A prophetic teaching by Margaret Ochsner, a member of Women’s Apostolic Alliance
Everyone who has achieved great things in life – the outstanding men and women in the Bible achieved amazing things because they kept their focus on God and they walked in obedience to Him and His ways.
NOAH
It took him 100 years to build the ark and he had never seen rain, but he believed God and kept focused.
ABRAHAM
Left his homeland, because he totally trusted God and kept focused on Him, even though he had no idea where God was taking him. (Genesis 12)
When God asked him to take his son, Isaac and sacrifice him on Mount Moriah, Abraham stayed focused on God, because he knew God was faithful, trustworthy and a covenant-keeping God.
Hebrews 11:17-19
By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac you seed will be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”
JOSEPH
Joseph endured being sold as a slave, false accusations from his master, Potiphar’s wife, which resulted in 13 years in prison, yet he kept God’s promises and the dream He had given him and God’s greatness in his heart. He kept focused and God eventually rewarded him. He became second in command in the whole land of Egypt and also saved his father and the brothers who had betrayed him from starvation during the famine that came on the land.
STEPHEN
Acts 7:54-58
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; they cast him out of the city and stoned him.
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin,” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen was obviously totally focused on God and although he must have felt some pain, his focus helped him to endure it and God came through for him.
PAUL
Before becoming a follower of Christ, Paul was zealous and focused on persecuting “people of the way” (Christians.) (Acts 8:3, Acts 9:1-2) but his focus changed when he met the Lord.
Philippians 3:12-14
I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things that are ahead, I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The Bible is full of stories of many others who achieved huge things in God, because they believed God and obeyed Him and stayed focused.
There are also many others through out history who have achieved remarkable things because of their focus.
WILLIAM WILBERFORCE – the abolition of slavery.
MARTIN LUTHER – the Protestant reformation.
MARTIN LUTHER KING – Equality for African Americans.
HELEN KELLER – Who obtained a University degree, and even though she was blind and deaf invented the Braille alphabet.
BILLY GRAHAM – who brought thousands to Christ.
There have been thousands more explorers, inventors, scientists, surgeons, missionaries, sports men and women, some who were disabled, who have achieved amazing things, because of their passion and focus.
There is the “power of one” in particular when united with Christ.
