Evening, February 19
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Bible League: Living His Word
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

What does the author of Hebrews mean by the "great cloud of witnesses?" In the previous chapter of Hebrews we are told of the great heroes of faith from Old Testament times. These are the ones who in their own unique ways ran the race God set before them and triumphed. Like them, we who now live in New Testament times should run the race God sets before us. We are not literally surrounded by this cloud of witnesses, but we should run the race as if they were looking down on us and cheering us on to the same kind of victory they achieved through faith.

There are three things we should do in order to run our race well:

First, we should throw off "everything that hinders." These are the things in life that keep us from running a good race. It could be anything. The hobby that we spend too much time on; the unnecessary material things we accumulate and have to take care of; the relationships that add nothing to our lives; and countless other distractions.

Second, we should throw off the "sin that so easily entangles." Apart from the evil of it all, sin is a major distraction. It takes time to sin and it takes time to deal with the consequences of sin. Sin is like a detour from the race of life. It adds nothing to the achievement of our goal. It trips us up in the race we are running.

Finally, we should "run with perseverance." The great heroes of faith maintained their faith all the way to victory. So, likewise, we should run in faith all the way to victory. There will be temptations to quit the race, to slow down, to get side-tracked. We should push through these things and run with perseverance on to the goal.

Maybe it would do us some good if every so often we looked up to the clouds to see if there are any heroes of faith up there watching us and cheering us on.

Bible in a Year
Old Testament Reading
Numbers 1, 2


Numbers 1 -- The Census of Israel Totals 603,550, Exempting Levites

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Numbers 2 -- Arrangement of the Tribal Camps

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New Testament Reading
Mark 3:1-21


Mark 3 -- Jesus Heals on the Sabbath, Chooses the Twelve, discusses Beelzebub, Mother and Brothers

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Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library.
Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
        and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
        I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.”
        And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Insight
What is confession? To confess our sin is to agree with God, acknowledging that he is right to declare what we have done as sinful, and that we are wrong to desire or to do it.
Challenge
It is to affirm our intention of abandoning that sin in order to follow him more faithfully.
Morning and Evening by Spurgeon
John 1:41  He first findeth his own brother Simon.

This case is an excellent pattern of all cases where spiritual life is vigorous. As soon as a man has found Christ, he begins to find others. I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou canst eat it all thyself. True grace puts an end to all spiritual monopoly. Andrew first found his own brother Simon, and then others. Relationship has a very strong demand upon our first individual efforts. Andrew, thou didst well to begin with Simon. I doubt whether there are not some Christians giving away tracts at other people's houses who would do well to give away a tract at their own--whether there are not some engaged in works of usefulness abroad who are neglecting their special sphere of usefulness at home. Thou mayst or thou mayst not be called to evangelize the people in any particular locality, but certainly thou art called to see after thine own servants, thine own kinsfolk and acquaintance. Let thy religion begin at home. Many tradesmen export their best commodities--the Christian should not. He should have all his conversation everywhere of the best savour; but let him have a care to put forth the sweetest fruit of spiritual life and testimony in his own family. When Andrew went to find his brother, he little imagined how eminent Simon would become. Simon Peter was worth ten Andrews so far as we can gather from sacred history, and yet Andrew was instrumental in bringing him to Jesus. You may be very deficient in talent yourself, and yet you may be the means of drawing to Christ one who shall become eminent in grace and service. Ah! dear friend, you little know the possibilities which are in you. You may but speak a word to a child, and in that child there may be slumbering a noble heart which shall stir the Christian church in years to come. Andrew has only two talents, but he finds Peter. Go thou and do likewise.

Daily Light on the Daily Path
Isaiah 63:4  "For the day of vengeance was in My heart, And My year of redemption has come.

Leviticus 25:10  'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

Isaiah 26:19  Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. • Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Hosea 13:14  Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from death? O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight.

Jeremiah 50:34  "Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org.

Morning February 19
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