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Welcome
“Some flowers have a sweet fragrance. When we, as God’s children, follow Him closely, we will also have a sweet fragrance and beauty that will spread wherever we go.”
Stella
Worship
Word
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.
Hebrews 10:36
I’m sure that there isn’t a believer living (and those that have already gone to glory), who at some point in their walk with the Lord, have not felt like giving up. This whole letter to the Hebrews has undertones of this theme throughout (e.g., Heb 2:1; 3:1, 6; 4:1; 4:14; 10:19-39; 12:1; 12:4-12). Rick Warren who has recently retired from being the Minister of Saddleback Church with over 20,000 members wanted to quit every Monday morning. Even a quick perusal of the Scriptures indicates that God’s prophets and saints have battled with discouragement and wanting to quit from time to time, e.g. Jeremiah.
James points us both to the prophets and to Job’s perseverance and encourages us with these words,
Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 5:10-11
This brings to mind these words:
No testing has overtaken you except what is common to humankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tested beyond what you can bear. But when you are tested He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Cor. 10:13
God is faithful, He knows what we are going through. He is in control, He will not let us be tested more than we can take, and He has a massive supply of grace to help us in our time of need. I was challenged recently not to put anything in first place before my worship of God, even the desire for His church to be more blessed by growing and bringing glory to His name; even the longing for Revival! Whenever we are off centre, in any way, this will affect our relationship with Jesus. We have to worship the Lord in the ordinary everyday aspects of life.
These verses in Hebrews that I started off with are in the overall context of exhorting us, in e.g., Hebrews 3:1 to “fix our thoughts on Jesus” the One who never gave up even to the point of going to the cross and being separated for a moment in time from His Father in heaven, for your sake, and for mine, and remember this promise:
Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Galatians 6:9
Amen.
Quote of the week
“In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength but through perseverance.”
Author Unknown
Verse of the week
He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor. 1:8
Let’s Pray
Lord, we thank and praise You that You never gave up, but persevered all the way to the cross. Help us Lord, give us grace upon grace, and more of Your Spirit, to do Your will right to the very end of the age, and never give up, in Jesus Christ, for Your glory Lord, Amen.