The race of Faith

The race of Faith

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and 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, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls."  Hebrews 12:1-3

The Christian life is often described as a race.  It may be short like a 5k or long like a marathon.  You may be first at times and last at others.  Some days may be easy while other days require utmost effort to get through. Isn't it nice to know that God designed every person's race specifically for that person?  And all to give Him glory.  

To begin the race though,we must first know the route and the rules.  By reading the bible and spending time with Jesus, you will find both.  Time spent with Jesus, gives you a PR (personal relationship) with Him.   You will then have His guidance (Holy Spirit) to direct you to the finish line giving you everything you need to stay focused and persevere.  So many times I've seen a runner start strong only to get discouraged and give up before reaching the goal.  

Even the most focused runners can get off course.  It's then that God will correct and reroute us  You can read about this in the lives of David, Jonah, Moses and many others in the bible. It's easy to get off course when we are faced with the world's influences, troubles and worries.  It's during those times that it is crucial to keep our eyes focused on Christ.  Colossians 3:2 tells us to, "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."  And Paul tells us in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

You will get discouraged and there will be times in life when you feel like giving up, but stay moving forward. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  God doesn't say some things... He says ALL.  "Thanks be to God.  He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."                   1 Corinthians 15:57

The reason why many fail in battle is because they wait until the hour of battle. The reason why others succeed is because they have gained their victory on their knees long before the battle came. Anticipate your battles; fight them on your knees before temptation comes, and you will always have victory.-R.A. Torrey

Heavenly Father,  thank you for giving us the instructions on running the race of life.  Thank you for your Word that gives us everything we need to know to run well and finish strong.  May we glorify you through all we do.  In your precious name Jesus, Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Turn it up!!!

Where was God?

Where was God?

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:20

Where was God during the Boston Marathon last year?  I've seen that question asked over and over.  Susan Stamper Brown said the following on April 16, 2013, " instead of focusing on all the evil which seems to permeate every crack and crevice of this planet, we must look for the goodness around us. Like in the marathon runners who ran through the smoke and risked their lives to help the injured and others who crossed the finish line and continued running to the hospital to donate blood for the victims. Where was God? He showed up in the form of first responders and everyday bystanders who applied makeshift tourniquets, carried victims, or simply prayed.  God gets it. He understands our hurts. He feels our pain, empathizes with us in our grief, and hears our cries because He knows what it feels like to watch a loved one die. He's been there. So he cries along with us, reminding us along the way to breathe in... and breathe out... as we wait for history to finish the last pages of the story. Someday, we will look back at this brief moment we called life... and exceptionally bad days like Monday in Boston will somehow make sense...in light of eternity."

While we will never have the answers to all Life's questions, like the one asked so many times that fateful Monday in 2013, we can have peace and rest in Life's uncertainties by placing our trust in Jesus.  "We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love?  Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?"  Romans 8:28, 35.  In the midst of your questions, remember that it's not always as important to receive answers from Christ as it is to trust Christ and receive peace.  Trust that God is working all things for your good and that nothing in this world can ever separate us from the love of God.  Let me repeat that....NOTHING can separate us from the Christ's love.   That means you.  "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any powers, neither heighth nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

If nothing can separate us from Christ, there's nothing in the world to fear.  James 4:14 says that we, "are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."  So, enjoy today.  Go for a run and thank God for His presence in your life.  Today is a gift from God.  How you use it is your gift to Him. And, in the words of Mother Theresa-Yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not come, we have only today.  Let us begin. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the promise of always being with us.  Knowing that nothing can ever separate us from your Love makes life bearable in the hard times.  Thank you for your presence, comfort and peace in the midst of our trials.  In your precious name we pray, Amen.  

Happy Running!!!

The Boston anniversary

The Boston anniversary 

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,  that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve."  1 Corinthians 15:3-5

"Love always wins. I believe that because I believe that God is love, and I believe that God's love is ultimately impossible to resist. Love wins when we refuse to stop seeing it. And I refuse to stop seeing it. No matter what we learn about the who or the why of what happened today, I choose to believe that in the end "perfect love casts out fear." In our hearts. In our minds. And on that one city block in the heart of Boston."-Rev. Emily C. Heath on April 15, 2013

I was reading an article today published by the Washington Post titled,  "Boston Marathon anniversary:  A chance to move on from last year." The article went on to talk about the attack and the mementos and tributes left for the people injured and killed in last year's bombing.  Some placards, it said, were emblazoned with the slogan that 8-year-old Martin Richard, who was killed in the attack, had penned in 2012 while studying nonviolence in second grade.  

"No more hurting people.  Peace," they read.  Alison Beliveau, 25, of South Boston said, "It'll be sad, but its' something that has brought us closer together  It's strong.  It's unifying."  On this first anniversary of the bombing, people in Boston and around the world will gather to remember, to mourn and to unite.   And, I hope, to pray.

As I run the Boston Marathon this year, my prayer will be that we remember the greatest anniversary in history.  The day Jesus conquered death and rose from the dead to forgive us of our sins.  Easter!   Of the last sayings of Jesus on the cross, none is more important than when he uttered, "It is finished".  John 19:30. Translated in Greek, "it is finished", is istetelestai, an accounting term that means, "paid in full."  With these words, Jesus wiped away our debt-the debt of sin.  He paid our debt in full!!!  Isn't that an anniversary worth celebrating?

Heavenly Father, thank you for dying on the cross to save us from our sins.  Thank you for conquering death to pay our debt in full that we may live a life free from the debt of sin.  Let there be "peace" in Boston this year as I pray we turn to you.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.  

Happy Running!!!

Forgiving yourself

Forgiving yourself

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

Yesterday, I ran a half marathon with some friends.  My last long run before Boston.  While I'm so grateful to God for the healing that has taken place in my body, I found that I was still running as if I was hurting.  Somehow waiting for the pain to come back-bracing myself for it.  Why could I not just accept this gift?  

I think forgiveness is a lot like that.  We can give it to others, but we won't accept it for ourselves.  We continue hurting and behaving as if we'd never been forgiven.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."   And 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."  So, there it is... we confess our sins and we are made new.  

Billy Graham said the following about forgiving yourself:  If you have honestly committed your life to Jesus Christ and are trusting Him alone for your salvation, then the Bible says that God has forgiven you — fully and freely. You have been adopted into His family, and nothing can ever change that. The Bible says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Don’t trust your feelings; they aren’t dependable and will only lead you astray. Instead, trust Christ and what He has done for you by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Trust, too, in God’s promises to you — because God cannot lie, and He has promised to forgive and save all who come to Christ by faith.

In addition, ask God to help you forgive yourself. The memory of what you did in the past condemns you — but it condemns you falsely, because Jesus Christ gave His life for all those sins. The Bible says, “We set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts” (1 John 3:19-20). If God has forgiven you, shouldn’t you also forgive yourself?

Today is the day!  Why not start living the "new life" God promised you when you became a new person in Christ?  Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."   

Heavenly Father, thank you for forgiving us of our sins.  Please help us to forgive ourselves of those same sins so we can find peace and live a life proclaiming your goodness.  A life filled with joy because of the unburdened conscience we now have after forgiving ourselves.  Wow!  Thank you Jesus for loving us that much.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.  

Happy Running!!!

Nothing's sweeter than the day we find...forgiveness-Toby Mac

Renew our spirits

Renew our spirits

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."  Psalm 51:10

After this long winter, I am sure enjoying the warmer weather.  As I ran this morning, I couldn't help but breathe in the beauty of spring.  Everywhere I cast my gaze, signs of new life are springing up.   The trees are beginning to bud coloring the landscape with shades of white and purple and daffodils are peeking out everywhere.   It seems the birds are taking notice too. Their songs of joy seem to get louder every morning.   And the smells.... everything smells new!

Spring is a time for renewal, a time for a fresh start.   It's a time for forgiveness and a new beginning.  In Psalm 51:1-12, David makes a confession and prays for forgiveness pleading with God to cleanse him and to create in him a new heart.   Matthew 5:8 says, "God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God."  

But what does it mean to have a pure heart?  The Greek word for "pure" is katharos which means to be "clean, blameless, unstained from guilt.".  The Greek word for "heart" is kardeeah which can be applied to the physical heart but also refers to the spiritual center of life.  It is where our thoughts, our will, our desires and character reside.  So, to be pure in heart means to be blameless in who we actually are.  

The pure heart has no hypocrisy, hate or hidden motives.  Matthew 12:34 says, "For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." You can be sure that the condition of your heart can be seen by the condition of your speech too.  A pure heart has an uncompromising desire to please God in all things and to walk with Him through all things.  And a steadfast spirit is one that is immovable, fixed in place and not subject to change-a person completely determined to follow Christ no matter the cost.

If you are longing to be that person that follows Christ no matter the cost, now is the perfect time to renew your relationship with Him.  Maybe you've drifted away or just let life get between you and Jesus.  O maybe, like David, you made some bad choices that led you astray.  Whatever the reason, you can make a fresh start by simply confessing your sins and asking God to cleanse you.

There's no better time than today!!!    

Heavenly Father, thank you for your gift of forgiveness upon the confession of our sins.  Create in us a pure heart O God and renew a steadfast spirit within us.  Let this be the beginning of our "new life"- a life centered around You.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.

Happy Running!!!

Turn it up!!!

A straying Lamb

A straying Lamb  

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30

There will be times in every Christian's life when we question God.  Is He listening?  Does He hear me crying out for help?  Why am I being allowed to suffer?  Doesn't God care?   In the old days, if a Shepherd had a sheep that was prone to wandering off from the herd or out of the protection of the pen, the Shepherd would break the sheep's leg and reset it so that it would not wander off and be killed by a prowling predator (Sheep are not safe away from the Shepherd but they don't have the sense to know it. Sound like anyone?). It's only because the Shepherd so loved His sheep that He would allow them to suffer-only for a time and only under his watchful eye-so that they could live. 

A Straying Lamb

The Shepherd loved His little lamb,
And gave it His tender care...
And followed it with His loving eyes
As it wandered here and there.

And as He sat by His grazing flock
Who so meekly His voice obeyed,
He pondered sadly His little lamb
As again and again it strayed.

The little lamb had a loving heart,
And adored His Shepherd, true,
But would turn aside and seek his own way
As lambs will so often do.

With His gentle voice the Shepherd called,
To His loved and straying lamb,
"Come back, little one, for you are not safe
Unless you are where I am."

But still the lamb would soon forget
And unthinkingly wander away,
And not really noticing what he did,
From the Shepherd's side would stray.

Until one day, the Shepherd kind
Took His rod in His gentle hand,
And what He then did seemed so cruel
That the lamb could not understand.

For with one sharp and well-aimed blow
Down the rod so swiftly came
That it broke the leg of the little lamb
And left it crippled, and lame.

Then the little lamb, with a cry of pain,
Fell down upon his knees...
And looked up at his Shepherd, as though to say,
"Won't you explain this, please?"

Then he saw the love in the Shepherd's eyes
As the tears ran down His face,
As He tenderly set the broken bone,
And bound it back in it's place.

Now he was utterly helpless,
He could not even stand!
He must trust himself completely
To his Shepherd's loving hand.

Then day by day, 'till the lamb was healed
From the flock he was kept apart...
And carried about in the Shepherd's arms,
And cradled near to His heart.

And the Shepherd would whisper gentle words
Into his now listening ear...
Thus he heard sweet words of love
That the other sheep could not hear.

He felt the warmth of the Shepherd's arms
And the beat of His faithful heart...
Until it came a blessing to seem,
By his weakness to be set apart.

Every need of the little lamb
By his Shepherd so fully was met
That through his brokenness he learned
What he never again would forget.

And as the broken bone was healed,
And once more became whole and strong...
Wherever the Shepherd's path would lead,
The lamb would follow along.

Thus at the Shepherd's side he walked
So closely, day by day,
For once a lamb has a broken leg
It will never again go astray.

For the cords of love had bound it so
In its hour of weakness and need...
That it had no desire to wander away,
When once again it was freed.

Could it be you are broken today,
And you cannot understand
The painful blow of the Shepherd's rod
Nor believe it came from His hand?

He only seeks, by this painful thing,
For a time to call you apart...
To cradle you close in His loving arms,
And draw you near to His heart.

So look up into your Shepherd's eyes,
And earnestly seek His face...
And prove in the hour of your weakness and need
The sufficiency of His grace.

For as you are borne in His loving arms,
And carried there, day by day...
He will bind you so close with the cords of His love
That never again will you stray!
-author unknown

Heavenly Father, thank you for being our Shepherd and guiding us through the paths of life.  Thank you for drawing us back when we have gone astray.  Help us to feel your presence as we painfully submit our will to follow you into eternal life.  It's in your precious and lifechanging name we pray Jesus, Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

....He hears the cry of the afflicted.

               Job 34:28

Make me broken, so I can me healed....

Stay Focused

Stay Focused

"Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you."  Proverbs 4:25

Every athlete knows that the secret to winning  is staying focused.    Whatever sport you participate in, your focus must constantly be on your goal.    Marathon runners, for instance,  must be consistent in their training They must run longer and longer distances to get fit for their race with the thought of finishing the motivating factor.  Because it takes time, hard work and sacrifice to train, those who lose sight of the goal can easily become discouraged and give up.   The same is true about our walk with Jesus.  If we take our eyes off Him, even for a moment, we are destined to fail.  "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."  1 Peter 5:8

The book of Acts 16:16-34 tells the story of Paul and Silas who were stripped, beaten and thrown into jail for teaching about Christ and healing a demon possessed girl.  It seems she was a slave that could predict the future (through demons) and earned quite a sum of money for her owners.  Rather than rejoice at her healing, her owners were angry at their loss of income, and seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to meet with the authorities.  Even though they had committed no crime, they were placed in stocks designed for holding the most violent prisoners .  Despite their situation, they spent the night praying and singing hymns and praises to God as the other prisoners listened.  The story gets even better as God sent an earthquake that caused all the prison doors to fly open and everyone's chains to be loosed.  When the jailer woke, he was going to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.  When he found that Paul and Silas were still there he decided that God must be real and he wanted to know this Jesus they talked about.  Because Paul and Silas stayed focused, the jailer and his whole family were saved and baptized!!  What amazing things we can accomplish too when we keep our eyes fixed on our Creator.

There are two things they did because they were focused that we should remember:  they waited for God to tell them when to move and they kept praising God while they waited for Him to move.   They achieved their goal of winning others to Christ because they trusted God and kept their thoughts on Him.  Colossians 3:2 tells us to, "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."   By focusing on Christ, we can and will make it to the finish line. We will encounter some detours and hurdles along the way, that is certain,  but we will finish the race.

Heavenly Father, thank you for being with us through this life as we strive to live for you.  Help us to always look directly forward and keep our gaze straight on you at all times.  May we live a life worthy to claim the prize of salvation.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen.  

Happy Running!!!  

Great song-unfortunately the video is not of the US.  Very inspirational song though.  Enjoy.