Perseverance is not a

long race: it is many

short races one after
the other. Walter Elliot
Laying Aside
the Weights
Excused Hindrances to
Victorious Living
 The Book of
Hebrews

EXPOSITION followed by EXHORTATION

 OF FAITH
T H R O U G H T R I A L S AND F A I L I N G S

Abel Abraham Jacob Jepthah Noah

Sarah Moses Joseph Rahab
 twelve
…run with patience…
Greek – “cheerful endurance”
 Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us LAY
ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, and the
sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us RUN with patience the
race that is set before us, Heb. 12:1
STRIVE to enter through the NARROW GATE,
for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and
will not be able. Luke 13:24 NKJV
There are
Weights
that will
Hinder
you from
Entering
the path
of
Salvation
 Weight - a practice, influence
or circumstance that hinders
your spiritual growth

The Greek word for

“weight” is ogkos (3591)
DEFINITION “…a mass (as bending or
bulging by its load), i.e.
BURDEN (HINDRANCE)
The Theology of Weights

WEIGHT SINS
S
Things that
slow you
Things that
stop you in
down your tracks

W E I G H T SI N S
And Jesus INCREASED in wisdom
and stature, and in favour
with God and man.
Luke 2:52
Social Physical

Mental Spiritual
A Non-Christian Co-Worker
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: 2Cor. 6:14
…Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of our
faith… Heb. 12:2
Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39) And he went a LITTLE FURTHER, and fell
on his face, and prayed… Matt. 26:38-39
The Christian has Twin
Responsibilities
And whatsoever we
ask, we receive of him,
because we KEEP HIS
COMMANDMENTS,
AND DO THOSE
THINGS THAT ARE
PLEASING IN HIS
SIGHT. 1John 3:22
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his WIFE hath made
herself ready. 8) And to her was granted that she should be
arrayed in fine linen, CLEAN AND WHITE… Rev. 19:7-8
That he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having SPOT, or
WRINKLE, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish.
Ephes. 5:25-27
 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the
house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for
SIN and for UNCLEANNESS. Zech. 13:1
“There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins,
And sinners plunge beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”
William Cowper
The Day of
Atonement
And he shall make an ATONEMENT for the holy place, because
of the UNCLEANNESS of the children of Israel, and because of
their TRANSGRESSIONS in all their SINS… Lev. 16:16
Leviticus 11
IN ORDER TO RUN THE CHRISTIAN RACE EACH PERSON MUST ADDRESS

TWIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Heb. 12 Sin Weight

Lev. 16 Sin Uncleanness
Eph. 5 Spot Wrinkle
1Jo. 3:22 Keep Command Do Things Pleasing
Negative Surroundings a
Weight to be Laid Aside
And God spake all these
words, saying, 2) I am the
Lord thy God, which have
brought thee OUT of the land
of Egypt, OUT of the
house
of bondage.
Ex . 20:1-2
 “Moses had been learning much that he must
UNLEARN. The influences that had surrounded him in
Egypt --the love of his foster mother, his own high
position as the king's grandson, the dissipation on every
hand, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a
false religion, the splendor of idolatrous worship, the
solemn grandeur of architecture and sculpture-- all had
left deep impressions upon his developing mind and had
molded, to some extent, his habits and character. TIME,
CHANGE OF SURROUNDINGS, and COMMUNION
WITH GOD could remove these impressions. It would
require on the part of Moses himself a STRUGGLE as for
life to renounce error and accept truth, but God would be
his helper…” PP 248
 Convenient
Artificial
Busy

Character’s that were Soft and Man-Dependent

 Inconvenient
Natural
Simple

Character’s that are Sound and God-Dependent

 HEAT
FATIGUE
DUST

HEATHEN RESTRICTED
ENEMIES DIET
NO HOUSING
When God led the children of Israel OUT OF EGYPT, it was
His purpose to establish them in the land of Canaan a pure,
happy, healthy people. Let us look at the means by which He
would accomplish this. He subjected them to a COURSE OF
DISCIPLINE, which, had it been cheerfully followed, would
have resulted in good, both to themselves and to their posterity.
He removed flesh food from them in a great measure...
Had they been willing to deny appetite in obedience to His
restrictions, feebleness and disease would have been unknown
among them. Their descendants would have possessed physical
and mental strength. They would have had CLEAR
PERCEPTIONS OF TRUTH AND DUTY, KEEN
DISCRIMINATION, and SOUND JUDGMENT. But they were
UNWILLING TO SUBMIT to God's requirements, and they
failed to reach the standard He had set for them, and to receive
the blessings that might have been theirs. CD 377, 378
 The instruction is still being given, MOVE OUT OF THE
CITIES… Many now will plead to remain in the cities, but
the time will come erelong when all who wish to avoid the
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF EVIL will move into the
country; for WICKEDNESS and CORRUPTION will
increase to such a degree that the very ATMOSPHERE OF
THE CITIES will seem to be POLLUTED. CL 28,29
 “The influence of every
man's THOUGHTS and
ACTIONS surrounds him
like an INVISIBLE
ATMOSPHERE, which is
unconsciously BREATHED SIN
IN by all who come in
contact with him. This
ATMOSPHERE is frequently
charged with poisonous
influences, and when these
are INHALED, MORAL
DEGENERACY is the sure
result.” 5T 111
 The youth of our cities BREATHE IN the tainted,
polluted ATMOSPHERE OF CRIME; the EVIL
INFLUENCE is then communicated to the country, and the
WHOLE COMMUNITY becomes CONTAMINATED.
 There is NOT one family in a hundred
who will be improved physically, mentally,
or spiritually, by residing in the CITY.
FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, HAPPINESS, can
far better be gained in retired places, where
there are FIELDS and HILLS and TREES.
Take your children away from the SIGHTS
AND SOUNDS OF THE CITY… It will be
found EASIER to bring home to their hearts
the truth of the Word of God. CL 13 (1905)
FAITH – HOPE – LOVE - HAPPINESS

FIELDS – HILLS – TREES

 …Out of
The Weight of Having “NO TIME”
The House
of Bondage
And the Egyptians made
the children of Israel to
serve with RIGOUR*: 14)
And they made their lives
bitter with hard bondage,
in morter, and in brick, and
in all manner of service in
the field: ALL THEIR
SERVICE, wherein they
made them serve, was with
RIGOUR. Ex. 1:13-14
*Heb. “…to break apart;
fracture, i.e. severity”
 Egyptian Society
was Ruled by an
Elite Upper Class.
The Lower Class
did all the Manual
Work
------------------ -----------------------

Egyptian Social Structure

------------------ -----------------------

SKILLE
D

UNSKILLE
D

The Merchants, Craftsman, Peasants and Slaves at the

Bottom of the Social Pyramid had PRACTICALLY NO
FREE TIME OF THEIR OWN. They were Seriously
OVERWORKED so that their Time for Communion with
God was Limited to when they were Very Fatigued.
 Exodus 5

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people
go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 3) And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath
met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God;
lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. Ex. 5:1,3
 And the king of Egypt said
unto them, Wherefore do ye,
Moses and Aaron, let the people
from their WORKS? get you
unto your BURDENS. 6) And
Pharaoh commanded the same
day the task masters of the
people, and their officers, saying,
7) Ye shall no more give the
people straw to make brick, as
heretofore: let them go and
gather straw for themselves. 8)
And the tale of the bricks, which
they did make heretofore… ye
shall not diminish ought thereof:
for THEY BE IDLE; therefore
they cry, saying, Let us go and
sacrifice to our God.
9) Let there MORE WORK be laid
upon the men, that they may labour
therein; and let them not regard vain
words. Ex. 5:4-9
 The People were Released from Work on Day of Atonement,
But some Skipped the Sacred Service and Worked Anyway

Heart Work
And this shall be a statute for ever… that in the seventh month, on the tenth day
of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and DO NO WORK AT ALL, whether it
be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you: 30) For on
that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be
clean from all your sins before the Lord. 31) It shall be a SABBATH OF
REST unto you… Lev. 16:29-31
“Back in the camp, the sleepers rose.
Oblivious to inner foes,
They plunge into their scripted day
And laugh and chatter ‘long the way.
They tend their sheep. They groom their herds.
They make their cheese and taste the curds.
They push themselves in Grecian games9,
Then argue who earned greatest fame.
Some faintly sense their dereliction…
Some, have “moments” of affliction,
But these flashes, strong yet fleet
Are pushed aside by “song” and “meat”.
 
The “busyness” that drives this class
Insures they’ll never meet the task
Of ordering their wayward hearts…
Or mastering the “purging arts.”
Excerpt from: “The Day of Great Affliction” (2008) by John R. Skeete
 OF FAITH
THROUGH TRIALS AND FAILINGS

Abel Abraham Jacob Jepthah Noah

Sarah Moses Joseph Rahab
 Had Lot HASTENED as the Lord desired him to, HIS WIFE
would NOT have become a pillar of salt. Lot had too much of
a LINGERING SPIRIT. Let us not be like him. CL 7
Laying Aside
the Weights
Examining Excused Hindrances to
Victorious Living
(PART TWO)
 Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a
cloud of witnesses, let us LAY
ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, and the
sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us RUN with patience the
race that is set before us, Heb. 12:1
ENVIRONMENTAL
SOCIAL
PHYSICAL
MENTAL
SPIRITUAL
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them
that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and
over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea
of glass, having the harps of God. 3) And they sing the SONG OF
MOSES the servant of God, and the song of THE
LAMB… Rev. 15:2-3
 IMMORAL
SOCIETY
JOB POSITION
MYSTICAL
RELIGION
FAMILY
RELATIONSHIPS

ARCHITECTURE
 Egyptian Society had
a VERY BUSY
SCHEDULE for the
Lower Half of the
Social Pyramid

-------------------- ----------------
------

NO TIME FOR WORSHIP

Convenient
Artificial
Busy
Inconvenient
Natural
Simple
The Sedentary Lifestyle
 Since the mind and the soul
find expression through the body,
both MENTAL and SPIRITUAL
VIGOR are in great degree
dependent upon PHYSICAL
STRENGTH AND ACTIVITY;
whatever promotes physical
health, promotes the development
of a strong mind and a well-
balanced character. CG
360,361
WALKING, in all cases where it is
possible, is the BEST REMEDY
for diseased bodies… 3T 78
 50,000 - 60,000 miles

How many Miles did the Children of

Israel Walk in their 40 year journey
to Canaan?
AEROBIC EXERCISE IMPACTS BRAIN DRAMATICALLY

An Oxygenated Brain is Sharper and Clearer

 SITTING IS
KILLING YOU

Only 5% of the Population

Is Sufficiently Active
 Irregular hours for eating and SLEEPING
SAP THE BRAIN FORCES.
CD 123

Irregular Sleep is a Weight

The Weight of Improper Diet
 After working with heroin
addicts in Harlem during the
1960’s and seeing how a change
in their diet affected their ability
to get and stay clean,
criminologist Alexander Schauss
launched into his research on diet,
mental state and behavior. In
1980 he released his classic 108
page book entitled “Diet Crime
and Delinquency”. In it he argues
that ORDINARY FOODS or the
LACK OF THEM can alter our
mind much like alcohol or drugs,
unleashing CRIMINAL
BEHAVIOR.
 SUGAR MINERAL
DEFICIENT
FOOD
DAIRY

FOOD
ADDITIVES
Schauss links hyperactivity, aggression and anti-social behavior to
mineral and vitamin deficiencies, excessive milk consumption, low
blood sugar, heavy metal poisoning and food allergies.
And had rained down manna upon
them to eat, and had given them of
the corn of heaven. 25) Man did eat
angels' food… Psa. 78:24-25
GEN. 3:18 HERB OF THE
FIELD
GEN. 3:19 BREAD
WHY?
 Vitamin - Mineral Chart

Minerals are Needed for Strength

 Elephants are herbivores (plant eaters)… They spend about three-quarters of their
time, day and night, selecting, picking, preparing and eating food. An adult elephant in the
wild will eat in the region of 220 to 440 lb. of vegetation per day depending on the habitat
and the size of the elephant. 30-60% of diet is GRASSES.
Why Don’t Farmers Plough
their Fields with Tigers?
Attitude and Behavior Improve with Increased Minerals

“Several studies have demonstrated that

psychiatric symptoms such as DEPRESSION,
MOOD SWINGS, and AGGRESSION may be
ameliorated by supplementation with broad-based
nutrient formulas containing VITAMINS,
MINERALS, and sometimes essential fatty acids.
These findings have been reported in young
criminal offenders as well as in adults with mood
disturbance and other psychiatric disorders.”
Bonnie J. Kaplan, Jennifer E. Fisher, Susan G. Crawford, Catherine J. Field and Bryan Kolb.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. March 2004, 14(1): 115-122.
doi:10.1089/104454604773840553. Published in Vol: 14 Issue 1: July 5, 2004
 MINERAL DEFICENCIES AND
AGGRESSION Jianghong Liu, RN, PhD
Research on nutrition deficiency and aggressive
behavior is beginning to get attention… several
studies reported that IRON deficiency is directly
associated with AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR and
conduct disorder. Similarly, ZINC deficiency has
been found to be linked with AGGRESSIVE
BEHAVIOR in both animals and humans. It is
believed that early malnutrition… impacts brain
growth and… [these] brain impairments predispose
individuals to ANTISOCIAL and VIOLENT
BEHAVIOR…” (Liu, Raine, Venables, & Mednick, 2004).
Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2004; 25(7): 693–714 doi: 
10.1080/01612840490486755
 AGGRESSIO
N

DEPRESSIO
N
The Weight of Neglected Prayer
“A neglected
prayer closet is
the beginning of
all spiritual
decline.”
Charles Spurgeon
When Incense Goes UP…
The Oil Goes in IN

Aaron shall burn on it

sweet incense every
morning; when he
TENDS THE LAMPS,
he shall burn incense on
it. 8) And when Aaron
lights the lamps at
twilight, he shall burn
incense on it, a perpetual
incense before the Lord
throughout your
generations. Ex. 30:7-8
(NKJV)
“UNCEASING
PRAYER is the
unbroken union of the
soul with God, so that
LIFE FROM GOD
FLOWS INTO OUR
LIFE; and from our life,
purity and holiness flow
back to God.” SC 97
LOVE JOY PEACE LONG-SUFFERING

GENTLENESS GOODNESS FAITH

MEEKNESS TEMPERANCE
 Thou hast LOVED
RIGHTEOUSNES
S, and HATED
INIQUITY;
therefore God, even
thy God, hath
anointed thee with
THE OIL OF
GLADNESS above
thy fellows.
Heb. 1:9
LAYING ASIDE ANGER
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let
every man be swift to hear, slow to
speak, SLOW TO WRATH: 20) For the
wrath of man worketh not the
righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
Anger is an acid that can do
more harm to the vessel in
which it is stored than to
anything on which it is poured
When you
Repeat this
1000’s of
times Your
Body
Changes
for the
Worse
Anger Triggers: Things that Push Your Button
Being Told No Being Tired
Waiting Being Ignored
Hunger A Misunderstanding
Cheating Being Disrespected
Being Touched Being Bumped into
Too Much to Do Loud Noises
Rumors or Gossip Losing a Game
Hurt or Pain Having an Accident
Being Scared Being Left Out
Bad News Being Bullied
Unfair Treatment Being Interrupted
Tests or Grades Things Not Going as Planned
Being Late Not Understanding What to Do
Being Criticized Being Told What To Do
Not Getting Enough Sleep and Being Hungry are
the two biggest Reasons for Being Angry
LOW BLOOD SUGAR AND GENERAL FATIGUE
CAN GREATLY INTENSIFY ANGRY FEELINGS

SLEEPY HUNGR
SLANGR Y
Y

ANGRY
ELECTRONIC
SWEARING
When angry
count to ten
before you In stressful
speak. If very situations
angry, count to TAKE
one hundred. TIME to
Thomas Jefferson respond

Solutions to Anger Problems

Eating
Clean

In Bed
On Time
 2) DON’T POSTPONE ADDRESSING ISSUES.
ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE THEM ON A DAILY
BASIS

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go

down upon your wrath: Eph. 4:26
Little Weeds
are Far Easier
to Pull than
Big Weeds
3) CHOOSE TO
FORGIVE. It
pulls the Plug that
Lets the Great Forgiveness
Reservoir of Plug
Anger Drain Out
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of
redemption. 31) Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with
all malice: 32) And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING
ONE ANOTHER, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Eph.
4:30-32
You Can’t Spill
One Drop of
BITTER WATER
from a Cup
Filled to the Brim
with SWEET
WATER No
Matter How Hard
you Jar it!
Its not that
Hard to
Forgive.
Repent and
then
Apologize.
4) Resist Speaking Evil. Speak Positive Words.

Let NO CORRUPT1 communication

proceed out of your mouth, but that
which is good to the use of edifying,
that it may minister GRACE2 unto
the hearers. Eph. 4:29

1) sapros (4550) …rotten, i.e. worthless

2) charis (5485) ..especially the divine influence
upon the heart, and its reflection in the life;
ARE YOU RUNNING WITH PATIENCE
THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE
YOU… WEIGHT FREE?
If Joseph and Mary had stayed their minds upon God by meditation and
prayer, they would have realized the sacredness of their trust, and would not
have lost sight of Jesus. By one day's neglect they lost the Saviour; but it cost
them three days of anxious search to find Him. So with us; by idle talk,
evilspeaking, or neglect of prayer, we may in one day lose the Saviour's
presence, and it may take many days of sorrowful search to find Him, and
regain the peace that we have lost. DA 83
 The
PRAYER OF
FAITH is the
WEAPON by
which we may
successfully
resist every
assault of the
enemy. Signs
of the Times, Aug. 24, 1904.
THE BOOK OF
Leviticus 13 and 14
Leviticus 15
 “The world over, cities are becoming hotbeds of
vice. On every hand are the SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
OF EVIL. Everywhere are enticements to sensuality
and dissipation. The tide of corruption and crime is
continually swelling. Every day brings the record of
VIOLENCE, ROBBERIES, MURDERS, SUICIDES,
AND CRIMES UNAMABLE… Serious troubles are
before us; and for many families removal from the
cities will become a necessity.” CL 5,6 (1905)
Weights:
Living in the Land of Egypt -the Bondage of No Time
City Living and Busyness
Bad Relationships
Unwillingness to Forgive
Physical Habits that Attack the Brain
Neglect of Prayer especially for the Holy Spirit
SABBATH SCHOOL MEETING: “Laying Aside the Weights” Part One
Hebrews 12:1 says that we should lay aside both “weights” and “sins” in running the Christian
race. In part one of our study, we will examine how the Bible describes these hindrances in
Hebrews, Ephesians and Leviticus. We will explore how the preamble to the Ten
Commandments applies to us today.
DIVINE HOUR MEETING: “Laying Aside the Weights” Part Two
In Part Two of our study we will explore some of the physical and mental habits that attack the
brain as well as the big weight –the neglect of prayer and how we can improve these two areas.
AFTERNOON MEETING: “The Amazing Power of the Tongue”
The Bible says that: “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue”. Our third meeting will
explore several of the ways that evil speaking has crept into the church and robbed it of its
power. We will examine both the true and the false teaching of speaking things into existence.
“UNCEASING
PRAYER is the
unbroken union of the
soul with God, so that
LIFE FROM GOD
FLOWS INTO OUR
LIFE; and from our life,
purity and holiness flow
back to God.” SC 97
John Nelson Hyde
Nov. 9th ,1865 – Feb. 17th, 1912
Punjab Prayer Union was started about 1904. The principles of
this union are stated in the form of questions which were signed
by those becoming members:

1) “Are you praying for quickening in your own life, in the life
of your fellow-workers, and in the Church?”
2) “Are you longing for greater power of the Holy Spirit in
your own life and work, and are you convinced that you cannot
go on without this power?”
3) “Will you pray that you may not be ashamed of Jesus?”
4) “Do you believe that prayer is the great means for securing
this spiritual awakening?”
5) “Will you set apart one-half hour each day as soon after
noon as possible to pray for this awakening, and are you willing
to pray till the awakening comes?”