Never Give Up nor Surrender - Ray Price

• 20/07/2017
• SLC Stuart Price

 

 

 

 

Never Give Up nor Surrender! - Ray Price

 

In 2Pet1:2-4 & Eph 1:3 we read that God has made exceedingly great promises to us & that He has already given us every spiritual blessing. Jesus came to give us His abundant life; yes, but He also said there would be trials & tribulations. There is a very real war that is taking place all around us in the unseen world – the war for the souls of men & women. It is vital for your survival as a Christian that you realize that when you became a Christian, you were drafted into God’s army. Daily you are engaged in a battle with an unseen spiritual enemy that seeks to destroy you. Otherwise, when trials hit, you will think that something is wrong. You will wonder why God has allowed this. You won’t understand the reality of your situation.

 

Whether it is right now or a time in the future, it is possible to become weary & tired & pressure is on to just lay down, surrender & give up the race.  Read Heb 12.  As believers God is calling us to greater intimacy with Him and more prayer.  Increased relationship with God Almighty will bring about a greater degree of believing or FAITH in our lives. Yet the “Great Falling Away” happens at a time of unprecedented LUKE WARMNESS (Rev 3), I believe that is now.  There is too much at stake for us & our glorious hope for the future to be blasé about the race of faith & our spiritual vitality. Remembering that deception can creep in ever so subtly & the deceived are unaware of it.

 

Winston Churchill’s famous 1940 wartime speech - “We shall fight on the seas and oceans, with growing confidence and strength in the air, on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, in the streets, and in the hills. We will never surrender'. He also said: ‘I never ‘worry’ about action, but only about inaction.’

 

This is the kind of attitude that us as Christians need to keep up the “Good Fight of Faith” [1Tim 6:12] to “lay hold on eternal life” by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith [Heb12:2].  Jesus has achieved full victory; yes! but that doesn’t mean that we do nothing.  We now need to enforce that victory in our life because we will be challenged for His word’s sake.  Paul tells us in Eph 6:11 not to unaware of the devil’s ways & tricks that he uses to bring in discouragement, resentment, bitterness, offence, or a host of other evil negative things that he tries to take us out & cause us to give in.  

Other things that can cause us to give up the race could be a combination of

1. Weights (cares, worries, burdens) being carried [Heb12:1],

2. Sin which has ensnared us [Heb12:1],

3. Pruning – discipline of a loved son [Heb12:11],  

4. Malnourishment due to lack of spiritual food -  Word of God [John 6 - bread of life]

5. A reducing prayer life - .not bringing everything to God [Phil 4:6]

6. A lack of praise & worship of God coming from our lips will also weaken a believer.

So, do not grow weary in doing good [Gal6:9] because you are too valuable to your heavenly Father & family at Spirit Life. Your enemy seeks to bring you down from your position of ‘sonship’ & make your feel like surrendering all your ‘blood-bought’ rights that Jesus gave you & to lay down your sword (the Word of God) from coming out of your mouth. 

No! Come on fight to the real enemy here. When David was so distressed & the men wanted to kill him after the Amalekites took their families, even in his low low state, “he strengthened himself in the Lord his God” [1Sam30:6].  Ask yourself “what happened last time when I was in great distress?  What did God do?”

 

Paul tells us to “be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might” [Eph6:10]   This is good news for the weak because like Paul said ‘when I am weak then I am strong’.  Why?  Because in of ourselves we can’t do anything – Jesus said it also.  So, when we realise that it’s not about what I have or can do for God & get revelation that abundant life is about what HE has ALREADY DONE for us, then we can take His abilities & rely on Him totally.  God is the God of impossibilities and absolutely nothing is beyond Him!  He wants us to be totally reliant on Him for everything in our life & make Him apart of all decisions & provisions. 

 

God has given us His Holy Spirit that is always our ever-present Helper, Guide, Councillor & Companion.

 

Ask the Holy Spirit about all your decisions in your day, He is interested in the little things as well.    Keep looking unto Jesus that we will not become weary & feeble. Worship, sing, pray in tongues, sing in tongues & keep planted in God’s house so that “what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed” [Heb12:13].

 

To God be the glory for the good things that He has done!  Choose life in the power of your tongue today.

 

Blessings