Original: January 10, 2008
McMinnville, OR
10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Revelation 13:10
REV 14:9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Revelation 14:12
Ever since the late nineties I have named every animal I have taken in order to honor the beast and point to memorable stories of each hunting experience. Names such as the Divine Directive Bull, Lightning, Marble, Heat Stroke, and the Weatherby Buck are just a few that come to my mind. If you were to walk into my office you would see a beautiful 3x3 with great mass, eye guards, four chipped tines, a torn ear, and battle scar on the chest that I named “The Perseverance Buck”. Looking at the old guy’s battle scars it becomes obvious that this buck was a fighter.
Not only does his name point to his character, but the means by which I took this great trophy. After an unsuccessful 2004 New Mexico archery elk hunt I turned to an area I knew that was only about two miles behind a forestry gate but a full 40 minutes of uphill climbing from my rig. I made this grueling hike in the rain, freezing morning air, and pitch black darkness, 9 out of 11 consecutive days before finally taking him. One morning I took a friend in and as the sweat dripped into our eyes, rain pelted our faces, and headlamps illuminated each other’s breath he turned to me and said, “You are an animal”.
No, I thought, “I am just another crazy buck hunter committed to persevering until I succeed”.
I took his comment as a compliment!
Then it hit me.
The New International Version translation for Revelation 13:10 and 14:12 is, “patient endurance”, but the New American Standard translates them “perseverance”. It struck me that a man must be patient while suffering to the end of endurance. In Revelation 13:10 John speaks about saints who have patiently endured their sufferings of persecution or martyrdom in order to gain their prize (2 Timothy 4:8). To have faith that patiently endures is to have a faith to see the future. It is the faith that sees the end at the beginning.
Paul knew this principle when he penned, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Randy Alcorn in his classic work Heaven says, “For the follower of Jesus, earth is the closest we will ever get to hell, but for the non-believer, earth is the closest they will ever get to heaven”.
Wow, to realize this profound truth gives a man the passion and desire to persevere even the most severe of life’s storms. It inspires a man to hold strong, to be courageous, and to patiently endure.
Have you seen your future? Does your life reflect that you have seen your future?
