Faith and Endurance

Let me tell you about the craziest marathon ever!

St. Louis Marathon

It was in 1904, almost 25 miles. was like 24.85 miles. This was a supposed to be a special event because the USA’s first ever games were tied to that years World’s Fair. Prior to you had the amazing Games in Paris, and the inaugural modern Olympics that had taken place in Athens four years earlier.

This race had a handful of runners some who would participate in the Boston Marathon, for many others this was their first. Very much novice runners who had never attempted anything like a marathon in their lives before this.

One runner Cuba’s Felix Carvajal arrived in full trousers, white shirt and walking shoes. Another competitor took pity on him and cut off his trousers at the knees in order to make it easier on him to race.

two of the competitors, Len and Jan were members of the South African Tswana tribe who happened to be there because of the World Fair. More than likely not knowing the importance of their participation since they would become the first black Africans to compete in the modern Olympic Games.

And the race begins!

It was a sweltering hot day. The course wasn’t even paved. They ran on dirt. They shared the road with cars, trollies, carts. The street wasn’t even closed to the public. The unpaved floor tossed up so much dust that the runners could barely even breathe. Having only 1 water stop the whole race. Mile 12. A 25 mile race with one water stop!

Out of the 32 who started only 14 would finish. Not even half.

The first athlete to cross the finish line was Fred Lorz, an American distant runner who would go on to win the Boston Marathon a year later. HOWEVER… his win wasn’t all that it seemed to be. Turns out at mile 9 he hitched a ride due to cramping and for the next 11 miles got a ride where he would then jump out of the vehicle and go on to pass the finish line.

Of the other runners you had Cuba’s Felix was trotting along at a reasonable pace when hunger caused him to stop at an orchard to snack on some apples. Those apples turned out to be rotten and gave him such a stomach cramp that he lied down on the side of the road and even took a nap. Later getting up and finishing the race and still managed to finish 4th.

There was William Garcia of California who due to the unpaved roads and the amount of dust sucked in so much dust he suffered a near fatal stomach hemorrhage.

South Africa’s Taunyane, proved to be very able and was well positioned to win until a pack of wild dogs chased him a mile off course, leaving him to finish 9th out of 14.

The real winner Charles Lucas, had to be carried over the finish line by his trainers. At mile 17 he would near collapse. His trainers didn’t let him drink fluids and instead gave him strychnine and egg whites. Back then there was no rules on performance enhancement drugs and strychnine was used in small doses for it known stimulant properties. As for the egg whites, no one really knows what that was about. When he got weaker his trainers would give him more strychnine and even had him chase it down with brandy. Eventually he would start to hallucinate. The final mile he thought he still had 20 more to go and his trainers finally picked him up, carried him across the line with his legs going back and forth as if he was still running.

Oh, just so you know, strychnine is in fact now banned. They obviously don’t think rat poison is good for anyone. You’re probably asking yourselves why would anyone use rat poison. There has been two Olympic Athletes banned for testing positive for strychnine since 2016.

And for the guy who hitched a ride he was banned for life however got it overturned in time for the Boston Marathon a year later in which he would win.

What a wild race huh?!

Some would wonder how did anyone survive that. Let me ask, can anyone of you look back on the marathon you’ve ran in life and say the same thing?

Idk how I’m here today. Idk why God chose to save me. I should be dead but it’s only by God’s grace I’m here today! I know I can. The craziness that life has brought. Some things I have brought! Some things you have brought. Speed bumps, turns, rugs pulled right out from under you. You was thinking you were showing up for something only later to realize you have to cut your trousers to even have a chance at this! What feels like trials after trials only to look up at God like “is this really where you got me”, “is this what we are doing?”

Facts is, for the majority of us, we have experienced some types of trials in our lives. Let’s take a look at James 1: 1-4 and see what it says.

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Pray: Dear heavenly Father, we come to you faithfully Father on this Wednesday night. We pray your Spirit has it’s way with us and You speak to us in the way we need spoken to Father. We hear you, we love you! In your Son’s name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Let’s look at verse 1, James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ!

New Testament Survey (Writer)

The name “James” is based upon the Greek transliteration (Iakobos) That is of the Hebrew “Jacob.”

Talk about humility! I would’ve said something similar to Chuck Smith, “Jason, brother of Jesus” haha. Man, I would’ve named dropped Jesus so fast. Would’ve had that Jesus card in my back pocket ready to pull! I would’ve set it up too. “I’m Jason”, knowing very well they would ask me of where. And I’d pull out that card quick and say “Jesus’s brother!” Yeah yeah, I know, I know. “yes, same mother, grew up in same house” “slept right next to God! I know” LOL.

But instead how does James introduce himself? a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. A bondservant. A bond-slave if you would. Bondservant In the Greek would be doulos. Which translates to slave. Used as a Noun would’ve been defined as - a person who is legally owned by someone else and whose entire livelihood and purpose was determined by their master. Or ‘one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master’

And James right here is making the correlation of God and Jesus being one and the same! In the Greek κύριος (Kyrios) (“Kudios”), big L “Lord”! This is the clear movement of the early church of Christ being Lord, in the Hebrew being the same as YWHW. Used really close to 700 times in the NT. Proclaiming Christ as God, Lord.

We know through scripture, first being mentioned in Mark 6:3 that James was one of Jesus brothers. Its in the Gospel of John that states the brothers of Jesus do not believe in Him (John 7:5). So James at first, through Jesus’s ministry didn’t believe in His messianic claims.

James, Jesus Brother (also known as James the Just due to his deep respect for the Law) was only mentioned 8 times in the NT. So we don’t know when James became a believer, it very well could’ve been when James got a special visit from the risen Jesus Christ, after His crucifixion. This event is documented in 1 Cor 15: 3-7 I want to read it to you because I absolutely adore these verses because they speak to the eye witness accounts and should give us the same kind of faith that fell upon James when Jesus visited him. 1 Cor 15: 3-7 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

So now that we know a bit about James, lets keep going: To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

So who are the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad? this more than likely were used synonymous with the Spiritual Isreal, who experienced destruction and exile to their present day Christian Jews who were being persecuted and scattered for various reasons. James probably knew alot of them. James never left Jerusalem. We know he stayed there, was brought up and became a leader in the Jerusalem Church. He was an Elder or a Pastor of the Jerusalem Church and part of the Council of Jerusalem. James would’ve been very well known and known many Christian Jews in that area who left to avoid facing persecution and for economic reasons.

So James letter was alot more broad had took on a more balcony view for Christians verses specific letters to churches we have with Paul. This letter had a broader audience. He’s addressing Jew and Gentile Christians scattered.

Verse 2: My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. In the Greek its hypomonē. (hipo-mone) steadfast endurance — the power to withstand hardship or stress.

I truly believe God allows certain things knowing we can withstand, endure, and that we will grow in it all for His glory! Whatever it is that we are facing!

And James isn’t saying in those times to just smile and be happy. To mask whatever we are going through with a fake smile. No. Even Christ cried and felt heart ache. But rather knowing your Faith is being tested and the Lord is growing you! That’s sanctification and that’s something you can count as joy! Knowing that there is this end product that’s being produced by your endurance in these times.

My first question for you?

What trials are you facing? What is testing your faith today?

Maybe it’s trials in our relationship! Maybe God has you in a place where as a Man you truly haven’t submitted God’s will, leading your house as you should. Maybe you place too much idle time in the evenings for your temptations to grab ahold of you when you should just go to bed.

Maybe as a women you just deep inside haven’t fully submitted because there is this urge for control. And it causes issues, and this tension that leads to quarrels in your relationship vs being unified in one mind and having one common goal.

Maybe it’s trials in your finances! Struggling to do right by it. Having urges just to buy things or credit cards and you just can’t manage it well. Maybe we keep having a prayer real similar to “God, if you’ll just give me more money, or maybe it’s let me win one measly little powerball, imagine what I could do for you! If you bless me here, I’ll do X, Y and Z”. And God is just like “I have blessed you!” and…

I know when it comes to financial struggles things change quite a bit. That’s why people are killed because of money, families stop talking, relationships are broken.

What’s Paul say about working hard and making money Eph 4: 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something (nice for himself and save up money to be rich!) to give him who has need.

Maybe we are going through trails because we keep trying to fight our own fight and think we have all the right answers and I’m just gonna do it like this, and i’ma do it like that, I, I, I, I, I!… and God is trying to take our hand and say “hey, stop! stop! Put it down! Give me that! Look at me! Look at me!! Focus on me!

Again, what is testing your faith?

I was talking to my son Dylan this past weekend and we were talking about cross country. He has done cross country racing since grade school. He was young, about to graduate high school now. We were talking about it and some things he learned from having to endure in his races and just the experienced he gained. He shared how at first he would want to sprint. He was a sprinter! Loves racing and running fast and so at times he would shoot out in front only to burn out later in the race. Then people would pass him down the stretch. He shared that you can’t be worried about someone passing you. That even though someone passes right out the gates, there is still plenty of time, its a long race and who knows where they are going to finish. The importance of pacing and mentally and physically enduring because it’s a long race. He said “don’t think about how long it is, to just go!”

While he was sharing I thought about it in terms of my life. We have a race to run and sometimes we can find ourselves in situations, in these trials of life, testing our faith, often stemming from decisions and control we make or take. And God has us where we are at, here today and sometimes we need to quit looking at those around us, comparing, giving into urges and temptations, or just wanting to continue to control when all we should do is just pause… pause and put our eyes on God. Sometimes we just need to stop, take what God has placed before us, own it, endure and look to the Spirit for guidance on how we take the next steps. With each step forward, having faith, being obedient to Christ, making the best decisions you can today, you just might get to a place where you look back and realize just how far you’ve come!

Our trials are definitely real. They can be tough. And in them we think we know so much. But in reality we are that 15 year old who thought he knew so much.

(story of horses)

(share story of court)

In a series of events and trials we often think we know but often have no clue how God is working in and through those things as we endure.

I4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

This isn’t talking about perfect as in you’ve come to the pinnacle of understanding and know everything! We are not ever going to be perfect. Each working out of your own salvation is ones own to live out! This word “perfect“ used here in Greek is teleios (telios). Which means Mature!

So we ought endure, stand steadfast in the things we face, focusing on the example of Christ, and let each experience, good and bad, the trials, help us mature as people. As Christ followers. Its standing steadfast under the pressures we face, knowing God is working in it, staying obedient, that we actually get to experience spiritual maturity.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 1:4

Trials can be faced with joy because, infused with faith, perseverance results, and if perseverance goes full-term it will develop a thoroughly mature Christian who lacks nothing. He will indeed be all God wants him to be.

Let close in prayer: Dear God, our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Father thank you for always being there, even when I couldn’t see you. Thank you for our each and every day even when they felt like trails because we had an opportunity to learn so much. We learned things we never knew. If anyone is facing a trial Father I pray that they stay steadfast, enduring, making no future plans, only plans to seek Your will that you may bring them to a place where they get to experience Your love, Your graciousness, and Your majesty. Father I know You love us, are here for us, You hear us, and that You are working for our benefit in all that we experience, even specially our trials. I pray you keep us and give us the strength to endure. I ask you this, in Your sons name, Yeshua - Jesus Christ - Amen!