God asked me to share this word along with the action of physically running my race backwards. He showed me I was to run six minutes forward and two minutes backwards and alternate throughout the race. He said:
There are many in the faith right now running their race in backwards ways.
Disobedient
Selfish
Slanderers
Selfish
Filled with hatred
Homosexuality
Adultery
Lies
Filthy language
Lust
Hatred
Evil desires
Greed
Idolatry
Envy
And malice
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.19-21.nlt
He wants an athlete running the race so as to win the prize. With their eyes set on the prize and victory! Willing to endure scorn for the victory!
“But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
1 Timothy 6:11 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1ti.6.11.nlto
We cannot win a race running backwards.
We are more vulnerable to injury running backwards.
We are more vulnerable to face fear running backwards.
Our vision is hindered running backwards.
The passage God wants highlighted for the purpose of His Word in this is:
“Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
And he said, “Yes, go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’”
Isaiah 6:2, 9 NLT
God said there will be many who hear this word and see this action but learn nothing and understand nothing.
DON’T BE OF THE LATTER. See and learn, listen and receive! Our God is HOLY HOLY HOLY! This is what the seraphim are saying... this is what running the straight path, forward facing, eyes set on the prize, not looking to the right or to the left, this is what we are saying when we do this! We are declaring with our hearts and with our feet and with our mind Holy Holy Holy!
This is a matter of the HEART!
“And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.”
Isaiah 11:2 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.11.2.nlt
“He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay.”
Isaiah 11:3 NLT
http://bible.com/116/isa.11.3.nlt
A prophecy of Jesus, our leader, our ultimate example. One who delights in obedience, One who has a Spirit of all wisdom, understanding, knowledge and fear of the Lord, right decision making and judging.
Under the influence of this Spirt we will reproduce His fruit...
“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.22-23.nlt
Rather than fruit coming from our flesh and running our own race our own wayward and backward ways...
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?”
Galatians 5:7 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.7.nlt
“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:19-21 NLT
http://bible.com/116/gal.5.19-21.nlt
Run your race so as to win the prize!
God, I give this race to You. I will run this race to glorify You and fulfil the call of the Word you have placed upon my heart. You are filled with unending love for your children. Like a loving shepherd you tenderly care for your sheep. We all like sheep have gone astray, but like the tender happy father of the prodigal, how you welcome us back with joy and celebration! You are longing for our embrace! Help us run to You! And run in your path! Protected! Filled! Fueled! Give your people passion for you and pursuit of you! In Jesus name! Amen!
You may have louder cheers running backwards but that’s doesn’t make it easier or right... even short sidetracks running backwards take from the forward race, the energy and strength is robbed when you’ve spent any time at all running backwards. It feels very lonely running the race backwards.
God is breaking my heart so many are running this race backwards
So many are running this way missing out seeing unclear.
His LOVE, like gravity, has got to be what pulls hearts and turns hearts back around! His GREAT LOVE!
“How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.”
Psalms 31:19 NLT
http://bible.com/116/psa.31.19.nlt
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
1 John 3:1 NASB
http://bible.com/100/1jn.3.1.nasb
The Lord is calling and has called us from a wayward path not out of punishment but out of LOVE! He is saying CHILD COME HOME!
“For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”
Proverbs 3:12 NASB
http://bible.com/100/pro.3.12.nasb
We need that spiritual force like gravity pulling us in like the prodigal son’s fathers embrace!
“So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’”
Luke 15:3-6 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.15.3-6.nlt
“I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’””
Luke 15:18-20, 32 NLT
http://bible.com/116/luk.15.18-20,32.nlt
God the Father is saying, “It is not too late! You are not too far gone! CHILD COME HOME!”
