____________________________________________________ THE GOSPEL OBSERVER "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20). ____________________________________________________ November 29, 1998 ____________________________________________________ Remain Faithful Until The End by Kent E. Heaton, Sr. John Wesley Powell was an American geologist that led the first expedition down the canyons of the Green and Colorado rivers in 1869. His epic journey of 900 miles was filled with danger, hunger, exhaustion and constant threat of tumbling rapids. At one point the party of beleaguered men was 1 mile deep in the depths of the earth. For three months the men fought and battled the will of ``The Grand,'' as Powell called it. It seemed at times that the river would destroy them all but they kept fighting forward. There were great moments of grandeur as they beheld the majesty of the canyons that seemed to touch the sky. Spurred on by the intense desire to discover what lay ahead, Powell disregarded the beleaguered condition of his men and overcame every obstacle. After many valiant and terrifying rides through rapids of horrific power, the party came upon rapids that seemed impossible to traverse. Spending the night agonizing over whether to continue or not, Powell arose in the morning to announce the rapids would be taken and the journey continued. Four men had had enough and chose to leave the expedition to return home. Powell and the remaining men prepared to make the difficult journey ahead as the four men disappeared out of sight on the canyon rim. As they set out in the boats, uncertainty filled their minds with what lay ahead. They managed to safely pass these rapids and discover these were the last rapids of the mighty Colorado River. They entered a beautiful expanse as their journey had come to an end. John Wesley Powell and his companions that remained returned home heroes and their names were ascribed to the books of history and discovery. The four men that left the expedition managed to climb out of the canyon and headed for a Mormon settlement they knew was nearby. However, a band of Indians met them and mistaking them for a group of miners that had raped their women earlier, killed all four men. They would never know how close they were to the end of the journey. They gave up the journey too soon and lost everything. The river of life is a lot like the Colorado. Some places are quiet and peaceful and fill the heart with awe and wonder. In many places the waters are rough and troublesome and require great courage to forge through with a determined will. We are insignificant in the canyons of our lives when everything seems to swallow us whole. We gaze upward and wonder if anyone can hear our cries and know our needs. The journey of life is tiresome and exhausting. We hunger over the rocks of despair and ponder when it will ever end. How many rapids can we ford and how many more are ahead of us? Will we ever be able to live at peace and find comfort in our lives? ``How long, O Lord, how long?'' To those who seek eternal life, perseverance and patience of spirit is the life-spring that brings them through all those torrents of trials to the grandeur of a heavenly home. Eternal life is given ``to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality'' (Romans 2:7). The ``patient continuance'' is bearing under the difficulties and basking with the glories of life as a child of God. If we give up too soon we will miss everything. Many can't take the rapids of life and try to climb out of the canyons of their lives--only to find the reward they seek was found beyond the next rapid. How tragic and how sad to not endure until the end. Job prayed for relief in his own state and said, ``My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, the grave is ready for me'' (17:1). In the midst of his despair, he cried out, ``Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger'' (17:9). What a mighty river Job traveled in his journey toward his God. He reveals the difficulty of the journey and the need of continued faith in God. He pondered his destiny and questioned God. The Lord spoke to him from the whirlwind and reminded him that it was HE who made the rivers that Job flowed upon. Daniel reminded Belshazzar in Daniel 5:23, ``And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.'' As God formed and created the greatest canyon in the world and placed the thunderous river of the Colorado at its base, so He created man in His own image and gave man charge to worship the true and living God. What valleys can I enter where My God is not already there? What river can I travel where My God is not with me? What torrent of terror can I face that I do not hear My God's voice, ``Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!''? We must endure to the end and never give up. For the myriads of souls who have wearied upon the journey and given up, there is no reward but empty hopes. I must desire the glory promised by the Father. It must be my aim to see the honor bestowed upon the faithful at the end of the journey. In all these things, immortality is my desire and my earnest expectation. Job found these truths in his own life as many other faithful saints of God who lived in perilous times. ``And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us'' (Hebrews 11:32-30). Hebrews chapter eleven is a glory list of those who traveled difficult rivers and came upon many rapids of despair, persecution and the day to day battle of fighting against Satan. They sought a homeland and they sought the end of the journey as promised by God. They never gave up and they continued on with ``patient continuance.'' John Wesley Powell had faith in what he did not know as he faced that final burst of rapids. We know what is beyond the final journey of life: ``Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, `Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.' Then He who sat on the throne said, `Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, `Write, for these words are true and faithful.' And He said to me, `It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son''' (Revelation 21:1-7). Keep the beauty of Heaven foremost in your mind as you flow down the river of time. With images such as this, we can have the faith and courage to overcome every obstacle that comes before us. The ark of safety that we travel in, bound by the promise of God that He will never leave us. We have the confidence that no matter how deep the valleys or how high the mountains--``God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it'' (1 Corinthians 10:13). How great and how wonderful is our God who will give us the "Blessed Assurance"--to know salvation and safety in His protective care. We can sing ``Glory To God'' with hearts filled with faith as we conquer each rapid. Every heart can honor God in the times of quiet and peace. Immortality is ours to posses as we complete the final journey and remain faithful until the end. But remain faithful until the end we must. Don't give up too soon for the journey may be closer to an end than we know. If we give up too soon we could miss it all. ``And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts'' (Romans 13:11-14). ___________________________________________ What Should You Do After Becoming A Christian? by Bryan Gibson You should do as the very first Christians did--continue ``steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers'' (Acts 2:42). Now that you have ``turned to the Lord'' (Acts 11:21), you should ``with purpose of heart continue with the Lord'' (Acts 11:23). You should live no longer for yourself, but for the One who died for you (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). You should now put Christ first--before yourself, before husband or wife, before father or mother, before son or daughter, before anyone or anything (Matthew 10:34-39). You should now ``walk in newness of life'' (Romans 6:4). You should now consider yourself to be ``dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord'' (Romans 6:11). You should now be a ``slave of righteousness'' (Romans 6:18). You should now have a totally different set of priorities. You should be seeking the things above (Colossians 3:1), things like kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness, love, peace, etc. (Colossians 3:12-17). Conforming to the image of Christ should now be your main focus (Colossians 3:9-10). You should no longer ``look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal'' (2 Corinthians 4:18). You should spend a lot of time in the word of God, so you can grow spiritually (1 Peter 2:1-3). The word of God provides food for the soul; without it you will die. You should make attendance at all the assemblies of the church an absolute priority. These assemblies are designed by God for your edification (Hebrews 10:24-25). You should spend much time in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), realizing that with this great blessing, you can ``obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need'' (Hebrews 4:16). According to Hebrews 7:25, Christ is ``able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.'' To show your appreciation for what God has done for you, you should do as much for Him as you possibly can (1 Corinthians 15:10, 58). You can start by teaching your family, friends, and neighbors the gospel of Christ (Mark 5:19; Luke 8:39; Acts 8:4). ___________________________________________ Greetings to you who are visiting with us today! ________________________________________ Tri-State CHURCH OF CHRIST 1314 Montgomery Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky 41101 Sunday: 10:00 A.M. Bible class 10:50 A.M. Worship 6:30 P.M. Worship Wednesday: 7:30 P.M. Bible study evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (606) 325-9742 e-mail: tedwards@zoomnet.net Gospel Observer web site: http://www.zoomnet.net/~tedwards/go ________________________________________