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The Mughal Empire is conventionally said to have been founded in 1526 by Babur, a warrior chieftain from what is today Uzbekistan, who employed aid from the neighboring Safavid and Ottoman empires, to defeat the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodhi, in the First Battle of Panipat, and to sweep down the plains of Upper India. For some two hundred years, the empire stretched from the outer fringes of the Indus river basin in the west, northern Afghanistan in the northwest, and Kashmir in the north, to the highlands of present-day Assam and Bangladesh in the east, and the uplands of the Deccan Plateau in South India. Jesus Himself said, “Follow Me,” because He knew that staying focused would be one of the most difficult things for us to do.The Mughal Empire was an Islamic early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. We are not asked to look at the spectators in the arena or at the other runners, but to keep our eyes on Jesus and imitate Him. ” (Hebrews 12:1–2).Ĭhrist, our example, is the One who has gone before us in the race. The writer of Hebrews gives us precise instructions about what we must do to keep our focus: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.
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Each of us has a mission to fulfill, just as Christ did. We are asked to follow Jesus’ example in handling distractions. Yet all three got distracted by the love of this world and money and hence were sidetracked from their mission. Demas could have possibly been the one to receive the torch from Paul. Gehazi was in line to inherit Elisha’s mantle and a double portion of his master’s ministry. Baalam the prophet was handpicked by God. Others gave in-and forfeited the most incredible possibilities they could have achieved in their lives. Although his enemies used every tactic in the book to frighten him into quitting, he kept right on building and answered, “Should such a man as I flee?” (Nehemiah 6:11). Nehemiah had the same determination when he was building the wall of Jerusalem. His statement, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24) meant that none of the difficulties, persecutions and problems he faced could persuade him to walk away. One of the secrets behind the Apostle Paul’s achievements in life was his absolute focus. Paul and Nehemiah also didn’t give in to distractions. It’s not worth it”-and walked away from the cross. They betrayed everything I showed and lived before them.
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Instead, He explained why He was keeping His focus: “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:24).Īnd then in the last few hours of His life, when Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him and all of His disciples ran away, Jesus could have easily given up and said, “It’s all been a mistake. Jesus could have indeed turned stones into bread, jumped off the tower and survived, or walked away from the cross, but He refused.Įven when the devil used Peter and later the Greeks to try to prevent Him from completing His mission, Jesus still didn’t give in to distractions. Right before He began His ministry, the devil attempted to cause Jesus to use His embodied spiritual powers in a selfish way and without the authorization of His Father. Jesus was surrounded by distractions just like we are.
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