“My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself fo

The Journey focuses on the process of getting there not the arrival.  Ecclesiastes 9:11 NLT  I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. CBS  Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, or the battle to the strong, or bread to the wise, or richest to the discerning, or favor to the skillful; rather, time and chance happen to all of them.  

The Journey is a marathon.

What is a Marathon?  In the natural its a fixed distance race of 26.2 miles. Spiritually its a life journey that reveals Kingdom purpose.

Who determines the distance of a marathon? Let’s go back to the origin of how it originated. The event's name comes from the legendary run of a Greek soldier, Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce a military victory. The distance was around 25 miles until 1908, the London Olympics was influenced by the royal family, changing the start of the race at Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box at the Olympic stadium, resulting in that specific length. In 1921 the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) officially adopted the 26.2-mile distance as the standard for all marathon races.

Let’s look at the word fixed, it means predetermined, not subject to or able to change. (Ephesians 1:11 “Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.”

This means; God purpose will not change (Jeremiah 1:5 ““Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew you intimately. I had divine plans for you before I gave you life, and I set you apart and chose you to be mine. You are my______ gift to the _____.””), man might not agree but his purpose will not change. Proverbs 19:21 NLT “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.”

Fixed also means prearranged, arranged, established, settled, unchangeable, precise, specific, confirmed, decided, agreed, determined. Godhead decided and it cannot be changed. Genesis 1:26-28 MSG  “God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.””

We can’t rule any other planet, nor change our gender. We are to walk out God’s will on earth just the way he designed it. 

Although a marathon is a fixed distance race (predestined by God) the believer plays a vital role in the out come.  Psalms 37:23 "The step of a good man are ordered by the LORD; And he delighted in his way." Hebrew 12:1-2 NLT therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down especially the sin that so easily trips us up.  And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. 

When you look at a gravestone it has a hyphen between the DOB and the DOD (1908-2008).  In the natural the hyphen isn't  significant to spectators but in the spiritual realm it plays a vital role in the life of a believer.  The hyphen tells the life of the believers on earth ( We are epistle being read of all men). Habakkuk 2:2 CSB The LORD answered me; write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. The life of believers is to represent the Kingdom of God so when spectators come or when the believers go out, they will see it clearly, and want it.  

We must pace ourselves, the journey is a marathon not a sprint. Its crucial that we allow the Lord to direct our steps, this keeps us from exhausting ourselves.

Believers who live life as sprints 100m, 200m 400m on the journey will not live effectively.  There are times when we will sprint in the marathon but not all the time, we will burn out and lose focus I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn't always win the race.

Remember the hyphen represent how a person lived on earth, the life God designed Ephesians 1:11 “Before we were even born, he gave us our destiny; that we would fulfill the plan of God who always accomplishes every purpose and plan in his heart.”  or their own way  Proverbs 14:12 CSB  there is a way that seems right to a person but its end is the way to death. 

Paul uses a marathon metaphor to describe our journey on earth 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NLT “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”

‭1st Paul lets us know that it's a continuous process of growth and striving towards a goal, not a one-time event.   

1Timothy 6:12 TPT “So fight with faith for the winner’s prize! Lay your hands upon eternal life, to which you were called and about which you made the good confession before the multitude of witnesses!” 

2 Peter 3:18 TPT “But continue to grow and increase in God’s grace and intimacy with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May he receive all the glory both now and until the day eternity begins. Amen!”

 1 Timothy 4:15-16 TPT “Make all of this your constant meditation and make it real with your life so everyone can see that you are moving forward. Give careful attention to your spiritual life and every cherished truth you teach, for living what you preach will release salvation inside you and to all those who listen to you.” Every believer even those in leadership are not progressing in the faith Hebrews 5:11-14 TPT “We have much to say about this topic although it is difficult to explain, because you have become too dull and sluggish to understand. For you should already be professors instructing others by now; but instead, you need to be taught from the beginning the basics of God’s prophetic oracles! You’re like children still needing milk and not yet ready to digest solid food. For every spiritual infant who lives on milk is not yet pierced by the revelation of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, whose spiritual senses perceive heavenly matters. And they have been adequately trained by what they’ve experienced to emerge with understanding of the difference between what is truly excellent and what is evil and harmful.”

The believers must focus on the bigger picture (I know the plans I have for you). And its vital to set long term goals, instead of striving for immediate success.  The long term goal must line up with God's design for each individual as well as the Body of Christ.

2nd  Paul points out that believers must discipline his or herself. just like Athletes put their minds and bodies through rigorous training and abstain from anything that can be harmful to the body which can delay progress. Philippians 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

‭‭Believers must also exercising  self control and avoid distractions that can hinder progress. Galatians 5:19-21 “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.”

2 Peter 3:17 TPT  “As for you, divinely loved ones, since you are forewarned of these things, be careful that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your firm grip on the truth.”  

2 Corinthians 6:16- 17 NLT And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. TPT What friendship does God’s temple have with demons? For indeed, we are the temple of the living God, just as God has said: I will make my home in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. 

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Ecclesiastes 3:9-11 NLT “What do people really get for all their hard work? I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

Question: Do marathons have checkpoints? Yes

Marathon checkpoints, also known as aid stations or time control points, are strategically placed locations on a marathon course that provide runners with essential resources and help ensure they stay on track. These checkpoints help runners maintain pace, track their progress, and provide a safe and supported environment throughout the race

Checkpoints are control points along the race where participants must pass through, and their passage is recorded.

1st checkpoint as a marathon runner

Most people focus on the finish line of a marathon but we must remember there is a starting line which matters.  There is a saying, it doesn’t matter how you start but how you finish, well on this journey it matters.  People tend to think it’s more than one way to the Father, it’s just liking saying you can start a designated marathon anywhere. Both are misleading and will get a runner disqualified in both situations.  Proverbs 14:12 TPT “You can rationalize it all you want and justify the path of error you have chosen, but you’ll find out in the end that you took the road to destruction.”   Jesus is the starting line of on the Journey of a believe John 14:6 TPT “Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

John 3:16 TPT “For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.”

Romans 10:9-10 KJV “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

People who participate in marathons are willing individuals, they are not forced to compete, but they must follow the rules and regulations.  The participants cannot make rules as they go, they are given the rules beforehand.   It’s the same, the day we agree to John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10, we are given the rules and regulation in a manual called the bible. 

Checkpoint as a marathon runner (identity) Vital for the Journey 

When a person sign up for a marathon, he or she is given a number.  the runners are assigned a bib number (also called a competition number) which they wear prominently on their chest during the race. These numbers are used to identify each runner, track their progress, and assist with timing and results. 

Marathon runners typically receive their bib number either when they register  for the race or during race packet pick-up. The race organization will assign a unique number to each runner and provide a durable bib for attaching the number. Runners can usually pick up their bibs at the race expo or other designated locations near the race date. 

Although we have been given our identity, many believer never get to know Him or themselves personally( spiritually).  The mistakes most make, wearing their identity as a title (bib number) instead of a life union (oneness).

2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT “Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.”

1 Peter 2:9 TPT “But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.”

John 1:12 TPT “But those who embraced him and took hold of his name he gave authority to become the children of God!”    

Ephesians 2:10 TPT  “We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!”

Galatians 2:20 TPT  “My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me—we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, dispensing his life into mine!”

Genesis 1:27 TPT “So God created man and woman and shaped them with his image inside them. In his own beautiful image, he created his masterpiece. Yes, male and female he created them.”

Checkpoints ensure competitors follow the designated route and do not take shortcuts.

John 14:6 TPT “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!””‭‭

Jeremiah 1:5 TPT ““Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew you intimately. I had divine plans for you before I gave you life, and I set you apart and chose you to be mine. You are my prophetic gift to the nations.””

‘You are who you are because of your purpose, if you are misguided you will abuse your purpose for Earth’s journey.

Psalms 37:23 NLT “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: And he delighteth in his way.”

Psalms 25:4 “Direct me, Yahweh, throughout my journey so I can experience your plans for my life. Reveal the life-paths that are pleasing to you.” Escort me into your truth, People who participate in marathons operate according to the rules and regulation of the event, same thing goes for us the followers of Jesus, we live by our constitution, the bible.

Growing up this was not taught ( Proverbs 3:5 KJV Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct thy paths).   Many were told to find their way in life, graduate high school, get a job, go to college, get married have kids, were the options that were given to myself and many others.  

Proverbs 13:11 NLT “Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time.”

Proverbs 20:21 TPT “If an inheritance is gained too early in life, it will not be blessed in the end.”

proverbs 22:6 TPT “Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.”

Checkpoints often have aid stations where runners can find water, sports drinks, gels, food, and sometimes first aid.

An aid station is a temporary facility, often a tent or table, set up to provide support to participants in endurance events like marathons or ultra-marathons. These stations offer essential supplies like water, sports drinks, and food to help runners stay hydrated and energized. They can also provide medical assistance and first aid. 

• Matthew 11:22-30 KJV  “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Purpose: To provide support and resources to participants during long-distance events. 

• Isaiah 40:31 KJV “but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Location: Strategically placed along the race course, often at regular intervals. 

Ecclesiastes 9:11 “I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time.”

There are several instances in the Bible where God demonstrated the essence of location as a proviso for the release of His blessings. 

• Genesis 1:15 TPT  “Yahweh-God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work and watch over it.”
• Genesis 12:1-2  AMPC “NOW [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you. [Heb. 11:8-10.] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].”
• Genesis 26:1-2 NLT  “Now, another famine struck the land, like the one in Abraham’s time. Isaac traveled to Gerar where Abimelech was the Philistine king. Yahweh appeared before Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Stay in the land that I will reveal to you. Live there as a foreigner, and my presence will be with you. I promise to bless you, for I will give all these lands to you and your descendants. I will fulfill the oath I swore to your father Abraham.”
• Psalm 105:17-22 TPT “But he had already sent a man ahead of his people to Egypt; it was Joseph, who was sold as a slave. His feet were bruised by strong shackles and his soul was held by iron. God’s promise to Joseph purged his character until it was time for his dreams to come true. Eventually, the king of Egypt sent for him, setting him free at last. Then Joseph was put in charge of everything under the king; he became the master of the palace over all the royal possessions. Pharoah gave him authority over all the princes of the land, and Joseph became the teacher of wisdom to the king’s advisers.”
• Joshua 1:1-5 TPT “And after Moses, Yahweh’s servant, died, Yahweh spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ faithful assistant, and said, “My servant Moses is dead. Now get up! Prepare to cross the Jordan River, you and all the people. Lead them into the land that I am giving to the Israelites. Every part of the land where you march I will give you, as I promised Moses. Your borders will extend from the southern desert to the northern mountains of Lebanon, and from the great river Euphrates in the east, to the Mediterranean in the west—including all the land of the Hittites. Joshua, no one will be able to defeat you for the rest of your life! I will be with you as I was with Moses, and I will never fail nor abandon you.”
• LUKE 4:1 KJV  “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,”
• Acts 1:4-5 NLT “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.””

Supplies: Offer a variety of items, including water, sports drinks, energy gels, fruit, and other snacks. 

              *Philippians 4:19 KJV “But my God shall supply all your need according     to his riches in glory by Christ

• John 4:10,13-14 NLT  “Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.””

Medical Support:  Some aid stations may have medical personnel to assist with injuries or medical needs. 

• James 5:14 TPT  “Are there any sick among you? Then ask the elders of the church to come and pray over the sick and anoint them with oil in the name of our Lord.”
• Luke 4:18-19 TPT   ““The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.””
• I am the bread of life. I give you life

Volunteer Staff: Volunteers often staff aid stations, providing assistance and encouragement to runners. 

• Ephesians 4:11-12 TPT  “And he has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers. And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ.”
• Titus 1:5-7 TPT  “The reason I stationed you in Crete was so that you could set things in order and complete what was left unfinished, and to raise up and appoint church elders in every city, just as I had instructed you. Each of them must be above reproach, devoted solely to his wife, whose children are believers and not rebellious or out of control. The overseer, since he serves God’s household, must be someone of blameless character and not be opinionated or short-tempered. He must not be a drunkard or violent or greedy.”
• 2:12,15 TPT “This same grace teaches us how to live each day as we turn our backs on ungodliness and indulgent lifestyles, and it equips us to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives in this present age. So preach these truths and exhort others to follow them. Be willing to expose sin in order to bring correction with full authority, without being intimidated by anyone.”

Importance:
Aid stations are crucial for runners to stay hydrated, energized, and supported throughout the race

• Psalms 23:1-6 KJV   “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”