How to Endure
As a believer in and follower of Jesus Christ, His Word is life to me. That Word of Truth gave me a brand new identity and forever altered the course of my life and message. I believe that Jesus can set anyone free from anything! This belief can get me in trouble sometimes with those who do not view the world from a Christ-centered point of view. It is part of my reality that I face opposition like this from time to time. One of the first things I do is to remind myself of the truth. How do you do that?
Declare your faith to your own soul…
For me, that often comes in the form of a song. One I received recently as a personal tool of declaring what I believe to my own soul is called This Is My Faith.Two nights previous to receiving this song, Melinda was reading some negative responses regarding my belief that God can change one’s sexual identity. Using words describing me as a hater and as a violent person were so far removed from reality - yet the enemy began to use them against me causing me to search my own heart to see if there was any truth in such statements. I found it difficult to sleep with such words echoing through my mind. In addition, California is considering a new law outlawing Christian belief that says one can change one’s sexual orientation, banning any moral point of view other than the LGBTQ point of view as illegal...banning the sale of my autobiography or the sharing of my story in that state. In order to take my thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, I began my day by proclaiming truth over my own soul. This song came as a result of those proclamations. But before I share the song, let’s remind ourselves of the truth of God’s Word.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NASB
You will suffer hardship in life. Either you are headed into a storm or you’re between storms. Sin sees to that. The lies of the enemy see to that. We live in a fallen world but serve a risen Savior…
Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:3 NASB
[2Ti 3:1-5, 13 NASB] 1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these... 13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
How do we avoid such things as these? Know who and Whose you are…
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
2 Timothy 1:12 NASB
[2Ti 2:8-13 NASB] 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. 11 It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
Be collected in spirit…
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:5 NASB
Deny yourself as the answer. Self is an idol that will always let us down…
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.?
Matthew 16:24 NASB
We know the Answer…and we are not it!
[2Co 4:5-12 NASB] 5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you.
Remember God sees the big picture…
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 NASB
Use your time wisely…
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 NASB
Remember, we win…
And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even [fn]when faced with death.
Revelations 12:11
[1Jo 4:2-4 NASB] 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Dennis Jernigan
To listen to and declare This Is My Faith, go to https://youtu.be/tVi_-6CaCsE
This Is My Faith
WORDS & MUSIC
Dennis Jernigan
April 30, 2018
Verse
I believe that on the cross He bore my sin
I believe that He died and rose again
I was blind but now I see
I believe His blood has washed me clean
I believe that on the cross He bore my shame
I believe that He has broken every chain
I was bound but now I'm free
I believe His love left me redeemed
Chorus
I believe in the name of Jesus!
I believe in the cleansing blood!
I believe in the name that frees us!
I believe in redeeming love!
I believe in the resurrection!
I believe that He alone can save!
I believe in the name of Jesus!
I believe my heart was rearranged!
I believe in the name that frees us!
I believe I'll never be the same!
I am headed in a new direction!
I declare to the world this is my faith!