I was reading through some old Holiness Messengers and came across a few articles that just spoke to me — here is one by Bro. Jerry Pascarella (in Volume 53-Aug 07) exhorting the saints to “continue on and not lose sight of the goal” …
So I wanted to share it with you all as well…. Enjoy!
A CALL TO CONTINUE
II Timothy 3:1-5, 10-17:
1: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3: Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4: Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5: Having a form of godliness, but deny- ing the power thereof: from such turn away.
10: But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11: Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13: But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Perhaps you have heard the story of a woman by the name of Florence Chadwick. At a young age, she became a very accomplished swimmer. In fact, she was the first woman to swim the English channel in both directions! On July 4, 1952, she attempted to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. As she began this historical jour- ney, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she got hurt or grew tired. Hour after hour Florence swam, but after about 15 hours, a thick, heavy fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability, and she told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she didn’t think she could make it. She swam for one more hour before asking to be pulled out. As she sat in the boat, Florence found out she had stopped swimming just a half a mile away from her destination! Florence explained that she quit because she could no longer see the coastline. There was too much fog. She had lost sight of the goal.
Im afraid many individuals are making that same mistake spiritually. Some are giving up so close to the end. They are getting weary in well doing. Satan is bringing a fog of discour- agement and deception across the land.
We are needing an experience like Jeremiah the prophet had! A spiritual fog seemed to have settled around him as well. In Jeremiah 20:9, the prophet admits, Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. Heres a man thats ready to quit too quick! Suddenly, there seems to be a transformation. The rest of the verse says, But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with for- bearing, and I could not stay. I believe Jeremiah got a call to continue that day! We are needing it in this hour. We would have a wonderful revival if every person would catch ablaze and hear Paul’s
personal plea: BUT CONTINUE THOU
The only way to contend for God is to continue in God. I’m reminded of an old African proverb. It goes something like this: Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. The moral is this: It doesn’t matter if you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better be running! That’s exactly the way it is in our Christian life. It doesn’t matter if you’re a young believer or a seasoned saint. If you’re going to make it to heaven, you’ve got to run every day.
In II Timothy chapter three, Paul gives us a picture of the last days. With the eyes of a prophet, he looks through the telescope of time and tells us what we can expect. Paul gives us an explanation of the future. In II Timothy 3:1, he says, This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. The word perilous can mean, dangerous, hard to deal with, fierce, or even savage. Don’t we live in times like that?
In verses two through four, Paul listed at least eighteen characteristics that would be prevalent in the last days. Sure enough, we are still fighting against every one of them.
Men are still lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. There are still young people who are disobedient to parents. Many people are becoming unthankful and even Unholy! We need revival so we can guard ourselves from this invasion of wickedness!
BUT CONTINUE THOU.
Paul gives us an examination of the past. Why should we continue? Look back at what God has done for you since you started serving him. Thats what Paul does in verse eleven. He says, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. We can have the assurance that if God delivered us before, he will do it again! That assurance should give us endurance.
Lastly, Paul gives us an exhortation for the present. The key is found in the first three words of verse fourteen: But continue thou We are part of God’s glorious church of the last days! We must continue in prayer, praise, purity, preaching and power! Perilous times are upon us, but there is another promise concerning the last days. Acts 2:17 says, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh. There’s a call going forth for saints to continue. Can you hear it?
—Bro. Jerry Pascarella