Fun Facts about Dr. Jose Rizal

Today, 30th of December, we celebrate RIZAL DAY. How well do you know about Dr. José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda?

Read through the following info I gathered and let's see if you knew your National Hero! Enjoy Reading!

15 Interesting Facts about Rizal:

1. Jose Rizal was born with a big head. [must be the reason why he was so intelligent... he must've big brain as well...anyways, I think many Pinoys know about this]
2. Most Filipinos think that Rizal died because he was TOTALLY against the Spaniards and that he wanted FULL freedom from them but the truth is that Rizal only appealed for equal rights. Filipinos be treated as equal human. Rizal questioned their way of governing and how they abuse Filipinos [who were used to be called indios].
3. There are rumors that Rizal’s book entitled El FIlibusterismo was inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Count of Monte Cristo considering that it was actually one of Rizal’s favorite story. (Some even say that Rizal plagiarized it which for my opinion, totally unbelievable)
4. Did you know that Jose Rizal’s favorite dish was carne asada?
5. Rizal could show too much sarcasm because of his love for his country. Why and how? Back in Dapitan when he received three visitors in his house in Talisay, he offered the woman named Donya Manuela with Bagoong. The lady ignored the bagoong saying that they do not eat bagoong in their country because it contains worms. With that, Rizal responded saying that he had been in her country and people there eat little birds without taking out intestines.
6. His poem Mi Retiro (My Retreat) was written when he was sick and could not work. (Yes, heroes get sick sometimes)
7. There are rumors that Rizal was a playboy having a lot of girls mentioned in his autobiography and until now many believe that he really had a lot of girlfriends but the truth is that he only had few real relationships. The other girls were all just flings. and some were just plain friends.
8. The dam he built in Dapitan was built using burned shells and bricks that were made from the machine he built. In his letter to his best friend, he said that the dam was built by him and fourteen young boys(his students)
9. Rizal spent Php500.00 for coconut oil lamps for the streets of Dapitan.
10. Rizal would jokingly pinch his students who couldn’t answer correctly.
11. Usual books would mention that Rizal collected frogs, snakes and shells. Aside from that, he also collected Orchids and butterflies… (hmmm… he seemed girly at times…lol)
12. Rizal’s house only cost Php40.00 when he built it… (That’s about $0.95 now… the only thing you can buy are nails.)
13. Rizal joined lottery and won one-third of the grand prize Php18,000.00.
14. As a gift for his former professor in Ateneo, Fr. Jose Guerrico who went to Dapitan, Rizal made him a bust of Fr. Jose Guerrico. The bust won a gold medal at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.
15. During his stay in Dapitan, he often tell Captain Carnicero(the town captain) that he didn’t want Spaniards and friars to go. He would say “In Philippines, there is room for everybody”.

credits to:

http://socyberty.com/…/15-interesting-things-most-filipino…/

The History of the Church of Christ

Do you know the history of your church? According to the Bible, we are the "body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). As such, as members of the body of Christ, we ought to know and understand the church we belong to.

What is the church? 

The word "church" simply means "assembly or gathering." Did you know that the first time the word "church" was mentioned in the Bible was from the mouth of Jesus? The twelve apostles were gathered together with Jesus in the far northern part of the Golan Heights at the southern foot of Mt. Hermon near modern day Baniyas when he said, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it," Matthew 16:18 (RSV). Based upon the solid "rock" foundation of His divinity, Jesus planned to build His called out people, His church. After the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven of Jesus, the church Jesus planned began as recorded in Acts, the second chapter. That church followed strictly the teachings of the apostles of Jesus (see Acts 2:42, Galatians 1:8,9, Jude 3).

The Apostle Peter mentioned that those "who are called out of darkness into his marvelous light" is called the church (1 Peter 2:9).

The Lord spoke to His people through the apostle Peter and used several terms in order to help them appreciate their spiritual position in Christ. He referred to them as a "chosen" or elect" race, as a "holy nation" and as a "people for God's own possession." By God's grace we occupy a very favored position in His universe.

Peter continues by saying, "for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:10). Christians are referred to as "the people of God" and as having received God's "mercy." This is the result of God's grace and love, not according to our own merit.

The Lord's church is made up of those saved by the mercy of God. There are other terms used to describe the church in the New Testament. These also help clarify what exactly the church is and how necessary it is to be a member of it.

The church is the body of Christ, and He is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:21-23). Christ is the head of those who are in His body, or church (see also 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 26-27).

The church is the temple of God, meaning that God dwells in His people. We are warned not to destroy the temple by harming or discouraging its people (1 Corinthians 3:16,17).

The church is the kingdom of Christ, meaning that Christ rules over His people as their spiritual king (John 19:36; Matthew 16:16-18; Colossians 1:13)

One final point: Jesus is the savior of the church (Ephesians 5:23-27). 

So, what is the history of Church of Christ? When was it established, and who established the church?

The history of the Church of Christ and its emergence can be historically traced. The establishment of the church dates back from the Day of Pentecost when Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

  

IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST A DENOMINATION?

By definition the church of Christ cannot be a denomination because it is not dependent on man-made creeds, but simply in the New Testament pattern. We do not conceive of ourselves as being a denomination --nor as Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish -- but simply as members of the church which Jesus established and for which he died.

And that, incidentally, is why we wear his name. The term "church of Christ" is not used as a denominational designation, but rather as a descriptive term indicating that the church belongs to Christ.

We recognize our own personal shortcomings and weaknesses--and this is all the more reason for wanting to carefully follow the all-sufficient and perfect plan God has for the church.

So, who’s the founder? Jesus Christ.

Who’s the foundation? Jesus Christ.

Where was it established? Jerusalem.

When was it established? 33 AD.

Why do we have to be poor? Kids ask, wish for food, books, schooling

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:03:00 10/17/2010

Filed Under: Poverty, Education

MANILA, Philippines—In her jumbled English, 13-year-old Stella Mae Santos wrote her wish to the government: “I want to the poor people to have and dress and school requirements and money so that they have for buying foods.”

An unnamed artist captured a familiar scene of young pupils holding classes under a tree. A message scrawled on the drawing read: “Equal right to good education. Improve antique facilities.”

Junemar Gadian, a first-year Dumaguete City High School student, had a simple request: “I want a book so that I can read.”

In drawings and letters, students and out-of-school youths expressed their deepest wish to get an education, many of them sketching and writing down the barest of essentials: Peso bills in pencil, houses in crayola, clothes and fruits.

One student, Junrey Belando, wrote: “Why do we have to be poor? Why are we not like other well-off families?”

“We should take action against [poverty]. The collective effort of the government and its people will surely guarantee a poverty-free Philippines,” he said.

The students’ works were in a suitcase that Amnesty International turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday to mark the observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

Lagging

The international rights group wants a commitment and concrete plan of action from government on how it plans to meet the education targets under the Millennium Development Goals, a set of global antipoverty benchmarks that world leaders have committed to achieve by 2015.

The Philippines is among the nations known to be lagging behind in MDG compliance.

In a roundtable discussion with Education Undersecretary Alberto Muyot, Amnesty section director Aurora Parong said government should include stakeholders in drafting its course of action for MDG compliance and should direct its efforts into getting the poor and marginalized into the school system.

“The first message is to fulfill their international human rights obligation to respect, protect and fulfill the right to education. They should target the most vulnerable—the street children, the displaced, those in evacuation centers, those in the 10 poorest provinces,” Parong said.

She said government should adopt targeted measures to address education concerns specific to impoverished regions and sectors. She said these sectors should also be represented in consultations so that government action would correspond to their needs.

Overcoming poverty

Muyot, a former Amnesty International member himself, said he would convey the group’s concerns to government. He said measures were under way to ensure that the country makes it to the 2015 MDG deadline.

In a program held on the steps of DepEd’s main building, Amnesty International members read out a few of the letters from students and out-of-school youths, all of them expressing the hope that funding for public education would be increased to help them overcome poverty.

A cause for concern is the DepEd’s anticipated higher budget for next year—P207 billion from this year’s P175 billion—that Amnesty fears may not trickle down to the communities that are in most need of education funds.

“Despite bigger resources, Amnesty International is concerned that this might not translate into universal primary education when the poor and marginalized do not have access to elementary school buildings, qualified teachers and adequate books and materials needed for effective and quality education,” Parong said.

The MDG deadline coincides with the end of the five-year transition period that the DepEd has set for the implementation of K+12 (kindergarten plus 12), a key Aquino administration reform that aims to extend basic education by two years to place the country’s education system on a par with that of other countries around the world.

HAIYAN Aftermath and How the World Reacted

HAIYAN Aftermath and How the World Reacted

Junrey R. Belando

WHAT happened that day on November 8, 2013 was beyond imaginable, or shall we say, the worst that can be imagined. Families were separated, young dreams were shattered, and worst of all, hundreds of lives vanished. All around the then-progressive City of Tacloban and its neighbouring towns were dead bodies, devastated homes and buildings, and other remnants from the very strong typhoon. These and other things happened that abominable day back in November because of Typhoon Yolanda with international code name, Haiyan. Nobody would have imagined that such an awful natural disaster would drastically strike the country particularly in the Central Philippines.

Yes, it was the worst natural calamity recorded in the Philippines and the strongest typhoon in the history of mankind. Yet, it was also an opportunity to show the world that once and for all, the Filipinos are proven resilient and strong. And in the aftermath of “the” disaster of magnanimous proportion; the Filipino spirit has risen on its feet and treaded the road for yet another successful journey.

 The devastation left by Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines strengthened our connection with the rest of the world. It paved the way to prove that men from any races all over the world can unite in the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood. People from all over the word, governments from various countries including Japan and some other Asian nations showed equal sympathy though some may have taken more effort by sending troops and aids. Several other countries also reached out including the United States, the members of the ASEAN nations, and Europe.

About the Typhoon

                In the early morning of Friday, November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda), the strongest typhoon to strike land on record, slammed into the Central Visayas region. Over a 16-hour period, the super typhoon directly swept through six Philippine provinces with estimated wind speed of 195 mph at its peak and 155 mph as it weakened and moved west, with wind gusts up to 235 mph. (Max Fisher, “47 Statistics that Explain Typhoon Haiyan.” Washington Post)

The Damages, Fatalities

                The typhoon was the deadliest natural disaster ever recorded in the Philippines.

                Tacloban, the capital city of Leyte was the hardest hit of the typhoon and the scene of the most concentrated destruction and death. Thousands of Tacloban, Leyte residents reportedly drowned in a “two-storey-high” storm surge, including people seeking safety in a sports stadium that served as a shelter. Many others were killed by flying debris.

                According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC), as of March 6, 2014, there were 6,245 identified dead, 28,626 were injured and 1,039 are still missing as of this writing. The government reported a total of PhP 39, 821, 497, 852.17 ($894, 865, 120.27) in damages brought about by Typhoon Haiyan.

                To this date, United Nations agencies reported that 14.1 million people had been affected, with more than 4.1 million displaced. In addition, assessments revealed that an estimated 1.1 million houses had been damaged or destroyed and nearly 5.6 million people required food assistance. (Congressional Research Report, www.crs.gov)

                Even so, the estimated number of dead and missing is often fluid and subject o change in the days, weeks and months following a natural disaster, particularly one on the scale of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Bayanihan

               

                Thousands of Filipinos reached out and worked  hand-in-hand for the reparation of what were left and destroyed by the disaster. Several organizations including churches both from local and national communities joined forces to provide medical and food supplies to the survivors. Filipinos all over the country gathered whatever they can offer including food, clothing, water, and many other things. Radio stations and TV networks continued to encourage people to donate and contribute. Several business establishments also answered to the call. The church also played a vital role as it continued to encourage prayers and many other things they can gather to aid those who need them most. Truly, the spirit of “Bayanihan” was once again enlivened.

                Funds were raised through various sources. Even the simplest Filipino or the common Pinoy willingly donated just to be able to help in alleviating the suffering of those ailing typhoon victims.

I know of an account of generosity that was relayed to me by a friend. Tricia, a 5-year old daughter of my friend, one day told her mom that she’ll keep her candies and lollipops and send it along with her parent’s package so she can contribute to other children affected by the typhoon. Other children from Manila also gathered their toys such and many other things. These and other simple acts of kindness and compassion can be felt and the same temperature of sympathy dominated the entire Philippine nation.

Another account that showed the essence of Bayanihan not only in the Philippines was a video clip I happen to view featuring a young Filipino-American based in the US. This video showed the young man ushering hugs from anyone and in return, the person hugged donated any dollar amount. The proceeds were sent to the Philippines.

To date, government efforts to extend relief operations to the affected areas are still implemented. Taking the lead in the disaster response, the Philippine government formed a high level national task force to ensure fast track transition from relief efforts to the rehabilitation and rebuilding of affected areas. The Aquino administration also launched a web portal that allows the public to track international disaster funds, the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAITH).

                In the same manner, various organizations abroad reached out and answered the call to hopefully help the people out from this ordeal. From simple donations to large sum of donations, these acts of generosity helped a lot. Many people around the world witnessed through international news and broadcasts including that of CNN’s Anderson Cooper. The world had seen the faces of suffering people. Many children and other people who were separated from their families didn’t have an assurance that they would find their way back to their own homes or ne reunited with their families.

               

Such publicity moved many people all over the world, young and adults alike, to reach out. In the midst of this tragedy in the Philippines, it was very remarkable how the international communities reacted to the situation. Financial aids and medical assistance including food and clothing were solicited and were sent to the Philippines and distributed amongst the people.

International Response

               

                On November 10, 2013, President Obama made a statement expressing sympathy and support to the people of the Philippines. Philip Goldberg, the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines visited Tacloban and announced $40 million in military assistance and $25 million in additional humanitarian aid (on top of roughly $60 million in disaster assistance already provided).

               

                A number of international actors are providing relief to the Philippines either through financial contributions to the government or aid organizations or by directly providing relief supplies and emergency personnel.

                Additional pledges and contributions from several countries including Japan, ASEAN members, and many other governments have provided assistance in the form of direct contributions of items such as food and tents, or through the operation of relief flights and logistics support. As of January 31, 2014, $662.9 million has been contributed to the overall Typhoon Haiyan response. (More details of each country’s contribution can be provided by the Government of the Philippines at http://www.gov.ph/faith/full-report).

Lessons

If there are lessons that can be derived from the strongest typhoon in the country, I could divide these lessons into:

               

1.       Intensify efforts to take care of Mother Nature. Earth is where we live. It is where we grow and Mother Nature has sustained all forms of life on it. It is our responsibility to take care of her in return. Browse through the internet on how else you can help in taking care of the environment. You might also want to engage in activities like run-for-a-cause organized by environmentalists, or even join environmentalist organizations and support their causes.

2.       Be prepared in what to do and where to go during threats of a natural disaster. It is always important to be ready when threats of calamities arise. First aid kits, survival kits and the like are a must. Make sure that those are accessible in cases of emergencies.

3.       Take Actions. If we want to prevent something like what happened to Tacloban from happening again in the future, we need to make a stand against climate change. All of us, young and adults alike, have an obligation to make sure a tragedy of this magnitude does not happen again.

In closing, Yolanda’s severity was caused by climate change. We’ve been warned about this, time and time again, but we never listened. It is hard to accept, but in reality, the consequence of our non-action was this tragedy. After all, Earth is where we live. It is the planet where we live, and the only planet by far inhabited by mankind.

 Shall we wait for another Typhoon Haiyan before we make the move?

Take Care of Your Faith or You Shall Find Yourself in the Fiery Lake of Fire

( ***I wrote this unfinished article this morning inspired by true events based on Biblical information.)

If I were God, I’d most likely hate the person who abandoned their faith and most likely, I might also discipline them in a manner that they will see my anger because of their wrong doings. These thoughts emerge because of my human nature of impatience. But God is truly patient, kind, and a God of love, and so on and so forth. His compassion, His love is truly unconditional and beyond our understanding. His love endures forever! Amen.

I can’t believe how they tend to choose what gives them earthly pleasures than doing what is noble, what is pure—to glorify God by attending church and spiritual activities. I can’t believe why they seem to distant themselves away from church, away from God. They choose to be with their friends outside the church rather than accompanying their church friends. I can’t understand why they can’t find time to attend to the Church activities and yet they have plenty of time to please others with their presence. They are making themselves as their “lords,” rather than obeying God as their Lord.

The Bible tells us that God is the Creator, the life-giver, the Spring of life, the only One who should be worshipped and glorified. Our convictions, the human reason, earth, sky, and the heavenly bodies—all proclaim of God’s glory!

Why are there some people who are putting God their least and last priority?

When God is at the last from our priorities, we reject Him who is the author of life, we reject His majesty, we reject the truth that He is God, we reject Him who is the source of the countless blessings we enjoy! We reject Him who gives us LIFE!

The salvation we receive needs to be nourished, nurtured and taken care of. This is a false statement: ONCE SAVED, ALWAYS SAVED. We should remember: We don’t have a doctrine but the Bible, no creed but Christ. When the Bible speaks, we speak, when the Bible is silent, we are silent.

It is dangerous to abandon your faith in Christ. One thing is certain: Christ will come again, and when he does so, everyone faces judgment based on how he lived his life. Isn’t it awesome when we shall hear him talking to us personally, smiling while uttering these words: “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!” I believe such words are something we look forward to hear from Him.

The Bible tells us that those who don’t believe in Christ (the unbelievers include those who abandoned their faith) are to suffer in eternal doom—they will be suffering in the fiery lake of fire eternally. Nobody here wants to end up on that place of eternal-damnation. Today, ask yourself: "Which way is your life leading you?"

THIRD OPEN CARE GROUP MEETING

 

WHAT IS AN OPEN CARE GROUP

v  Primary purpose: Evangelism

v  Prelude to Close Care Group

v  Temporary in nature, can be dissolved anytime

v  Open Care Group meetings should not exceed to one hour

v  Snacks are optional

v  Choose a suitable venue

Opening Prayer: (1 minute)

Ice Breaker: (10 minutes)

      Get to know each other

Introduction

      Thank attendees for coming

      Introduce yourself.

Word (15 minutes)

      The Bad News

v  We are sinners (Do you agree?) – How can we commit sin? 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Matthew 15:19-20

v  There is a penalty for our sins and the penalty is death

v  Death comes in two forms—1. We will die physically and go to hell (Hebrews 9:27, Revelations 21:8); 2. On earth we will die on our spirits and be so far away from the Lord (Romans 3:23, Isaiah 59:1-2, Ephesians 2:1,5 )

      The Good News

v  God has a gift for us, it is for free, someone already paid for it (1 Peter 1:18-29)

v  God doesn’t want us to go to hell; He wants us to have eternal life with Him in heaven.

v  This gift was given through Christ Jesus

v  This gift can be received if we:

§  Believe – Ephesians 2:8-9

§  Repent – Acts 3:18-20

§  Confess – Romans 10:9-10

§  Will be united in His death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:26-27, Acts 2:38, Romans 8:14-16)

Sharing and Ministering: (15 minutes)

      Would you like to receive this free gift of eternal life from God through Jesus Christ?

      Lead prayer or read prayer of assistance. You have to make a choice. Mark 16:16

      Assure him/her of his/her eternal life in heaven

Work: (10 minutes)

§  Invite to church

§  Set day, time and venue for next week Care Group meeting

§  Encourage them to bring their friends

Successful Christian

Successful Christian  (June 28, PCC)
Junrey Belando

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Philippians 3:12-3:14 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Jas 1:2-4 - 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (NIV)

Introduction

What is a “successful Christian”? Who will hear the words, “well done good and faithful servant?”
Will it be the one that stops sinning? Will it be the elders or those on the board? Will it be the pastors of the mega-churches? Who can expect to hear those words of highest praise, “well done good and faithful servant?”            Will you?

If the Christian life is a race – my question this morning – are you running the race to finish it? Are you preparing yourself, your family, your spouse, and your children to finish the race? I will never forget what Pastor Frank told the principal sponsors of the newly wed couples Malou and Ardianno last May 26 right before they got married—it was their spiritual responsibility to guide the newly weds to walk in Christ. Last Sunday night as well, when we went to our Brother Patrickson’s house, he was admonished about his responsibility for his son, Patrick Lou Hynes. And for all of us right here, it is  our  duty to make sure we are  in church, active in fellowship and growing in our relationship with God.

ILL. The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously heart-rending moments. American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100 meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier. She agonizingly pulled herself to her knees & crawled the last five meters, finishing fifth - but finishing, nevertheless. Even more emotional was the 400 meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond tore a hamstring & fell hard on the track. He struggled to his feet & began to hobble, determined to complete the race. His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but Derek refused to quit. He leaned on his father, & the two limped to the finish line together, accom-panied by the deafening applause of the thousands assembled there that day. (John E. Anderson, "What Makes Olympic Champions?" Reader’s Digest, February 1994, p. 120)

I like to hear stories about people who won't give up. Quitters aren't much of an inspiration, but people who stay with a commitment even though the going gets tough are a source of inspiration to us all.

Sometimes I think we get the idea that we should be running this race, but we’re in it all alone – Actually the opposite should be true – the church should be a place of confession, encouragement and love – people who are willing to run beside you in this Christian life. Really the goal of the church should be to take those who are inactive runners and help them – start or start up again, and then run beside them. Unlike church league softball this isn’t about winning this is about finishing.

I don’t want you to quit – I don’t want you to walk off the track, I don’t want you to look around, make excuses or get discouraged. Yet I know the very nature of the Christian life – it’s sometimes easier to walk off the track than it is to keep going. Church, I’ve been there in my own Christian life – at different stages ready to walk off the track. I’ve had good friends – men I would trust with anything, walk off the track, away from Christian service. My prayer for you this morning – is that we together would keep running this race that is the Christian life – and although discouragement might come our way – although challenges might present themselves – we would keep running, to finish.

Are you running the race to finish it?

Turn with me if you have your Bibles to (Advance) Hebrews 12:1-3 (Read)

I see three things this morning – three things that will encourage you to keep running – your Christian life – Remember the goal is long term.

I. Look Behind you (1)

98% of the time when you are running a race this is not the proper thing to do. In fact the quickest way to lose a foot race is to look behind – take your eyes off the finish line and put them on those who will only pass you if you slow down.
a. We should look to our past – for encouragement
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…
i. We can receive hope and encouragement
1. From those who have gone before us
2. Those who remained faithful and did things because of their faith.
3. Those who suffered loss, and kept going
4. Those who had excellent victory because of their faith.

II. BE PREPARED FOR THE STRUGGLES THAT WILL COME

The second piece of advice from the writer of Hebrews is to prepare for the struggles you will face. He says, "...let us throw off everything that hinders & the sin that so easily entangles, & let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
ILL. As I read the words, “…the sin that so easily entangles…” I think of the old Tarzan movies. When I was a boy Johnny Weismueller was Tarzan, & in almost every movie there was a scene where Tarzan, with his knife between his teeth, jumped into the water & swam to the rescue of Jane or boy or whoever was in the water. Then the music would intensify & you knew that at some point something bad was going to grab him. Oftentimes it was an enormous octopus. At first you could just see its eye. Then a tentacle would suddenly reach out & wrap around his ankle. But that’s no problem. Tarzan can get loose from that. But then here comes a second tentacle. It would grab the other ankle. Then another tentacle & another one, & soon he is all entangled & can’t get loose. Is this the end of Tarzan? Oh no. Remember that knife in his teeth. Somehow he is able to grab it & start cutting off the tentacles, & soon an inky cloud comes out of the octopus. And Tarzan is free!

The writer of Hebrews says that sin is just like those tentacles, & that we must throw off "...the sin that so easily entangles, & …run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

ILL. Now I'm obviously not a marathon runner. But marathon runners tell us that there are two critical times in the race. The first one is at the beginning. When you begin to run you feel so good, & the temptation is to run too fast too soon, depending upon your own strength & skill to pull you through.

The second critical time in a marathon is at the half way point. You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as you've already run & your strength is giving out. Runners call it "hitting the wall." You've come to the end of your endurance & you're not sure you can put one foot in front of the other anymore.

To keep that from happening in your life remember this promise, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, & He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
If you’ll trust Him, He will be the source of all you need to finish your race.

III. FIX YOUR EYES UPON JESUS

 The final piece of advice is this, Fix your eyes on Jesus. Listen again to a part of vs’s 2 & 3, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith… Consider Him… so that you will not grow weary & lose heart."
Jesus was opposed. Jesus was persecuted. And yet He stayed the course. He ran the race. He paid the price for our sins.

Every Christian needs to hear this because it's so easy to quit. It's so easy to say, "I don't have to do this anymore." But the writer of Hebrews says, "Fix your eyes on Jesus. He's the author & the perfecter of our faith," & one day each one of us will stand before Him as our judge.

The  writer of Hebrews says, "Fix your eyes upon Jesus because the only hope we have is our hope in Him."

So run the race with patience. Don't lose heart. Don't become discouraged. Don't quit. Keep on running the race that has been set before us.

This morning if you're not a Christian, we invite you to come to Jesus & accept His mercy, His love, His grace, & His sacrifice on the cross. We offer you the opportunity to begin a whole new life in Him. Will you come as we stand & as we sing together?