The Marathon of Death

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

I always knew it! At last, medical science has caught up with God's advice!

A new controversial study is raising questions about the health benefits of distance running. Marathons might be bad for your heart.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...r-heart-n69781

Did you read the verse about Adam running 26 miles? Or can you give me the scripture for when Abraham ran between Beer-Sheba and Jabbok? OK, what about the miracle of When Jesus made a 100 year old man beat the best Roman athlete? St Paul and the Marathon of Ephesus? No? You don't recall them?

Well, that's because they aren't there and that's because God knew that running vast distances dressed in flimsy garb is not what He created us for.

At last, science has caught up with what God has been telling us all along. Man is not a beast. He is the image of His Creator, a Creator Who does not need to run.

Click HERE for the story

The pastors are discussing whether to increase the tithes of those who insist on running as they will be called home earlier and thus pay less. A 10% increase is being suggested.

[A Follower]

Re: The Marathon of Death

God killed a couple of runners just last weekend to remind everyone that running is wrong!

https://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/04/14/2-runners-die-near-finish-line-half-marathon-in-north-carolina/

[Ezekiel Bathfire]

Re: The Marathon of Death

A member of Landover has written to me and asked about

"1Cor:9:24-27 does say we should run a race (and win it for salvation)."

To be quite frank, it never occured to me that anyone could understand Paul that way.

The First Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians - 16 Chapters, Bk. 7 of 27 begins:
1Co:9:1: Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? Here Paul is not recovering from a few gallons of wine the night before, or that old medical problem of his, he is asking a few rhetorical questions.:

1Co:9:5: Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
1Co:9:6: Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
1Co:9:7: Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
1Co:9:8: Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

And so Paul works himself up to a climax as he says,

1Co:9:22: To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
1Co:9:23: And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
1Co:9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co:9:25: And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co:9:26: I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Now at this point in his life, Paul was unlikely to run anywhere or fight anyone. He had done all his running as a a youth at school. And fought enough Christians (for which he was sorry.)

By the time he was on the Road to Damascus, he was riding a camel - the Cadillac Escalade of the Iron Age.

So when we read Paul's words, "1Cor:9:24-27 does say we should run a race (and win it for salvation)." we see that (a) Salvation is received upon death and " I therefore so run" means "I thus live my life to be a winner or, at least, a competitor."

Of course a literal meaning would be, "If you are confident that you'll get into heaven, run a Marathon and drop dead."

I hope this helps.