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It Is Written Canada

Chris Holland

Echoes From the Hall of Faith

God's book, the Bible, still relevant in today's complex world.

It is written sharing messages of hope around the world.

♪♪ The second Monday in October is Thanksgiving in Canada.

However, some of you watching this show will remember that it hasn't always been celebrated on that day.

In fact, in the early to mid-1800s, it was celebrated sometime in late October or early November.

Then in 1879, when Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday, it was celebrated on a Thursday in November, changing dates several times.

After World War I and the signing of the Armistice with Germany, Armistice Day was established and both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving were celebrated the same day.

That day was the Monday of the week in which November 11th fell.

About 10 years later, however, Armitage Day was renamed Remembrance Day and the 2 holidays were separated with Thanksgiving normally following on the second Monday of October.

And finally, in 1957, Parliament set the second Monday of October as the official Thanksgiving holiday.

This Thanksgiving holiday often brings great joy and anticipation as the weekend arrives.

For many, this great joy is in a 3 or 4 day weekend.

However, is that really all that Thanksgiving weekend is about?

As the years have gone by and generations have grown old, the meaning of this weekend really has been lost.

While separate holidays now, Thanksgiving is inextricably tied to the gratitude we should have for those who have served this country.

Their sacrifice has provided many of the freedoms that we now enjoy.

This holiday, which many look forward to simply as a weekend of turkey and sweet potatoes and stuffing, should provide a more substantial response.

You know, friends, there is a war going on, however, that has been raging for much longer than any other here on this earth.

And while yes, we should remember those people who have died for our freedoms that we enjoy, those who have fought the wars to keep us safe, yet at the same time we must realize that we too, each and every 1 of us are in a war that we have a history of heroes and patriarchs to look to as examples in that war.

We are in a war that is about to come to its climax.

1 of my favorite Christian authors said this, we have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us and His teaching in our past history.

We must look to the past to prepare for the future.

In the book of Hebrews, chapter 12 and verse 1, the Bible gives us some help in some heroes that we should look to.

Hebrews, the 12th chapter, beginning in verse 1.

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.

For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

The author of Hebrews is bringing to a conclusion the words of chapter 11.

In chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews, he addresses the issue of faith in the context of the pioneers and patriarchs of the faith of Jesus Christ.

Here in chapter 12, he turns his attention from history to the present reality and makes practical application for the everyday Christian, which includes us today.

Now going back to verse 1, the Bible says this, 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." Paul calls our attention to the imagery of a race.

There is no question that those who are reading the book of Hebrews would have been familiar with the scenes of an Olympic-style race.

And in the first few words, he says, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, he tries to place in our minds a picture.

And then as we look around, we see the spectators and the many witnesses.

And he uses this metaphorically to keep our mind focused on Chapter 11, where the lives of many Old Testament faithful were drawn upon as examples.

Men and women such as Abel and Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses, Rahab and Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.

He wants us to understand that as we begin this race, the Christian race, we are not sailing into some uncharted waters.

Now the word witness in Greek is the word marturon, which literally means, and where we get the English word, martyr.

Now often when we think of martyr, we say, oh, I have to be willing to die for my faith.

A martyr is someone who was put to death because they were faithful and their faithfulness led them to be persecuted.

God calls us to a faithfulness that stands above the fray.

Paul wants us to understand that there are plenty of people who have gone before us and despite their handicaps, despite their hindrances of every kind, they still ran the race of faith, and they won.

And because others have gone before us, we are to do 3 specific things.

Number 1, the Scripture tells us to let us lay aside every weight.

Literally, it means to cast aside anything that impedes you from going forward.

Now, Paul leaves it open-ended to those reading the things that might be hampering them as a Christian runner.

Now, in the ancient Olympics, you will notice something very interesting.

If you go and look at the many carvings and paintings of those ancient games, you will notice that the participants are all naked.

You see, nothing was to come between them and victory, including even their clothes.

Now, just as a point of reference, women did not compete in the games, nor were they allowed as spectators to the Olympics.

However, friends, what is it in your life that prevents you from running the race of Christianity?

Today's modern runners will often shave their bodies from head to toe or wear new body suits which make them more aerodynamic.

Paul makes the appeal in the book of Hebrews to rid yourself of it.

You see, Moses grew up in the luxuries of the Egyptian castle and he was called to give it up.

Abraham lived in Ur and enjoyed the comforts of Ur, and he was called to give it up.

Samson denied himself a life of pleasure so he could be faithful.

In order to compete in the race of Christianity, we must cast off anything that impedes us.

But Paul gives us a second counsel, and he says that we need to rid ourselves of the sin which so easily ensnares us.

In fact, in the New International Version, it reads, let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us.

Now this can be translated, the sin that so closely clings to us.

No matter how close a sin may cling, no matter how difficult it is to separate ourselves from a sinful way, the call of God is to cast it off, to rid ourselves of it.

Sin is the greatest obstacle in the path of victory for a Christian.

And as each battle is won, and each sin is overcome, it is often replaced with some new battle, or some new challenge that must be faced.

Friends, victory by victory, battle by battle, we are called to lay these sins aside so we might win the race with Jesus.

And just as the ancient Greeks stripped off their clothes so they had no hindrance to their competition, we are called to strip ourselves and lay aside all of those sins which beset us.

Now in addition to this, an Olympic runner does not just show up the day of the race without some type of training or practice and expect to win.

Usually over the course of months and often years, they practice and they train.

They have to overcome strains and pulls and sprains and cuts and bruises.

They overcome these things because if they didn't, they could not compete in the race.

And it is in the same way, friends, that we too are in training right now and called to run the race.

But our prize at the end of the race will not be some medal.

It won't be some certificate to hang on the wall.

Our prize will be that place that the Bible describes as having gates of pearls.

Our prize will be that place that measures far and wide, that place that Jesus has gone to prepare for us.

Day by day, we train so we can run the race of Christianity.

But then Paul gives us a third piece of counsel.

And here's what the Bible says, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

But the last counsel is the action that we are preparing for.

We must realize that this is not a sprint, but rather it is a marathon and that we're in for the long haul.

The text says that we are to run with perseverance or the King James says to run with patience.

This word patience and perseverance is the same word found in Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12.

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Echoes From the Hall of Faith

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