Endure in Faith
Most of the time I have sought out the Lord pertaining to guidance in life, He responds with Trust and Faith. The recent postings show me how God has not changed this teaching throughout my Christian walk, it is almost always the same guidance. Since the last posts, the messages have continued down the same line, Faith. But, they are now going a step further – Enduring in Faith. I pray this message blesses you and that His seed is glorified through abundant fruit. In Jesus name, amen. –
Pertaining to hearing the Word of God. The Word is the seed that is sown in our hearts –
Mark 4:16-17 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
This is the lesson that the Lord is teaching me – I tend to receive His guidance of Faith with joy and gladness (receiving the Word). I believe in it, my spirit is lifted up, and then after some time, it begins to fade. I only endured but for a time. As it fades, additional storms and fiery darts hit me, and then I end up back to square one. Finally, after some time when I am at square one, I diligently seek out the Lord again. He gives me the same guidance of Faith and this cycle is repeated. Lord, thank you for showing me and teaching me.
Mark 4:18-19 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
Again, the same situation with cares of the world. I receive the Word, get lifted up, believe, begin Walking in Faith for a time, but cares of this world choke it out. The Word begins to fade, Satan turns up the attacks, deceptions, distractions, etc., and I’m back to square one. I do not endure in His teachings of Faith.
Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
What is that “good ground”? Well, Jesus talks about it in Mark 4:15 when He says:
Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
It becomes an issue of heart. The heart in this context means thoughts and feelings, the mind. The middle part of a man. The soul. In order to endure successfully, there must be a choice to die to self, and be risen in-Christ. To abide with Christ. This is how the sown seed can endure and bring forth fruit –
John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
The Word abide in this context is defined as such:Strong’s Greek 3306 – meno – a primary verb; to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):-abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry
Endure –
2 Timothy 2:3-6 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.
2 Timothy 2:10-13 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
Even when we deny Him and we believe not, He abides faithful. Always waiting for us to turn around, repent. Man.. Praise God for His faithfulness!
James 5:10-11 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
Many characters in the bible endured in their faith, regardless of their surroundings, attacks, hardships, storms, and so on. I.e. Job, the prophets, Moses, etc. Jesus guides us to endure –
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.
Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
This is the witnessing and testimony of God’s guidance – He is teaching that faith goes much deeper than just believing in God. This faith walks with God in faith, but walking with God in faith can fade unless we endure, remain, stay, and continue in that faith, in-Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone. At the very moment I abide in anything else but Christ, I begin to fade. When I abide in myself, my ideals, cares of the world, or dwell on the storms, attacks, fiery darts from the enemy, etc – The moment I do not endure with Him, the seed begins to fade, and it is stolen/choked out. Lord, help me to remain steadfast in you and you alone. Write this in my heart. I don’t want to fade again Lord, I need your help to remain steadfast. Help all of us Lord. In Jesus name, amen.
Job 11:13-19 If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away: And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety. Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
Let me not forget Caleb and Joshua. The Lord had spoken. The Lord said that He is giving them the land. Once they neared the land, Moses sent spies to spy out the land. The group of men came back from spying the land and all of them (except Caleb and Joshua) said that they should not go and take the land. They were afraid of the inhabitants. But Caleb and Joshua endured in their faith, for God had spoken and they counted God as faithful to His promise –
Numbers 14:6-9 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
From some recent devotions. Thank you Lord for guiding and teaching me this very valuable lesson. These are from R. Warren and D. Wilkerson, respectively –
Faith is what allows us to declare in confidence that God is with us no matter what happens. We are certain God is for us and certain he has our best interests at heart.
You have two choices about the future –
- You can either face the future as a cynic, a doubter, with negative thoughts, expecting the worse, or …
- You can face the future expecting God to be with you and that His goodness and His mercy will follow you all the days of your life.
and..
God doesn’t want your home, your car, your furniture, your savings, your
possessions. All he wants is your faith—your strong belief in his Word. You may claim, “I believe this. I have faith in the God who resurrected Jesus.” Yet, the question for you is, do you believe the Lord can resurrect your troubled marriage? Do you believe he can bring to life a spiritually dead relative? Do you believe he can raise you up out of the pit of a debilitating habit? Do you believe he can erase your cursed past and restore to you all the years the cankerworm has eaten? When everything looks hopeless—when you are in an impossible situation, with no resources, and no hope before you—do you believe God will be your Jehovah Jirah, seeing to your need? Do you believe he’s committed to keeping his promises to you?
