3/24/14

From Gary... Choices, choices and THE RIGHT PATH

intimidation ~ noun uncommon
1. the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something
2. the feeling of discouragement in the face of someone's superior fame or wealth or status etc.
3. the feeling of being intimidated; being made to feel afraid or timid
4. a communication that makes you afraid to try something
- Artha, The Open Thesaurus

I wonder... what intimidates you the most;a politician, police officer, doctor, or perhaps someone who just has an aura of authority about them? Maybe just the leader of a group of your peers? Are you moved to submission by physical violence, threats of retribution against family or those close to you or economic implications by an employer forcing you to do his (her) will. Good questions, all!!! And then is there a hierarchy of obedience? This last question reminds me of a quote from the movie "A Few Good Men"

The Code

(click to view)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jWwh58oNbE

(paste into your browser to view)

Excellent movie; watch it sometime. But, the question still remains... what do you do when faced with multiple choices of who to follow. Here is one of the examples I like best from the Bible...

Acts, Chapter 5

17 But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,  18 and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody.  19 But an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night, and brought them out, and said,  20 “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

  21 When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But the officers who came didn’t find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23 “We found the prison shut and locked, and the guards standing before the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside!”

  24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this. 25 One came and told them, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.”  26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

  27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them,  28 saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”

  29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.  31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.  32 We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Well, you might say... that was then, things are different now. Wrong. As government encroachment upon our civil rights increases, we all will soon have to make a choice as to who to follow. Pray that you might do the right thing, when confronted between a choice between the godlessness of government and the plain teachings of the Bible!!! And it won't be a little bottle on a chair either; probably the IRS or the military will be their intimidation weapons of choice. But, keep this Acts quote (4:29) in mind, it just may help when you need it most!!!

3/23/14

From Gary... Got brains?

Personally, I don't think I would eat this!!! Just look at that cholesterol!!! But Amour is a big company and they probably wouldn't sell it if there wasn't a market for it. As far as food is concerned, it is one of my favorite (and necessary) things. But, there are more important things, as the Apostle Paul states very plainly in the following passage...

Romans, Chapter 14

12 So then each one of us will give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let’s not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way, or an occasion for falling. 14 I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself; except that to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if because of food your brother is grieved, you walk no longer in love. Don’t destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Then don’t let your good be slandered, 17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

If your brother has a problem with some particular food and won't eat it for religious reasons, don't offend him by eating it. Caring for others is at times more important that concern for yourself. Who knows, pork brains might just taste wonderful. Feeling shy? Get Mikey to eat it; he'll eat anything!!!

From Mark Copeland... The Chastening Of The Lord (Hebrews 12:4-11)

                      "THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"

                  The Chastening Of The Lord (12:4-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. In encouraging his readers to "run the race that is set before us",
   the author of "The Epistle To The Hebrews" mentions the need for 
   endurance...
   a. Suggesting that the "race" will not always be an easy one - He 12:1
   b. Indeed, our "forerunner" Himself had to endure hostility from 
      sinners and eventually the cross - He 12:2-3

2. They were reminded that they had yet to endure as much as the 
   Lord...
   a. They had "not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin" 
      - He 12:4
   b. Though they had earlier endured "a great struggle with 
      sufferings" - He 10:32-34
   -- Because persecutions were likely to intensify, they needed 
      "endurance" - He 10:35-36

3. To help them in this regard, he reminds them of "The Chastening Of 
   The Lord" by...
   a. Quoting a well-known passage in Proverbs - He 12:5-6
   b. Expounding upon the purpose of the Lord's chastening - He 12:7-11
   -- Understanding how the Lord might use hardships, even 
      persecutions, to "chasten" them for their good, would serve to 
      encourage them to endure

4. What does the word "chasten" mean?
   a. The Greek word is paideia {pahee-di'-ah}
   b. In the KJV, it is variously translated as "chastening, nurture,
      instruction, chastisement"
   c. Thayer defines the word in this way:
      1) "the whole training and education of children (which relates
         to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this 
         purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and 
         punishment)"
      2) "whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by 
         correcting mistakes and curbing passions"
         a) "instruction which aims at increasing virtue"
         b) "acc. to biblical usage chastisement, chastening, (of the 
            evils with which God visits men for their amendment)"

[In this lesson, I wish to focus on "The Chastening Of The Lord", 
using this text in Hebrews as the basis for our study.  To begin, let 
me stress...]

I. THE "FACT" OF THE LORD'S CHASTENING

   A. SOME DENY THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD...
      1. Believing that a loving God would never bring suffering to His
         children
      2. Believing that any suffering is due solely to the influence of
         Satan
         a. As some have so interpreted the Book of Job
         b. Yet because Satan himself could not do anything unless God
            allowed it, Job's adversity came ultimately from the Lord 
            - cf. Job 42:11

   B. THE BIBLE CLEARLY TEACHES THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD...
      1. In the Old Testament:
         a. "You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his
            son, so the LORD your God chastens you." - Deut 8:5
         b. "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor 
            detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects,
            Just as a father the son in whom he delights." - Pr 3:
            11-12
      2. In the New Testament:
         a. "For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
            But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that
            we may not be condemned with the world." - 1Co 11:31-32
         b. "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be 
            zealous and repent." - Re 3:19
         c. And of course, our entire text under consideration - He 12:
            4-11
            1) Especially verses 7-8
            2) Which state that all of God's children must experience 
               chastening!

[The "fact" of the Lord's chastening cannot be questioned by anyone who
accepts the Bible.  At this point, let's consider "how" God might 
chasten His children...]

II. THE "HOW" OF THE LORD'S CHASTENING

   A. CHASTENING IN THE FORM OF "INSTRUCTIVE DISCIPLINE"...
      1. There is both "instructive" and "corrective" chastening 
         (discipline)
      2. "Instructive" chastening is designed to prevent the need for
         "corrective" chastening
      3. Instructive discipline is seen most often in the form of 
         "teaching"
         a. In the form of warnings, admonitions
         b. Thus Jesus could "clean" (purify) His disciples through His
            teaching - Jn 15:2-3
         c. Through His words Jesus sought to chasten the Laodiceans 
            - Re 3:15-19
         -- One way, then, that God chastens us is through His Word!
      4. But instructive discipline can also be in the form of 
         "tribulation"
         a. In the case of Job...
            1) His suffering was not because he needed correction - cf.
               Job 1:1,8
            2) Yet God allowed it, knowing it would make him better
         b. In the case of the early Christians...
            1) Persecution was looked upon as a form of chastisement 
               - cf. He 12:4-6
            2) Their persecution for the cause of Christ was not 
               because they were wicked
            3) But God allowed it, knowing that it would make them 
               stronger - cf. Ro 5:3-4; Jm 1:2-4; 1Pe 5:8-10
         -- Another way, then, that God chastens us is by allowing
            persecution for Christ's sake!

   B. CHASTENING IN THE FORM OF "CORRECTIVE DISCIPLINE"...
      1. When "instructive" discipline is not heeded, "corrective" 
         discipline follows
      2. Note the example of Judah and Israel:
         a. Failure to heed God's word would bring judgment upon Judah 
            - Am 2:4-5
         b. God made repeated efforts to bring Israel back to Him - Am 4:6-12
         c. Such efforts included famine, drought, pestilence, plague,
            war, earthquakes
            1) These were not miraculous or supernatural events
            2) But acts of nature brought on by the providential 
               working of God!
         d. Some understood the value of such affliction - cf. Ps 119:
            67,71
      3. What about "corrective" discipline today?
         a. If God would use Providence to encourage Israel to repent 
            before it was too late...
            1) Would not the same God use Providence to chastise His 
               erring children today?
            2) Does He love us any less?
         b. I know of no scriptural reason why God would not use His
            Providence to bring about events in our lives which serve
            to:
            1) Wake us up
            2) Cause us to reflect on our lives and our relationship to
               God
            3) Encourage us to repent and turn back to Him if we are 
               straying
         c. There are several passages which suggest that God might 
            bring some form of "corrective" discipline if we do not 
            heed His "instructive" discipline...
            1) Some of the Corinthians had already begun to experience
               God's chastisement, which they could have avoided if 
               they had "judged" themselves (by heeding His word) 
               - 1Co 11:30-32
            2) Jesus spoke of some way in which He would punish some at
               Thyatira that would be evident to all - cf. Re 2:20-23
         -- I therefore have no problem with the idea that God may 
            choose to employ corrective discipline in the form of 
            national and even personal affliction

[My understanding of a loving God chastening His children is tempered 
by my understanding of "why" He does this...]

III. THE "WHY" OF THE LORD'S CHASTENING

   A. CERTAINLY NOT BECAUSE HE DELIGHTS IN DOING SO...
      1. God found it necessary to bring judgment upon Israel - Lam 1:
         3-5
      2. It was not something He wanted to do - Lam 3:31-33

   B. WHEN NECESSARY, IT IS FOR OUR GOOD...
      1. To correct us - He 12:9
         a. Our human fathers do so, and we respect them for it
         b. Should we not expect the same from the "Father of spirits",
            and submit to it?
      2. That we may be partakers of His Holiness - He 12:10
         a. Our human fathers do it for what seems best to them
         b. Our heavenly Father does it for a reason that far excels 
            any earthly purpose!
      3.  That we may yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness - He 12:11
         a. In the short term, the experience is unpleasant
         b. But in the long term, we benefit by such "training"!

CONCLUSION

1. Whether "corrective" or "instructive" chastisement, it is always for
   our good!
   a. It may be grievous - He 12:11a
   b. But it will produce "the peaceable fruit of righteousness to 
      those who have been trained by it" - He 12:11b

2. "Corrective" chastisement can mostly be avoided...
   a. By correcting ourselves - cf. 1Co 11:31-32
   b. Which we can do by taking heed to God's Word - cf. Jn 15:2-3

3. But even when we heed the "instructive" chastisement through the 
   Word of God, we may still experience some form of tribulation...
   a. Such as persecution for the cause of Christ
   b. Brought on by Satan, working in and through the world - 1Pe 5:
      8-9
   c. Not because we are wicked, but because we are righteous (like 
      Job)
   -- Yet God can use even that to provide a form of "instructive" 
      discipline, in which the good are made even better!

May the prayer expressed by Peter help us to endure should we 
experience such tribulation...

   "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal 
   glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while,
   perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the
   glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1Pe 5:10-11)

From Jim McGuiggan... A COLONY OF HEAVEN

A COLONY OF HEAVEN

He reminded the Thessalonians how he and his fellow-servants had lived among them and taught them (1 Thessalonians 2:12), “To live lives worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”

Of course he was talking to individuals!

But note that he was writing to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:1)—not a number of isolated individuals who just happen to have some things in common.

He urged the Ephesians in 5:1-2, “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children, and live a life of love just as Christ loved us…”

Of course he was talking to individuals!

But note he was writing to the saints in Ephesus who reflected the reconciling work of God in Jesus when he brought enemies together in one Body and so gave them access to God by one Spirit (Ephesians 2:14-16; 4:4-6).

He urged Christians in Rome to resist the world’s shaping power and have themselves transformed by the renewing of their minds (12:1-2).

Of course he was talking to individuals!

But note he wrote to people who together constituted one body in Jesus (Romans 12:4-5; 15:6-10).

The NT ceaselessly calls believers to recognize their oneness in the Lord Jesus—a purposed oneness, an eternally ordained oneness! All the metaphors and images (building, temple, body, family, colony and such) proclaim this and when Paul moves to settle a silly party-spirit he insisted that Jesus wasn’t dismembered and “parceled out” (see Moffat on 1 Corinthians 1:13).

As long as sinners are sinners there is no guaranteed cure for their getting everything right. Jesus preached what he practiced and did it flawlessly and yet he was misunderstood and it wasn’t all an intellectual problem—the problem included a sinful heart (compare John 7:17). But that doesn’t exempt those who teach us from the task of declaring the entire counsel of God, part of which is that God eternally purposed a single human family, a single covenanted community recreated in the image of the Lord Jesus.

The biblical Story is not about “individual” salvation, which thoughtless people have mistaken for “personal” salvation. The biblical Story is about God calling people in to his “kingdom”, about making them part of his holy ”nation” and his chosen “people”.

It simply isn’t true that those who are “in Christ” are saved independent one of another; it just isn’t true that those who are “in Christ” each have the Spirit independent one of another; it is simply untrue that those who have hope have it apart from their brothers and sisters in the Lord. We have these blessings and all others as one and “in Christ” or we don’t have them at all.

The God of saving love saves by bringing individuals into renewed fellowship with himself in the Lord Jesus; by bringing them into the number of those embraced in his redeeming work that climaxes in none other than the Lord Jesus. If we do not want reconciliation with God in one body we don’t get it at all!

(Those who speak of nothing but individual salvation and nod occasionally at the NT truth about the Church, the Body of Christ, are doing us no favor. In time they look around and wonder why there is no commitment to local congregational expressions of the universal Body of Christ. To announce God’s love of each individual cannot be wrong but it can be wrong to so speak that truth if it undermines our self-understanding as the Body of Christ and leaves us thinking of ourselves as a loosely connected collection of saved individuals.)

It doesn’t matter that the Church of our Lord has disappointed God and those that looked to it for guidance and help, it doesn’t matter that people have been hurt by members of the covenanted community, it doesn’t matter that numerous bored and weary preachers have joined the chorus of criticism coming from non-believers—she is still the nation chosen by God to be the Bearer of the Story. God’s Story and not her own except insofar as he has made her the living bearer of it. God will judge her for her wrongs!

When he called Israel from service to Pharaoh and made her a nation to serve him she didn’t magically turn into a sinless band. He knew better and he said so! He foretold that she would prove unfaithful but he insisted that he would not prove faithless to her. There were miracles all over the place when God brought Israel out of Egypt but there was no magic! Israel was sinful when she was in Egypt and God said she would be sinful after he brought her out.

Tragic though it is many foreigners and resident aliens must have told true stories of mistreatment at the hands of members of that chosen people and more than one prophet begged God not to forgive Israel her sins (Jeremiah 18:23 illustrates). But God reserved the right to render judgment on her and he did when and as it suited his purposes. So it is with the NT People of God. Note 1 Peter 1:17.

Let the peevish or those who easily take offense denigrate her, though they never ever lifted a hand to help her! And with more justification, let those who have been profoundly mistreated by her cry unto her God—that we can understand! But when those she nourished with a sense of Jesus-imaging righteousness and care, when they join the crowd of critics and whine about the poverty of “organized religion” we have something else. When preachers can barely ever mount the pulpit without parading her failures, beating her without mercy though they know right well that she too is sinful and weak, that she too needs a cup of cold water, that she too is naked and in need of clothing and warmth and forgiveness—when we see and hear that, we don’t wonder that “outsiders” humiliate and shame her.

And the young, the inexperienced, the vulnerable, hear all this criticism from teachers/preachers who are themselves sinful and they are unsettled. They feel the pressure of a world bearing down on them, calling them to shameful ways; they note how the Bible is no longer taken seriously and how it is used less and less in public speech, they note how a secular humanism and a religious-flavored message is promoted and commended and in their inexperience they join the crowd led by popular voices and "compassionate" people away from the Lord Jesus who lived, died, rose from the death, is now exalted and coming to right all wrongs and bring unbroken peace through redemption.

And when popular religious voices urge the Church to give heed to the self-confessed opponents of the faith and offer the words of a sinister humanist movement or the self-indulgent “wisdom” of those who’ve known tough times, when they offer that as a substitute for the unpacking of the rich God-centered Story of the Bible it only creates more “hard line fundamentalists” and no one is honored or blessed—least of all God and the world he so loves that he sent his Son to rescue it.

Make no mistake about it, the NT Church must (as ancient Israel was called to do) live lives worthy of God who called them into his kingdom. On them rests the burden of helping other humans to believe and to hope. If she is arrogant and insolent, if she is heartless and unjust, if she is cowardly and self-serving no glorious Bible or wondrous prayers or praise will save the situation or hide her shame.

An ugly, self-centered, self-serving or self-satisfied Church will demonstrate beyond even the power of articulate and sneering critics, beyond even the power of carping preachers that the Truth it proclaims is worth little or nothing to herself and if worth nothing to her who can she convince it is worth anything? Such a Church will lead frustrated people to write poignant but silly songs like Imagine.

The question the Church must ask itself is: What kind of People must she be to be the bearer of God’s Story?

Paul to the Philippians (3:20, Moffatt): “We are a colony of heaven, and we wait for the Savior who comes from heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Like a colony of Roman legionnaires and citizens who put down roots in a place far from Rome and who lived to please the Emperor across the sea so there is a handful of servants of God in Jesus Christ, a colony of heaven that lives to please the Emperor across the worlds. Stumbling, pathetic and disappointing in so many ways yet she is like no other reality on the planet!

3/22/14

From Jim McGuiggan.... A hand's not an eye but...

A hand's not an eye but...

Not all Christians are individually called to suffer in the way the servants of 1 Peter 2:18-21 were called to suffer. But it’s important to remember that no Christian or group of Christians exists as an independent unit, as if they were not a part of the community of faith. This means that while only certain members of Christ’s body are called to some particular experience or path that it is nevertheless the Church as a single body that experiences this or walks that path.

As a physical body has many parts and is yet one body so also is the Church (Romans 12:4-5). It’s true that the eyes don’t do the hearing or that the nose doesn’t do the seeing; but it is not true that seeing and hearing and smelling are completely isolated and individual workings. Seeing is a function of the body and not merely the eyes!

It is not the eyes that see through the eyes; it is the body that sees through the eyes. It is not the ears that hear through the ears, it is not the nose that smells through the nose. Hearing and smelling is what the body as a single and undivided unit does and it does these things through the various parts of the body.

So it is with the Body of Christ. There are no isolated parts that function independently of the rest of the body. A hand in a body has no existence without the body. It can only be understood as a hand precisely because there is a body of which it is a part. This remains true even though the hand is not the foot and the eye is not the ear. There is diversity within the parts of the body and the hand mustn’t abdicate and lay the burden on the eye. Each one must bear his or her own burden and be held accountable in that regard. The church takes care of its children via its parents and it respects it parents via its children. The church serves its wives via its husbands and its husbands via its wives. Family members were instructed to take care of needy widows so that the "church" should not be burdened (1 Timothy 5:16). There is a doctrine of specificity of responsibility (for example, 1 Timothy 5:8). But we’re not to allow that to mask the truth that when these specific responsibilities are being fulfilled by the various members (parts) that this is the body at work; this is how the body does its work!

When God calls specific people within the body to a particular role we’re not to conclude that they are not functioning as the body! Not everyone was called to patiently endure mistreatment at the hands of harsh masters but because they are members of the body it is the body that is under attack by harsh masters. Christ told Paul in Acts 9 that when he persecuted the people of God he was persecuting their Head.

It’s nonsense for us to think that we exist independent of the rest of the People of God.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

From Mark Copeland... Running The Race Of Faith (Hebrews 12:1-3)

                  "THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS"

                   Running The Race Of Faith (12:1-3)

INTRODUCTION

1. Throughout our study, we have noted the emphasis on being steadfast
   in our faith...
   a. The warning against developing unbelief - He 3:12-15
   b. The need for a faith that endures - He 6:11-12; 10:36-39
   c. In chapter eleven, we were reminded of many who had this kind of 
      faith

2. This emphasis continues, with our own life of faith described as a 
   race...
   a. In which we are "surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses"
      - He 12:1
      1) The "cloud of witnesses" refers to those mentioned in the 
         previous chapter
      2) I.e., those Old Testament saints like Abraham, Moses, etc.
   b. In what way are they "witnesses"?
      1) While the word can mean "spectator", it is not likely so used
         here
         a) That would suggest they are now "looking down" on us from
            heaven
         b) But there is no indication the dead know what is going on 
            earth - cf. Ec 9:5
         c) While they may have "memory" of what happened (Lk 16:28),
            their attention is focused upon their present condition 
            - cf. Re 7:9-17
      2) The word can also refer to those who "bear witness"
         a) By their lives, they have borne witness to the value of 
            faith - cf. He 11:1-40
         b) By their exemplary lives, they encourage us in "Running The
            Race Of Faith"!

[As we seek to follow in the footsteps of others who have successfully
"run the race of faith", there are three things necessary as presented
in our text.  The first one is...]

I. WE NEED TO LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE (1)

   A. NOTE THE COMPARISON TO RUNNING...
      1. The runner who seeks to win:
         a. Loses as much weight as possible without hurting
            performance
         b. Wears clothing that is light and allows freedom of movement
      2. Excess weight, chafing clothing, etc., can be the difference
         between victory or defeat!

   B. WE TOO MUST LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE...
      1. "every weight"
         a. I.e., things which slow down our spiritual progress
            1) Such as "carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life"
               - Lk 21:34-36
            2) Also, "anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy 
               language..." - cf. Col 3:8; 1Pe 2:1-2; Jm 1:21
         b. Such things make "running the race of faith" difficult, if
            not impossible!
      2. "the sin which so easily ensnares us"
         a. Any and all sins should be laid aside
         b. From the context, I understand "the" sin to be the "sin of 
            unbelief"
            1) The epistle was written to encourage faithfulness to 
               Christ and His covenant
            2) We've seen warnings against unbelief - He 3:12-13
            3) When one no longer believes, the race is lost! - He 10:
               26-39

[With a full assurance of faith, and with every hindrance laid aside, 
we can "run the race of faith" as God intended.  But as we comprehend 
the true nature of the "course" set before us, we can appreciate the 
need for the element of endurance...]

II. WE NEED TO HAVE ENDURANCE (1)

   A. THE "RACE OF FAITH" IS A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINT...
      1. It does not require one quick burst of energy, in which the 
         race is soon over
      2. This "race" requires a sustained effort over a long period of 
         time

   B. ENDURANCE IS A NECESSARY QUALITY...
      1. Jesus often taught His disciples concerning the need for 
         endurance (i.e., patience)
         a. In the parable of The Sower - Lk 8:12
         a. In preparing the disciples for the Limited Commission - Mt 10:22
         b. In His discourse on the Mount of Olives - Mt 24:13
      2. The writer to the Hebrews had stressed this virtue earlier
         a. In which he appealed to the example of Abraham - He 6:11-15
         b. In which he quoted from Habakkuk - He 10:36-39
      3. We can develop such patience with the help of the Scriptures 
         - Ro 15:4
         a. As we read of the faithfulness of God Who fulfills His 
            promises
         b. As we read of the ultimate end of those persevered in 
            faithfulness

[Paul wrote that eternal life would be given "to those who by patient
continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Ro
2:7). Therefore, endurance is required for successfully running this 
"race of faith"!

Equally important is where we have our mind focused as we run the 
race...]

III. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON JESUS (2-3)

   A. WE MUST "LOOK UNTO JESUS"...
      1. Our focus must be upon the Lord as we "run the race"
         a. We might "glance" at others (cf. He 11)
         b. But we are to "gaze" upon the Lord Savior (Believers' Study
            Bible)
         c. As suggested by this "Formula For Spiritual Success":
            1) If you want to be distressed -- look within
            2) If you want to be defeated -- look back 
            3) If you want to be distracted -- look around
            4) If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead
            5) If you want to be delivered -- look up! - cf. Col 3:1-2
      2. For Jesus is "the author and finisher of our faith"
         - cf. He 2:10
         a. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last,
            the Alpha and the Omega - Re 1:8,11
         b. He has blazed the trail for us...
            1) By having run the race Himself
               a) As a forerunner He has entered the heavenly sanctuary
                  - He 6:19-20
               b) He has opened a "new and living way" for us - He 10:
                  20
            2) And now He helps us to finish it ourselves - cf. He 7:25
      3. He succeeded in running the race by looking at "the joy set 
         before Him"
         a. The "joy" that inspired Him was likely that privilege of 
            being seated at God's right hand - cf. Ps 16:9-11; Ac 2:
            25-31
         b. With the anticipation of such "joy", Jesus...
            1) "endured the cross" (the physical pain)
            2) "despised the shame" (the emotional and spiritual agony)
      -- Just as Jesus looked at the joy set before Him, so we must
         look to Jesus!

   B. WE MUST "CONSIDER HIM"...
      1. We must consider how He endured, not only on the cross, but 
         even before! - He 11:3
         a. How He "endured such hostility from sinners against 
            himself"
         b. This hostility is something He experienced frequently - cf.
            Lk 4:28-29; 11:15-16,53-54; 16:14
      2. Meditating upon our Lord will prevent us from becoming
         "weary and discouraged in your souls"
         a. We cannot run with endurance if we become weary and
            discouraged
         b. But as we consider the Lord and His example (in itself a
            form of "waiting upon the Lord"), we shall not grow weary
            nor faint - cf. Isa 40:31

CONCLUSION

1. "Running The Race Of Faith" requires both negative and positive 
   elements...
   a. Negatively, we must lay aside things which would hinder us
   b. Positively, we must keep our focus on Jesus who has made our 
      salvation possible

2. In both cases, the Word of God (the Bible) is crucial...
   a. For in it we learn what sort of things we must lay aside
   b. For in it we learn about our Lord, what He endured, how His 
      example should inspire us

3. Have you lost your endurance?  Have you grown weary in "Running The
   Race Of Faith"?
   a. Let the Bible help you examine what "baggage" should be left 
      aside!
   b. Let the Bible help you learn about Jesus whose own example can 
      encourage you to continue on with perseverance!

Remember what we read earlier...

   "For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the
   will of God, you may receive the promise..." (Hebrews 10:36)

From Gary... The closer you look...

I have used several of Terri Justice's pictures before, so I thought I would try this one. Yes, this is one picture. The bottom is my adjustment. Both pictures are fine; the top one shows more reflection, and the bottom one more detail. So what? Well, these pictures are a lot like people. You can look at their glossy exterior (appearance and character) or you can go a bit closer. When you do, I can almost guarantee you will find something wrong. If your motives in considering the other person are good ones- no problem. But, if you WANT TO FIND SOMETHING WRONG TO USE IN A NOT-SO-NICE way, then, we have a problem. In thinking about this a bit, I chose a few Bible verses to consider....

Matthew, Chapter 7

1 “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? 4 Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.

1 Corinthians, Chapter 5

12 For what have I to do with also judging those who are outside? Don’t you judge those who are within? 13 But those who are outside, God judges. “Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.”

Romans, Chapter 2

26 If therefore the uncircumcised keep the ordinances of the law, won’t his uncircumcision be accounted as circumcision? 27 Won’t the uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who with the letter and circumcision are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

From the beginning of your life and thereafter, you will be judged. From whether or not you are a "cute" baby, to scores on a test in school, and countless other things- you WILL BE JUDGED!!! So, it is no different in religious matters. Except that Christians are well aware that their judgment is flawed compared to that of the creator. However, in order to maintain purity, we have to consider conduct; matters of the heart are God's purview. Yes, we are to proclaim truth; truth in what we do religiously (liturgy), truth in what we teach (dogma) and ethics (everyday living). However, our aim as Christians is to proclaim Jesus as the way to freedom from sin (sanctification). Christians should be progressing in this last concept and when they fall - 1 Corinthians 5 should be considered. Now, what about the Christian's attitude towards those OUTSIDE THE CHURCH? Consideration, understanding and a call to a Godly controlled though the GOSPEL should be our focus. Once a person understands the truly evil nature and dastardly effects of sin, well, why would they want to stay in it??? I know that it sometimes hurts to consider your ways, but seeing truth is well worth it. Just like that lower picture of the moon above; it may be clearer, but you are bound to see more defects. This is where Jesus comes in- HE is the way out of your problems, by the truth and leading to a better life (John 14:6).