The Race Is On!
As you and I go through life on
earth and fulfill our purpose for being alive in God we often find that we grow
weary and become lazy in our walk. I
pray that this writing will inspire you to gird up your loins and prepare for
the journey that is set before us. It is
not a time to drop out, it is a time to merge in. We must focus in on the task at hand and
refuse to be lulled asleep by the rhythm of the world. Make no mistake about it,
creation is standing in the wings on their tiptoe, waiting for the
manifestation of this new man in the earth. The Lord has dealt with my heart
concerning what the Apostle Paul called "the race."
1 Cor. 9:24-27Know ye not that
they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the
prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as
uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the
air, But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (KJV)
I am sure that we have all read this
verse often, but the Lord has been speaking to me that there is a need in His
body of people to understand what kind of race we are involved in. After all, there are many types of races and
each is run differently. In other words,
it is not enough just to run, we must run to win! As Paul advised, run that ye may obtain. Some dear ones ministering the higher truths
today have given the impression that because of the lofty heights of revelation
we have received, this somehow excludes us from running the race. As a result, many have quit going to meetings
and are staying at home. The truth of
the matter is that revelation never makes you less responsible for the body, it always makes you more responsible. To whom much is given, much is required. We don't become Physicians and then stay home, we use the knowledge that is given to us and minister
to the sick. So run!
Okay, you have decided to run the
race. Now what? First, let us decide what type of race Paul
was talking about. This might be done
easier if we understand what kind of race it isn't. Using our knowledge of the history of the
Church, we can assure you this is not a sprint race. In the natural track competitions, races are divided
into short distance and long distance categories and each runner must decide
the type he is best suited for.
The race we are in is without a
doubt classified as a marathon.
It began from the foundations of the world and has continued until
now. The race won't be over until every
knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord! I know some minister that everything is done
and we can just rest in the work of the cross and the resultant resurrection of
Jesus. This is all true. Everything is finished in the heavens, or the
invisible realm, but God doesn't intend for this great salvation to remain in
the invisible! He wants to be seen in
the temple and revealed in this new creation man. Heaven must invade earth and that which is
invisible must become visible. The
scripture is too full of terminology that implies a further work to be done,
and I believe this work is to be done in a corporate man made up of many
sons. These sons of God are appointed
and sent forth of the Father in the same way that Jesus was sent forth as an
individual Son. The greater works are in
a corporate expression appearing in a company of individuals who have given up
their lives in the individual sense and have found them in a corporate
anointing of life. So, again, this is
not the time to sit on the sidelines, it is the time to run! Having said all this, let us now refine the
type of race we are in by classifying it as a marathon relay!
Why is it so important to look at
the race as a marathon instead of a dash?
Well, there are some stark differences between the dash and marathon in
the actual running of them and in the way you prepare and train for them. The dash is run with one thing in mind. Start quick and accelerate throughout the
race. Indeed, the dash is said to be won
or lost at the starting blocks. When
racers train for the dash they spend most of the time perfecting “getting out
of the blocks”. The 100 meter dash for example is usually won in about 9
seconds in world class competition. The
others who place 2nd or 3rd are only slower by fractions of a second. This means a race can be won or lost simply
by the first lunge at the start. The
marathon isn't begun in the same way.
Usually, the contestants are standing at the start and are not too
concerned with whom is in the lead at the
beginning. In fact, most of the runners
don't want to take the lead at first until they know how the others are pacing
themselves. The worst thing a long
distance runner can do is be lured out of his pace and start running another
man's race. So the marathon is won or lost
mostly during the race itself and involves a mental battle as well as a
physical one.
The long distance race is run mentally as much as
physically. Each marathon has a runner
known as a rabbit. He can't stand not
being in the lead from start to finish and so starts at a
fast pace and takes the lead.
But, as a rule, the rabbit hardly ever wins! I was thinking on this and my mind went to
the many amongst us whom seem physically weak with so many ailments and
life-threatening situations. My wife is
one of these that has been so afflicted in the body that it could discourage
them as they see and hear those who have never been sick in their life go
racing by them and seem to regard the afflicted with suspicion as to their walk
in God. I went to her recently and told
her the Lord said not to run after the rabbit but stay in the race that God has
called us to run. The prize of life
isn't to those who run the swiftest at the beginning,
it is to those who endure to the end! Hallelujah!
Another way the marathon differs
from the dash is where it is run and its condition of terrain. The dash is run on a smooth surface with no
obstacle except the wind. The marathon
is run cross country and is filled with obstacles along the course. They can include ditches, small creeks, long
hills, logs, woods, fast dogs, etc., etc., Many run a race that is obstacle
free, going to any length to avoid anything that would suggest effort on their
part. During the marathon the runner
must stay with the course that is marked out for him. For some, obstacles in life mean they are off
course and they stay in the area of least resistance. I'm afraid they are running the wrong
race. This race is meant to try our
resolve and test our faith. What if Paul
was of that mind that seeks a trouble free walk and complained to God the
minute any ditch came up or a log had to be jumped? On the contrary this man that was let down a
wall in a basket to save his life and was ship-wrecked and many other things has this to say concerning his race.
2 Tim. 4:5-8 But watch thou in all things, endure
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For
I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 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. (KJV)
No
bellyaching here! Paul was prepared to
run a cross country marathon! He had the
right mental attitude and was trained on the backside of the desert to cross
every obstacle and overcome every thing that resisted the Gospel. Are you ready to run the race? Then quit complaining and start running!
Not only must we be equipped with
the right mental attitude to run the marathon, we must have the right equipment
covering us. You can't run effectively
with the wrong attire. For instance,
some are running the race with combat boots as a part of their racing
attire. Now, army boots have their place
but one place they are not suited for is in a race. Of course, it depends if you are in this day
to finish the course and obtain the crown of life, or if you just plain love
war and plan to spend the rest of your days fighting flesh. As for me, I'm tired of fighting large men
with small minds. I'm getting in the
race, and leaving these others up to the Lord.
I've got some light weight track shoes on my feet and am in the process
of getting rid of all my extra baggage that hinders me in the race.
Heb. 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 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 is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God. (KJV)
I would
like to address the most interesting aspect of this race that we are running
and this is something that will refine the type of race we are in even
more. An important feature of this race
is in it being a “relay”. The relay race
is one of the most unique events in the world of running. It has many rules that set it apart from the
individual races.
One feature concerning the relay is
that it is a corporate effort made by a certain number of individuals. Each segment of the race is individually run,
but the end result of winning or losing is determined by the overall
achievement of the runners as a whole.
In other words, a team of runners can be behind their opponents in three
out of four segments of the race, only to have the last runner overtake his
opponent and win the race. Now, when the
trophy is given at the winners stand, all the runners obtain the prize, not
just the last runner, because the race is won or lost according to the total
effort of each individual! Praise the
Lord!
This is why we do not have any
special advantage over the generations that have passed before this great day
of revelation and anointing. Each age of
God's plan of redemption ran the race with whatever strength and spiritual
ability they had available to them. Some
ran swiftly and excelled in their calling, others ran slower and lost
ground. But the Lord has reserved a
generation of ministry for the last leg of this race. They are overtaking death and corruption in
their earth and will overtake the enemy and cross over the line that signifies
the finish of mans order and bring an end to suffering for all creation! It is important to understand the corporate
aspect of the relay and how this will affect the whole creation of God. Whatever generation wins the race, there will
be an immediate cry of victory from every creature from Adam on down, because
if one wins, all win! Oh, I pray the Spirit
quickens this wonderful truth to you and you quit running for yourself and
start running for creation. All it is
going to take is someone to break the barrier of flesh and follow Jesus into the
holy of holies. Not in the form of knowledge that such a place exists, but in a
24 hour life. becoming like Enoch who walked into God
until he broke the barrier and was not.
I was shocked to learn a long time ago that my destiny wasn't to become
something, but to become nothing! Just a
little old not!
Another great thing about this truth
involving the one individual that is to be the first to break through, (someone
has to be first, but as the Bible declares, the first will be last and the last
will be first, get it?), is this individual may be a woman, a man, a child, an
American, an Asian, an Indian, an old man, a young man, a part of your
fellowship, someone you never met, or it just may be you! Why should it matter who makes it first, so
long as someone does make it through? My
whole being says come Lord Jesus, in whatever vessel you choose because I know
that the instant that someone crosses over, there will be a corporate
redemption take place throughout the elect of God and we will possess the land
from the least to the greatest!
So, the relay involves certain
principles and rules that the sprint, which is strictly an individual race,
does not. In fact, Jesus did not run an
individual race as many in the Church world would make it sound. They declare that
it is impossible for us to be like Him in this life, our only hope being to
either fly or die! But the Scripture
says this.
Romans 8:29 - For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren. (KJV)
The modern
relay is run with an instrument that each runner must pass to the next
runner. This object is called a
baton. The purpose of the baton is to
prove to the officials of the race that there was a
continuity from the first runner to the last. This is also a vital aspect of our spiritual
race. The baton is evidence that there
was an exchange from the hands of one runner to the other runner and is
required at the finish line to allow the prize to be given. Understand, a runner can finish the race in
front of his opponent, but if he doesn't have the baton in hand when he does
then the prize is given to his opponent.
You would be surprised how many relays have been run with this sad
scenario being repeated as the runner could not bring himself to go back and
pick up a fallen baton and risk losing the race. So, he ran without the evidence of continuity
just to prove that he could individually win the race. The fact is, that
although winning this leg soothed his ego, he lost the race for his team
members and as a result none of them received the prize. As I said before, the sprint is often won or lost
at the start as the runner lunges out of the starting blocks, but the relay is
often lost during the hand-off of the baton.
Many today think they can run by themselves and actually prefer it that
way because of the burden of bearing up the brethren who are weak and
weary. All we that run in God, love to feel the spiritual wind of this Day blow
against our face and see the ground gobbled up under us in great strides of
revelation and personal blessing.
However, how many times have we had our hearts tugged at by the Spirit
of God concerning our brethren whom we see struggling in their infirmities and
hear him say, “I was in prison and you visited me not, I was naked and you
didn't clothe me, I was hungry and you fed me not”? Believe me, we will not be
judged by our speed of personal achievement, but on the overall shape of our
fellow members.
Each runner is required to pass off
the baton at a designated area with a limited length of track within which to complete
the transfer. In a close race the actual
handing off of the baton is a critical step and practiced repeatedly in the
preparation of the race. Remember, if
the baton is dropped, the runner must go back and retrieve it before he can go
on. The advancing runner must make sure
the baton is firmly in the grasp of the next runner before letting go and the
one he is passing to must make sure he doesn't yank it out of the hands of the
former runner. For a split second both
have possession of the baton and one must let go and the other hang on.
This transfer is relevant to us in our
spiritual race as it signifies the transfer of glory from one age to the
following age as seen throughout the Word of God. David and Saul had a particularly rough hand
off as Saul was reluctant to let David inherit the baton of the kingship of
So, we must be prepared to use the
good things that have been passed onto us and overcome the likewise inherited
deficiencies in order to win the race.
Many great men and women of God have given their lives for the Gospel
and for the sakes of future believers and we have now entered into their
labors, inheriting their faith and courage, their singleness of purpose and
love of creation. Often when I read the
11th Chapter of Hebrews I find myself feeling unworthy to be included on the
same team with these spiritual giants of faith, but I believe the same spirit
that urged them on to exploits of faith is resident in me and also will quicken
us that are in this present age and renew us with Life from the same river that
they drank from which is even now bubbling up from our bellies, an endless
source of glory and power.
After the exchange of the baton is
successfully accomplished, what happens to the runner that has passed off the
baton? Well, there is first, a wonderful feeling of a job well done! You cannot imagine the joy of seeing the next
runner taking off from the passing off area, baton in hand, looking so fresh
and strong when the former runner was so winded and weary! The exchange was
successful and you have the confidence of knowing that the coach has saved the
best runner for the last. Prophets of
old had glimpses of this last runner and wrote of his power and speed. They saw things in visions and dreams that convinced
them that it was worth it to lose their lives in the midst of persecution and
torture and to sing praises to God as flames licked at their bodies tied to
stakes. Some were fed to lions to the
enjoyment of evil rulers, and others were made to watch as their husbands and
wives and children were slaughtered before their very eyes, all because they
refused to drop out of the race. The
baton was passed regardless of the price.
And now, if you could look down into your spiritual hands, my friend,
you would see a battered, bloody baton, touched by hands that haven't been
written in books and movies were not made about them, their names aren't etched
in stone, but they are those just men made perfect who are found in Mt.
Not only is the baton passed by those
that have gone to the invisible heavens in the Lord, but we who remain and are
alive in God will also have to pass through the heavens. Each realm of glory that we pass through will
have an area of transfer in it. The old must give way to the new, providing a constant
state of change in the heavens.
Throughout the plan of the ages there is a constant cycle of process,
which involves birth, life, death, re-birth.
Each leg of the race is run to its completion and then gives way to the
next stage. So let us not drive our
stakes down into the earth, but allow the Lord to renew us by His Word and let
us pray for a refreshing from the presence of our God.
Naturally, what has happened in the
past usually repeats itself throughout history.
It is no different today. Many
young ministry in this day feel the change at hand and
in their youth and eagerness to see it brought to pass have cast aside the
elders in the body. Once again my
thoughts go to David and his ascension to the throne of
I am sure we all want the Lord to do
what must be done quickly, but may I say that we must run at His pace and be
patient. If we ever needed the voice of
experience and age it is now. Instead of
shoving aside those who have lived through the passing away of several ages
because we think them to be “old order”, let us give an ear to what they have
learned as they traversed this perilous journey. I pray that respect for the Ministry that God
has instituted in our midst would once again be found in the hearts of the
people and not youthful jealousies or competitions.
At the same time, the ministry in our
midst that have been Patriarchs to us in the Spirit and have been used in the
past must realize the presence of a new order and administration of that
order. Instead of fighting against the
change that we all know is happening to each one of us, let us rest in God and
find our place in the order. As anyone
knows that have run any length at all, there is a period during the run when
your body rebels against you and you are short of breath and weary of
muscle. Every stride is a struggle and
you are entertaining thoughts of stopping.
But if one perseveres and refuses to give way to the rebellion and
continues to run, the most amazing thing happens! Suddenly you feel a release go through your
whole body and your lungs are once again full of air. The muscles in your body become relaxed and
your stride is easy and fluid. This
phenomenon is known as the second
wind. The runner is raptured into a realm of mental and physical rest while he
is still running at the same if not greater pace than when he was hurting. Science has discovered the body releases
drug-like substances into the bloodstream and actually gives the runner a
narcotic-like euphoria that is in itself addictive. I feel if we will just hold our ground and
ignore all the complaining going on in the body of Christ we are all in store
for a “second wind” of Christ that will take us to a realm where each man can
rest in his calling. As a result, the
needs of the body will be met more readily and we will see salvation and
restoration on every realm.
In summary, this is not a time to sit
down and drop out. It is a time to gird
up our loins and run the race set before us. It must be run at God's pace and will be
a mental as well as a spiritual contest.
We must have the mind of the marathon runner, not the sprinter. Our goal is not physically seen yet, but we
run with all that is within us, knowing if we do not cross the finish line our
team-mate will and we will all win together.
Do not drop the baton, but yield to the will of God and be assured of
this one thing. Our forerunners have kept
the faith, ran the course, went by another resurrection, having faith that God
would raise up a generation that would not go by the grave but would be
ordained to cross over from death to life and bring to completion every runners
hope that ran before them. I can hear
the groaning of creation as they cheer us on to the crown of life. Don't let the cares of this world and the
selfish desires of your own flesh keep you from running. Shake yourself and may God give you a second
wind and breathe His life into you. Many
have been sitting so long doing nothing, they will have to start out again by
walking, and then picking up the pace until they break into a jog and after a
while you will once again be a contender for the prize! Run friend, run like your life depends on it
because it does. Not only yours, but all
of creation. The Race is on!
Written By
Bob Torango