ENDURANCE

I hope you and your families are all well during these strange times we're in. I pray that one day we'll look back on this time and thank the Lord God for carrying us through and just remember how faithful He truly is even in the hard times. This weeks blog is based on endurance and it's meaning for us as children of God. I pray that you are all blessed by this and able to read 'til the very end.

Endurance is a word that's not used a lot in sermons; it's a word you hear most in regards to trials, sports or something related to pain but not the Faith. The Bible refers to enduring several times especially in the new testament with regards to keeping the Faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. You might be wondering why on Earth would the Bible use the word endure? There are so many other words one could use that have no association to pain and suffering so why this one? These are very good questions that we as Christians don't really discuss or get taught on in Church and there's a reason for that; people have the wrong view of Christianity.

When I was a lot younger I used to think that religion was just an add on to your life like a hobby; It was great if you had one but no big deal if you didn't. I used to think being a Christian was just a Sunday job that you went to now and again to sing nice songs and socialise but it never needed to go deeper than that. The younger me would have said "it doesn't matter if you don't pray Monday through Saturday and spend time with God sure that's what Sundays are for". My younger self was very very misinformed and delusional like so many Christians still are today and that's why there's so much confusion around what Christianity actually is. People either think being a Christian is a part time job reserved only for Sundays or it's a free for all where anything goes. This is a huge problem today; the fact that so many professing Christians think that they can live any type of way and still be a Child of God is ridiculous. It is no wonder people of the world don't take Christianity seriously and the Church doesn't understand the need to endure.

The Bible promises us as children of God we will face persecution, hardships, tribulations, spitting, mocking and many even death as the cost of believing in Christ Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that believing in God will cost us nothing and our lives will be like walking through the roses. That is the reason the Word of God mentions endurance in the first place. According to Google endurance means the ability to go through a hard or difficult process without giving way. As children of God we must prepare to endure, why? Because the Bible promises that we will go through hardships! It's coming our way child of God and it is in fact already here. If we think that Christianity is a walk in the park or a part time job then how on Earth will we be able to go through these trials without giving way? We just wont and that is a massive problem that plagues the Church today.

Persecution is coming. Hardships are coming. Tribulation is coming. Is the Church ready? Many in the Church today have taken their eyes off the true Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and they're not going to be able to stand. There has been calls to stay home the majority of this year and how are people using this time? If not to get closer to Jesus than there is something very wrong. If throughout these months you have not realised that Jesus is coming back again to judge the living and the dead you will not be able to endure. The reality is that we need Jesus to be able to stand these times that are ahead of us. We need Jesus if we're going to endure there's no way around it if we're going to make it as Christians in this fallen world we need divine intervention. The Word of God tells us again and again if we're going to walk as children of God we need to abide by His Spirit, stay in Him and stay with Him. To endure these hardships coming our way we need divine intervention from the throne room of Heaven. To endure this path set out for us we need to understand what's on the path and who's there to help us along because it's a matter of life and death.

Although this life in Christ isn't easy and we are assured trials at every side we are promised that the Lord God will never leave us nor forsake us. The Lord promises to lead us through the valley of the shadow of death and be with us every moment of our pain and problems. We will go through a lot but we will not be forsaken or abandoned by our God; we are assured of that. Too many people today think because they are going through hard times that the Lord is angry with them or it's an attack of the enemy (I previously believed this lie) but a lot of the time it's because the Lord is refining us. The Bible says that we will go through hard times and perils to prepare us for the kingdom of God and to test our Faith. We must understand that our Lord and Saviour went through hardships when He was on this Earth before He ascended and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. If the God that we worship went through trials before He entered into His glory then how much more will those who follow Him? The Word tells us plainly if we want to partake in the glory to come we must also partake in the trials and tribulations. Let us as children of God be expecting and preparing for this and not the constant breakthrough and blessings doctrine that's being thrown to the Saints today. 

But do not be afraid nor be weary or dismayed the Lord our God is the maker of the Heavens and Earth. He sees exactly where you are. He knows exactly where you are. He will fight for you. Are you prepared to fight for Him?

As always I will leave you with Scripture about this weeks topic of endurance.

James 1:2-4                                                                                                                             My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;                                       Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.                                               But let patience have her perfect work , that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Romans 5:3-4                                                                                                                          And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;                                                                                                                                 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

James 1:12                                                                                                                              Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

1 Peter 5:10                                                                                                                             But the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strenghten, settle you.

Revelation 3:10                                                                                                                      Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation. which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

John 16:33                                                                                                                              These things I have spoken unto you,  that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I pray that you learned something new from this blog and it was a blessing to you; my hope is that everyone who reads this will prepare for the coming hardships. If you are in Christ get your garments ready to receive Him because His Church is without spot, blemish or wrinkle. For those of you reading this who don't know the Lord God I pray that you would just call out to Him I promise that He hears you. Jesus is coming again  and He will judge the whole Earth; every single soul that's ever lived. Where will you be for an eternity?

I love you all so much and Jesus loves you infinitely more. Stay blessed.