Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the
word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last
only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they
quickly fall away.
Mark 4:16-17
Mark 4:16-17
Endurance
While the lion is
said to be majestic and the leopard ferocious and shrewd, the cheetah is
elegant and graceful. It is the fastest of the animals in the cat family. This
big cat can sprint to speeds of up to seventy miles per hour but it cannot
sustain the pace for a long time because it may overheat.
Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the Cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey quickly, it will be forced to abandon its chase. Are you a Christian with a small heart? I see Christians who are quick to jump into ministry with speed just like the cheetah but before long they are overcome by the heat and soon they give up.
Within its long, sleek body is a disproportionately small heart, which causes the Cheetah to tire quickly. Unless the cheetah catches its prey quickly, it will be forced to abandon its chase. Are you a Christian with a small heart? I see Christians who are quick to jump into ministry with speed just like the cheetah but before long they are overcome by the heat and soon they give up.
At one time there
was a call for all those who felt they were called to the intercession ministry
to sign up and a lot of people came up. A good number came up because being in
the intercessory ministry made them look spiritually superior. In less than a
month 80% of them had dropped out because they could not endure and travail in
prayer. They loved the title but they were not able to keep up with the pace.
Do you have a big
heart? The kind that is able to endure to the end, or do you quickly fizzle out
before you finish. Jesus said that those of us who endure till the end will be
saved. The early disciples endured all manner of hardships but still held on to
their faith. They did not have the cheetahs approach to ministry but rather
endured until they finished what their assignment was.
No wonder Paul was able to say in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
No wonder Paul was able to say in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Paul endured the
race that had been set before him and you and I should endeavor to do the same.
We have a skewed gospel that is preached today that mostly focuses on God
blessing us and all this things that He has in store for us but very few
messages talk about the process we have to go through as we await the blessing.
We are in this world but we are not of this world therefore our focus should not be on earthly rewards but rather on the heavenly reward. Yes there is a promised land, but just like the Israelites, we have to be in this for the long haul and if we endure till the end, then we will get to the Promised Land! Christianity is not a sprint, it is a marathon so put on your running shoes and get ready for the long haul.
We are in this world but we are not of this world therefore our focus should not be on earthly rewards but rather on the heavenly reward. Yes there is a promised land, but just like the Israelites, we have to be in this for the long haul and if we endure till the end, then we will get to the Promised Land! Christianity is not a sprint, it is a marathon so put on your running shoes and get ready for the long haul.
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