READ: Ephesians 5:15-21

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Knowing your predestination for a prize helps you to focus and concentrate on one thing at a time. It helps you to do the one important thing for your life.

It is important to understand the destiny that lies ahead of you. This will cause you to have a focused and intense ministry. You must have an urgent, intense, focused, fiery and driven ministry. When your ministry can be described as such, then it is clear that your eyes and your heart are focused on eternity.

There are many things that lie ahead of you. God has great plans for you. If you look into the predestined plan of God, you will see that there are many things that lie ahead.

It is important to forget the things that are past and press on to your destiny. Constantly looking backwards at failures and victories will not help you. The days go by and they are gone forever. It is too late to mend a life that is past. When it is gone, it is gone for eternity. Your life spent is irrevocable. No one can drive a car well when they are always looking into the rear mirror.

When someone dies, it is important to leave behind the sorrow and press on to the life that remains. Loving the dead does not help you to move on to the things that lie in the future.

Paul said that he chose to forget the things that were behind. Past victories must also be forgotten. Gloating over past victories is a grave mistake. It is important to forget your past victories and focus on the things to be done. There are more victories to be won.

Knowing your predestination of eternity makes you wise and helps you to concentrate on the will of God.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore BE YE NOT UNWISE, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:15-17

The life you have lived remains to be contemplated throughout eternity.
Having in mind that you are destined to live forever in eternity will cause you to redeem the time or save time. Every day that passes is gone forever. You cannot relive your youthful days.
I remember when I was a teenager, I served God with passion and I loved Him. But I cannot relive those days. I remember when I was in my twenties. I endured some of the greatest accusations, insults and persecutions of my life. Those were exciting days too. I enjoyed the ministry and served God with a passion.
In those days, a fellow Christian brother called me the devil! I was surprised that so early in my life and ministry someone had insulted me so much. However, those days are gone! And gone forever! I cannot go back! Whatever is done is done for eternity.

I remember when I was in my thirties and I had acquired my first church building. The excitement of building a church for God and starting branches of the church was bubbling in me. I remember when I began to travel all over the world having conferences and crusades. Today as I write, those days are gone forever. If I didn’t use that time well, sorry, they can never come back.

I remember the great fathers God gave to me. I remember meeting T L Osborn, Fred Price, Kenneth Hagin, Reinhard Bonnke and Yonggi Cho. Today, the opportunity to meet such men is over. Even if I want to see them, it is not possible. They are resting in their graves, waiting for the rest of us to join them. That is why scripture asks us to redeem the time. (Ephesians 5:16)

What did you have to do in the past? I can assure you; you cannot do that today!
You have lost the opportunities of the days gone by. When you are in your third year you cannot do the examinations of the second year. If you had poor grades in the second year of university, you have to carry them on with you. If you have poor grades on earth, you have to carry them with you as a burden to eternity.
Let us give ourselves to this glorious mission unreservedly. Let us never think that our lives, our families are our own! Let us dedicate them all to God and to His work. Let us give ourselves wholly that our profiting may appear.1 Let us redeem the time. Eternity is our destination. We are predestined for a life in glory.