Bad Moon Arising? Don't Give Up The Fight

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap,  because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.  So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.
-Galatians 6:7-10 (HCSB)
Photo credit: Pixabay

Don't give up the fight.  The epitaph of every Christian's life, should be, "I have fought the good fight" (2 Tim. 4:7).  I could not find a verse that said, "don't give up the fight".  But, Galatians 6:9 comes the closest, with the phrase, "don't give up", or "do not give up".

The perseverance concept or way-of-life is common to the believer's life, referenced in the Bible.  Galatians 6:9 is one of the best verses that expresses this.  I grew up, hearing the KJV version that says,  "Do not become weary in well doing". 

That verse is there, because believers can become weary in well doing.  We get worn out, discouraged, and we forget the value and need of rest  We also get tired, because we keep sowing or doing good, with seemingly little return.

So, as we go on to maturity, we must learn perseverance.  In Romans 5, for example, Paul teaches that tribulations (NASB), suffering (ESV), or problems (CEB); produce in us perseverance (NASB) or  endurance (ESV, CEB).  Persevering and enduring during hardships build your character, resulting in solid hope.  Being justified by faith is a glorious experience that gives us great hope, as we move through this life.  We take that righteousness that we have received through Christ's faithfulness and let God apply it transformationally, to our lives as we endure suffering.

Don't give up the fight.

The book of Hebrews mentions "Don't give up", several times:
  • "Don't give up meeting together" (10:25), means don't stop having fellowship (twos and threes (Matt. 18:20)) with other believers, when you get discouraged in life.  
  • 12:3 says that we have the example of Jesus who did not give up when he continually faced opposition, during his life.  We should fix our eyes on Jesus, when we are going through problems.  
  • 12:5 tells us to not give up or not fall down, fainting, when God disciplines us as his children.

We just had the "Blood Moon", this past weekend.  Some Christians have made a serious issue of that astronomical event.  Some others have said that it is, "much ado about nothing", and just like any other eclipse.

I was considering Credence Clearwater Revival's song, "Bad Moon Arising".  I read that John Fogerty was inspired by the Faustian movie, "The Devil and Daniel Webster", wherein he saw a hurricane coming in one scene, foreboding calamity.  Seeing the trouble coming, John's lyric says, "Don't go out tonight".

I thought about this song, related to current events and the end of times, and I changed the line, in my mind, to, "Don't give up the fight".  I don't know if that Blood Moon means anything, but I do believe that the world will end one day. Christians are called to keep on keeping on, fighting the good fight, doing good, and praying; until the end.

The word to all Christians is, "Do not give up", "Don't give up the fight, no matter what happens in the world."  The call is to perseverance, endurance, and sharing in Christ's sufferings.

If you are very interested in The End Times; there is nothing wrong with that.  The Thessalonian church was very interested in this topic.  If you open 1 Thessalonians, in chapter 1, verse 3, perseverance is mentioned.  And both of these letters are encouragements to Christians.  Opening to 2 Thessalonians, chapter 1, in verse 4; endurance is mentioned.

I give this example to say that if you are a Christian who is very interested in "End Times", then, you are not alone.  The first churches were also very interested in this, and Paul wrote to them inspired words, that today is the Bible.  All of the letters are about, "how to live in the end times".  The four gospels and Revelation are also about how to live, in Christ, in the end times, too.

We are people living in the end times, but the big question is not, "when will the end come?", but, "how then shall we live?"  Matthew through Revelation answer that question.

So, if we ask, "Are apocalyptic events about to unfold?", the answer is always, "perhaps", or "they may".  Asking that question, puts us in very good company.  After everything they had seen and experienced of and with Jesus, and when he was about to ascend to heaven, the first disciples asked him if this was "the time", or when would "the time" happen; and he told them two things (Acts 1):
  1. It was not for them (or us) to know, and only the Father knows (Mt. 13;32, Matt. 24:36).  Jesus not knowing shows us that his submission to the Father is eternal.
  2. That they would soon receive power, when the Holy Spirit came, and be witnesses to the ends of the earth.
So, we are still in that time, the time of receiving power and being witnesses.  Don't give up in this time.


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