THE RACE

Greetings O Ye Long Distance Runners...how's the race?

"Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (see Hebrews 11) [who have borne testimony of the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every ENCUMBRANCE-- unnecessary weight--and that SIN which so readily (deftly and cleverly) CLINGS TO and ENTANGLES us, and let us RUN with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.  Looking away (from all that will  DISTRACT)...to JESUS, Who is the Leader and the SOURCE of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also it's FINISHER [bringing it to maturity and perfection].  He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him...ENDURED THE CROSS, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 The Amplified Bible).

Our first picture is that of Eric Liddle...runner in the 1924  Olympics in Paris, subject of the movie and missionary to China gave the secret to his success.  "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast.  And when I run, I feel his pleasure."  He also stated, "The SECRET OF MY SUCCESS over the 400 meters is that...I ran the fist 200 AS HARD AS I COULD..and then the second 200 (with God's help)...I RAN HARDER."

 In a world of FAST FOOD THEOLOGY and TV MENTALITY...where you can "have it your way" because "you deserve a break today", sometimes we get a tad impatient when our life issues are not resolved on our time table or if our prayers are not answered in a timely manner and to our satisfaction.  He is the KING of kings...but he ain't your own personal Burger King.

The second picture is a picture of me running in the Philadelphia Marathon.  Actually the marathon was routed by my hotel in Philly...and I had Brenda snap a quick impromptu photo op.  Actually I never moved one inch from where the picture was taken.

The writer of Hebrews speaks of those who have run this race of faith...and now looks down upon us as we continue in this long distance run.  Have you ever been in the middle of this race...and find yourself TRIPPED UP...STUMBLING...or even FALLING FLAT ON YOUR FACE?  I have.  When we have those moments...it is easy to blame the devil, point the finger at someone else, moan and groan about hypocrites...but what we need to do...is realize...that the ENCUMBRANCES...and THE SIN that so easily besets us...is us. 

Jesus ENDURED THE CROSS...the point of death...dying to Himself...and living unto the Father.  He kept his eyes on the prize...of the JOY SET BEFORE HIM.  We are called to that cross also.

"And He summoned the multitude with His disciples and said to them...If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him (1) deny himself (2) and take up his cross  (3) and follow Me.  For whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; and whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's shall save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? "(Mark 8:34-36)

Paul talked about this dying process..."...I die daily" (I Corinthians 15:31)  Paul also spoke of "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness" in the areas of speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.  These are the areas of entanglement, encumbrance, stumbling.  The word discipline means to exercise, train, practice, discipline yourself NAKED...with no garments to trip you up as you run the race.

Run the race until He comes back again to collect His saints.  Don't give up...pace yourself...remove those things that you KNOW that trip you up...the SIN that so easily besets you.  Only you know what that is...so be honest...repent, confess it, and run forgiven.

Love and Long Distance Kisses

Rodney "Chariots of Fire In The Lord" Boyd

JUST MY IMAGINATION

 Greetings O Ye Thinkers and Dreamers...what's on your MIND?

That little thing house within your cranium...sitting atop your body...is an amazing and mysterious thing.  Since the beginning of time...people have pondered, studied, pontificated, worshipped, and proclaimed man's...wo-man's...the hu-man's POTENTIAL.   The first picture we see is of Napoleon Hill who wrote about the human potential in his classic THINK AND GROW RICH. His most famous quote from the book is..."Whatever the MIND of man can CONCEIVE and BELIEVE...it can ACHIEVE." 

Of course many Christians point their finger and poo-poo at this...but I think it is a true observation.  There is nothing new under the sun...including the human potential.  I like reading about the positive things from those positive thinkers...because I think they have tapped into Biblical principles.  The only problem...well maybe not the only problem...but one of the problems with the "positive thinkers" many times give a nod to God...or some sort of cosmic entity, but they miss the Lordship of Jesus.  But as the saying goes..."don't throw the baby out with the bath water.  The truth is the truth...even if it is uttered by someone who is wrong.

After the fall...as a result of A&E's disobedience in the garden (Genesis 3:1-24)  NOTE:  This is the first mention of a car in the Bible...where God DROVE them out of the garden (Genesis 3:24)  Sorry.

In Genesis 11 we see that the whole earth was "ONE LIP" or "used the same LANGUAGE and the same WORDS." (Genesis 11:1)  These dwellers and settlers in the land of Shinar...spoke in this "ONE LIP" to one another...and said..."Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly."  They used these burnt bricks for stone and used tar for mortar. (Genesis 11:1) 

NOTE:  Stone was the natural...burnt bricks was the unnatural choice for building material.  They then spoke to each other in this LIP LANGUAGE and said, "Come, let US build for OURSELVES a city and a tower whose top will reach into the heaven, and let US make for OURSELVES A NAME; lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4) 

NOTE:  So far...there is no mention of God...only US and THEMSELVES.  The wanted a NAME for THEMSELVES.  There reasoning seems logical..."lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth."  This was what they FEAR.  The tower was not one for worship of their creator...but for SELF-PRESERVATION.

The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the "sons of men" had built.  The Lord's perspective on what He saw was..."Behold, they are ONE PEOPLE...and they all have THE SAME LANGUAGE.  And this is what they began to do, and now...NOTHING WHICH THEY PURPOSE (IMAGINE) TO DO WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM." (Genesis 11:6)

NOTE:  This oneness is not necessarily a bad thing...but when God is not the focus...and the focus is based on human intent and fear for self preservation...it is.  The HUMAN POTENTIAL was limitless.  If they (the human mind) could CONCEIVE IT...and the human mind could BELIEVE IT...the human potential was...they could ACHIEVE IT.   We will look later at how this MIND POTENTIAL can be used for the Lord.

The Lord decided that this IMAGINED PURPOSE of these people was a dangerous thing...so He

(1) confused their language (2) made it where they could not understand one another's speech (3) and then scattered them abroad over the face of the earth. 

NOTE:  Notice that the thing they FEARED...being a SCATTERED people...was exactly what happened to them.  Job voiced this thing called fear..."For what I FEAR comes upon me...and what I DREAD befalls me.  I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, and I am not at rest, but turmoil comes." (Job 3:25-26)  Why do you think Jesus spoke the words "FEAR NOT"  when they were either faced with troubles?  The unknown or our IMAGINATIONS running wild...makes us fear...and do irrational things or makes us try to elevate ourselves to save ourselves.

 The SPIRIT OF GOD was given to a man named Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah (Praise).  The Lord told Moses..."I have filled him with the SPIRIT OF GOD in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of CRAFTSMANSHIP...to make ARTISTIC DESIGNS for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship." (Exodus 31:1-5) 

Walt Disney was a visionary to make people happy.  In his mind...he had imagination...and expressed what was in his mind in art, music, various lands in Disneyland. Those working for him would be called not engineers... but IMAGINEERS.  I love Disney World...but realize that it is merely a fake world compared to the Kingdom of God.

John Lennon was a dreamer...and according to his song IMAGINE...he was "not the only one."  He dreamed of a world of peace...and where the "world could be as one."  The only problem with this IMAGINED world of John is that it is to close to the land of Shinar...where everyone had ONE lip...ONE language...ONE word...and ONE PURPOSE...to create a name for themselves.  People are still attempting to unite this chaotic world...but we continue to be scattered over and over again.  You can imagine "there is no heaven...it's easy if you try...no hell below us... above us only sky"...but no matter how hard you try to imagine it...reality there is a heaven...there is a hell.

How can we harness this thing called the MIND...with all of it's IMAGINATIONS?  We see in I Corinthians chapter 2 verse 16..."For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?  But WE HAVE...the MIND of CHRIST."

"Unrestrained THOUGHTS (what we think)...produces unrestrained WORDS (what we say)...resulting in unrestrained ACTIONS (what we do)." (Unknown).

I believe that Napoleon Hill was right ...to a point.  Whatever the (renewed) mind of man can CONCEIVE (imagine)...the mind of man can BELIEVE (have faith in God)...and it (the renewed mind submitted to Christ) can ACHIEVE.  Oh...the man without Christ can conceive, believe and achieve...and good things may come out of it...but the life will be scattered.  God's purpose in our lives is creativity...for worship of Him...and not worshiping at the ALTAR OF HUMANISM.

Love and Imagined Kisses
Rodney "Dreamer" Boyd