Who’s There?

            You may have heard of the mother who rebuked her boy for not attending church willingly. She admonished him, “You go to the movies for entertainment, and you go down to Freddy’s house and have a nice time. Now don’t you think it is only right that once a week you should go to God’s House, just for one hour?”

            The boy thought it over and said, “But, Mom, what would you think if you were invited to somebody’s house and every time you went, the fellow was never there!”

            I think some people have quit attending worship services because they think God is not there. He is. And not only is he there, but so are the others who have gone on before us in the faith. You cannot see them, but they are there:  1 We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back (Heb. 12:1.) NCV

            Assemble with the church; God is there.

Impeding Progress

1 Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won't let go (Heb. 12:1a.) CEV

It is said that the army of Alexander the Great was advancing on Persia. The moment arrived when all might be lost. The problem? The soldiers had accumulated so much plunder from previous victories; the possessions were beginning to weigh them down. They were no longer like soldiers—they were like a traveling pawnshop!

Alexander recognized the issue. He ordered that all of the booty be piled up and burned.

This did not go over well with the soldiers… initially. In time, they understood their commander’s astuteness. One historian has written, “It was as if wings had been given to them—they walked lightly again.” The army proceeded once more to victory.

The writer of Hebrews was seeking to motivate the Christians to do symbolically the same thing. They were weighed down by false values, which translated into a defeated lifestyle. He challenged them to take inventory, and to throw everything away that hindered their walk with Jesus.

Might we be wise to do the same?

Source: Our Daily Bread, July 3, 1992

The Cheerleaders

            A quarter century ago, Richard Blaisden wrote a bulletin article that inspired me. He credited Knute Larson with the account of Bill Broadhurst. 

            Bill had love running; unfortunately, he became partially paralyzed after suffering an aneurysm. Gradually, he recovered enough to where he could run again, albeit it very slowly—more like a jog for most people.

            Bill looked up to the great runner, Bill Rodgers. Near Bill’s home, organizers were hosting a 10K (6.2 miles) race. Rodgers was slated to participate. Broadhust badly wanted to enter the competition and run with his hero, so he did.

            Not surprisingly, Bill Rodgers easily won the race. Everyone else finished the race within 90 minutes, except for Bill Broadhurst.

            Battling numbness in his left side, Broadhurst struggled to finish. He had fallen so far behind, boys began ribbing him that he had missed a good race. Bill kept running.

            Organizers began moving the barriers to the course. Some began to leave for home.

            Finally, Bill hobbled within sight of the finish line—at least where the finish line had been. The event’s banner had been taken down. No one seemed to be present, yet Bill pressed on until the end.

            As he completed the course, Bill Rodgers and other runners appeared from a nearby alley. Rodgers received Bill in his arms and hugged him. He took off the gold medal he had won and placed it on Bill’s neck.

            The article appropriately cited Hebrews 12:1 -  "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every thing that hinders and the sin that easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

            I truly believe those in Christ, who have gone on before us, are waiting to receive us in glory. No matter how hard it is, let us run the race until completion.