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November 27, 2000
By Bishop FELIPE GAXIOLA
Growing Through Perseverance
The Christian
life is like a race in which perseverance is necessary to reach
the finish line. Sadly, many have abandoned this race due to
lack of perseverance. Many have stumbled and decided not to get
up. Many have become discouraged and stopped running. But those
who were conscious of the great importance of perseverance, in
the midst of difficulties and temptation, were able to finish
the race. In this lesson we will learn the importance of perseverance.
Persevering
In Spite Of Opposition
People's
mockery should not be a motive to not persevere:
"When
Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry
and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence
of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What
are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will
they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring
the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as
they are?"
"Tobiah
the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, 'What they are building--if
even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of
stones!'"
"Hear
us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on
their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.
Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your
sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders."
- Nehemiah
4:1-5
Floggings and
jail couldn't hinder Paul and Silas from singing and praying:
"About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening to them." - Acts 16:25
God is delighted
with those who persevere in spite of opposition:
"Then
the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant
Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright,
a man who fears God and shuns evil."
"...when
suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the
four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are
dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then
he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came
from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. [1] The LORD
gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be
praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with
wrongdoing." - Job 1:8, 19-22
The Benefits
Of Perseverance
To perfect
our lives for when times of temptation and trials do arrive we
can resist:
"Consider
it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
We can have the
ability to help others persevere:
"...who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those
in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from
God."
- 2nd Corinthians 1:4
To produce for
ourselves earthly and heavenly rewards. The strength to persevere,
for us, is a supernatural reward that God gives us (Hebrews 10:35-39).
Only the Christians that persevere will be rewarded:
"Do not
be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil
will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer
persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death,
and I will give you the crown of life." - Revelation 2:10
The Results
Of The Lack Of Perseverance
The loss
of our testimony and influence in front of friends and strangers:
"Abram
lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities
of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom."
"So Lot
went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry
his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place,
because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his
sons-in-law thought he was joking." - Genesis 13:12, 19:14
The mocking of
those who saw us before living a Christian life:
"Suppose
one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down
and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete
it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it,
everyone who sees it will ridicule him" - Luke 14:28-29
The loss of our
reward because we did not persevere:
"All
men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the
end will be saved." - Mark 13:13
And you are...?
A story goes that there was once a hare and a tortoise that ran
a race. The hare, as we all know, is an animal of great velocity.
On the other hand, the tortoise is characterized by its very
slow movements. While the hare rested the tortoise never stopped
"running". The perseverance of the tortoise was the
determining factor for its victory over the speedy hare. There
are Christians who started with a lot of fire but they burned
out. The ones that have endured in the Christian life are those
who ran slowly but with a steady pace. Day after day they come
to church, comply with their duties and patiently await the coming
of the Lord. What are you, a hare or a tortoise?
Rev. Felipe Gaxiola has
a degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Baja
California, Mexico, studied Psychology at the California State
University of San Diego, and is a graduate of the International
Apostolic Theology Institute. A native of Mexico, he assumed
the pastorate of the Apostolic Church in Fresno, Ca. in 1987
and is currently the Bishop of the Northern Central District
of California of the Apostolic Assembly of the Faith in Christ
Jesus.
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