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Other Messages: You Must Die To Live - He Takes It Personal - Ark Was Lifted Up - Complete Message List
The
Race Of Endurance
Turn with me to the 12th. chapter of
Hebrews, reading verses 1, 2 & 3. (WHEREFORE SEEING WE ALSO
ARE COMPASSED ABOUT WITH SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH DOTH SO EASILY
BESET US, AND LET US RUN WITH PATIENCE 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 IS SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF
THE THRONE OF GOD. FOR CONSIDER HIM THAT ENDURED SUCH
CONTRADICTION OF SINNERS AGAINST HIMSELF, LEST YE BE WEARIED
AND FAINT IN YOUR MINDS.)
Preparing
For The Race
It is clear from Paul's writings, that as a child of God: WE
ARE IN A RACE. But in order for us to win this race, we must
first know what kind of a race we're in. This is not just any
race: THIS IS A RACE FOR YOUR (ETERNAL) LIFE! There are
many who have dropped out of the race, because they didn't PREPARE
for the right race.
Some may ask; Does it really matter what kind of a race we
prepare for? Let me say: IT'S A MATTER OF WINNING OR LOSING!
I know you've heard the saying which goes: It doesn't matter if
you win or lose, as long as you have fun. Well that may hold true
in some children's games, but not with this race: WINNING THIS
RACE IS EVERYTHING! I said, WINNING THIS RACE IS
EVERYTHING! If you believe it shout amen. And because WINNING
this race means everything, we must prepare for the right race,
so that we might win.
The reason that I am stressing the importance of PREPARING
for the right kind of a race, is because, many reading this are out of
the race today, and in danger of losing their souls, all because
they we're not PREPARED, and did not PREPARE for
the race that the Word of God says we are to run.
I want to let you know, that, THIS RACE IS NOT A 50 OR 100
YARD DASH. " THIS RACE IS ALONG DISTANCE RACE; A
RACE OF ENDURANCE!" Shout Amen Someone.
Many have got in the race expecting to run a short distance
and then cross the finishes line. And because they we're not PREPARED
to run the ENDURANCE RACE, they had not the strenght to
keep running. Now I know that there have been some, but very few,
which only had to run the 50 or 100 yard dash; but you know as
well as I know, that, on the most part it's the LONG DISTANCE
that most of us must run. And some of us have been running this
race for years.
Even Jesus himself said in Luke 14:27-30; 33 (And whosoever
doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
ver.28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not
down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have
sufficient to finish it? ver.29 Lest haply, after he hath laid
the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that
behold it begin to mock him, ver.30 Saying, This man began to
build, and was not able to finish. ver.33 So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple.)
HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST? Are you aware that when you
enter THIS RACE, that ONLY THOSE THAT ENDURE TO THE END OF THE
RACE SHALL BE SAVED?
Running
To Win!
Lets take a look at 1 Cor. 9:24-27 ( Know ye not that they
which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So
run, that ye may obtain. ver.25 And every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they
do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
ver.26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so
fight I, not as one that beateth the air: ver.27 But I
keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by
any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway.)
I don't know about you, but I'M RUNNING TO WIN! And
this is how Bro. Paul exhorted the Corinthian saints to run: SO
RUN, THAT YE MIGHT OBTAIN! Many in this Last Day just aren't
sure if their able to win. They say, I HOPE I WIN. But the way
their using the word HOPE, is not real BIBLE HOPE! You see
BIBLE HOPE is not WISHFUL THINKING: it's ASSURANCE.
Let me put it this way; As a child of God I'm not hoping that
Jesus might come back: but rather, I'm looking for the BLESSED
HOPE of his returning with ASSURANCE that, HE IS
COMING BACK! Someone Help Me Praise The Lord.
In Heb 6:11 it reads ( And we desire that every one of you do
show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the
end:) Look at it: THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE ALL THE WAY TO
THE END! And then in verses 18 & 19 it says, (That by two
immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we
might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge
to lay hold upon the hope set before us: ver.19 Which
hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;)
Saints of God, our HOPE is SURE and STEDFAST!
This is why Paul could say; I therefore so run, not
as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth
the air. He was running to win the race. And in 2 Tim 4:7 he
declared (I have fought a good fight, I have finished
my course, I have kept the faith: ver.8 Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to
me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.) Beloved,
SET YOUR HEART TO WIN THE RACE!
Run
With Patience
I want to let you know, that, THE WAY YOU RUN THE RACE WILL
ALSO DETERMINE IF YOU WIN OR LOSE! This is why we are
told in Heb. 12:1 to lay aside EVERY WEIGHT, and the SIN
which doeth so easily BESET us, so that we can RUN WITH
PATIENCE the race that is set before us.
You that have done any running at all, know that you can run a
whole lot better, and a whole lot further without having to carry
a 100 lbs. then you could with 100 lbs. strapped to you. And no
one that really wants to win A RACE WEIGHTS THEMSELVES DOWN WITH
LEG WEIGHTS, ARM WEIGHTS, BACK WEIGHTS, NECK WEIGHTS, FOOT
WEIGHTS, HAND WEIGHTS, FINGER WEIGHTS, TOE WEIGHTS, NOSE WEIGHTS,
EAR WEIGHTS, Someone Shout Glory. No they strip themselves of EVERYTHING
that doesn't pertain to the race.
Now there are also somethings that we MUST PUT ON in
order to win the race. We find in Rom 13:12-14 that, ( The night
is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
ver.13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. ver.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.)
Also in Eph 6:11 we are told to, ( Put on the whole armour of
God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil.) And then in Col 3:12-14 we are told also to, ( Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,
longsuffering; ver.13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving
one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ver.14 And above all these
things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.)
All these things are needful if we are to WIN THE RACE.
Jesus himself said in Mat 11:28-30 ( Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ver.29 Take
my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ver.30 For my
yoke is easy, and my burden is light.) You can't run
this race by your own strength, If we're ever going to WIN THE
RACE: WE MUST RUN IT IN THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD!
The distance is to great, and the race can not be won through,
or by ANYTHING else, except SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH
which comes from PUTTING ON THE THINGS OF GOD, and PUTTING
OFF THE THINGS OF THE WORLD! For we are told in Rom 13:12 to,
( The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of
light.) You see Paul knew what it was going to take to WIN
THE RACE!
Notice he said to Cast Off the Works of DARKNESS. You
can't run a race in the dark! And ESPECIALLY a CROSS COUNTRY
RACE which you've never run before. And let me tell you; NONE
OF US HAVE EVER RUN THIS WAY BEFORE! In the dark you'll trip
and stumble, and fall, and lose your way. This is why we must PUT
ON THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT! How many know that this world is
getting darker and darker? Now Jesus said ; WE ARE IN THE
WORLD, BUT WE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD! We are told also
in Heb. 11:13-16 ( These all died in faith, not having received
the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded
of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. ver.14 For they that say
such things declare plainly that they seek a country. ver.15 And
truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they
came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. ver.16
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly:
wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath
prepared for them a city.) And even David declared in Ps.119: 105
(Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my
path.) Yes this old world is going to get darker and darker,
eviler, and eviler; but THANKS BE TO OUR GOD, WE HAVE THE
LIGHT OF GOD'S WORD TO SHOW US THE WAY CLEARLY!
God's word says; RUN WITH PATIENCE the race that is set
before you. There are those that are ether falling to far
behind, or are try to GET AHEAD OF THAT WHICH GOD IS DOING!
Friend we are to close to the finish line to be FALLING
BEHIND. If a runner FALLS TO FAR BEHIND in a race,
they are never able to catch back up and win the race. And there
are those who are in danger of LOSING THE RACE , all
because they have let themselves FALL TO FAR BEHIND IN WHAT
GOD IS DOING IN THIS LAST DAY!
And I want to say right here: In this race, YOU WILL ETHER
WIN OR LOSE! There's no SECOND PLACE, or THIRD
PLACE. There are only those who LOSE, and those who WIN! This
is why Paul Said: SO RUN, THAT YOU MIGHT WIN!
The
Finish Line In View
Beloved, we are in the last leg of the race. And there's
something special about the last part of the race: THE FINISH
LINE COMES IN VIEW! Well Glory. And don't you know, something
happens inside of a runner, when they CATCH SIGHT OF THE
FINISH LINE.
In the book of Acts, chapter 7 we read about a man of God by
the name of Stephen, who was in the LAST PART OF HIS RACE.
Stephen was being stoned to death because of his stand for THE
TRUTH. The bible says, that after he had preached to them
that HOLY GHOST ANOINTED MESSAGE, that the mob became
violent, and turned on Stephen biting him with their teeth, and
then casting him forth in their midst, and began to stone him to
death. But Stephen being FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST looked up
stedfastly in to heaven, and guess what Stephen caught sight of?!
THE FINISH LINE! Stephen said, I SEE JESUS! Someone shout
YES. I SEE JESUS! LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER
OF OUR FAITH!
And friend when Stephen caught sight of the FINISH LINE, he
lost feeling of the stones that were pounding his natural life
from him. He lost sight of everything else that was going on
around him: for it was THE FINISH LINE , (JESUS) THAT HAD ALL
HIS ATTENTION NOW! Nothing else mattered to him. All that
mattered to Stephen was, I'VE WON THE RACE! Raise your hands and
Praise The Lord.
The
Last Day Thrush Forward
In the last leg of the race, when the FINISH LINE comes
in view, every runner that is running to WIN, makes an ALL OUT,
HOLD NOTHING BACK, FORWARD THRUSH TOWARD THE FINISH
LINE! No matter how bad their body aches, and no matter how
fatigued they are, THEY THROW EVERYTHING FORWARD TOWARD THE
FINISH LINE!
They don't drag one of their legs behind them, IF THEIR SET
ON WINNING THE RACE. No, EVERYTHING IS LEANING AND MOVING
FORWARD. All their effort, energy, and movement is THRUSHED
FORWARD. WINNING THE RACE IS ALL THAT MATTERS TO THEM NOW!
Saints of God, we are in the last leg of the race, and the FINISH
LINE is in sight. And as that runner which is SET ON
WINNING THE RACE, we also must no be found dragging anything
behind, but ALL OF OUR EFFORT, ENERGY, AND
MOVEMENT MOST BE THRUST FORWARD TOWARD THE FINISH LINE! This
is no time to DRAG OUR FEET.
Hear it: this is the hour for a ALL OUT, HOLD
NOTHING BACK, LAST DAY HOLY GHOST THRUST TOWARD THE FINISH
LINE!
And let me say in closing: All that we had to endure in this RACE
OF ENDURANCE, won't even compare to the Glory that will be
ours, WHEN WE CROSS OVER!
Other Messages: You Must Die To Live - He Takes It Personal - Ark Was Lifted Up - Complete Message List
Home - T.G.B.T.G. Missions - Power Of God Center