Run With Endurance Let You Into Heaven
“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.” (Hebrews 12: 1, 2)
Athletic metaphors abound throughout Scripture. The parallels between sports and daily life are too clear to be overlooked. In the above text there are many similarities. Consider just one: “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus….”
As different athletes specialize in an event, so we each have a distinct competition. There are many different races affording different challenges.
In addition to the various races we as individuals have there is one for all.
We are all to be distance runners. In ancient Greece the cursus publicus was the state mandated and supervised courier and transportation runner. They could run for days. Among the Aztecs in America were the Tarahumara, also known as the Rarámuri, which roughly translates as “foot runners.” They were known to run as much as 600 miles, both as recreation runners and as messengers.
The race for sum, that is length of life, for all of us varies. Resolve to run well and finish strong.
We are encouraged to be “looking unto Jesus.” Most distance races have a pacesetter, called a rabbit, who determines the pace at certain intervals.
Most people have a “rabbit,” be it Jesus or some other standard barrier. Such a one becomes one’s idol to be modeled. Select your rabbit with care knowing where he is going.
One old timer advised a younger person, “Be careful who you identify with, because if they falter or fail you will be identified with the failure.”
Even Jesus had a motivating factor. He is spoken of as He “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
His eyes were not on the cross. He looked beyond it to the joy it made possible. The joy He experienced because of the cross motivated Him. It was joy found in the completion of His earthly mission in opening the portal of heaven to whosoever would accept His invitation.
As you look unto Him, include your aspiration to hear His “Well done.”
Commitment: Do You Have It?
Acts 20: 24
Jesus is our peerless example of commitment. He often made such comments as:
“I must work the work of Him Who sent Me…”
“Let us go up to Jerusalem…”
In dark Gethsemane His commitment was emotionally challenged, for the last time, as He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (Luke 22: 43)
I Corinthians 15: 31 appeals to followers of Jesus to “die daily.” Every devoted Christian has to die daily to a number of good things that might have a controlling grip on him or her. Such as, personal ambition, worldly pleasure, people’s applause, and greed.
From an East German pastor comes this story from the days when Communism gripped his land. A young man who was a committed member of his congregation was seized by the communists and never heard of again. Not long after, another young man started attending the church. He was a well known hardened leader in the communist youth movement. The pastor’s suspicion grew until at last he asked why he was attending. He replied, “You know that young man from your church who was seized and taken away.”
The pastor assured him he knew the young man well.
“Well,” said the visitor, “I saw him when he was being harassed and tortured. Not only did he refuse to betray his friends, but through it all he never showed any bitterness toward his tormentors. Even in the hour of death, there was no anger toward those who were about to kill him. Instead, he spoke of Jesus Christ, forgiveness, and God’s love.”
He concluded, “And when I saw him die, I knew I must come, in spite of what it will cost me, to learn of his Christ and the love for our enemies that strengthened him in his last hours.”
The reason that young Christian was able to die such a positive death was he had spiritually died to self and for Christ much earlier when he committed himself to Christ.
It is challenging to hear a message that appeals to you to walk away from, give up, die daily to those things that keep them from being all the Lord created them to be.
Radical commitment to Christ is a challenge, but it leads to the abundant life of which Christ spoke. Will you shrink back from such commitment?
Are you willing to make a deliberate up-scale commitment of your life to Jesus today? You are not likely to be called upon to die physically for Jesus, but you are challenged to live daily for Him.
Why Should God Let You Into Heaven
Knowing there are persons of all degrees of spiritual maturity that view this Post, I want to aid all in knowing their eternal destiny.
If you were to die today and stand before God, and He were to ask you, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What would you say? There is only one right answer. Your eternal destiny depends on the answer.
Some might resent being reminded of death. Don’t worry about dying, you are going to live forever. The issue is where? What is important is location, location, location.
This is no time for a “I hope so” response regarding going to heaven, not hell. Those are the only two options. Your destiny is sealed at the moment of death, therefore, the decision regarding your destiny must be made in advance of death.
At this point some might be inclined to say they know that is true, and they are going to make the decision later. That is a decision. Because of the “X Factor” known as death, an answer of “later” is really a no.
Some might insist later is acceptable, reminding others of the thief on the cross who trusted Jesus at the last hour. The question is which thief?
Using your fingers do the following. Using your index finger identify it as, “God is God.” Next your middle finger identifies it as, “I am not God.” Then your ring finger identified as, “I sin when I get number one and number two in reverse order.” Next finger, “Jesus died to enable me to get number one and number two in the proper order.”
Back to the original question regarding what to say to God’s enquiry. “I’ve been baptized.” Good, but not good enough. It is not by water, but by blood there is remission of sin. Don’t try, “I am a church member.” Again, good, but not good enough. It is membership in the kingdom of heaven, not church membership that is at issue. “I was reared in a Christian home,” is a blessing, but eternal life is not inherited. Then there is the old reliable, “I try to live a good life.” Marvelous, but how good is good enough? Suppose God were to grade on the curve and you are better than most. However, Jesus sets the curve and no one has enough good work to match His.
Accepting Jesus into your heart is simply accepting His way of living, loving, and leading our lives in submission to Him.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16: 31) To believe means “to be persuaded of,” and hence, “to place confidence in, to trust.” In this sense of the word it means reliance upon Him only for forgiveness of sin and the gift of everlasting life. It involves a lifetime commitment of faith in and loyalty to Him. “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to your cross I cling.”
The answer to God’s question is, “There is no reason for you to let me into your heaven other than Jesus died for my sins and I trust only in Him as my Savior.”
Modern Mezuzah
“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:9)
Through Moses God instructed His people to physically and spiritually keep certain of His words before them. Their visual presence on their doorpost was a reminder of the truths they embodied. The encasement with the text inside it is called a mezuzah.
I have three primary visuals in our garage which I see every time I am there.
One is a carving on a lovely single piece of wood about 14 inches by 30 inches. It reads: “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It often prompts me to ask myself, “If that is true, how strong am I?”
A second is a large 12 inch by 21 inch yellow smiling faces such as was once very popular. Numbers 6: 24, 25 states:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
The expression “make His face shine” means to reveal His will to you.
The expression “lift up His countenance” means to smile.
Combined they mean may your response to God’s will give Him occasion to be pleased, and smile. Though the smiley face isn’t directly related to the text it is for me a visual not only regarding my countenance, but as an encouragement to live in such a way as to please the Lord.
The third is a smaller placard that speaks of my importance. It reads:
“We are not loved by God because we are important,
but we are important because we are loved by God.”
In summary, all ego abandons you who enter here.
Hopefully this doesn’t sound sacrilegious, but for me those three objects serve like modern mezuzahs, reminders. They serve as reminders that my countenance and my conduct are to be in concert with those visuals.
The full text given by Moses on behalf of God reads: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6: 4 – 9)
If you don’t have spiritual visuals, consider establishing some today.
The Delight of Your Heart
“I believe in the sun, even when it isn’t shining.
I believe in love, even when I feel it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.”
This statement was found on one of the walls in a German concentration camp. Amid the harrow of that vile imprisonment someone expressed their faith. We have even greater cause to proclaim our faith and resultant commitment..
Yet a recent Gallup Poll showed Americans are “impressively religious.” The poll probed beneath the surface of that fact, showing that 3 out of 4 “Do not connect religion with their judgment of right and wrong.” What a disconnect!
This verse explains the intimacy with the Lord that changes lives defining right and wrong for us.
“I had walked life’s path with an easy tread.
I followed where comfort and pleasure led.
Until one day in a quiet place,
I met the Master face to face.
With station and rank and wealth for my goal,
Much thought for my body, but none for my soul,
I had entered to win in life’s mad race,
When I met the Master face to face.
I met Him and knew and blushed to see
His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me;
I faltered and fell at His feet that day,
While my castles melted and faded away!
Melted and vanished and in their place
Naught else did I see but the Master’s face.
And I cried aloud, ‘Oh, make me meet
To follow in the steps of your wounded feet!”
The following verse explains the result of what happens when we follow Jesus’ wounded feet: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37: 4, 5)