Acts 20:24  "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. (NIV)

This is my race, relating to others the grace Christ has shown to me and informing them that it is available to them also.

The race that I was running before my acceptance of Christ as my Savior, was one where I running to win the prize for me. I wanted what I wanted and no one else mattered. My selfishness was the driving force behind my running. But there came a time when I became exhausted. I was running a race that I could not win. Happiness and joy were always out in front of me, and I was unable to obtain them, no matter how fast I ran or how long.

So I fell by the way, panting and thirsting. That is when Christ came and offered me His hand. He lifted me, carrying me, talking with me. He told me of His love for me. Even though I objected to that saying "Lord I am too far gone for you to help me, put me and let me die right here." But the more He spoke to me, the more I heard His loving voice tell me otherwise. I suddenly knew that He did love me, that was why He was taking the time to carry me. That He died for me, on the cross, because He knew before hand that this particular time would come, and that I would need Him to comfort me and protect me.

So, here I am today. Writing about the un-measureable love that my Savior, my Creator has for me. I am now aware that what I thought was an un-surmountable distance that I had gone from Him, was in fact no distance at all because Christ walked with me the whole time. If as I sinned against Him, He was faithful and stayed by my side.

That brings us to the verse for today. I have the task, which I readily accept to do, to tell others through this media about the faithfulness of Christ my Lord, your Lord. Before I thought my life was worth something, but that something was trying to gain more for me and me alone. But since the Holy Spirit has entered in and taken control of my life, I hear a higher calling for me. To boldly tell others of the un-describable love and peace that knowing Christ has given me. And He desires to give you the same.

I understand the race that I am in today. It is the race to tell others before it is too late for them. To late meaning that they come to Him before they leave this world, or before they act in a way that will destroy others lives. I destroyed lives by my selfish desires. Relationships that can be mended, but they will never be the same. They will not be what God had planned for them to be. My race today does not tire me out, because I am fueled by the Holy Spirit, renewed each day to do the tasks that God has set before me. Before I came to Christ, I looked at others that walked in faith and was jealous of their lives. I saw peace and contentment, joy and happiness and prosperity. They had what I wanted. Their lives spoke of what living according to the word looks like. So this verse from Acts comes to mind, Acts 4:19,20; "But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20) For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."'

So here I am, speaking of what I have seen, in other believers lives and what I have heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart through the word of God. My spiritual gift, I feel, is using this media to proclaim what I know, that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood to cover my sins and make me worthy to come into His throne room and speak with Him directly. And to have Jesus stand before the Father, on my behalf, to intercede for me, showing the Father my sinlessness because of the blood He shed on the cross. Christ's desire is to do that for you also. Take it from me, you may think you are too far removed for Jesus to help you, but your not! Again whether you believe it or not Christ walks right beside you daily. He calls out to you constantly, the only reason that you, or I at times, can't hear Him is the whispers of Satan in our ears. Your minds 'eye' has turned from looking for Christ to looking at the world and all the trappings that go with it. I was there, I know what I am talking about. Life is not a bed of roses for me, I struggle daily too. But I have the Holy Spirit in my heart, and look daily into the word of God. I fight the temptations daily, just like everyone else. But I have the knowledge that Christ loves me un-conditionally, that His blood has wiped away my sins and that the Father looks on me as holy and righteous. But know that it is because of what His Son did on the cross. Dying for the sins of the WORLD! And since you are part of this world, He died for you also!

So become a runner, enter into the race and run the course that Christ has set before you.1 Corinthians 10:24 says this. "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Yes we are all running a race, but what is the prize that we are running for. Like I mentioned before I was running the race for me, to obtain what I wanted in life and did not care who I hurt getting it. Galatians 5:7 describes me before I surrendered to Christ. "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?" It was the voice of Satan. It was the allure of what he was telling me, in actuality it was what he was lying to me. I was blind to his ways, as much of the world is.

 I pray that you overcome the lies he is whispering in your ear. The outcome of your sins will only be destruction. I learned that the hard way, and I don't wish for you to find out like I did. Remember that Jesus loves you un-conditionally, and desires to have a loving and eternal relationship with you. If you are hurting and lost and feel that there is no hope, Jesus is as close as a prayer. A heartfelt prayer that cries out to Him for help. He is faithful and will come to you and heal you. He will lift you up and continue to walk with you and be with you through all that you will go through. Call on Him and HE WILL ANSWER YOU!!!