Run with Perseverance.

“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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat downat the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Last Tuesday marked two weeks since surgery on my ankle. This is a “milestone” on the road to recovery. My cast came off, sutures were removed from my foot, and a new cast was put on. Everything is looking good – praise the Lord!



These last few weeks also mark the first time to put a sneaker on my right foot. The only thing I have worn on the right foot for the last six months have been casts and a cam boot.  Going into a sneaker has been like putting my foot into a dress shoe after wearing sandals for the summer. It’s tight!

On Thursday I returned to work putting in a little more than a half day and building up stamina.

Living the Christian life is metaphorically described as running a race; it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. A great part of the race is one of progressive sanctification, becoming more like Christ.  Someone once said, “Adversity introduces a person to himself.”

Trials are one way the Lord reveals more about me and my sinful heart. At times, it is pretty ugly. There is an independent spirit rather than one that is dependent on God and others, impatience, and not responding in a manner that pleases the Lord to the events and people He sovereignly brings my way are some of the sins (2 Corinthians 5:9). Praise the Lord there is hope! The gift of repentance, forgiveness, and cleansing from sin is available (Psalm 51:1-12).

If you could script my life any differently than what God has already done and will do, even with the trials, I would not trade it for anything. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its works so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

With the cast coming off and the new one being put on, these verses from Hebrews came to mind that challenge and encourage my heart.

Surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses. 

These “witnesses” referred to are the ones listed and noted in Hebrews 11.   They went through great suffering, severe persecution and even death, but remained faithful because they were looking forward to their future reward—eternity with Christ in heaven.  A.W. Pink notes, “If all the saints of God lived, suffered, endured, and conquered by faith, shall not we also?”

Throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so entangles.
Similarly, you must throw off “everything that hinders” you from running the Christian race. “Hinders” refers to “a weight” that keeps one from running as fast as he can.  The weights that “hinder” you may not necessarily always be a bad thing.  But, there may be things that keep you from an undistracted devotion to pursuing Christ and living for His glory.  For example, when a runner trains for a race he eliminates specific food from his diet, possibly an activity he enjoys or even a relationship so that his single focus is to win the race.  He does everything possible to win it!  A.W. Pink provides a great definition for us to consider in those things that hinder a believer, “It is anything which retards our progress, anything which unfits us for discharge of our God-assigned duties, anything which dulls the conscience, blunts the edge or our spiritual appetite, or chokes the spirit of prayer.”

Take a minute and ask the Lord, “Heavenly Father, are there any weights—even good things, in my life that keep me from an running wholly for you and for your glory?”  If He has showed you something, give it up, and lay it aside so that you can have an unhindered and undivided devotion to Him.

The sin that so easily entangles.
The “sin that so easily entangles” refers to the sin that resides in one’s heart. Putting to death personal sin, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is what we are commanded to do. Sin is deadly. It either kills you or you are killing it. The Puritans called this mortifying sin. “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13).

Since a believer is dead to sin and a live to God in Christ Jesus he has the ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to mortify sin (Romans 6:11-12; 8:13).  This is a conscientious and aggressive pursuit to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles. This known as radical amputation of sin. On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the multitudes, figuratively speaking, that if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and throw it away. If you right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, and throw it away (Matthew 5:28-30). A person’s right hand and right eye are the most prominent parts of the body. If one’s right eye or right hand contributed to one sinning, Jesus instructed him to get rid of it. Dr. Stuart Scott commented about the radical amputation of sin stating, “We should see a lot of maimed Christians entering heaven.”

Run with Perseverance.
As sin is mortified and the things that encumber a runner are laid aside, the runners is called to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Heb 12:1c).  Perseverance means to “be steadfast”, “to endure”, or “patient suffering.”  This is the same word used in the book of James as it relates to trials. James encourages believers to persevere and stay under the trial, “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:3).  

Remember, the Christian race run for the glory of God is not a sprint.  It is a marathon! God is in control.  “Who can speak and have it not happen if the Lord has not decreed it?” (Lamentations 3:37)  This a great assurance, comfort, and hope for the believer who is in physical affliction or trial to keep pressing on!  Through this life you must endure, be steadfast in faith, and rely on the unchanging character of God and the promises of his Word, and keep on running! If one stops running, he is no longer a runner.  You are to keep running hard for Jesus Christ. Even through the dark, hard, and discouraging days.  Jesus is able to sympathize with your weakness because He was tempted in every way—yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).  As the Son of God, He learned obedience from what He suffered (Hebrews 5:8).

 
The Greek Word for “race” ἀγών (agon) is the root for agony and means “conflict or struggle”. The Christian race can be difficult, but whatever you face it can be overcome through living by faith and abiding in Jesus Christ. “I (Jesus) am the vine; you are the branches.  “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you an do nothing” (John 15:5). “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The believers addressed in Hebrews were encouraged to have their hearts focused on Jesus Christ. They remained confident in God as they held “unswervingly to the hope” they professed knowing that “he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23).

Your faith in Christ must be active in order to persevere.  “For my righteous one will live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).  This was a permeating mark in the lives of believers in Hebrews 11. Is it a characteristic of your life?  If it is not, ask the Lord to help you to grow in faith.  These brothers and sisters in Christ mentioned in Hebrews are an encouragement to us to press on no matter what.  “All these people were still living by faith when they died” (Hebrews 11:13).

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus.
The focus for the Christian running the race, amidst the distractions of the world and the temptations, must always be on Jesus Christ. Jesus is the example to follow as He said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:15).  Jesus is the “author and perfecter” of your faith.  He orchestrated and initiated your salvation and with your cooperation, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, He is the one who will bring it to completion (Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:13-14; Romans 8:28-30; Philippians 1:6).  

As a runner enters the starting blocks, before the gun goes off to start the race, he focuses his eyes on the finish tape. When the gun goes off, his goal is to be the first one to break the tape. Although Jesus Christ did not literally break a tape at the finish line, He remained faithful throughout His thirty-three years of life to do His Father’s will. He knew, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed…” (Luke 19:22).  Jesus suffered a brutal death on the cross for your sins. Crucifixion by death was developed by the Romans to brutally and shamefully punish the most heinous of criminals.  The torture involved in death by crucifixion was so severe, that no matter how terrible the crime, a Roman citizen could never be crucified. How ironic. The Romans did not subject their own people to crucifixion because death on the cross was so shamefully humiliating and painful.

Jesus, however, embraced death on the cross. “…For the joy set before him (he) endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2).  He looked beyond the cross with joy knowing that His death provided salvation for sinners.  “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:10).

So too we, who run the Christian race, must daily and consistently look to Jesus Christ for strength, encouragement, and hope.  This is a conscientious decision.  “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).  

The psalmist is a biblical example of one who relied on the Lord.  His hope was in the Lord, “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7).  His strength was in the Lord, “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always” (Ps 105:4).  His joy was in the Lord, “you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Ps 16:11b).

Where is your hope, strength, and joy?

Run with perseverance.

Sunflowers for Sunday.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.”  (Isaiah 40:7)

Flowers, I like ‘em. They reflect the glory, beauty, and creativity of an awesome God. 

This summer my dad planted a bunch of sunflower seeds behind their home. It took awhile for them to grow, but by the end of the summer they were 6-8’ high.

From scripture, one can see God valued flowers. In the Old Testament, flowers were a part of The Tabernacle (Exodus 25:31) and included in the Temple (1 Kings 6:32; 2 Chronicles 4:20-22).  Flowers like the rose of Sharon and the lilies of the valley are referenced in the Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon 2:1, 16).  

God created a variety of flowers, like the rose of Sharon and the lilies of the valley referenced in the Song of Solomon, for our enjoyment.  “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12, 2:1, 16).

At times, flowers referenced in the Word demonstrate the brevity of life and the eternality of God.  “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).  “For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away” (James 1:11).

Grateful to God for flowers.

Abide.

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” 

(John 15:5).

ABIDE.  A week has passed since surgery on my left ankle. Praise the Lord it went well! As I reflect one week, one word comes to mind, abide. Abide was critical for a successful recovery and it is critical to live the Christian life.

WIRED.  Last week, as I counted, at least eight things I had to abide in for recovery.  First, as seen in the photo, an IV; it was the first thing that went into my body and the last thing to come out of it. It supplied me with everything from pain medication to antibiotics.  Second, an ice water boot was placed on my foot to keep the swelling down. Third, a oxygen monitor was placed on my finger to ensure there was enough oxygen in my blood. Fourth, a catheter to relieve me of nature’s liquids. Fifth and sixth, two drains that caught the blood/fluid from the wound area in my ankle and from the bone graph from my pelvis. Seventh, an oxygen line was inserted into my nose to keep my oxygen level satisfactory.  Eighth, a heart monitor, consisting of six pads was affixed to my chest, to monitor my heart rate.  All of this stuff reminded me of an astronaut preparing for a rocket trip to the moon.

Thankfully, as I made progress in my recovery during the week, each piece of equipment was removed.  Finally, on Sunday when I was ready to come home, the IV came out. There were times when I did not want to be wired to all of this stuff, especially the oxygen in the nose. A couple of times I took it out to give my nose a rest, but a nurse's aid kindly reminded me to get it back in.

APPLICATION.

Do I really make it a focus each day to abide in Christ? I needed to abide in everything I was connected to for successful recovery. I am dependent on abiding in Christ not only to live for His glory, but to bear spiritual fruit. Apart from Him I can do nothing. I am reminded of Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

Even for life I am dependent on God. “And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:25).

Ready.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).

It is hard to believe today, Sept. 23, is the day--surgery on my left ankle. Everything that has taken place on my right ankle will now be done on the left. A fusion of the subtalar and calcaneus bones with reconstruction of the ankle will happen. Plus, there will be a bone graft taken from my pelvis bone used in the ankle reconstruction. And after a quick visit with my surgeon this morning I may need my big toe broken and realigned.

Here in the last chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul gives a charge with five commands. These verses of scripture challenge and encourage me in my walk with the Lord and as I prepare for surgery today.

Be on your guard. Be ready for the spiritual battle that is at hand. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10).

Stand firm in the faith. Standing firm in the faith is in Christ alone. 

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:21).

Be men of courage. May I be found as a man of courage. This too is through Christ!
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Be strong. Praise the Lord that I can be strong even in weakness.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians12:9-10).

Do everything in love. May my life be marked as a life of love.

 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
(John 13:34-35).

This x-ray provides a good picture of what the final product will be after surgery today. Thankfully, it's not as painful as it looks.  The screws you see will be removed in three months when the ankle prosthesis is put in.  You can see an x-ray of the prothesis under the post, "New Wheels."

New Wheels.

Today was my 12 week post-op check since I got my “new wheel” installed on June 17. It is not easy to explain to people what takes place with ankle replacement surgery.  Thankfully, this picture provides graphical assistance.

As you can see, there is a nice prosthestic below the tibia (bigger bone) and fibula (smaller bone) and above the talus bone.  This new joint, the Agility Total Ankle Replacement System, gives me a greater range of motion with no pain--sweet!   I will not realize the full benefit of this surgery until I begin to walk again without a boot or crutches in March 2009.  This will be after the left ankle has gone through two rounds of surgery with the first one on September 23.

Dr. Haddad liked what he saw in the films today.  I am now off crutches and walking with only the aircast boot—Praise the Lord!  I have been on crutches for six months since my first surgery on March 11.  There have been days when I have wanted to chuck the crutches and walk. Thankfully that day arrived today!

Although I will not be running, with this new ankle replacement I am reminded of friend of mine whose nickname growing up was “Wheels”.  He got the nickname for how he motored around the bases on the baseball diamond.  I doubt I will be able to motor like Wheels, but I am optimistic I will keep up with him in a fast walk.  Stay tuned for the results in 2009!

Better Than Olympic Gold.

But He knows the way I take; 

When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Job 23:10

Last week in Chicago over 170 U.S. Olympic athletes, who recently competed in the summer games in Beijing, gathered in Chicago’s Millennium Park for the taping of the season premiere of the Oprah Show. The show will be aired on Monday, September 8. Basketball stars Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, gymnast Shawn Johnson, five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, decathlon gold medalist, Bryan Clay, and the man of the Olympics—eight-time gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps—were there.

Winfrey planned to ask the Olympians questions like what does it feel like to achieve their Olympic dreams? What does it take to be the best in the world? What’s next for these world-class athletes?

All of the Olympic athletes who participated in this summer’s games gave it their all not only to compete in the games, but to win. Many of the athletes, however, did not win gold or medal at all.

Better than Gold.
Gold and medals reminded me of what Job reminded himself about God.  “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).  Job, a man who was “blameless, upright, feared God and shunned evil”, was not competing in the Olympics, but he did face tests in his life (Job 1:1, 8). He lost family (seven sons and three daughters), home, and livelihood (7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants), but he still did not deny faith in God.

 
As I look at how Job responded to the trials that came into his life, I am encouraged.  He knew God and trusted Him. That’s why he could say, “But He (God) knows the way I take.”  Job was confident in the end result that through the trials that he faced he would “come forth as gold.”

For the life of a Christian, trials and suffering should be expected.  “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29). But trials are for our good. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).

Trials cause us to see our dependence on the Lord, grow us in our faith in Him, and conform us to be more like Christ.  Peter writes that our faith in Christ is more valuable than gold.  “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Even though we will most likely not compete in the Olympics or win a medal, if we are a believer in Jesus Christ we have something better than a gold—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which is a gift from God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and 1that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).

One Thing.

Balance.  Since the beginning of July, I have been in physical therapy (PT), twice a week, to regain range of motion in my right ankle. In foot terms, I am working on plantar flexion – extension of the ankle resulting in the forefoot moving away from the body and dorsal flexion – flexion of the ankle resulting in the top of the foot moving toward the body.  Toe crunches, stretching the big toe and achilles tendon are also part of every PT session.

During the last couple of weeks I have been working on balancing all of my weight on my right foot/ankle.  In three weeks, Sept. 23, the right ankle needs to “step-up” and carry the load as the left ankle goes under the surgical knife.

Balancing on the new ankle is not easy.  Initially I could only balance for 2-3 seconds. The left foot/ankle, on the other hand, has no problem supporting my body 30+ seconds.  Gradually with a lot of work I am able to balance on the right foot/ankle for 20+ seconds.

Mr. Miyagi.  All of this balancing reminded me of movie, The Karate Kid, starring Mr. Miyagi and Daniel La Russo.  Mr. Miyagi plays the role of surrogate father and karate coach to Daniel. Daniel pursues Mr. Miyagi after he is beaten-up by a bunch of older guys (i.e., thugs). Daniel wants to know karate and how to defend himself.  Miyagi imparts not only karate techniques, but life values to him.  Daniel ultimately battles these thugs in a karate tournament and it comes down to facing the best one in the championship match.

Daniel fights injured throughout a number of the matches in the tournament.  He does not have full use of one leg.  As he fights through the championship round, it comes down to a move he learned on one leg.  The stance for the move is captured in the photo above.  Daniel uses this move to win the final point that captures the karate tournament championship!  This scene is a bit anti-climatic since it is at the end of the movie.  It is best if you watch the movie from start to finish to get the entire impact of this scene.

I am not Daniel by any stretch in terms of athletic ability or balancing yet.  But his balancing reminded me of the one thing that was important to him: being able to defend himself and win the karate tournament.

One Thing.  The Word is clear in the one thing I need to pursue:  Seek the Lord Jesus Christ, abide in Him, and live for His glory daily.  This theme is found in both the Old and New Testaments.

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

What is the One Thing you are pursuing?