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“This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” Rev. 13:10

     Note – An excerpt from “Sailing With God”

 In the Bible God tells us at the end time the saints must persevere with patience.  God has given us many commands in His Word.  Most of His commands are comforting.  We are to be faithful, merciful, loving, gracious, meek and humble.  We have an ominous added command for the end days, the believers are to have “patient endurance, or perseverance”

     Endurance denotes a time of great difficulty, struggle, loss and persecution.  One does not have to have perseverance when blessings abound and life is easy.

     God illustrated this lesson through a sailing trip to Ocracoke.  The weather was deteriorating and we knew we had to sail to avoid the brewing wind and storms.  Days of high winds were forecast as well as severe storms.  We wanted to avoid trouble so we made every preparation to leave. Yet, our departure was prevented for a couple of days. Weather wise the forecasted storms grew closer. Prayers were said and still the delaying complications only increased. Finally, it was too late; the weather we dreaded was upon us.  We now were faced with patiently enduring the storm.

     What a perfect picture of life for Christians in America.  For so long we have enjoyed the abundant blessings of God.  We have basked in His grace and grown fat and lazy in our faiths.  We are so much like the ancient Israelites.  The Old Testament warns the believers to stay faithful to God, to abide by His commands, to live as lights of grace in this world.  But they would not.  They lavished themselves with pleasure, money and sins.  They sacrificed their children and held God in contempt.  Through their unbelief they earned God’s wrath and judgment.  When it fell it was complete.  The ten northern tribes were totally destroyed and sent into exile. The two southern tribes were ravished by war and sent into 70 years of exile. (See Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and the Minor Prophets).

      God says if we don’t stand firm in our faith we won’t stand at all. (Is. 7:9).  For too long Christians in America have not fought the good fight, we have taken no stands, we have not persevered.  What is the result – our country has turned their back on God.  We have embraced pagan ways.  We have allowed the One True God to become a victim of political “correctness” or so it may seem. Man cannot mock or diminish God.  He will be glorified either through praises and blessings, or through divine judgment.  Man cannot change God into something he can control or make up.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Where man turns his back – God withdraws His blessing.  What is the result? – Faithless foolish rulers and judges, rebellious youth, economic disasters, natural disasters, wars, terrors, death and disease.  Man cannot live without God’s blessing.  We are either for God or against Him, there is no middle ground.

     The question is, “Is it too late?  Can we at last take a firm stand and gird ourselves with God’s Word and Spirit?  Can we bend the knee in repentance and forestall the impending judgment of God?  Or has our country gone too far with atheism, sexual perversions and immorality, idolatry, abortion, drugs, alcohol, greed, dishonesty and rebellion?  Has God’s judgment on this once great land begun to fall? 

    What is the difference between us and ancient Israel?  Did they forsake God – Political leaders now claim we are no longer a Chrisitan country. Are they correct? Did the ancient civilizations that God destroyed kill their babies – so do we. We have aborted an entire generation of children, 60,000,000+ dead!  Were they drunkards and fools – so are we.  They turned good into bad, and bad into good.  Is there a better description of our times?  Did they worship other gods?  we may not bow down to sood or stone, but how about that image in the mirror? Do we try to make God conform to what we think and feel or do we bend the knee to HIm?  During the time of God’s judgment on the Israelites there were many believers – but not enough to change the country.  Not enough to stand up and say, “We are God’s people, the sheep of His pastur, we follow God not the world.”  Are there enough true Christians in America today to take a stand and change the disastrous course our country is headed on?

     Since we as a country have forsaken our God; since we have embraced all that God hates; we are left with a single command – one that should take our breath away in fearful trepidation.  If we don’t turn it around we must have “patient endurance” for the storm of God’s wrath which is descending.