>>Announcer: It has
stood the test of time.
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God's book, The Bible
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Still relevant in
today's complex world
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It Is Written
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Sharing messages of
hope around the world!
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>>Chris: The second Monday
in October is Thanksgiving in
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Canada. However some of you
watching this show will remember
that it hasn't always been
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celebrated on that day. In the
early to mid 1800's it was
celebrated sometime in
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late October or early November.
Then in 1879 when Thanksgiving
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was declared a national holiday,
it was celebrated on a Thursday
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in November, changing dates
several times. After World War 1
and the signing of the
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armitice with Germany, Armitice
day was established and both
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Armitice Day and Thanksgiving
were celebrated the same day.
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That day was the Monday of the
week in which November 11 fell.
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About ten years later Armitice
Day was renamed Remembrance Day
and the two holidays were
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separated with Thanksgiving
normally falling on the second
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Monday of October. Finally in
1957 parliament set the second
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Monday of October as the
official Thanksgiving holiday.
This Thanksgiving holiday often
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brings great joy and
anticipation as the weekend
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arrives. For many this great joy
is in a three or four day
weekend. However, is just that
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really all the Thanksgiving
weekend has to offer? Just
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simply an extra day off. As the
years have gone by and
generations have grown
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old, the meaning of this weekend
really has been lost. While
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separate holidays now,
Thanksgiving is inextricably
tied to gratitude we should have
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for those who have served this
country. Their sacrifice has
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provided many of the freedoms we
now enjoy. This holiday which
many look forward to
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simply as a weekend of turkey
and sweet potatoes, should
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provide a more
substantial response.
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There is a war, however that has
been raging for much longer than
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any other here on this earth.
While yes, we should remember
those people who have died
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for our freedom. Those who have
fought in wars to keep us safe.
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Yet, at the same time we must
realize that we too, each and
every one of us, are in a
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war and that we too have a
history and heroes to look to as
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examples in this war. My
friends, we are in a war that is
about to come to its climax. We
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must gear up for victory. We
must prepare to win. One of my
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favorite
Christian authors said this,
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We must look to the past to
prepare for the future! In the
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book of Hebrews
12:1, the Bible says
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The author of Hebrews is
bringing to a conclusion the
words of chapter 11.
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In chapter 11 he addresses the
issue of faith in the context of
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Pioneers and Patriarchs of the
faith of Jesus Christ. Here in
chapter 12 he turns his
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attention from history to the
present and makes application
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for the everyday Christian.
Which includes us today. Going
back to verse 1 -- The
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Bible says,
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Paul calls our attention to the
imagery of a race. There is no
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question that those reading the
book of Hebrews would have been
familiar with the scenes
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of an Olympic style race. In the
first few words of the verse he
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says, "since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of
witnesses". He tries to
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place in our minds a picture.
It is a picture of an Olympic
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stadium and then as we look
around seeing the many
spectators and witness'. He uses
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this metaphorically to keep our
mind focused on chapter 11 where
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the lives of many Old Testament
faithful were drawn upon as
examples. Men and women
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such as Abel, Enoch, Noah,
Abraham, Sara, Isaac, Jacob,
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Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon,
Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David,
and Samuel. He wants us to
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understand that as we begin this
race, the Christian race, we are
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not sailing into uncharted
waters. Others have been here
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and done that. The word
witnesses is the Greek word
marturon which literally means
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martyr. Now often we think, oh
that means I have to be willing
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to die for my faith. No, a
martyr is someone who was put to
death because they were
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faithful. God calls us to a
faithfulness that stands above
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the fray. Paul wants us to
understand that there are plenty
of people who have gone
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before us and despite their
handicaps and hindrances of
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every kind, they still ran the
race of faith and won. And
because others have gone before
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us we are to do three specific
things. Number one - let us lay
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aside every weight Literally
cast to the side anything that
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impedes you from going forward.
Paul leaves it open-ended to
those reading the things that
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might be hampering them as a
Christian runner. In the ancient
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Olympics you will notice
something very interesting about
many carvings or paintings of
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the games. The participants
are all naked. You see, nothing
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was to come between them
and victory, including their
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clothes! Just as a point of
reference, women did not compete
nor were they allowed as
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spectators. However, friends
what is it in your life that
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prevents you from running the
race. What is it that is slowing
you down. Today's modern
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runners shave their bodies from
head to toe or wear new body
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suits which make them more
aerodynamic. What is it that
slows you? Paul calls you to rid
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yourself of it. Moses gave
up the luxuries of the Egyptian
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castle, and he was called to
give it up. Abraham lived in Ur
and enjoyed the comforts of Ur
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and he was called to give it up.
and Samson denied himself a life
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of pleasure so he could be
faithful. In order to compete,
we must cast off anything
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that impedes us. But Paul gives
us second council and he says we
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need to rid ourselves of the sin
which so easily ensnares us. In
the NIV it reads, "let us
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throw off the sin that so easily
entangles us" This can also be
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translated the sin that so
closely clings. No matter how
close a sin may cling or
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how difficult it is to separate
from a sinful way, the call of
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God is to cast it off to rid
yourself of it. Sin is the
greatest obstacle in the
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path of victory of a Christian.
And as each battle is won, and
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each sin is overcome, it is
oftne replaced with some new
battle or with another
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challenge that must be faced.
Friends, victory by victory and
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battle by battle we must lay
these sins aside so we might win
the race. Just as the
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ancient Greeks stripped off
their clothes so they had no
hindrances to their
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competition, we too are
called to lay our sins aside.
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In addition, an Olympic runner
does not just show up the day of
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the race without training
or practice and expect to win.
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Usually over the course of
months and years they practice
and train Overcoming cramps,
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overcoming strains and
pulls, and sprains and cuts and
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bruises. They overcome these
things because if they didn't,
they could not compete in
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the race. As they trained, they
overcame - it is in the same way
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friends that we too are
training. But our prize will not
be some metal or some
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certificate. Our prize is that
place with gates of pearls, our
prize is that place that
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measures that Jesus has gone
to prepare for us Day by day we
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train that we can run this race.
Number three, the Bible says,
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"let us run with endurance the
race that is set before us." We
have a great history. We have
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many stories we can look to. And
now we do these three things.
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The first two are preparations
and the last is the action you
are preparing for. We must
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run the race. We must realize
that this in not a sprint but
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rather it is a marathon and we
are in for the long haul. The
text says to run with
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perseverance or in the KJV
it says with patience This word
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patience or perseverance is the
same word found in Revelation
00:12:32.51\00:12:41.56
14:12, Our race must be a race
of obedience and faith, but we
must not stop here in
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the text. Because further
instructions are given in
regards to running the
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race. Listen again to
verse 2 of Hebrews 12,
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Let's make sure we have this
all straight and that we are all
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together. We prepare ourselves
for the race by number, laying
aside anything that might
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impede us; number ridding
ourselves of sins that are close
and cling to us. Now
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we must run the race with
obedience and faith. So how are
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we to run? Verse 2 tells us. Fix
our eyes on Jesus and look to
Jesus This word for look or fix
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means to let nothing distract
you and to let nothing come in
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between you and Jesus. We must
fix our eyes on Him, because
only He can give us the
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standard we need because He is
the Author and finisher of our
00:14:21.59\00:14:31.67
faith. Jesus Christ is the
pioneer of our faith, He is at
00:14:33.00\00:14:37.61
the center of the plan of
salvation. So often we are
discouraged and we veer off the
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track of salvation because
instead of fixing our eyes upon
Jesus - we have fixed
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our eyes upon someone or
something else. We must focus on
00:14:48.28\00:14:57.16
Him. Only He will guide us to
the finish line. But He is also
the finisher of our faith.
00:14:57.26\00:15:02.03
Jesus doesn't just lay the
foundation of our faith and
leave us to be. He is
00:15:02.13\00:15:08.17
the finisher of that work. He
continues to dwell within us and
00:15:08.27\00:15:13.44
continues to work upon our
hearts. He gives us the
encouragement to stay on the
00:15:13.54\00:15:18.81
race to not get off track. Not
only does He fire the gun to get
00:15:18.91\00:15:24.85
us started, but He stands there
along the way and cheers us on,
gives us water to drink and
00:15:24.95\00:15:29.69
helps us perfect our technique.
Friends we cannot be distracted
00:15:29.79\00:15:37.30
by the actions of others. We
must fix our eyes on Him,
because it is only He that can
00:15:37.40\00:15:44.91
lead you to victory. We must not
forget as the verse ends that
this same Jesus, the
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Author and finisher of our
faith, this same Jesus upon whom
00:15:52.21\00:15:56.45
we are to fix our
eyes is the same Jesus,
00:15:56.55\00:15:59.22
Friends, Jesus has already run
this race. He was crucified for
00:16:09.90\00:16:15.04
you salvation. In fact, the text
says it was for your joy that He
00:16:15.14\00:16:24.35
went to the cross. Church
family, Jesus endure the trials
and tribulations of the
00:16:24.45\00:16:31.62
cross for the future
gratification of knowing that
00:16:31.72\00:16:38.53
His created people would be able
to spend an eternity with Him.
We must fix our eyes on Him,
00:16:38.63\00:16:47.00
because He now sits at the right
hand of the Father Hebrews 4:15
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declares, Jesus sits at the
right hand of the Father,
pleading for us, desiring
00:17:10.43\00:17:15.03
for us to be there with Him.
Dear brothers and sisters, we
00:17:15.13\00:17:20.27
must fixate on Him - only He
cannot disappoint us. Yet even
as we fix our eyes upon Him,
00:17:20.37\00:17:31.81
sometimes we get discouraged.
00:17:31.91\00:17:37.15
So Paul, in order to help us
out, wrote verses three and four
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to encourage us, Friend do you
need encouragement in your race.
00:18:01.91\00:18:04.35
Have you been disappointed by
people in the church or fellow
Christian believers? Then
00:18:04.45\00:18:09.95
we must think upon two things to
give us encouragement. Think of
00:18:10.05\00:18:18.29
Christ's rejection. Jesus Christ
came to this world to seek and
00:18:18.39\00:18:25.77
save the lost. He came to
provide a way for lost souls. He
came to heal the sick and lame
00:18:25.87\00:18:31.27
and dying. He came as the
Messiah, the redeemer of Israel.
00:18:31.37\00:18:37.48
He was a servant of men. He
traveled and had no place to
call home He endured the
00:18:37.58\00:18:44.99
hardships of an itinerant life.
He endured the pain of working
00:18:45.09\00:18:50.96
with 12 men who just didn't
understand. He gave entire
evenings to pray. He gave up the
00:18:51.06\00:18:56.70
beauty and perfection of
the Heavenly courts. He gave
00:18:56.80\00:19:03.00
everything and yet they rejected
Him. Don't be so down-trodden in
00:19:03.10\00:19:13.58
spirit. You may be discouraged.
Someone may have disappointed
you or some situation has
00:19:13.68\00:19:16.12
detracted from your Christian
race. Lift up your head, fix
00:19:16.22\00:19:22.82
your eyes upon Jesus, and look
to His suffering and pain Know
that He gave more, so
00:19:22.92\00:19:30.77
we can keep going and continue
to trust in Him If that still
00:19:30.87\00:19:37.97
doesn't encourage you, Paul give
you one more point of
encouragement - you have
00:19:38.07\00:19:42.91
not yet had to give your
life - we haven't died in our
00:19:43.01\00:19:55.22
resistance to sin! When Satan
throws all his wiles at you.
When people all around you are
00:19:56.39\00:20:00.73
discouraging you When life just
isn't going your way When all
00:20:00.83\00:20:09.10
seems to be dark Look to Jesus
who is the author, the finisher,
who endured the cross for you,
00:20:09.20\00:20:17.05
who was rejected in even greater
ways than you and who was
00:20:17.15\00:20:24.49
killed. Take courage my friend,
keep running the race you are
still alive. His grace is
00:20:24.59\00:20:30.06
sufficient to keep you going.
Here in this first passage of
00:20:30.16\00:20:36.03
Hebrews chapter 12, Paul gives
us encouragement to run the
Christian race. He first
00:20:36.13\00:20:43.24
calls our attention to the
echoing sounds of chapter
eleven's hall of faith.
00:20:43.34\00:20:51.21
Those people who have gone
before us and stood the test of
00:20:51.31\00:20:56.99
time despite great
disadvantages. However, he knows
that to win this race, there
00:20:57.09\00:21:12.33
needs to be more than human
intervention and he calls to us
00:21:12.43\00:21:19.21
to fix our eyes on Jesus. We
must prepare ourselves for this
race and cast off any obstacles
00:21:19.31\00:21:25.15
and rid ourselves of any clingy
sins, we must look to Him, who
00:21:25.25\00:21:34.92
is the author and finisher and
we will finish this race. All we
need to do is finish the
00:21:35.02\00:21:47.74
race and we win. In marathon
racing, it is often perceived
00:21:47.84\00:21:55.48
that the athletes are competing
with one another. All outward
00:21:55.58\00:21:59.95
appearances - the awards , the
trophies and the prize money -
would all seem to indicated that
00:22:00.12\00:22:06.22
that is the case. However,
marathon runners cannot pace
themselves to other
00:22:06.32\00:22:15.83
runners. They must pace
themselves according to their
00:22:15.93\00:22:24.91
own personal best. Because if
they pace themselves to others,
they run the risk of to slow of
00:22:25.01\00:22:28.21
a pace and finishing in a slower
time or an even greater risk is
00:22:28.31\00:22:34.05
they pace themselves too fast
and they tire and get exhausted
00:22:34.15\00:22:39.35
and quit. Friends, the Christian
race is a marathon. We cannot
00:22:39.45\00:22:43.76
pace ourselves according to
others, we must pace ourselves
according to Biblical
00:22:43.86\00:22:48.86
principles. We must pace
ourselves against Jesus Christ.
00:22:48.96\00:22:55.34
We cannot worry about who is
going slower or faster, we must
focus on Him and He will lead
00:22:55.44\00:23:01.08
us. As others see us they may
follow us but eventually they
00:23:01.18\00:23:05.95
will realize that your pace
is set according to Him and they
00:23:06.05\00:23:15.09
will do the same. God is calling
us to run the race. God is
calling us to lead the pack. God
00:23:16.49\00:23:24.10
is calling us to be winners. How
will you handle it? What are you
00:23:24.20\00:23:29.30
going to do? Will you rise up
and run the race? Thanksgiving
00:23:29.40\00:23:38.51
is a time to be thankful.
Thankful for many things.
Thankful for family, thankful
00:23:38.61\00:23:44.32
for friends, thankful for God's
leading in our lives. But what
00:23:44.42\00:23:51.73
will be your story? In
the spring of 2014 the Bank of
00:23:51.83\00:23:59.07
Montreal Vancouver Marathon more
than 4,000 runners entered the
race By the races' end many had
00:23:59.17\00:24:10.28
not finished. Yet at the finish
line there were senior citizens,
00:24:10.38\00:24:18.19
children, and handicapped who
had all finished. Not to be
critical of those who
00:24:18.29\00:24:26.56
didn't finish because they
are injuries and sicknesses.
00:24:26.66\00:24:30.00
However, the point I wanted to
make is that many started, but
not all finished. What will be
00:24:30.10\00:24:38.54
your story? Will you be a
starter? Will you be a finisher?
00:24:38.64\00:24:49.58
Friend, I encourage you, Jesus
is calling upon you to be a
finisher. His grace will
00:24:49.68\00:25:00.90
help you win this race.
00:25:00.96\00:25:05.37
Let us pray. Heavenly Father,
we are grateful that You give us
00:25:06.63\00:25:11.74
the encouragement and the grace
to run and win the race. And now
00:25:11.84\00:25:17.11
we need the encouragement, we
need the encouragement to set
aside those things that hinder
00:25:17.21\00:25:20.62
us, to lay aside our sin, and
give us the encouragement to not
00:25:20.72\00:25:25.89
be distracted and to look to
Jesus. We want to win the race.
00:25:25.99\00:25:31.99
Dear Lord, help us to win that
race. We pray in Jesus' name,
00:25:32.09\00:25:37.47
amen. So often, friends, it's
easy to become discouraged in
our Christian walk with
00:25:54.25\00:25:58.15
Jesus, in that marathon of a
race of walking with Jesus. And
00:25:58.25\00:26:03.63
we need encouragement. And I
want to encourage you to read
your Bibles, because
00:26:03.73\00:26:07.23
that's where we find our primary
encouragement. But sometimes we
00:26:07.30\00:26:12.43
need a little bit of an extra
boost. The Discover Bible guides
are Bible guides that walk us
00:26:12.53\00:26:19.61
through the Scriptures step
by step, verse by verse, and
00:26:19.71\00:26:24.88
encourage us on a daily basis to
listen to Jesus, to hear His
voice, and to be encouraged by
00:26:24.98\00:26:31.52
Him. Today we would like to
offer to you the Discover Bible
00:26:31.62\00:26:36.52
guides for free. Here is the
information that you need to
receive those guides
00:26:36.62\00:26:40.96
right in your home.
00:26:41.06\00:26:43.97
Friends, Paul encourages us to
run the race of Christianity by
00:27:32.71\00:27:37.85
looking to Jesus. It Is Written
Canada is committed to helping
00:27:37.95\00:27:42.49
you run that race. And so we
have an abundance of resources
to help you in that. You can
00:27:42.59\00:27:47.36
go to our website,
itiswrittencanada.ca, and there
00:27:47.46\00:27:51.90
you can find a number of links
to help you in that walk. One of
them is our prayer request
00:27:52.00\00:27:55.94
link. There you can submit a
prayer request and the team will
00:27:56.04\00:28:01.41
pray for that request. You also
can link to our Youtube page,
youtube.com/iiwcanada.
00:28:01.51\00:28:09.55
There, all of our archived
programs exist, and you can find
00:28:09.65\00:28:14.09
encouragement for that walk with
Jesus. In addition, you can be
linked to our Facebook or
00:28:14.19\00:28:20.96
our Twitter where you can follow
us and keep up with the news of
00:28:21.03\00:28:25.00
It Is Written. I thank you so
much for watching the program. I
would ask that you join us
00:28:25.10\00:28:30.07
next week. Until then, remember,
it is written: "Man shall not
00:28:30.17\00:28:35.81
live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from
00:28:35.91\00:28:42.02
the mouth of God." $$$$$$
00:28:43.39\00:28:44.79