3P'S OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE: PERSISTENCE, PATIENCE & PERSEVERANCE
A
welcome Note
Isn’t it lovely to know how God’s
grace has been operating in our lives? Well, we at the Good News Magazine hope
that you had a wonderful time of God’s grace resting in your lives. We so thank
the Lord for you all. We are pleased to welcome you back to our 18th edition and we
have so much to share with you precious people of God.
Our
theme this round we will focus on Persistence, Perseverance and Patience.
I
see a woman getting up early in the wee hours of the morning. She prepares some
porridge and then packs all that she needs in a basket ready for work. She
carries a machete which she almost forgets and hands it over to her older boy, that boy happens to be me.
Well it is very cold out there; we quickly tread to the field. There is so much
a head of us. Plenty of work needs to be done. It is preparing the field for
sowing. I have to help mum cut the unwanted vegetation and prepare the ground
for planting. It takes a lot of time and hard work preparing the ground. It needs a diligent person to do all that. After
the ground has been fully prepared, there is sowing time and harvesting time.
Between
the sowing time and the reaping time there is always a long wait…and this is
what I call patience. Before the harvest time comes, the crops planted
endure a lot. The good farmer always knows what the crops will have to go through
before they mature and be ripe for harvest. The storms of the night, the winds
that blow boisterously, the pests and weeds that destroy crops, the floods, the
intense sun; all these are just some of the setbacks the farmer may encounter
during the waiting period. If crops were destroyed due to any of the above, the
farmer has to ensure that he starts all over again to sow, this I call Persistence
or Perseverance.
Now
let’s get started by looking into 1Peter 1:7 That
the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory
at the appearing of Jesus Christ: There is so much we can learn
from the above scripture. However, the
journey of salvation is often very challenging and it takes a lot of patience,
persistence, perseverance, prayer and faith in God to make it through. Jesus
Himself told His disciples that in the world they would have many tribulations,
but we must endure all this. The Apostle Paul also emphasized this in 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:
Tribulation
worketh patience, not in and of itself, but the powerful grace of God working
in and with the tribulation. Patient sufferers have most of the Divine
consolations, which abound as afflictions abound. It works needful experience
of ourselves. This hope will not disappoint, because it is sealed with the Holy
Spirit as a Spirit of love. It is the gracious work of the blessed Spirit to
shed abroad the love of God in the hearts of all the saints. A right sense of
God's love to us will make us not ashamed, either of our hope, or of our
sufferings for Him. It is when we go through trials and tribulations that we experience
or learn how patience works in us. At our hour of trial we learn of God’s
faithfulness in fulfilling His promises; of His power in supporting us; and of
our own frailty and weakness; and so we are taught humility, thankfulness, and resignation
to the will of God.
It
is important to understand that the moment we pray to God and make all our
requests known to Him, He knew that long before we could petition our requests.
Therefore, just as the Psalmist said, ‘I waited
patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry,(Psalms
40:1) we have to be careful not to rush ahead of the Lord as that shows lack of
patience. And when we give up easily or prematurely we lack perseverance! Psalm
27:14 says, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and
he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalms37:9
says, For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon
the LORD, they shall inherit the earth. Isaiah 40:31says, But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their
strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be
weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. And my favorite verse
James 1:2-4 says, 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. Patience is not just sitting around
doing nothing but it is hopeful endurance, expectant waiting in the Lord.
It
is also important to understand that during waiting time we go through
thoroughly training to be ready at all times for what is to come. Romans 8:25
says, But if we
hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
There
is, of course, a close relationship between having patience and persevering. We can have all these only
when we operate in faith. Faith and prayer play a very vital role when it comes
to perseverance, patience and persistence. We can’t do this without faith. We
can only hope in faith knowing that God’s Word and promises are true. We can be patient in waiting for
something to happen, but we might
not persevere in prayer. To
persevere in other words means to continue doing something despite all external forces that are trying to discourage us from doing so. Apostle Paul
knew better when he said in Ephesians 6:18, Praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Dear
friends, let’s never give up when it comes to waiting on the Lord. If we give
up easily we can never get the results that we so desired. The Lord always
answers our prayers. His timing is not our timing. To Him a day is like a
thousand years and vice versa. Have you waited for so long for an answer to
some need but it tends to take long? Be patient. Are you tired of asking the
Lord for one thing over and over again? Be persistence. Do you ever feel the
circumstance you are under now can never end? Just persevere, for there is a
reward kept for you by our Lord. Matthew 7:7 says, Ask,
and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you:
The
story of the Canaanite woman is a great encouragement to us all. In Matthew
15:22-28, the Bible says, And, behold, a
woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have
mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a
devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him,
saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am
not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet
to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth,
Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then
Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee
even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
How
great this woman’s faith was! Even Jesus recognized that and told her so. If
she could have stopped and gone without persisting, she could have lost that
miracle! But she kept persisting, she never wanted to quit. She knew that the
Master could not leave her the same. She knew Jesus would do something. Though
she saw clearly that Jesus had kept quiet about her request, she couldn’t go
away. How often does this happen to us too; we pray and receive no immediate answer,
so we shrug our shoulders and give up. However, this woman did not give up, instead,
she persisted and kept “crying out”. Jesus then stated the reason why He had
not answered her: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of
the house of Israel.” Still, the woman persisted; and, most
significantly, did so even as she worshiped Him. This persistent act of faith
eventually caused Jesus to change His mind and give her that which she asked
for! The same can work for us if we apply faith and learn to persist!
ENDURE TO THE END
As
a young boy I loved having good things. Every time my dad who worked away from
our home, would visit us and I would ask him, “Dad, did you bring me a shirt?”
He would then respond, “No my boy, but I have something better for you.” Then
he would give me some biscuits. This kept happening until he finally one day
surprised me. “Check what’s in that box”. To my amazement, I was so happy to
see a brand new shirt. With excitement I jumped up and down running to my mum
to show her my new shirt. This later I learned was persistence.
Luke
18:1-8 says, And he spake a parable unto them to this
end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which
feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and
she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a
while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard
man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge
saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto
him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them
speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth? This woman sought justice from a judge who knew not God. However, due to the woman’s persistence
the judge gave into her request
in order to avoid becoming weary. Jesus
then goes on to say that if this is what an unjust judge does, think how much
more God will do for His own elect when they cry day and night to Him. And then
Jesus goes on to relate faith and persistence, implying that if we give up and
don’t persist then we lack faith!
Jesus
is trying to teach us a very important lesson here that we ought to pray always
and never give up. There are so many examples He used to elaborate this in
teaching us about persistence. In Luke 11:5-9 we also read this: And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend,
and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three
loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing
to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the
door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give
thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his
friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he
needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. This man is trying
to get some bread from a friend who has already retired for the evening bed and
is not willing to get up again. Yet, because of his persistence the friend will
rise and give him as many as he needs.
Are
we really asking as we ought to? Are we persistence in our asking? Do we always
need quick solutions and responses? Where is our patient? Patience is true
piety. Those that rejoice in hope are likely to be patient in tribulation. We
should not be cold in the duty of prayer, nor be weary of it. Prayer is needful
at all times, even during tribulation and distress, whether inward or outward.
This should be made without ceasing; as saints we should watch unto it with all
perseverance; as followers of Jesus we should pray always, and not faint; never
give out and over, or be discouraged or murmuring against God.
2Thess.
3:5 says, And the Lord direct your hearts into the
love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. Enduring
to the end requires faithfulness to the end, as in the case of Apostle Paul,
who told Timothy, I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith: (2 Timothy 4:7).
Obviously, this is not an easy task. It is intended to be difficult,
challenging, and, ultimately, refining as we prepare to return to live with our
Father in Heaven and receive eternal blessings. We
cannot return to our Heavenly Father’s presence unless we are clean, and so we
must continue to repent. First,
it requires the Savior’s redemptive power and to endure to the end it requires
the Holy Ghost, who will both guide and sanctify us. Patient here plays a big
role in our Christian walk.
Have
you ever thought why Jesus delayed to heal Lazarus? He could have come and
healed him when he was still alive. Instead, He waited to raise him from the
dead when he was already in his grave. God could have made David become king
the day after he was anointed. Instead, he waited for so long to rise to the
throne, many of those years spent fearing for his life, hiding out and running away
from king Saul. God could have spoken to Moses in the desert about sending him
to help free His people from slavery 40 days after he ran away from Egypt. Instead,
He made him wait for 40 long years. God could have given Abraham the son He
promised him when he was still a young man. Instead, He waited until he was 100
years old. God could have answered prayers and met the needs of these precious men
of God much quicker, but He didn’t. He made them wait instead. This, He often
makes us do the same.
God
sometimes makes us wait for healing to come after we’ve been praying for years
and there is no sign of recovery. He makes us wait to fulfill His call in our
lives after He puts the desire and passion in our hearts to serve Him in a
certain way. He makes us wait to give us the desires of our hearts. He makes us
wait for direction when we are stuck at a dead end and we don’t know where to
go or what to do. He could answer that same prayer that we’ve been praying for
years every night in a millisecond. That same prayer that has been bringing you
to tears. That same prayer the longer it goes unanswered, the more it makes you
question whether God even hears. He kept Moses in a desert for 40 years. Joseph
in a prison cell for 10 years. Abraham without a child for 100 years. David on
the run for many years. And maybe He is keeping us right where we’re at for the
same reason He kept these men for so many years: to build our faith and learn
patience, perseverance and persistence.
Sometimes
God keeps us waiting in order to build our dependence on Him when we are barren
and empty to see if He is truly all we desire and all we need. God wants to build
our trust in Him when the storm keeps raging, the battle keeps going and
breakthrough and victory doesn’t seem near. And sometimes the waiting period of
our lives is the most important time in our life. It is during this period when
nothing seems to be happening, when prayers seem to go unanswered, when God
seems so far away that the most spiritual growth takes place in our lives. That
we learn to become more like Him.
I
want to remind you that God is not deaf to our prayers. He is not blind to our
constant tears, to our desires, and to our needs. All He is teaching us is to
learn waiting on Him. If He is making us wait, there is a very good reason for
it. If He is telling you “no” today, maybe it’s because He has a better “yes”
waiting for you tomorrow. If He is keeping you in the same place you’ve always
been today, maybe it’s because He’s helping build your faith before you enter
your promised land tomorrow. If He is not healing you or bringing you victory
today, maybe it’s because you will have a greater testimony when He waits to
help you be an overcomer tomorrow. Wherever you are at today know that God is
right beside you and that there is a purpose for you. Even if that purpose is
to wait.
Don’t
give up just because you don’t see anything happening today. Maybe there is
nothing physically happening that your eyes can see but there is definitely
something happening in the spiritual realm as you learn to rely on Jesus. Don’t
allow your waiting period to make you hopeless about what tomorrow will bring. Instead,
let it build your faith and give you even greater hope for what God has in
store for you. He made some of the greatest men of faith wait. Don’t be
discouraged if He makes you wait as well. He will come through for you, just
like He came through for them. Remember, God gives us strength to endure but
not to escape. Be patient, persist and persevere for God has not forgotten
about you! We are always in God’s mind and thoughts. Don’t you ever give up!
I
sum up this with 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.
CREATIVE WRITINGS
The Race of a Lifetime – By Deborah Ann Belka
The race we are running,
is the race of a lifetime
we must run it well . . .
or else we’ll be left behind.
If we’re going to succeed,
we must run it to win
the only way to victory
is to run away from sin.
For Satan is on the chase,
after our souls, he's gunning
we must be sure from him
to always keep on running.
We need to stay focused,
on the goal that is ahead
we must be sober and alert
so we can be Spirit lead.
It’s a race of endurance,
not one of swiftness or speed
we must depend on God . . .
for the stamina that we need!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hebrews 12:1
King James Version
“Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about
with so great a
cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside
every weight,
and the sin which
doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with
patience the race
that is set before
us,”
Copyright 2014
Deborah Ann Belka
Patience Poem
I'm Waiting Lord
I’m waiting Lord,
waiting just on You
I know deep down . . .
You will come through.
I’m believing Lord,
with all my heart and soul
for I know You are . . .
the one who’s in control.
I’m trusting Lord,
trusting whatever You do
I know everything . . .
is completely up to You.
I’m expecting Lord,
in You, I will rest
knowing You know
what for me is best.
Lord, I’m waiting
waiting just for You
I’ll keep believing . . .
no matter what You do!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am
God:”
King James Version
by Public Domain
Copyright 2015
Deborah Ann Belka
Perseverance
Poem
One-Step
at-a-Time
It’s a
daily thing,
this Christian walk
it’s a one-step at-a-time
this Christian walk.
It’s a journey,
at times a troublesome one
it’s a battle
with Satan that must be won.
It’s a
voyage,
one storm right after another
it’s a struggle
to keep our faith from going under.
It’s a passage,
from the darkness into the light
it’s an encounter
needing all our strength and might.
It’s an
expedition,
with our very own cross to wear
it’s a fight
to the end, we all have to bear.
It’s a daily thing,
this Christian walk
it’s a one-step at-a-time
to which we must never balk!
~~~~~~~~~~~
1 John 1:6-7 “If we say that we have
fellowship with him,
and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the
light, we
have fellowship one with another, and the blood
of Jesus Christ his
Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
Copyright 2015
Deborah Ann Belka
TESTIMONY
By brother
James Beverly
"I was
born on August 21, 1978 and have lived in Pike County, Georgia U.S.A. all my
life ...... although I have moved around some. My mom was raised in a strict
Christian household and was saved when she was 9. She met and married my dad in
1972. My dad was a hard man and was as lost spiritually as the day is long when
I was growing up. The scriptures say at one point not to be unequally yoked
with an unbelieving partner in this life.
My mom always stood on the WORD though when
people would throw that up at her and she would say "the scriptures also
say that if any part of your family is lost and you pray for them fervently
then they shall be saved." That is my mom and I am so blessed to have a
mother that not only knows the WORD but isn't afraid to stand up for it also.
Her prayers were answered in 1991 when my dad
finally surrendered to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and gave his life to
the LORD. Almost 20 years of praying for him every day. That is commitment. I can remember my mom and my grandmother, her
mom, crying a lot out of joy. Me being younger and lost I had no understanding
of what was going on. I now know without a doubt that the angels were rejoicing
when he was won ... you would have had to know him.
In the fall of 1996 we, my mom, dad and
myself, moved to my current location just outside of Molena out in the sticks
as people say around here. The road we moved on had hardly a house all the way
down it. It was totally different for me and I knew that it was going to take
some time to adjust to, and boy did it ever in more ways than one. We were
moved in somewhat by the time school started back (my junior year ..... it
would have been my senior but I failed due to goofing off in the 8th grade). Although
we were in a different locale things seemed to be pretty much the same. My mom
and dad both worked at the same textile mill and we went on with our lives; or
so I thought. In June 1997 the telephone rang at a little after 2:00 am on a
Monday morning and my mom answered it. It was the mill where they worked
wanting my dad to come in to start up some machines (he was always on call
because he was the chief mechanic). She woke him up and rolled back over to go
to sleep. He stood up, took two steps and fell over dead with a massive heart
attack. This would start the ball rolling for what seemed like a long, long
time of living in the valley for my mom and me. The very next June we were
involved in a serious car accident that had me in the hospital for an extended
time and then confined to a chair at home for nearly 4 months. That fall, the
mill permanently closed up and my mom's job was gone. They filed bankruptcy and
although she had put in many years her pay for that time amounted to almost
nothing.
Things seemed to be only going down hill to
me until that October when one night my mom had turned on the tv to and was
listening to some preaching that I knew nothing about. Being laid up like I was
for such a long time when I was very active had become somewhat a thorn in my
flesh. I was tired of doing nothing but as I sat there that night and listened
to a message of salvation I noticed myself bowing my head and closing my eyes
and praying that the LORD would save me. I didn't know why I was doing it or even
what it meant but I knew something was causing me to do it. My mom was ecstatic
that I had gotten saved and I was like, "Okay?"... haha ....
So here we are now in 2014 and as I look back
on these things I type this and think "Wow...look at what the LORD has
done." Now I have to add a few more details here to complete this. To
begin with, I didn't follow through like I should have with getting baptized
and getting into the WORD and going to church. As a matter of fact I didn't
even join a church until January 2004. After all those years of being saved and
stagnant the LORD was about to unveil me so to speak.
One Saturday morning in January I was sitting
around doing nothing and the thought came to my mind that I should go to a
local church that my mom had been going to on and off over the years. I asked
her where she was going the next morning and being my mom she asked "I
would love to....you want to go with me?" Before I even knew what had
happened I had answered her and said "Yes I do." The next morning I
walked into that huge church with all of those people and sat there not knowing
what to expect. At the end of the service the pastor asked if anyone wanted to
be saved or baptized or ... WAIT!!! ...that was it... the baptizing... I had
never followed through with it. I was scared to death to walk out into that
aisle and go down in front of all those people but the LORD nudged me on and
after I took that first step I felt as though I just glided down there. He
asked me what I wanted him to do for me and I told him that I was saved but
that I had never been baptized and I wanted to do that and join so I could get
in with the fellowship that I needed to grow.
Now to show you how the LORD works so
mightily. That particular church holds baptism once a month and guess what day
the LORD has impressed on me to go? That's right ... it was the day of their
baptizing. I was baptized that night along with 16 others and I thought that
was something too ... for all my life I have always loved the number 17. I also
now know that the number 17 means "victory" when studying the Bible
and that is what I have ladies and gentlemen... I have victory in JESUS! I
started singing in the choir there and then started playing lead guitar for the
youth band that the LORD blessed me to be part of although I certainly wasn't a
youth. I was there until October 2009 when the LORD moved me to a little church
that I played at for 3 1/2 years. They were needing help in their music
department and HE spoke to me strongly on this one Sunday while I was in choir.
I knew nothing of this church HE was calling me to help at but I didn't
question HIM. I was obedient and HE blessed me in many ways for my time there.
In April of 2013 the LORD spoke to me again. It was time for me to move on
again. Interestingly HE moved me back to the church I was baptized in and I
shall be there as long as HE needs this time as well.
The LORD's ways are NOT our ways and I know
that more now than ever. We all think that we are okay until we are redeemed
and then we can look back and really see how far off course we really were. The
LORD has blessed me so much over the years and now I am involved full time at
my church and a big ministry on Facebook straight off of my wall. I now hope to
be used through this website too and sharing what HE will impress on my heart
to share.
The LORD has blessed me with many things but
the gift that I appreciate more than all is the very gift of HIS Son that died
on the cross some 2000 years ago so I could live forever with HIM in perfection!!!
GOD bless you all and I appreciate you taking your special time that HE has
given you to read this and I pray above all that it will in some small way
minister to you and let you know that even though we are all different we are
all the same when it comes to needing a Savior!!!
Love you all...
FINAL WORD
***If
you would love us to pray with you, please do not hesitate to contact us
through: Justus at: blessedjustus@gmail.com,
If
you have taken this step and made that all important decision to accept Jesus Christ as the Blessed Controller of your
life, please contact
us via email with name and physical address. And if you need to talk to us by
phone, please let’s know so we may PM you our phone numbers. Would you like us
to send you some material concerning the next steps in your walk with the Lord? Do you
have special prayer request? If so, please let us know through the emails
provided above.***
May you prosper in all that
you do! God hasn’t forgotten about you. You are in His mind and thoughts.
Always praying for you.
Our
19th Edition will be out on 1st August, 2015.
Justus, Debbie & the
Team, Kenya, USA
‘Holding forth the word of life; that I
may rejoice in the day of Christ,
that I have not run in vain, neither laboured
in vain.’ - Phil. 2:16
Dear friends, we are glad to share with you our 23rd Good News Magazine – Global Edition. Recalling back when I was young, I had trouble with my old tattered pair of shoes. I had grown and the shoes couldn’t fit in my feet. Besides that, it had no shape nor could you recognize its original color. I would feel embarrassed before people having on that shoe; I wasn’t comfortable wearing it, as a matter of fact, I would sometimes walk barefoot many miles hence hurting my feet…
