You need perseverance

Near the end of his life, John Calvin suffered from tuberculosis. In his weakened condition his doctors urged him to rest and adopt a slower pace in his work. He refused, saying, “Bear with me, that God will find me watching and busy at His work until my last sigh.” So the doctors and his […]

Finish well

At 7 P.M. on October 20, 1968, a few thousand spectators remained in the Mexico City Olympic Stadium. It was cool and dark. The last of the marathon runners, each exhausted, were being carried off to first-aid stations. More than an hour earlier, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia — looking as fresh as when he started […]

Running with endurance

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1b; NASB) File this under strange, but true (and a little funny). The following statements were taken from registration sheets and comment cards returned to the staff of the Bridger Wilderness area: Trails need to be wider so people can walk holding […]

There are many adversaries

My family and I are on vacation in the mountains this week. One of the things we’ve been doing most days is taking hikes up and down the hills in our area. We start at around 7500 feet (where our accommodations are) and go up. And down. And up again. And down for a while. […]

Do not lose heart in doing good

Paul says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal. 6:9). In the context, he is talking about doing the good of restoring a sinning brother to Christ (v. 1) — of carrying the heavy load of reconciliation (v. 2). He’s […]

Do not grow weary of doing good

On a very limited number of occasions — once, maybe twice — I have felt like I had reached the limits of my physical abilities. My arms and legs trembling with weariness, I was nearing the end of what my body could do. On a few of occasions I’ve watched sporting events and seen athletes […]

Sunday Leftovers, 8/30/09

The easiest thing to do when seeing immaturity and weakness and failure in ourselves or in other people is to quit. The hardest thing to do when seeing immaturity and weakness and failure in ourselves or in other people is to continue with Christ. The hardest part about ministry is not the what or the […]

Today’s Quote – Endurance (Piper)

John Piper, The Roots of Endurance: The twenty-first century will not be an easy time to be a Christian. It is not meant to be easy. But we are not left without help. The Bible centers on a crucified, risen, and reigning Christ and is full of promises for every crisis. And the history of […]

An Example of and an Exhortation to Endurance

In thinking about ministry and the role of the pastor and the role of the people in relation to 1 Thess. 5:12-24, I came across a story a read a few years ago and a statement about the importance of perseverance in ministry. The story concerns a pastor, John Newton, and a troubled parishioner in […]