In 1968, John Stevens, Quarry was running a race for his
country, Tanzania in the Olympics.
And we've all seen it before on the television, where, you know,
there's a bit of a tussle, there's a bit of a climb.
Well, that's what happened to John.
Stephen acquiree, he bashed into another racer, and he fell to
the ground. He crushed his shoulder.
He dislocated his knee, and you can picture him covered in dust
blood and Sand. The medical staff at the side
began to call to John saying come on come out of the race.
A we need to give you Medical Care.
But John stood up and dusted himself down and carried on
running. Well in fact actually I tell a
lie didn't run him all sorts of limped all the way to the
Finishing Line. When he eventually got there the
stadium was practically bear, they'd been there to see the
champions of the day that the mo Farah's of the day.
But there was one stray interviewer and he called John
over and he said, John may I ask you why didn't you just quit?
Why didn't you just give up? You had no hope of winning the
race. Why did you carry on running?
This is what John Stephen. Reset my country did not send
me. 5,000 miles to start the race.
They sent me. 5,000 miles to finish the race and my dear
precious believer. God did not save you to start
the race. He saved you so that you might
finish the race. And I believe there's someone
watching this today, who needs to hear these three words?
Don't give up. Proverbs 24.
Verse 16 says this for a righteous man, may fall.
Seven times and rise again, I believe you're watching this
right now because you fallen over and you think I don't have
the strength to get up or can I just say this?
You're stronger than you think not because you yourself are
stronger because, you know, the King of Kings and the Lord of
lords line, defeated is what the devil wants you to do.
But, you know, that you're better than that, you know, the
Lord Jesus Christ and he has conquered the grave so he can
conquer any trial, which is in your life and he can guide you
through the pain and trouble. You're going through right now.
If you writing down notes today, write this down to replay a
sorrow is to increase it. Let me let you into a secret
when I was at school. There was something which used
to totally gross me out when the boys and girls would go out and
play on the playground sometimes, they'd fall over and
they graze their knee and then their knee would start to scab
over the wound would go. All hard and crusty to know what
the boys and girls used to do. They used to pick at that wound
now? Why is that a bad thing to do?
Because if you keep picking at that wound, it's Ever going to
heal. It's never going to get better
and likewise my dear friends if you keep replaying that sorrow
that trouble you keep thinking about it over and over again.
It's never going to heal. It's never going to get better.
So what should we do instead? I don't know if you've ever
heard of this him but it goes like this.
Count your blessings. Name them one by one, and it
will surprise you what the Lord has done.
And you know what guys? That's what I do every single
day. Every morning I wake up and I
thank God that I've got a wife that I've got a On that.
I've got a Ministry that is given me Health today.
That I'm able to walk, am able to see.
And that more importantly, my name is written in heaven.
Have you ever been in a room before?
When a really, joyful positive person enters into the room and
suddenly the atmosphere Rises and everyone feels happier
because that person's entered. Have you done that before and
likewise have you been in a room before when a negative person
enters the room and this big black cloud of negativity
follows them into that room. What happens?
The atmosphere starts to drop who should the Christian be Be
the first or the second. I think we should be the first,
but I do Wonder now if there's someone watching this and you've
actually got tears in your eyes and you're saying, I can't even
smile anymore. Joe let alone lift any positive
atmosphere will see you my dear friend.
I want to say this. Even in the darkest of nights
morning, always calms. And you might be in the darkest
point of your life. And you've no Blackness before.
But this is something different. This is something altogether
Dreadful, I just want to tell you Daylight is on its way,
there is light at the end of the tunnel.
And if you fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, whether you
suffer every single day for the rest of your life, there is a
hope beyond the grave which Christ in his glories promises
to us in heaven. Some of you you've traveled the
world and you Sim beautiful Starlit.
Skies yusin, beautiful Caribbean beaches you've seen mountains,
you've seen Hills, you've seen a beautiful world.
But I tell you, when you get to heaven and you fix your eyes on
the beauty of God, Wow, your breath will be taken away that
day. And if there's someone watching
this today, and you have not yet bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus
Christ. You have not yet, come to the
one who forgives Sinners, who died on the cross, so, that you.
And I might have a righteousness, which is not our
own I plead with you today. Come to Jesus, find eternal
life, find the strength, which can keep you going through this
life and can give you another life beyond the grave.
I'll be honest with you guys in the last few months.
The Lord God has really put a Desire in my heart to encourage
Christians. So, I've made a bunch of videos
that I hope will encourage you to click there if you'd like to
watch some. And if you haven't yet
subscribed, please do so by clicking here.