Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking onto Jesus alone, the founding leader and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Joy is in staying focused by faith on the goal and organizing everything else in accordance therewith. A wandering day filled with interruptions that kept you from your goal is not a satisfying day. In fact, it is frustrating at the end of the day not to feel you accomplished anything worthwhile but somehow all the time was taken.
A confused, unorganized, cluttered life never is a joyful life. I am not a God of confusion but of perfect order and peace. Just look at the way I run the universe and the orbits of all the planets and the path of the sun. Look at seasons and patterns of migration in the birds and other animals. It is all very organized and works by laws that I set in place.
And My Word is the same. I am brief in what I say but it contains everything you need for time and eternity. My Word is the answer to everything and there is nothing I cannot do by My Word.
And to have joy, perfect joy, and the vigor to run your race with joy, you have to know where to focus.
My apostle Paul, after his many encounters with My Son became very focused and accomplished a great deal in his life. He finished his race and KEPT THE FAITH. And there is your answer.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8.
You can only take hold of My Word and operate in the peace and perfect organization as I do by faith. You have to be led by faith. You have to run your race by faith. You have to get your assignment done by faith. And you can only please Me by faith. Hebrews 11:6. Every day has to be a day of faith.
It was by faith I spoke the universe into being and framed the world and all in it. And it is by faith that the men of old obtained a good testimony from Me.
By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because I took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to Me.
And the men of old did their projects and organized their time by faith. By faith Noah, being warned by Me about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. He organized his day and time by faith.
By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, of whom I am the architect and builder. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered that I was faithful who had made the promise.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with My people than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that the destroyer did not touch them.
By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Me, though to human eye I am unseen.
By faith My people passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, who I had not directed to do so, when they attempted it, were drowned. Evil motives never ultimately turn out well. And they did not cross by faith.
By faith the walls of Jericho fell down under after they had been encircled for seven days.
By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Remember the red cord (Tikvah) she hung in her window that she looked at every day by faith?
And think of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight, and called down fire to bring the hearts of My people back to Me.
And all these, having obtained a good testimony from Me through their faith, did not receive what was promised, that is, the coming of Christ in the flesh, because I had provided something better for YOU, so that apart from you they would not be made perfect.
It is Jesus who makes you all perfect. The blood of lambs, bulls, and goats could not take away the sin, they were like a charge card used on credit, waiting for the day the real payment came. For by one offering of Himself He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. Hebrews 10:14.
And this cloud of witnesses that have gone before you up to this present day, all did their assignments by faith and they are surrounding you now, cheering you on.
Jesus prayed for Peter that his faith would never fail and that he would strengthen his brethren. And as your great High Priest ever living to intercede for you, He is praying that for each of you. He is the High Priest of your confession (homologia, which means speaking your words in absolute agreement with His) of faith. Jesus, the faithful witness, teaches you how to walk and run with faith so you, as He did, can finish the work I gave each of you to do. John 17:4 (“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”).
Therefore, since you have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding you, it is time for you to do as they did and lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles you and get focused by faith to run with endurance the race that is set before you.
And how do you do this? You have to know, as they did, where to look. Moses raised up the bronze serpent in the desert and instructed the people to not look at anything but that if they got bit and all who did were cured. And they had to look with faith or it seemed foolish.
And Jesus tells you just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. John 3:14-15.
“For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:38.
And I tell you very specifically how to be doing My perfect Will for your life, “run with endurance the race that is set before you, looking onto Jesus alone, the founding leader and perfecter of the faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2.
And what do I call Jesus? The founder and perfecter of your faith. Hebrews 12:2.
What do I mean by that? Look at the passage when I told you about this truth. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking onto Jesus alone, the founding leader and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2. And let us look in the language it was first written in by inspiration of My Spirit, that is, Greek.
First, the word for “looking unto Jesus alone,” that you often see translated as “fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,” is the Greek word “aphoraó (ἀφοράω),” which means “to look away from all else at . . .” Aphoráō is from “apó,” meaning “away from” and horáō, “see.” “Looking away from all else, to fix one’s gaze upon” whatever follows in the sentence. So you see to get in My perfect will for your life by faith you must not look at yourself, your circumstances, or others to get the faith for reaching your goal, but only unto Jesus, who is My Word. But let Me show you more.
I tell you to look at Jesus for a particular reason in order to run with endurance the race that is set before you. You are looking for guidance and you are looking for the finish line, in other words what your faith project is seeking to accomplish. The goal, which is like the finished building you are working on, is first at the planning stage and then the building stage before you are able to complete the structure. Like Moses with the plans I gave him for the tabernacle that then he set to work upon with the help of all the supplies, skilled workers, and time I had given him for the project.
But above all you are looking for a leader that knows exactly how to take you where you are going to fulfill your perfect assignment. The one who had get you to the finish line in the fastest and best route possible. And He must be the one you have faith in to get you there by His instruction and guidance to all truth.
So the passage continues, “looking unto Jesus alone, the author and finisher of your faith.” The word you see translated usually as “author” is the Greek word “archégos (ἀρχηγός),” which means founder, leader, originator. Arxēgós is from “arxḗ,” which means “the first” and “ágō”, which means “to lead,” in other words, the first in a long procession; a file-leader who pioneers the way for many others to follow. Aarxēgós does not strictly mean “author,” but rather “a person who is originator or founder of a movement and continues as the leader – i.e. “pioneer leader, founding leader.”
Jesus is the founder and leader of the grace/faith movement. The Law was given to Moses but grace and truth came to you through Jesus. You receive Jesus and all the benefits that come to you in and with Him by believing in your heart and speaking with your mouth, and as you received Him so you are to walk out your life in Him. “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established by your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Colossians 2:6-7. How? By faith you walk out My perfect Will for your life by keeping your eyes fixed on Him, which now since He is not physically among you, it means by keeping your eyes fixed on the instructions and promises, which are laws, in My Words above all else that would encumber you or cause you to get off course.
And you are a member of His body the church and He is the head thereof. And the head gives the directions to the body on where to go, the body does not direct the head. And He nourishes and cares for His body as He cleanses the body with the washing of water by the Word.
But remember He is not just the founder, originator and leader of the faith, He is also what is translated the “finisher” or “perfecter” of the faith. The Greek word that is translated as “finisher” or “perfecter,” is the word “teleiótés (τελειωτής,),” which means a completer, finisher and consummator. Teleiōtḗs signifies a consummator, bringing a process to its finish. This word is only used in this passage as specifically referring only to Jesus as the one bringing the life of faith to its complete conclusion (consummation, finish). In every scene of His earthly life, Jesus lived in faith. He only said My Words and did the works I showed Him, which He received perfectly within His Spirit. And He finished the work I gave Him to do perfectly, in My perfect Will.
And He is leading you to do the same to bring you to the finish line of your work on earth. But that is really only the beginning of the amazing assignments I have for you in My Heavenly Kingdom. And it is Jesus, the founding leader and finisher of your assignment on earth, that will also usher you into your heavenly assignments, “for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17.
Besides raising up Jesus as your great High Priest forever, I also raised Him, by the blood of the eternal covenant, to be your great good Shepherd to equip you and lead you in your assignments always. And how did I raise Him? I did it as the God of peace. Hebrews 13:20-21. For shalom peace has always been My plan for your life from the start. Jeremiah 29:11. I am not a god of confusion, but the God of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33. I AM your peace (shalom). YHWH SHALOM.
Keep your eyes off the hindrances and on My Word of promise. Like Abraham learned from Me. I preached the gospel to him ahead of time and he saw the day of Jesus and rejoiced. He finally knew where to look and then the promised child came.
“And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ‘it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” Romans 4:19-22.
I love you. Joy is staying focused on Jesus, the founder and leader of the faith, who will bring you to the finish line of your perfect assignment, that is, My perfect Will for your life. I who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6. I think now you will understand this Scripture:
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep by the blood of the eternal covenant, Jesus your Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in you that which is pleasing and perfect in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.