Core Text
Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him Hebrews 12:1-3
The
Olympic Games produces champions who get to the top after much effort that can take years of dedication and plain hard work. Some of those champions devote their entire lives to their chosen sport. Their goal is that elusive gold medal. For many they have applied a regime of strict discipline of mind and body, refine and perfect their skills, putting everything else to the background for an event that can be over in seconds. Their event may be part of a team effort or as an individual, but the dedication remains the same. It is the number one place on the podium where a gold medal is placed around their necks.
You
and I are in an event that has been taking place, not once every four years, but for thousands of years and the finishing line is in sight. It is not an event that sees a quick explosion of energy released in a single short spurt as Bolt released in his sprint, but it is one that is like a marathon. In long distance events, the athlete runs to a pattern, or according to a game plan. Certain strategies are employed. Individuals need to know what they can about their opponents or fellow competitors and learn about what the course will be like. They need to determine the lay of the land and for Marathon runners in particular, pace themselves for the duration of the course to ensure that they reach the finish line.
We face similar challenges today. There is a race to be run, obstacles to hurdle over and companions with us who are also participating. It is like a team event whereby the whole team depends on each individual member. When one member falters, the whole team suffers, but when each individual does his or her part correctly, we all win and, like sporting events, there are certain rules to follow. In a swimming relay, the first person sets the pace, trying to establish an early lead. He or she must physically touch the end of the pool on a turn, or the whole team is disqualified. When the swimmer reaches the end of his or her turn, the next swimmer For them, it is not as much as how they has to dive in to continue the race. If the next swimmer dives in start, but how they finish that matters. prematurely, the whole team is disqualified. The final swimmer Sprinting at the wrong time, can expend their energy prematurely, possibly leading brings the whole team home in a last burst of speed and everyone to failure. in the team wins gold. Page 2
We
may be likened to this final athlete in the team event. Others have gone before us. Some finished their race but others faltered along the way. Paul said-
The organization can become so big that it can keep running under its own inertia by the sheer size of it all, even if God is in it or not! They have to create mechanisms and programs to keep the people interested and to pay the bills that are enormous. I speak as a pastor and an evangelist now and can honestly say, “Been there...done that” and quite frankly am wondering if this is really what God wants.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8
You might not think so, but we are being watched. Our core text in the original calls those onlookers as a great cloud of witnesses. They could be folk like Abraham and Moses, David and Solomon, Peter, James, John and Paul who all ran their respective races, but the spectators I am interested in are the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost and...angels. Oh, yes... evil spirits too.
He kept the faith and sometimes we have a real fight on our hands to do that. He not only ran his race, but finished it and received his reward. Obviously there is a reward waiting for us. We do not get the prize by quitting and we do not necessarily get the prize because we were the first to cross the line, but we receive this reward because we completed the race. If we are in a race indeed, we must be mindful of the fact that we have to run it according to the game plan. Many believers want to start sprinting immediately and, whilst they may start off well and achieve some results, some of them do not last the distance. It is not a matter of how big your church may be, what programs you have, or even “how busy you are for the Lord”, but doing only what the Lord has asked you as an individual to do. Paul learned this, sayingDon’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Please take note of his reference to discipline and training himself to do what he should do. Even he realized that he could be very effective or busy for the Lord and find himself a castaway. Mega ministries are always at risk in the need to keep the wheels of the ministry turning. It’s not glamorous and it is not easy and the tendency is to “perform”.
I often ask myself, “What do they see and what do they hear when I am speaking?” Are my words those of faith and confidence or full of fear, negativity and doubt? When difficulties and problems arise, I have learned not to ignore them and pretend that they do not exist, but go to God for the solutions that work. It is one thing to make positive faith confessions and in so doing keep putting on a front pretending everything is going well when it obviously is not. It is another matter when we recognize and acknowledge the situation facing us and turn to God in the process, knowing that He will do something as He promised. The Shunammite woman had a word from the prophet about having a son—but he died. We can have words from God, but between the “amen” and “there it is” can go through hell on earth. This does not negate God’s promise. We have to not only start running the race, but complete it, because the prize is not given out until the end. If you look up the story in 2 Kings 4, this woman did not sit on her backside and start complaining about her lot. She was a champion who went to great details in making plans to get to the end of her race, despite all the obvious external signs. Her son was dead and she never denied that fact. She clung to the specific word and I mean specific word from God and kept looking at that—not what was happening along the way—not the lack, not the shortage, not the poverty, not the obvious needs we all face from time to time. If we keep looking at those things, we are at risk.
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In your journey and in my journey, we are going to come up against obstacles of all kinds. I receive so many requests for financial aid it is not funny and I keep saying the same things to everyone, “Learn how to tap into the source for yourself ”. Anyone can do that, no matter where they live. God has given us clear instructions as what to do and we follow that to the letter to the best of our ability. We’d go crazy trying to figure everything out and try to help everyone. It’s impossible. You and I must run our own race. We cannot have someone else run for us and we must ensure that we are running in the right race! A 100 meter sprinter like Bolt cannot compete in the marathon, because he would be attempting to do something for which he is not qualified! In ministry, in particular, we cannot try to do things that God did not ask us to do and expect success. Sure, He honors His word, but we must ask ourselves a question and be honest about it, “Are we trying to do something that He did not call us to do?” If we are, even if it is a noble cause like caring for poor and needy people (who are all around us and always with us), we will always fall short. It is like someone wanting to be the pastor of a church when he or she should be an evangelist and vice-versa. Trying to run in the wrong race is trying to operate under a barred anointing. As we enter into a new era, it is imperative that we are fully cognizant of our surroundings and that we make sure we know precisely what it is that God wants us to do. The thing that God has for you has to be done. He has a plan for your life that, as far as He is concerned, must be fulfilled, but I will add—the devil will try to wreck it. Please never start talking about the devil too much however. I cringe when I hear people say that they are under attack! The devil is under our feet, but it is provisional. In romans 16:20, Paul said...And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
The word bruise in the original is syntribō and it means to crush completely. Jesus made this possible. But this verse starts with the word and. It follows on from something and it is linked with something many folk do not like. It is obedience. See verse 19. Such obedience comes from dedication and discipline, much in the same way the athlete trains himself or herself. I’d like you to look with me now as Psalm 27 where David said-
The LORD is my light and my salvation— so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Psalm 27:1-3
Someone
is running beside us. David did not deny that things were bad. He did not say if evil people attacked him but when they attacked him. He did not say that there was no mighty army surrounding him, but determined to act properly. He knew and stated that the Lord would help him, in spite of all the problems. David defeated Goliath, not because he fought well, but because he believed well. David won because he made a decision. He chose to seek God and God’s ways above all else. I’m not talking about being religious or super-spiritual here, but about being practical in everyday life, seeking the answers (and provision) in and through the Lord—and when the Lord answered—he did itThe one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me!
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My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me. Do not reject your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I’ve never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:4-14
He did not ignore the problems and difficulties of life at all. They were very real, just as they are for you and for me right now. I hope you see a pattern here in how he ran his race. He deliberately chose to make the ways of God his first priority and when God moved...he responded. He asked God to teach him how to live. I am constantly asking the Lord for similar things. Take note of the closing remarks. Wait patiently—be brave and courageous—wait patiently. Sometimes it takes great patience on our part whilst the plan of God unfolds in our lives. I’ve noticed that after 50 years this year with the Lord, observing others and meditation of the word of God that the best things in God seem to take a long time (for us) to happen. It’s like the best wine. It supposedly gets better as it ages and God often seems to leave the best ‘til last! We need to learn patience as well as how to live by faith. We also need to be vigilant and observe things. The prophet and his servant were surrounded by the enemy and the servant was hitting the panic button.
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. 2 Kings 6:15-17
Elisha had discovered that a great cloud of witnesses was surrounding him. Perhaps some of those witnesses are also surrounding us today? We need to have our eyes opened. May we do this more than ever before. God has a plan for you and a plan for me that He is determined to get working. It is up to us to find out what it is and fall into line with Him and we can. It really is not as hard as some folk think. You do not need to be a mega church pastor or attend such a church or have all kinds of resources to hear God for yourself and win your own race. If you have a bible and ears to hear, the Holy Spirit can and will reveal what needs to be revealed to you. It is just you two...Him and you. He is running beside you, going before you and doing all He can to get you to the finish line, but you must run your race and keep looking at the finish line...at the Lord.
Let
me tell you in closing how these things work. God is working to a plan and in this plan you have entered into the race of all time. I’ve used the Olympic Games and athletes for illustrative purposes and if you hearken back to our core text, there is a key. It is to keep your focus on the objective and this means you have to throw away everything that could hinder you. Your race is different to mine, so what hinders you could be slightly different to what hinders me. I will not elaborate on that—you know what is going on. I firmly believe that we are entering into something brand new...something different is happening. Most prophecy has been fulfilled, but there is more yet to happen and it is being fulfilled is being fulfilled more and more in our day.
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President Trump for example has recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel. If that does not light a fire in your belly, your wood is wet. I’m not getting onto politics here, but pointing out that, perhaps, maybe, possibly, in all likelihood...this is initiating something that could lead to Jesus’ eventual return to the holy city. It is conjecture I know, but... We certainly live in strange yet wonderful days. I quote from a news articleIsraeli archaeologists recently unveiled a 2,700-year-old clay seal impression which they believe belonged to a biblical governor of Jerusalem. The artefact, inscribed in an ancient Hebrew script as “belonging to the governor of the city,” was likely attached to a shipment or sent as a souvenir on behalf of the governor, the most prominent local position held in Jerusalem at the time, the Israel Antiquities Authority said. The impression, the size of a small coin, depicts two standing men, facing each other in a mirror-like manner and wearing striped garments reaching down to their knees. It was unearthed near the plaza of Judaism’s Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. “It supports the biblical rendering of the existence of a governor of the city in Jerusalem 2,700 years ago,” an Antiquities Authority statement quoted excavator Dr Shlomit Weksler-Bdolah as saying. It was the first time a seal itself had been found “inscribed with the name of a position, the governor of the city of Jerusalem, while until now we knew it only from the Bible,” she said. She said the governor of Jerusalem is mentioned twice in the Bible, “but we never found him actually in an archaeological excavation, so that’s the big importance”. Governors of Jerusalem, appointed by the king, are mentioned twice in the Bible, in 2 Kings, which refers to Joshua holding the position, and in 2 Chronicles, which mentions Masseiah in the post during the reign of Josiah.
History is in the making and, like Esther perhaps, you and I could be in the Kingdom for such a time as this, so the finish line of the marathon of all marathons is close now. The relay race could have entered its final stage when the baton has passed on from runner to runner to runner and now onto us—the final runner! You could have been patiently and expectantly sowing seed, longing for a harvest. You have worked hard in the heat of the day in the Master’s vineyard, expecting your promised recompense. You may have had a special “promise” from God that has seemed to have taken an eternity to happen. I’m here to tell you that this could be your time—but please, oh please, do not bow to the pressure of time. • Abraham waited for 25 years for his promise to arrive, but it did! • It took Pastor Rick Renner in Moscow 25 years for his ministry there to get off the ground as it is now. He rode in a train around and around the city for hours wondering if he had made a mistake going there. Joyce Meyer gave him furniture that he kept in storage for almost as long and he had a building that he had renovated and was prepared to convert to a church stolen from him, but pressed in and is now fully operational. • Kenneth Copeland flew over Eagle Mountain for 10 years before he finally obtained it for his ministry HQ and church. His last major believers convention here was at Brisbane 1998—20 years ago. • It took Paul 17 years before he was fully operational. • John the Baptist was called by God before his miraculous birth, but he did not start his short ministry until 30 years later. • Jesus prepared himself for 30 years for a 3-year ministry. I am often asked how long will it be before I visit some people and I keep telling them that I do not know and that I will arrive in the Lord’s timing! He keeps telling me to wait! Ha! That’s like waving a red flag at a bull when you are straining at the leash. It’s frustrating, especially when I do not know why. Never try to force issues and make things happen. You will be like the marathon runner trying to sprint all the way and you will fail! If God said that He will do it—He will do it, but He will do it His way and in His own good time. This seems to be how God operates. Faith and patience are perfect twins.
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During this waiting time, we are very vulnerable. It seems that just before the breakthrough, everything seems to be going against us. There is an old saying that it is darkest just before dawn. Well, my ministry vision almost died in a waiting period. I co-ministered with Kenneth Hagin in Australia in the mid 1970 period when I was a Field Representative for the FGBMFI and had been planting churches. The denomination to which I belonged at that time appointed pastors to take over. I wanted to stay in one such church until the Lord spoke very strongly about it, forbidding me to do so. I have since learned that far too many men pastor churches without the Lord’s appointment and wonder why things are not working properly. If I had stayed there, I would have failed and possibly left the ministry altogether! When I said farewell to brother Hagin at the airport, the Lord gave me two open visions that described things I am only now starting to see come to fruition. The Lord told me to wait! We have to learn how to wait and not get anxious and try to force issues. Ishmael came that way. He told me to prepare myself for what was to come and I have been doing just that and now— after this waiting period that is some 30 years now—I am only now starting to fully enter into it and the lessons learned and revelation the Lord has given me are well worth the wait. Our time on the earth is like mere fleeting seconds compared to eternity—and that’s what is at the finish line. I do not think that this 30 year period is any coincidence. Jesus was 30 when He started! So was John. My friends, I know what it is like to wait and I know that some of you are as frustrated and anxious for “something to happen”, but don’t kill it by being impatient! Do not let your vision die. I say this because the devil will try to break you . He will throw all kinds of things at you, with the intention of making you try to make things happen; to grow discouraged and weary and start to drift. The baby is being birthed and labor pains reach their peak when the baby is about to be born. What kept me going was those visions—and the confirmation I sought for and received from the word of God. What gave me the endurance to keep running, even when cramp set in, the threshold of pain had been reached, my lungs felt like they were bursting and my muscles felt like lead...was God’s promise. Men of renown confirmed the word and the prophecy to me, but it seemed as if it would never happen. The finish line started to fade and I was subjected to all kinds of loss, spiritual abuse, spiritual jealousy and envy and...no money! Job and I had a great time of fellowship and for a while, I wanted to do what someone told him, to curse God and die. I did not. Money or the lack of it is not the problem. Nor it is the answer. Does something sound a little familiar?
If
you have a real call of God on your life, then you are going to be in the stadium like all the other champions, but are being cheered on by all those witnesses. It takes 9 months for a baby to be born and any mother will tell you it sometimes seems like 19 months. They have to carry it all that time, wondering if delivery will ever arrive and one day...in the fullness of time...pain starts. A baby is born. Your baby is growing inside you, so carry it well full term. Do not have a premature birth and do not have one that is overdue. You mothers know what I am talking about. Prepare for a birth, because it will come. I told myself do not quit. Do not let the vision die. Do not procrastinate or try to make things happen. There has to be a reason why we all go through some stuff. When Jesus told His disciples He was leaving, he said-
“In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Jesus realized they wanted to ask him about it, so he said, “Are you asking yourselves what I meant? I said in a little while you won’t see me, but a little while after that you will see me again. I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will
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rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. John 16:16-24
They didn’t understand it. We might not understand what is happening (yet). Jesus said that He was telling the truth. If He has spoken to you, what He said is true. He said that they would be sorry and grieve but added that the grief would not remain forever. If you are grieving or anxious over something, it will not last forever. He said that there is pain during birth, but such anguish ceases when the birth has happened and a new baby suddenly emerges into the light. As we enter this new year, I ask you to plan for, believe for and expect that this vision, this longed-for event, this ministry, this promise, this whatever-it-is that you are longing for will be birthed. You could have suffered loss as I have, but God can restore you and when He does, He will do it so that you will have to stop and blink and pinch yourself to see if it is real, because it will hit you so suddenly it will seem that you will not remember what it was like before. When you see that finish line and hit that tape, you will not think of the past any longer. You will not have the desire or the time to dwell on your failures, mistakes, lack and opposition, because you have your focus on the one who is ahead of you. This race has nothing to do with you, where you live, what you need, or what you do not have, but on the one who has already run it and completed the course. Keep your eyes on Him. I am convinced and expecting things to radically change this year. It started for us just before Christmas as a prelude of what is to come and the preparation for this goes back to the time we obeyed the Lord and moved in 2015. I believe that what has happened in the past is just that—in the past and I for one, have deliberately decided to change the way I think and the way I believe. I have decided to start thinking differently; start talking differently and start expecting differently. Will you join me? May this year be totally different for you. Robert
Bashan Ministries | PO Box 65 Stirling 5152 South Australia | info@bashanministriess.org www.bashanminitries.org