Stay on Course

Concerns-

not comparing

sticking with purpose and plan from God

For implications--

“this is why..”

this is how...”

this is what it means...”

In military terms—not straying from the path / plan laid out—Cf. Gettysburg

(comparing—must conclude w/ better than, worse than, same as—all of which are misnomers. First, there is no way to calculate, because my path isn’t yours—Cf scar comparison in Jaws--”my life has been harder than yours…; second, teh assumption is that there is some kind of standardfor a life—the only standard is Jesus, and His approach is to destroy the accusation—an accusing heart is not one that is harmonized with teh heart of Jesus)

cf running looking backward, sideways

cf phrase—lions led by donkeys—charge of the light brigade

cf presenter / author that says that whenever the interests of the Nazi party bifurcated from teh interests oif the reich, Hitler always preferred the interests of the party (Dr. A Roberts)

** CF Hitler’s shift from bombing the RAF aerodromes to bombing population centers and docks?—allowed an almost thoroughly crippled RAF to rebuild infrastructure and repair runways and renew their air operations—Hitler had almost put them out of commission, but teh failure of sticking with teh path was the undoing of his success with Britain. This would have eliminated them before the US was even in teh war. And ironically, it was the eventual destruction of teh German Luftwaffe that presented teh opportunity for allied success???

Cf Peter re: “what about John”

questioning God’s justice

Questioning God’s awareness

objecting to God’s priorities (resisting?)

looking-beside failuress / distraction

looking-back failures / distractions

*** This is about sticking with the purpose of God ahead of you (or simply purpose of God—as opposed to those things behind you that aren’t part of your pursuit, and those things alongside you that belong to someone else’s path—not yours)

Cf Gettysburg where 1 general goes off on his own

Cf Market Garden—Montgomery’s attention was toward problem w/ not being in command

He was so determined to be recognized as superior that he failed miserably—at the expense of thousands of casualties—all about rivalries

Cf Gen Townshend in 1916 pursuit of Babylon

Cf Macarthur re: China...

invited Mao’s aggression—then longest retreat in US history—300 miles, …casualties

Asked for military intervention--

all because he got distracted from his mission and invited the Chinese aggression

Victory went to his head—his actibvities began to follow a personal agenda about his oen ambitions more than that of his superior—he elevated his cause and his concerns, not because he though he should serve himself, but because he believed he was so right that his rebellion was vindicated by his altogether superiority

Cf Roman processions of great generals after great victories, in chariot behind general was a slave constantly whispering, “remember, you are mortal”

Also—not only distractions beside and behind, but fears forward? Cf appeasement polocies of Britaiin and France out of fear of warfare

King Guy vs Saladin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGwikhCts2o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NajllTD3Mvg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5agLW7fTzBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiIsGxgzkn4

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=military+blunders

you don’t get to choose your race, but you do get to choose what you do with it

choose to run it

eyes forward

free from comparison

free from reaction to past (grudge, shame, etc)

Prokeimai has two important facets--

1- nature is opportunity (used 5 times—4 strongly about an opportunity in front

2- position is in front of you (illus re: eyes on the prize, eyes on the ball all the way to contact—baseball; no comparison to the side, no reaction to the past, no fear of the future

** each of these is in explanation, w/ supporting SCR??

no comparison (according to what have…; why do you act as if haven’t received…; each answers to his own master—Cf church history riddled with friendly fire of people who were brothers but treated as opponents—accusation SCR’s???) (comparison quote?) (Flaw of comparison logic; Cf. beam / mote??)

no reaction to past—different word than reaction, indicate bondage to or similar—Cf SCR re: unforgiveness, resentment, etc—these things direct your efforts—everything is always colored by either disposition of revenge or vindication, or narrowed focus that is a reaction to targeted issue by pursuing targeted efforts, and focusing thinking in reactove way—thios reaction to past narrows thinking and efforts by keeping you bound to what you will not be or what you will not accept ---IT’S LIKE RUNNING A RACE BACKWARD—Cf Smokey and the Bandit w/ Bandit drivinbg

CF Burt Reynolds movie —Hooper—driving 55 in reverse

You could check your transmission ratios. Usually reverse is very close to what 1st speed ratio is, which means you will be driving in reverse as fast as you could go on 1st gear forward. Usually it is about 40 miles/hour (around 65 km/hour) but depends on the car.

no fear of the future...

*** Begin to approach life as an opportunity—quit longing for others’ conditions and begin identifying opportunities

*** Quit regretting circumstances and start noticing opportunities

*** Cf Andrews—professional noticer

Cf comparison—I heard one of my sons say, “It smells better than my soccer bag.” Exactly how good does something need to smell to smell better than a soccer bag? It occurs to me that the difficulty in getting over a hurdle always lies in how high you set the bar. Comparisons will almost always serve the preconceptions you started with. The one comparing always picks the terms and the alternate—and that’s a recipe for certain confirmation—you are destined to be proven right, whether you have a preconception of the best or the worst

Cf if the glove don’t fit you must acquit—there are things that fit us—straight from God—my shoes weren’t meant for you to run in and my race wasn’t meant for you to run

Cf a great pair of leather choes—pay a little more but last—even more, become YOUR shoes—they start out a generic size, but after a while, they have reshaped themselves for your foot especially—no longer generic, but rather, form fit for you

2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV

12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:12 NLT

12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!

2 Corinthians 1:12 NLT

12 We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you.