there stretching before the race and said, “Awe! There’s no competition here today.” (He said this with a smirk-smile on his face.)

He words shot right to the core of my being! I looked at one of my friends and said, “If I do nothing else today! I will beat him in this race.”

We lined up! The shot was fired and off we went. During the first lap of the race, He was barely ahead of me. But my eyes were on the prize of beating him in this race. At the start of the second and final lap, I edged passed him and then never looked back. At the end of the race, I had won first place. He came in third. (I guess someone else had found motivation in his smirk-speech at the beginning of the race and they placed second.)

Looking back over this point in my life, I am reminded of this scripture setting.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 AMP
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! [25] Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. [26] Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. [27] But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service].

My friends, because of the price our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ paid. We are qualified in Him. He paid the price for all of our short-comings, so we could be heirs with Him in glory. So run your race to win! You can do it! You are more than a conqueror in Him.

Rom 8:37-39 (MKJV)  But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39  nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

#IAmMoreThanAConquer #JointHeirs #Prize #WinThePrize #Goals

@USA @NorthAmerica @SouthAmerica @Antarctica @Asia @Europe @Russia @Australia @Israel @Islands @Africa @LoveOfGod @Jesus

Larry Atkerson Ministries

Larry Atkerson Sr. was born-again at a young age. He grew up in rural southeastern Oklahoma, then in high school, his family moved to Tulsa, Ok. During this time he met the young lady who would become his wife, Lisa. They got married when they were still in their teen years. Obviously, getting married at this age created some very interesting times as they both grew up and matured together. However, they have stayed true to their vows, to each other, and have basically grown up with their 3 wonderful children. Larry Atkerson Sr. and Lisa Atkerson both have received training in ministry at "Rhema Bible Training Center" and "School of the Local Church"/"Grace School of Ministry" in Broken Arrow, and Tulsa, Ok. respectively. While attending "School of the Local Church", he received his first taste of the original languages of the Bible, in a course called "Beginning Biblical Greek". Since that time he has also received training in "Biblical Hebrew", with a university based in Israel. "eTeacher". Larry Atkerson Sr. has worked/volunteered in just about every position a church or ministry can have. In doing so, he has filled many different roles ranging from door-greeter to Sunday-School teacher, and children’s church worker to counselor. He has also served in the pastoral positions of children’s, youth, and adult ministries. He has worked and been involved in hospital/visitation ministries where he has seen the power of God change people’s lives. He delights in going on short-term mission trips! All the while, seeing the love of God with applied wisdom - transform people and their lives forever. Larry Atkerson Sr. teaches a weekly bible study class starting just after spring break each year and continuing until right before Thanksgiving. In the class, he delves into the wonderful-exciting-mysteries and simplicity of the Word of God.

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