"Faith That Endures"

"O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?" (Psalms 74:10) These are titles from the sessions of the conference, they all had titles that spoke of "Faith" doing something, and how important it is to keep the faith. The entire teachings, eight in all, where all based upon the three verses from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, which very well could have been Paul's letter written, as he was waiting to be executed for his faith. Jesus said, "Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." (John 15:20) It's just how it is, and there is really nothing we can do to change it, not if we are keeping the faith. I have meet people who have quit and walked away, and I can't for the life that lives in me, understand how they could simply stop believing. What is it that makes a man or a woman turn away from the gift of eternal life? In John 6:47-69, Jesus was speaking about being "The Bread of Life," and how, "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:54) In verse 66, it says, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him." I think we have a tendency to complicate the Gospel and make it harder to accept than it really is. It's not meant to be complicated, you either believe or you don't, that's really all there is to it. But we make it based upon actions we perform, not based upon what God has done for us. Case in point, the "thief on the cross," who for the most part, had no opportunity whatsoever to do anything, yet, he did all that he needed to do to be saved, he believed! It's not my goodness that saves me, it's the goodness of Jesus Christ! Even one little sin in my life tips the scale to disobedience; but the blood of Christ makes me spotless and clean. How amazing is that! Why would someone walk away from that? John gives us a little explanation in 1 John 2:19, saying, "They went out from us, but they were not of us." Time will tell, but it hurts to see the people you love turn their backs on something so vital. Then again, it is really not that hard to find ourselves turning also; maybe not to the point of giving up, but we sure do like to turn back to some of our old habits. There is no other way to say no, than to just say "NO!" You can't get any more simple than that! I can't remember how, but I am pretty sure it's not by something in my own strength. You would have thought we would have learned that by now! I must abide in Christ if I am going to defeat the devil, and I must abide in Christ if I am going to have any power whatsoever over this flesh. Something else that was mentioned at the conference, was that, "With the helmet of salvation, all the other pieces of the armor are by default." It really is as simple as that, believe and be saved... "For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me." In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and his people -an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it." For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God's judgment upon yourself. That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have died. But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way." (1 Corinthians 11:23-31) NLT