Program 256
Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina

One very effective way to strengthen your faith and spiritual stamina is to focus on the experience of other believers who have triumphed.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: What do you do when you’re exhausted, but you have to keep pushing on any way? Now, I’m not talking about physical exhaustion. We get too tired … physically … and we have to keep pushing, we just chug some caffeine.

No, I’m talking about mental exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion. Even spiritual exhaustion. What do you do then? How do you keep going?

Hi, I’m Miles Robey and you’re listening to World’s Last Chance Radio where we cover a variety of topics related to Scripture, prophecy, practical piety, Biblical beliefs, and preparation for Yahushua’s sudden return, whenever that may be. We all like to know what the future holds and what to expect, but Yahushua said that his return would be so sudden and unexpected that even believers would be taken by surprise, so it’s important to learn to live in a state of constant readiness.

Later, Jane Lamb is going to be sharing with us a promise for when we find ourselves in situations that are beyond our ability to handle. I think we’ve all found ourselves in situations like that at least a few times in our lives, so I’m looking forward to hearing what promise she’s prepared for us today.

First, though, let’s dive into today’s program. Dave? You’re calling today’s program “Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina.” I like that. So how do we do it? How do you keep pushing through when you’re spiritually … and mentally, emotionally … exhausted?

The time’s all yours.

Dave Wright: Thanks, Miles. I like your use of the word, “exhaustion.” There’s a difference between tired and exhausted. You can come back from being “tired” by taking a nap, or taking some time for self-care, or whatever. But “exhaustion” takes it to a whole new level.

Now, one of the things that contributes in a major way to being tired is stress. And let’s face it: the modern world is full of stressors.

Miles: And you know what they say: Stress is a killer.

Dave: Absolutely. Stress accrues; it adds up. And too many stressors can lead to feeling utterly depleted.

Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever found yourself in a situation that was so incredibly exhausting on every level that later, in looking back on it, you wondered how you got through? Have you ever been in a situation that was so stressful that, in a very real way, it literally stole some of your life force, that’s how stressful it was?

Miles: Uh … well, when you describe it like that, no. Maybe? I don’t think so. Not to that degree. I mean, we all have times of extreme stress. Fortunately for most of us, they’re pretty short-lived passages in our lives, but I can’t say I’ve ever gone through something so stressful that, later, I wondered how I actually survived it.

Dave: Well, let me tell you a story—it’s a true story—about a woman named Ada. She was only eight years old when her father died of food poisoning. Her mother, unable to earn a living and still take care of two young children, sent Ada and her sister to live at a mission school.

Miles: Ooo! When did this take place? And where?

Dave: In the early 1900s, in Alaska.

Miles: Mission schools in North America have a really bad reputation for abuse. Was Ada indigenous?

Dave: Yes. Now, we don’t know that she was abused at the mission school, but you’re right: the mission schools of North America were notorious for abusing the children sent to them.

When Ada was just 16, she married a man named Jack Blackjack.

Miles laughs: Seriously? What was he? A professional card player or something?

Dave: No, actually he was a hunter and dogsled driver. Ada gave birth to three children, but only one—her son, Bennett—survived infancy. Then Bennett got sick. He had tuberculosis.

Miles: It just keeps getting worse and worse, doesn’t it?

Dave: Oh, there’s more. Jack was abusive. He finally deserted Ada and Bennett. Ada got a divorce before he could return, which was quite shocking in the 1920s. She then took Bennett, and walked 40 miles to Nome, Alaska where her mother was living. She tried to support her son, but she couldn’t care for a sick child and still earn a living, so she had to place him in a home for children. She became committed to earning enough money to be able to bring her son home again. That’s probably why she agreed to join an arctic expedition across the Chukchi Sea to Wrangle Island.

Ada had been led to believe that there would be quite a number of indigenous Alaskans joining the expedition, but in the end, she was the only one. The others of the team were one Canadian and three Americans, all white men.

On September 15, 1921, Ada and the five men were left on Wrangle Island. It was an attempt to claim the Island for Canada. Now, this was way far north.

Miles: How’d it go?

Dave: Well, at first it went fine, but after a year, their rations ran out. There wasn’t enough game on the island to supply them with meat. After another year and a half, things were desperate. The Canadian and two of the Americans decided they were going to walk across the frozen sea to Siberia to get help. That’s 90 miles, or 145 kilometers, across the ice in the arctic night. This was January of 1923. They left Ada and the third American, who was sick, behind.

… They were never heard from again. After the American died, Ada was left alone.

Miles: Can you imagine? Her life just kept going from bad to worse, over and over again. And as a parent, I can’t imagine what she went through, worrying about her son.

Dave: Well, he was on her mind, you can be sure of that. A diary entry, dated April 2, 1923, said in broken English, quote: “If anything happen to me and. My death is known, there is black stirp for Bennett school book bag, for my only son. I wish if you please take everything to Bennett that is belong to me.”

Miles: Wow. That’s just heart-breaking. Facing her own death; worrying about her sick little boy. Not knowing what was going to happen. I have to say, none of the stressors in my life come near what this woman went through.

So, what happened?

Dave: Well, in August of 1923, she was finally rescued. Ada was the only survivor. She retrieved her son and took him to Seattle, Washington for treatment for his tuberculosis. She remarried, had another son, and eventually returned to the arctic where she lived until her death in 1983 at the age of 85.

Miles: Incredible. Some experiences in life are so hard, they just leave a permanent mark on you, you know?

Dave: Oh, I do know. That’s why the promise in Revelation 21 that Yahuwah will wipe away all tears from our eyes is so precious.

Now, I know you’ve been dealing with some stressors in your life lately.

Miles: We all want smooth sailing through life, don’t we? And we so rarely get it.

Dave: So after hearing of Ada’s experiences, how do you feel about what you’ve been going through? Not to minimize what you’ve been dealing with in any way. I know one person’s struggle doesn’t invalidate another’s, but how do you feel over all?

Miles: Honestly? Like I don’t have it so bad. I can’t imagine going through what she went through. It kind of puts things into perspective for me, to look at the struggles someone else has gone through – and triumphed over.

Dave: That, right there, is the answer to your earlier question of what do we do when we’re exhausted to the point of utter depletion. How do we regain our strength? How do we build our stamina up?

The author of the book of Hebrews tells us the answer, and that is: consider. Consider what others have gone through. Think about what they’ve endured. Look at how Yahuwah has sustained them and know that—

Miles: “What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you.”

Dave: Exactly. Now, the author of the book of Hebrews is wanting to inspire his readers with faith to persevere. He’s wanting to strengthen them to face the trials he knows they’ll be facing.

We don’t know for sure when this book was written or to whom, but if it was written to the believers in Jerusalem as many suppose, then the martyrdom of both Stephen and James the brother of John may well have been in the mind of the author of this book.

Miles: Not to mention the believers whom Paul, formerly known as Saul, was responsible for killing.

Dave: Right. So, he’s wanting to encourage them to hang on. That’s the point he’s building to in chapter 12, but he lays the groundwork for his argument in chapter 11, so let’s start there. Would you please turn to Hebrews 11 and let’s start reading with verse 1.

Miles: Ah, yes! The “faith chapter.”

Dave: Faith – the agreement of the mind that what Yahuwah says is true because of who He is – is the foundation for the Christian’s hope and stamina. Hebrews 11 starts with a definition of faith. Go ahead and read the first verse.

Miles: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Dave: This is a very practical working definition of faith. Another translation says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

This is a powerful statement. It’s saying that if you have faith, that is itself evidence of the fulfillment of the promise. He emphasizes the importance of faith in the very next verse. Read verse 2.

Miles: “This is what the ancients were commended for.”

Dave: And from there, he takes us back to the very beginning: to Abel, to Enoch, to Noah. And then he expands on the experiences of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. He mentions Moses and his parents. He talks about the experiences of the Children of Israel, the faith of Rahab, and then moves on. Read verses 32 through 38.

Miles:

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

Dave: We call Hebrews 11 the “faith chapter,” but have you ever asked yourself why? What is the one thing all of these individuals held in common?

Miles: Ummm . . . they overcame difficulties?

Dave: Absolutely. Abel even gave his life, but you don’t jump to murder in an instant. There were probably a lot of other confrontations leading up to the final one where Cain murdered him.

We admire these heroes of faith but stop for a moment and think about their reality. Noah was called to build an ark. He was called to spread the word of a coming flood. He used his inherited family wealth to build the ark and his message was a very unpopular one. He became a world-wide laughingstock. That would be tough to deal with!

Miles: We don’t like to be mocked or sneered at. It’s very unpleasant and even stressful.

Dave: And yet he persevered.

Abram was called to leave his comfortable life and go to a place that would be shown him. He didn’t even know where he was heading when he started out!

How many decades did Sarah long for a baby only to have her hopes dashed month after month after month?

Isaac … Jacob. They all faced difficulties.

Miles: Joseph! Sold by his own brothers into slavery.

Dave: That’s betrayal on a level few of us will ever have to face. And yet, through faith, they all persevered. They didn’t give up. They overcame their difficulties.

All of this is the context for Hebrews chapter 12. This is the foundation on which he builds his reasoning of how we, too, can overcome and build spiritual stamina.

Miles: All right. I hate to interrupt but we’re going to take a quick break. When we come back, let’s delve into chapter 12 because, speaking personally, I would like to build up my spiritual stamina.

Dave: We all can and should.

Miles: We’ll be right back. Stay tuned.

* * *

Advertisement

In Matthew 16, Yahushua warned the disciples: “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” Clearly, he wasn’t telling them not to buy yeast or some other leavening agent from them. The Savior had a deeper meaning.

In Scripture, “leaven” is a symbol for sin. So what Yahushua was really warning the disciples to be wary of was the sin of the Pharisees and Sadducees. But is that even something modern believers have to be aware of? Was that warning, perhaps, meant only for first-century believers?

The answer may surprise you but this is an admonition that is as important today as when Yahushua first cautioned the disciples because the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is still alive and well among believers.

Listen as Miles and Dave explore just what the leaven is and how you can guard against it. Listen to Program 91 called “Beware the Deadly Leaven!” That’s Program number 91, “Beware the Deadly Leaven!” You can find it on WorldsLastChance.com!

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: And we’re back! Dave, you said the “faith chapter,” Hebrews 11, is the context for chapter 12?

Dave: Yes. This is the foundation for chapter 12. It’s what he’s building his argument on, and you can see that in the very first verse of chapter 12. It starts out “therefore.”

Therefore … consequently … because of this reason. He’s building a case here for what he wants us to do to build up our spiritual stamina.

Let’s read it. Hebrews 12 verses 1 and 2.

Miles:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Yahushua, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of [Yahuwah].

Dave: Now, in chapter 11, he told us why each of the people he listed should be held up as examples. Here, he refers to Christ himself as the ultimate example: who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame.

What does verse 3 say?

Miles: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Dave: This is a command. “Consider” is an action verb. We’re told to “consider” Christ who endured such opposition. We’re to think about him and what he went through. We’re to contemplate it; we’re to examine his experiences and turn them over in our mind. We’re to meditate on them. And the author of Hebrews tells us why: “So that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Miles: Well, that’s true. When I think about what Christ went through, that does make my struggles seem less. They are less!

Dave: Now, this isn’t to invalidate your pain or your struggles. Sometimes, when considering what someone else went through, we can feel almost as though we haven’t a right to be struggling since what they went through was so much worse.

One person’s pain does not invalidate another’s. You can both be hurting; you can both be struggling. But the point is to be inspired as you see what others have endured, how others have conquered by faith, knowing that the strength Yahuwah gave them to get through is available to you, too.

Miles: And it does uplift and encourage! Like that story you told in our first segment: it kind of puts my struggles into perspective.

Dave: It really does, and that’s how the author of Hebrews is trying to inspire his readers to persevere. What does verse 4 say?

Miles: Uhhh … “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.”

Dave: This text confuses people sometimes. When we’re struggling to resist temptation, to resist the allure of sin, no! We don’t shed blood in doing that. But this isn’t simply talking about resisting temptation. In context, this is talking, in part, about all the actions that sin and sinners commit against Yahuwah in the person of His children.

Now, while most people have never lived under intense persecution, it still exists in various forms in some parts of the world. Furthermore, the stories of what Yahuwah’s people have gone through in times past is well-preserved. In saying, “you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood,” the author of Hebrews is saying, “Look, I know you’re struggling. But remember that Yahuwah’s grace, His strength, has gotten many others through. You’re not alone in the struggle. Others have struggled, too. And, by Yahuwah’s grace, they have triumphed. And you can, too.”

Miles: Because what He’s done for others, He’ll do for you, too.

Dave: Exactly. This is why it’s so important, when we’re struggling, to pay attention to what others have gone through. This isn’t to negate or invalidate what we’re going through because they had it so much worse. No. It’s to say that if Yahuwah’s grace was sufficient to carry them through, He’ll carry you through, too.

And we can see that in this next section of Hebrews 12. Read verses … well, go ahead and read verse 4 again and read through verse 6.

Miles:

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of [Yahuwah’s] discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because [Yahuwah] disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

Dave: Now, everyone who’s ever been a kid—and that’s all of us—we don’t really like the word “discipline.” It calls to mind images of how we were disciplined as youngsters. It’s not pleasant.

Miles: For some, it crosses the line into abuse.

Dave: Sometimes it does, but that’s not true discipline. That’s punishment. Punishment and discipline are two different things. Punishment is penalty for having caused or committed an offense.

Discipline, on the other hand, is “the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior, using punishment to correct disobedience.”

Miles: So, punishment is part of discipline.

Dave: It can be. But only as a consequence for wrong behavior. At its core, though, discipline is training that makes a person capable, willing to obey, or more in control. Discipline establishes self-control. That’s why athletes are disciplined. Soldiers are disciplined. Musicians, dancers, artists—

Miles: Writers?

Dave: Sure! Anyone who achieves any level of mastery in anything has exercised self-discipline to reach that point. Parents, in their efforts to raise their children to be contributing members of society, discipline their children. And, ultimately, Yahuwah is our Father. He disciplines us to get us ready for life in His kingdom.

Let’s keep reading. Verses 7 to 11.

Miles:

Endure hardship as discipline; [Yahuwah] is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but [Yahuwah] disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Dave: The author of Hebrews was a deep thinker. He doesn’t want us to get discouraged when difficult things happen so he’s trying to get us to view the trials we find so difficult in a different perspective. He’s saying, “Think of it as the discipline of an athlete.” That’s why, in verse 1, he refers to the Christian life as a race. “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” he says. It takes discipline to run a race.

In order to gain that self-discipline, it’s important to take it out of the realm of punishment and see discipline for what it truly is: training. He used the example of a runner, but take any athlete. I don’t care what the sport is, being an athlete requires hours and hours and hours of training. It requires an abstemious lifestyle and a healthy diet. It requires giving up going out to party with friends so you can go to bed early in order to have the energy to practice the next day, all so that the skill—whether that’s throwing a javelin, making a perfect dive, spinning a perfectly balanced pirouette on the tip of the toe, or perfectly rendering a Chopin etude—all becomes muscle memory.

That is self-discipline. And that is the viewpoint we’re to cling to when encountering difficulties and even overwhelming situations. This is discipline like athletes endure and it’s leading us to learn we can trust in our Heavenly Father.

I have a quote here I’d like you to read.

Miles: Okay. Who’s it from?

Dave: Alexander MacLaren. Have you heard of him?

Miles: Uh … no. Don’t think so.

Dave: He was from Scotland. When he passed away in 1910, he’d been a Baptist minister for almost 65 years. He was deeply committed to his calling as a minister.

Anyway, in an article about Hebrews 12, MacLaren picked up on the disciplined athlete angle as well. Go ahead and read where it’s marked.

Miles:

The imagery of the whole context is drawn from the arena. A verse or two before the writer spoke about the race: now he slightly shifts his point of view and is talking instead about the wrestling or the pugilistic encounters that waged there. His point is that always and everywhere, however, the forms may vary in which the conflict is carried on, an element of effort, endurance, and antagonism is inseparable from the Christian life. That is worth thinking about for a moment.

It is all very well to sing of green pastures and still waters, and to rejoice in the blessings, the consolations, the tranquilities, the raptures of Christian experience, and to rejoice in the thought of the many mercies for body and soul which come to men through faith. That is all true and all blessed, but it is only one side of the truth. And unless we have apprehended and have reduced to practice and experience the other side of the Christian life, which makes it a toil and a pain to the lower self and a continual resistance, I venture to say that we have no right to the soothing and sweet and tender side of it; and need to ask ourselves whether we know anything about Christianity at all.

It is not given to us merely — it is not given to us chiefly — to secure those great and precious things which it does connect, but it is given to us so that, enriched and steadied and strengthened by the possession of them, We should be the better fit for the conflict, just as a wise commander will see that his soldiers are well-fed before he flings them into the battle.

Dave: So as believers, our discipline is in striving against sin. And just like Christ who overcame by keeping his eye on the prize before him – the “joy that was set before him” – we’re to do the same thing.

What did Paul write to the Corinthians? “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard–”?

Miles: “Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which [Yahuwah] has prepared for those who love Him.”

Dave: That’s right. So, ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the trial is: whether it’s the loss of a job, or the loss of a relationship, whether it’s . . . I don’t know: persecution, being arrested. Whatever the trouble is, we’re to keep our eyes on the prize of eternal life in Yahuwah’s kingdom. And the way we increase our stamina, the way we strengthen our faith is to see how the Father’s strength and grace has carried others through similar—and worse—struggles.

Miles: I have a question for you. When he says that we’ve not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the struggle against sin, he’s talking about waging war against our fallen natures? Or is he talking exclusively about persecution in any form?

Dave: That’s a good question. Earlier I said that, in context, this is talking—in part—about the actions committed against believers.

Miles: You said, “in part.” There’s more to it than that?

Dave: I believe so, yes. Sin is sin, whether that’s in our own fallen natures, or the fallen natures of other people. Or … institutions utilized by Satan to further his ends. It’s all one and the same. Sin is the same … antagonist, if you will, that we all wage war against.

And, as in any war, effort and endurance are called for. That’s why we’re to build our spiritual stamina.

Now, in this warfare, the first field of battle for all of us is the battle with our own fallen natures.

Miles: Are you saying that believers need to surrender to the point that they’re perfect?

Dave: No. So long as we have fallen natures, we will never be perfect. This is where believers get confused. It is impossible for anyone with a fallen nature to be perfect. I don’t know where this idea first came in that if we just surrender enough, we’ll finally be perfect. Scripture itself states that that is an impossibility so long as we have fallen natures.

What does Romans 8 verse 7 say? Why don’t you turn there really quickly and read that for us?

Miles: “The carnal mind is enmity against [Yahuwah]; for it is not subject to the law of [Yahuwah], nor indeed can be.”

Dave: It’s not saying it doesn’t want to be subject to Yahuwah’s law, but that it can’t be. There’s a difference.

However, this does not mean that we’re to be lazy and “settle down on our lees” and not fight the good fight of faith. That’s exactly what Paul was describing one chapter earlier in Romans 7. In fact, read verses 21 to 24 for us.

Miles:

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of [Yahuwah] according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Dave: This is a battle every single one of us must fight all our lives long. We are antagonistic against our own fallen natures. But this is only part of the battle.

The next field of battle is the influence of a world that doesn’t honor Yahuwah or put His will first.

Miles: And that influence can be very insidious.

Dave: Oh, you better believe it is! And our first responsibility as Christians is to keep a close eye on ourselves, to guard against the inroads that the devil, through our surroundings and the people and culture around us can use to wean us away from a full commitment to Yahuwah.

Miles: 1 Peter 5:8: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Dave: Don’t stop there! Keep going. The whole passage is good.

Miles: Uhhh … That’s the only verse I know. Let me look it up really quick.

Aw! Here we go. It says: “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Yahushua, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” [1 Peter 5:9-10]

Dave: Suffering is going to happen. We’re in a world of sin. It’s what Yahuwah wanted to protect us from all along. But if we can accept these experiences as the learning experiences Yahuwah intends them to be, they will become easier to get through. And, focusing on the experiences of others who have triumphed, including Christ himself, will build stamina.

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Advertisement

Martin Luther King, Junior, the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and an American minister famous for his peaceful demonstrations and social activism, once observed, quote: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

Paul, in Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7 appears to concur, writing, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” But what does it really mean to live by faith and not by sight? And how do we do that? This is an important program you won’t want to miss.

Look for the previously aired program called “Living by Faith and Not by Sight.” That’s Program number 250. You can find it on WorldsLastChance.com. This is something every believer needs to know how to do.

Once again, that’s Program 250: “Living by Faith and Not by Sight” on WorldsLastChance.com.

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: One of the first duties of the Christian, living in a world of sin, is to be aware that the world does not live by the principles and mandates of Heaven. This is why we have to be constantly on guard against the insidiousness of creeping compromise. Otherwise, we’ll be infected by it.

Miles: “Infected” is a good word for it. But I’m not sure that simply keeping ourselves from it is enough. We’re not to be “of” the world, but we are “in” it.

Dave: You’re absolutely right. We should be striving to establish righteousness on the earth. We should. But here is where some people get off. If they don’t get off track by holding themselves aloof from the world, then they get off track by trying to force their values on others, through legislation, through social shaming, or whatever.

Miles: The old “I love you I just hate your sin.”

Dave: Which is something Yahushua never said. You can’t “legislate” righteousness. It doesn’t work to try to force others through legislation to believe the same way you do.

Miles: Well, history proves that! But then, what are Christians to do? We’re to work to establish righteousness on the earth, but how?

Dave: The hard way. The way Christ did it: by example.

The Pharisees hated Christ because he showed kindness, compassion and, most of all, acceptance of sinners. He socialized with them. He certainly didn’t wrap his robes of righteousness about himself and say, “I can’t accept your invitation because it would make it look like I’m approving of your sin.”

Miles: It’s a lot harder to establish righteousness by example.

Dave: Oh, it is! It’s a lot easier to try and legislate goodness, but that only leads to persecution. Part of what makes leading by example so difficult, aside from the fact that we all still have fallen natures, is that often we actually want to do what we know we shouldn’t. This is where judgment of our brothers and sisters come in.

For example, if we really, really love the taste of bacon—and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?—but at the same time we are convicted that the restrictions against unclean meats are still binding, and we see … Brother Jim eating a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich—something we really want to do, too, but we’re choosing not to—then it’s very easy to judge him; judge his spirituality.

Miles: Oh, yeah! When you’re doing what I really want to do but am choosing by the sweat of my brow to abstain from, you better believe I’m going to judge you for failing to live up to my standards!

Dave: This is why our first work is with our own hearts. Paul said, “I die daily.” [1 Corinthians 15:31] Well, what did he mean by that? He’s talking about struggling to surrender in order to subdue the flesh.

Miles: But how are we to do that? If that’s our first work, how are we to do that?

Dave: Paul gives us the answer in Galatians chapter 2. Why don’t you turn there? Galatians 2 and verse 20.

Miles: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

Dave: This is how we effect change in the world. We fight the good fight against our fallen natures and, through surrender to Christ, reach souls the way he did. It’s much harder than legislating righteousness, but it’s the only truly effective way.

Now. Getting back to how to build up our stamina as warriors for Christ. As we’ve already noted, the author of Hebrews draws a comparison between his readers’ experience and that gone through by others. When he said, “You haven’t yet resisted unto blood,” he’s pointing out how much easier (comparatively) they’ve had it than others, especially those mentioned in the previous chapter.

The second comparison he draws, as we’ve seen, is to the experience of Christ himself.

Miles: As one Christian writer phrased it, Yahushua has borne the heavy end of the cross, laying the light end on our shoulders.

Dave: That’s good; that’s good. We’re used to focusing on Christ’s sufferings at his death, but what about what he went through in his daily interactions during his public ministry? John tells us that after Yahushua fed the 5,000, he had to stay in Galilee. He couldn’t travel about Judea as before due to the jealousy of the ruling authorities. John says they sought to kill him.

Well, think about what that had to do to Christ’s spirit. He was fully human, just like us. Here he does this huge miracle and yet, instead of having the impact he had to have hoped it would have on the hearts of the leaders, it made them even more jealous.

Miles: I hadn’t ever thought of it like that before, but you’re right. Talk about a toxic work environment!

Dave: It really was. And not just from the Jewish leaders and the multitudes, but you know the lack of faith in his own disciples had to have hurt.

Turn over to John 14. Now I want you to notice that this is at the end of Christ’s ministry. In fact, it’s after the Last Supper as they’re walking to Gethsemane. Yahushua is telling the disciples that he has to go away, but not to worry because he’ll come back for them. Start reading at verse, uh … 4.

Miles:

And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?”

Yahushua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” [John 14:4-7]

Dave: So Yahushua, obviously speaking metaphorically, gives this beautiful explanation. And, rather than expressing faith, what was the response? Verse 8.

Miles: “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’”

Dave: Talk about a blow to the heart! Yahushua had done nothing but show them the Father for three and a half years! And they still didn’t get it. You can hear the incredulity in Yahushua’s response. Verses 9 to 11. Go ahead.

Miles:

Yahushua said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves.”

Dave: You know Christ had to have been tempted to feel as though his years of public ministry had all been in vain. Here he was, twelve hours or so away from being crucified, and these idiots still just didn’t get it! It had to have been discouraging.

Miles: I’ve never thought of that before. But you’re right. His suffering was more than what he went through on the cross. It was perfectly reflecting the Father in his interactions with not only unbelievers, but even believers.

Dave: Even the members of his own family! When we get discouraged, when our interpersonal interactions with family members and co-workers gets stressful, when we feel undervalued, taken advantage of, disrespected … whatever is causing us difficulty, look for a corresponding experience in the life of Christ. I can guarantee you that you’ll find it. And when you see the example of how Yahushua persevered through every discouraging circumstance, you can know that the strength he obtained from the Father is available to you, too.

Miles: That reminds me of a verse in Isaiah 53. Give me just a sec to find it …

Here we go. It’s a prophecy of the Messiah. Verse 3 says: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.”

Dave: When we study the life of Christ, when we take the time to consider the toll on him from the constant criticism and fault-finding, the constant conflict, we’ll understand as never before what it means that he was tempted “in all points like as we are yet without sin.”

As we said before, when we consider the lives of those who’ve gone before, when we look at the experiences they were called to go through and the price they paid for faithfulness, we’ll see our own struggles in a whole new light.

You read about what the martyrs went through, and even those who didn’t lose their lives, but whose commitment to truth was tested severely, you can see that what most of us are going through on a daily basis is … it’s just life! Life in a sinful world. It’s never going to be easy. But it’s really not as bad as what many believers have gone through.

Miles: Yeah. The world has changed a lot since believers were burned at the stake.

Dave: Yes. And that is precisely why we need to take to heart this message from Hebrews. Yes, the world has changed. While there are still martyrs, it’s not to the degree of ages past. That said, we need the courage and stamina that comes from contemplating the experiences of those who’ve gone before because, in a way, Satan’s attacks are more subtle than before.

If you’re being persecuted for, say, your belief in adult baptism, if you’re being persecuted for refusing to acknowledge the pope as the head of the church and you know you could be killed for your refusal to compromise your beliefs, that’s pretty terrifying. But just because that isn’t Satan’s method of warfare any more doesn’t mean believers today can become lax in their commitment to Christ and to following truth. There’s still a spiritual war going on and, in many ways, it’s more subtle, and thus dangerous, precisely because so much of the world has become Christianized.

Miles: What do you mean? Why should that increase the danger to believers?

Dave: As long as humans have fallen natures, there will be antagonism between those who are fighting against what Paul calls the old man of sin, and unbelievers who don’t engage in that same fight.

While Christianity as a belief system has spread, true believers—those willing to engage in that on-going fight against their lower nature, struggling to subdue it—are still in the minority. There are multitudes that are Christian in name only. This has weakened the testimony and witness of Christians as a whole.

Miles: Could you say that modern Christianity has assimilated with the world?

Dave: Absolutely. So why should the world persecute what is really like them in everything but name only? Satan’s too smart for that. When persecution is revived, people flee to Yahuwah. But you give the world peace, you give believers freedom to be lazy, and you get a Christianity that is very like the world.

Believers today—true believers, those who are committed to following truth wherever it leads—are called to live a life of devotion and piety that is very unpopular in the modern world.

Miles: Oh, yeah! You try and honor Yahuwah by worshipping Him on His original Sabbath, calculated by His original calendar, and you’ll experience for yourself just how unpopular truth still is.

Dave: Well, it’s inconvenient. Anytime there is a truth that requires a cross, Christians who don’t want to be inconvenienced are going to yell “Legalism!” So, the antagonism of the spiritual warfare still exists. And let’s face it: constant conflict is exhausting. It’s stressful.

This is why the advice of Hebrews is for us. Look to the experiences of those who’ve gone before. Look to the experiences of Christ himself. As we do this, as we see the many ways Yahuwah preserved them, strengthened and encouraged them, our own spiritual stamina will be strengthened. Why? Because we can know that what He’s done for others …

Miles: He’ll do for us, too.

Dave: That’s right.

Miles: Up next: Jane Lamb with today’s Daily Promise.

* * *Daily Promise

Hello! This is Jane Lamb with your Daily Promise from Yah’s word.

YouTube Shorts are very short—no longer than 60 seconds—videos on YouTube. They are touted as “a way for anyone to connect with a new audience using just a smartphone and the Shorts camera in the YouTube app.” I don’t know if they’re available in all countries, but they’re quite popular in the United States. You can hear anything from philosophical life advice, to jokes, and more.

One channel actually airs calls made to emergency services. One that I listened to was made by a woman who had been kidnapped by an ex-partner. She was speaking as though to her child. At first, you could tell that the emergency services operator was a bit confused.

She asked, “Ma’am, are you aware that you have called emergency services?”

“Yes,” came a soft, teary voice. “Mommy’s right here.”

The operator immediately realized what was going on and then asked, “Are you in danger?”

“Yes, sweetie,” the caller replied.

“Are you being held against your will?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Mommy loves you, too,” was the answer.

Somehow, they were able to track the call and trace down where the woman was. Officers were dispatched and she was safely reunited with her child.

But the whole incident got me thinking. What a terrifying position to be in! Can you imagine being kidnapped by someone who wishes to harm you and still having the presence of mind to call for help – all without letting your kidnapper know who you’ve called?

Sometimes in life we can find ourselves in situations we’re just not equipped to handle. We may very well find ourselves in danger and not know what to do or how to respond. But Yahuwah is still in control. Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 3 tells us: “Yahuwah is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.”

We have been given great and precious promises. Go and start claiming!

* * *Part 4: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: My wife has a friend. She’s very sincere, very devout. And she very sincerely believes that Yahushua is going to return sometime in the next 18 months.

Miles: Oh, yeah. I think you’ve told me about her before. And doesn’t that 18-month time period keep getting pushed back?

Dave: You mean when we move to the next calendar month? Yes. She’s been convinced he’ll return within the next 18 months for the entire seven years I’ve known her.

Miles: And have you shared with her the Biblical evidence that Christ’s return is going to take even believers by surprise?

Dave: My wife has.

Miles: And?

Dave: Let’s just say it did not go over very well. My point in bringing this up, though, is to share a statement she frequently says. She focuses on all the evil in the world, the number of children that die of starvation every minute, the increasingly bad weather, the … whatever bad statistic you can name, she’ll talk about it. And then she’ll say, “It can’t get any worse. Jesus has to come and call a halt.”

The thing is life can get worse! It has been worse—much worse—for multitudes throughout history. We’re not to look for “signs of the times.” What we are to look at, though, to consider, to contemplate, is the experience of those who’ve gone before. Those who stood faithful even unto death. When we see the courage they were given, the strength they were given which enabled them to stand firm and overcome, our own faith will be strengthened and our own stamina increased.

Miles: I like how you said they were “given” courage. We often think that courage is something a person either has or doesn’t. But even courage is a gift.

Dave: James 1:17: “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Miles: And that includes courage. Fortitude. Stamina. Faith. And when we see how others have overcome with these divine gifts, we can be encouraged that we can, too.

Well, our time is up. I want to thank you for tuning in. If you’d like to share today’s program, it’s Program #256 called “Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina.” Again, Program 256: “Strengthening Your Spiritual Stamina.”

We hope you can join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

You have been listening to WLC Radio.

This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.