Section 2

Chapter 8 - Running the Race

Now that you have a good start, you will need the power to finish the race.

In the first Section of this book, the first seven chapters, we learned that there is hope for those of us who cannot find hope in the ’Äúworld system.’Äù We found that we can repent (turn) from depending upon the world, and the Kingdom of God will be at hand (within our reach).

We learned that Jesus taught in Mark 4:11 that the mystery of the Kingdom of God was contained in the parable of the sower. He taught that the Word of God is the seed, our hearts are the ground, and the result will be fruit.

The fruit would change our character into the character of Jesus, it would supply our personal needs and it would thrust us out into a dying world to bear the fruit of eternal life for others.

We learned about the many steps in the process of the seed becoming actual fruit.

Here is the theme of Grow or Die:

1) We need to turn to the Kingdom of God, the Word, for fruit.

2) We need to know how to be intimate with God -which is The Flowing River.

3) We need to know how to get out and stay out of being Prisoners in the Promise Land.

4) We need to know more about God’Äôs character - Who God is.

5) We need to know our true identity in Jesus - SIT.

6) We need to take up our cross and walk in obedience to the Word WALK.

7) We learned in the STAND lesson that there is a spiritual enemy that is opposed to this entire process, Satan and his company of devils and demons. We learned that we need patience and staying power to stand until the fruit comes forth. Another way to put it is, we need to wait for the Lord to come to fulfill the promise. ’ÄúWe do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised’Äù (Hebrews 6:12).

I thank God if you have embraced this process given to us by the Word of God. If you have, you will need power in your life to complete the process and to see the manifestation of fruit in your life.

Just as plants need water and fertilizer for power until they bear fruit, we also need power. Section 2 is dedicated to helping you understand how to appropriate this power.

Our life in Christ is not an experience, but a race.

It is good to start a race, but we need to know how to finish. Many people start and never finish. We need the power to finish the race otherwise we will lose. Hebrews 12:1 says, ’ÄúTherefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.’Äù

The Scriptures tell us that the power we need is found in:

1. The Cross or the blood of Jesus. ’ÄúFor the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God’Äù (1 Corinthians 1:18).

2. The delivering power of God. ’ÄúAnd as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God’Äù (Luke 9:42,43a).

3. The fullness of the Holy Spirit. ’ÄúBut you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’Äù (Acts

^1:8).God did not leave us orphans here on earth to provide for ourselves until we die and go to Heaven. He is very practical. He has a method of taking care of us in the here and now, but many have been ignorant of His method. ’ÄúI will not leave you as orphans [fatherless]; I will come to you’Äù (John 14:18). Jesus was talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the following chapters we will discuss how the Holy Spirit is vital in keeping us from being orphans, fatherless and without help in this world.

The Cross of Jesus is what defeated Satan and gave us victory. That is power. The truth of the Cross acted on by us gives us power. I submit however, that the truth of the Cross cannot be fully appropriated in our lives without the power spoken of in Acts 1:8, the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

For example, the power to operate lights in a building originates in the generator that is creating the electricity. You could stand there and look at the electric outlet in the wall and admire it and know that it has power in it, but until you plug the light into the socket you have not appropriated the power for yourself.

In the next few chapters we will look into all three of the power sources listed above.

We are going to find out about the truth of the power of the Cross, and we are going to find out how to make it personal in your life. We will look into deliverance and how you can be made free. And finally we will discuss the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and how He infuses you with power from within.

In our last chapter we discussed standing, and the need for endurance as a vital ingredient for faith and for bearing fruit. This chapter re-emphasizes the need for endurance. The writer of Hebrews gives sober warnings to all believers that:

1. We are in a race, a long endurance race

2. We are in great peril if we give up and do not finish

3. If we do finish the race there is a great prize for us..

In other words, "Grow or Die."

Hebrews chapter 6 discusses moving on from the elementary principles of Christ to the road of inheriting the promises by faith and endurance. This chapter also infers that if we do not endure that we may "fall way," and put the Son of God to open shame. While I cannot explain everything this writer had in mind, it sounds serious!

Hebrews chapter 12 is more explicit about the warning!

’ÄúTherefore 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’Äù (Hebrews 12:1, 2).

’Äúlooking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears’Äù (Hebrews 12:15-17).

I feel that the reason that Esau is mentioned here is very relevant to our lives.

Esau had an inheritance coming. We have an inheritance coming. As our first two chapters pointed out, we inherit God's abundant life by faith and by His promises growing as a seed in our hearts. The caution is that there is a time of trial and sometimes tribulation between the planting of the seed and the fruit bearing. That period of time is called "The Race." Esau's lust of the flesh just said, "Who cares about the promise and the inheritance, my flesh wants to be fed, now." If we are not careful we can be guilty of saying to God, "I am tired of this suffering, tired of waiting, I just can't take this pressure any longer, and I give up! This faith stuff does not work." Giving up is like Esau taking the one morsel of food, which fed his selfish flesh nature.

It is also interesting to note that Esau did not even get the type of stew/soup that he had demanded. In the Scriptures below that Esau asked for red stew, red meat. However Jacob tricked him and gave him lentils, or vegetable soup. Not only did Esau lose his inheritance, but his "flesh nature" was not even satisfied!

’ÄúAnd Esau said to Jacob, 'Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.' Therefore his name was called Edom.’Äù

’ÄúAnd Esau said, 'Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?'’Äù

’ÄúAnd Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright’Äù (Genesis 25:30, 32, 34).

Under the Old Testament, as a foreshadow of Jesus, every first-born male had a superior birthright to be priest and lord over all the rest. It carried the privilege of king and priest. Esau forfeited this. We can forfeit our kingship and priesthood if we are not careful to finish the race.

Warning.

Esau could not repent after this incident, and we are warned that this type of behavior will lead to bitterness.

We are also warned to depend upon the grace of God lest we would become bitter.

Hebrews 12:12-15 (Amplified Bible) says,

So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees,

13 And cut through and make firm and plain and smooth, straight paths for your feet [yes, make them safe and upright and happy paths that go in the right direction], so that the lame and halting [limbs] may not be put out of joint, but rather may be cured.

14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord.

15 Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God's grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it’Äî

As we "run this race" there are times when we seem like our spiritual knees and hands are feeble and tottering. They make us feel like giving up. This Scripture tells us that we are to do something. Our job is to "make firm, plain and smooth paths" for our feet so that our spiritual limbs do not become disjointed, but rather be healed. Then it says to secure God's grace.

Why is it that we feel our spiritual limbs are about to become disjointed? It is God's discipline. Look at the verses in Hebrews 12 just before the warning about our spiritual limbs and joints.

’ÄúFurthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?’Äù (Hebrews 12:9). God is attempting to get us onto the path that He can bless. We might need to make some course corrections that will keep us out of the ruts, away from the rocks and keep us on a smooth path. We may need some character changes. It may be forgiveness, giving, getting honest with the government with some obligation, paying a back debt or bill, giving up a certain idol, changing our direction in our social or vocational paths, etc.

How do we make smooth paths spiritually and secure God's grace?

It certainly is not through our own human efforts; that will not secure God's grace.

Here is how.

’ÄúYour word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path’Äù (Psalms 119:105).

’ÄúBecause thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone’Äù Psalms (91:9-12, KJV).

Staying plugged into the Word of God through the Holy Spirit will keep our paths smooth. Proverbs 3:5-6 also says that if we "know" the Lord in intimacy that He will direct our paths.

Here are some real life examples of some people who gave up. It usually has to do with too much trouble, or too much pleasure. Example 1- too much trouble. I know of a man who "gave up." He

did not totally give up on God, so he thought, but he did not believe that this "faith thing" really worked. Tribulation and persecution took place, and the seed was taken by Satan as in Mark 4:17 which says, root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. ’Äúand they have no

Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’Äôs sake, immediately they stumble.’Äù

The result was that he became spiritually very cold, and he was distant from God and the things of God, including the church. He ended up marrying a person that further limited his spiritual walk with God. Years later he went through an amazing turn-around in repentance. This precious person will go to Heaven, but his life here on earth is limited.

Example 2- love for pleasures and things of this world. This example had to do with a married couple who had a start with the Lord, attempted to serve Him, but the things of the world, the pleasures of money gave them too much satisfaction. They even attended a Pentecostal church, but I saw them deny the working of the Holy Spirit. They rebelled, committed treachery against some dedicated people of God, and really backslid. I lost touch with them, but have to assume they are not doing well. In Luke 17, beginning with verse 26, Jesus warned against focusing on things like, marring, eating and drinking. While there is nothing wrong with these activities, it is the preoccupation with them that is dangerous.

’ÄúNow these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful’Äù (Mark 4:18, 19).

Example 3- the fruit of bitterness. I know of a group of twelve to fifteen people who destroyed a church by their ungodly attitudes and actions. When a precious pastor was called in by the denomination to close the church, it began to grow. This enraged this group of people, who obviously were filled with bitterness. They began to attempt to destroy the church again by getting up on the stage and singing, uninvited. They would stand in the aisles and pretend to speak prophecy, interrupting the pastor. Finally the church had to evict them, actually contacting the court and the sheriff. Sometime way back in their history, they quit the race like Esau, they "ate their bowl of soup," and became bitter.

Okay, lets now focus on the prize.

As the writer of Hebrews said, ’ÄúBut, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner’Äù (Hebrews 6:9).

Running the Race for the Crown.

’ÄúAnd everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown’Äù (1 Corinthians 9:25).

’ÄúSince you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no-one will take your crown’Äù (Revelation 3:10, 11, NIV).

The above Scripture was given to the Church of Philadelphia.

That church represents those believers with whom Christ found no fault and who have not been designated to physical martyrdom as in the Church of Smyrna. Their overcoming has to do with receiving a crown, a prize, the authority, for certain issues in the Kingdom of God. Notice Jesus warns them that the have the crown, and that if they do not endure they will lose it.

The crown is the prize.

What is the crown?

Crown represents authority and royalty. When we "finish a race" we receive spiritual authority. Finishing the race is another way of saying, "overcoming." Through this time of endurance God has defeated a spiritual stronghold or curse in our realm of influence. It may be a generational curse that now our children do not have to endure. It may also be a curse for a people group who will be set free to hear the Gospel with open eyes and ears.

Authority over what?

The parable in Luke 19 about the nobleman who left his servants a responsibility and then came back to evaluate their stewardship give us a look into the heart of Jesus on this issue of running the race for a crown.

’ÄúHe said: ’ÄúA man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ’ÄòPut this money to work,’Äô he said, ’Äòuntil I come back’Äô’Äù (Luke 19:12, 13, NIV).

’Äú'Well done, my good servant!’Äô his master replied. ’Äò Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities’Äô’Äù (Luke 19:17, NIV).

What is a city? The word city in Greek is derived from words that mean to be captivated in your native place of birth, which is a place of war, dispute and disharmony. The city that one is stuck in before they are born again. God wants to move us from our natural birth city to the City of God, New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God. He does that by having someone overcome for us, having someone run the race for us so that they may gain spiritual authority to set us free. It has to do with Colossians 1:24 which says, ’ÄúI now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church’Äù (Colossians 1:24).

More than us.

We need to understand that this potential crown has more to do than our own well-being and good feelings. The potential benefits are weighty in God's mind and kingdom and should give us a heavy sense of responsibility to finish this race no matter how we feel. As a sister in the Lord said to us recently, "The benefits are exponential as are the consequences for giving

^up." Philippians 4:1 was one of Paul's cities.

’ÄúTherefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren [the people in the city of Philippi], my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved’Äù (Philippians 4:1).

While the race is about more that just you, it is also about you.

We stand against the wiles of the devil, endure with patience and finish the race while our seed of faith is growing. The end of that faith is not only the "salvation of our souls" as we discussed in the previous chapter, it also brings us the manifestation of that issue in life that we have been trusting God for. Perhaps it was physical healing, perhaps finances, perhaps a prodigal child, a healed marriage, etc.

Now that you see the prize, what about the race?

The race is that part of our life during which we must endure hardship while standing on the Word of God for something God has entrusted to us by speaking His Word to us. The seed was planted when He spoke, now the "race" is the time during which that seed must grow and then bear fruit. Sticking with God during this time is a race. Not giving up when our minds are screaming at us is the race. The race is not a sprint, it is a marathon.

Hebrews 12:22-24 tells us that we have come, past tense, to the power of the Kingdom of God, to Jesus and His blood. This gives us the confidence that if we simply stay in close intimacy with Jesus and don't quit, we will win. Jesus already won, all we need to do is hang on to Him long enough to see His victory manifested in our lives.

’ÄúBut you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel’Äù (Hebrews 12:22-24).

Hebrews 12:22-24 infers that we have the power as a gift from God to finish the race.

We have the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Cross, Jesus our mediator, angels, and many other power factors inferred, including deliverance.

We have Jesus. This is our "verb," looking.

’Äúlooking 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’Äù (Hebrews 12:2). The word looking means "to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them

The Baptism in The Holy Spirit.

We need God's character and power to overcome our spiritual enemies.

The Holy Spirit is called the comforter, which in Greek is parakletos (summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid, one who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate, one who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor).

In the ancient Greek marathons the parakletos was a friend of the runner who began running next to the runner during the final few miles as an encourager. He would verbally encourage him as well as have him sync with him with his running steps to keep his mind off of the extreme pain the runner was in. The Holy Spirit comes along side of us during our race as an intercessor, comforter, encourager, and even as a lawyer.

The Cross.

The blood of sprinkling of the new covenant reminds us that we have been crucified with Christ, yet He lives His life through us. The exchange.

Through the Cross and the Holy Spirit we can shed the weights, repent from the sins, put away the flesh nature and finish the race. However it will require constant intimacy with God. It will require a constant repentance from sin and the flesh nature. It will require standing against the devil with the Word on our lips.

Circumstances and the satanic world will always try to discourage you and convince you to quit enduring. Remember this; that with God if you don't quit you will win!

Deliverance.

’ÄúNow this, ’ÄúYet once more,’Äù indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.’Äù (Hebrews 12:27).

Hebrews chapter 13 shows us some of the disciplines to keep us in the race.

Paul finished.

’ÄúI have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith’Äù (2 Timothy 4:7).

Quote from God Calling⁴

Near the Goal - February 13

In a race it is not the start that hurts, not the even pace of the long stretch. It is when the goal is in sight that heart and nerves and courage and muscles are strained almost beyond human endurance, almost to breaking point.

So with you now the goal is in sight, you need your final cry to Me. Can you not see by the nerve and heart rack of the past few days that your race is nearly run. Courage, courage. Heed My voice of encouragement. Remember that I am by your side, spurring you on to victory.

In the annals of heaven, the saddest records are those that tell of the many who ran well, with brave stout hearts, until in sight of the goal, of victory, and then their courage failed. The whole host of heaven longed to cry out how near the end was, to implore the last spurt, but they fell out, never to know until the last day of revealing, how near they were to victory.

Would that they had listened to Me in the silence as you two meet with Me. They would have known. There must be the listening ear, as well as the still small voice.

⁴ A.J. Russell God Calling : Barbour and Company, Inc.. Uhrichsville, OH., 1989, Page 43

Florence Chadwick.

I can remember watching television in 1952 and witnessing the famous swimmer Florence Chadwick attempting a record breaking swim across the Catalina channel in Southern California.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. ⁵

In 1952, Florence was the first woman to attempt to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. As she began this historical journey, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she got hurt or grew tired. Hour after hour Florence swam, but after about 15 hours, a thick, heavy fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability, and she told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she didn’Äôt think she could make it. She swam for one more hour before asking to be pulled out. As she sat in the boat, Florence found out she had stopped swimming just one mile away from the California shoreline, her destination. Florence explained that she quit because she could no longer see the coastline-there was too much fog. She couldn’Äôt see her goal.

Two months later, Florence got back in the water to try her task once more. This time was different. She swam from Catalina Island to the shore of California in a straight path for 26 miles. The same thick fog set in, but Florence made it because she said that while she swam, she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind. She didn’Äôt lose sight of the shore because she focused on that image of the coast in her mind, and in this way, she reached her goal.

⁵ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Chadwick