A PHILOSOPHY OF FAILURE
By George W. Sinquefield
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By George W. Sinquefield
The fear of failure is one of man's worst enemies. Because of the stress in every area of life, there is constantly the fear of failure. Most of us do not need any reminder about the reality of failure. We face it every day and the fear of failure, whether it concerns school, business, marriage or health, dominates the American imagination.
One has said, "It is a rare thing to find a person who has never failed. The doctor who never failed with a patient, the lawyer who never failed with a case, the minister who never failed to preach well, the businessman who never failed in a undertaking, the general who never lost a battle, the athlete who never lost a contest, the politician who never lost an election may be regarded as unusual. At the same time those who are enjoying success now may be failures tomorrow."
Donald Douglas said, "It is a hard rule of life, and I believe a healthy one, that no great plan is ever completed without meeting and overcoming endless obstacles that come up to try the skill of man's hand, the quality of his courage and the endurance of his faith."
Henry For forgot to put a reverse gear in the first car he made and he didn't build a door wide enough to get the car out of the building he built the car in. If you go to Greenfield Village today, I am told, you can see where he cut a hole in the wall to get it out. The important thing is he got it out and the world has never been the same.
Failure is not defeat unless we give up and stop trying. The only person who never fails is the one who never does anything. I like this statement Roberto Goizueta said, "You can stumble only if you're moving."
To fail is an experience which we must all learn to understand and handle, Failure can be the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is fake leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.
Failure causes many to throw up their hands and quit. They become discouraged and despondent. One has said, "What demon is more deadly, more aggressive than is despondency? It sent its fangs into Moses, submerged Job in its ashes, foiled David and sent Elijah to sleep under the juniper tree. It chilled the soul of John the Baptist like a winter blast and made a cursing denier out of Peter. It has slain its tens of thousands."
Those who overcome failure and bounce back are optimists who believe, "my problem is only temporary, and it can be overcome." Others who let failure discourage them and quit are pessimists and they never accomplish one thing. They see their failure as permanent. Charles Kittering, the great inventor, give some good advice. He said, "Once you've failed, analyze the problem and find out why, because each failure is one more step leading up to the cathedral of success."
Failure is success turned inside out. It should be our teacher and not our undertaker. It should challenge us to new heights of accomplishment, not pull us to new depths of despair. Failure is delay but it is not defeat. It is a temporary detour and not a dead end street.
These truths can enable us to meet our failures and to be successful in overcoming them.
I. We Must Consider The Forces Which Are Against Us.
We're in a battle and there are many enemies trying to defeat us. The Bible tells us that we have many evil spirits (demons) who hate God and His people and are motivated by this hatred to do all they can to frustrate God's purposes for mankind. The devil (Satan) is our number one enemy and he and his demons are organized into a powerful army.
Eph. 6:10 through Eph. 6:13 (KJV)
The devil and his demons do all they can to keep God's people from carrying out God's purpose and plans for mankind.
Gen. 3:1 through Gen. 3:5 (KJV)
Job 1:8 through Job 1:11 (KJV)
Rev. 12:10 (KJV)
Matt. 16:22 through Matt. 16:23 (KJV)
Luke 22:3 (KJV)
John 13:2 (KJV)
Acts 5:3 (KJV)
John 14:30 (KJV)
Luke 4:1 through Luke 4:13 (KJV)
Notice verse 13 states that the devil left Jesus "until an opportune time." He tempted Jesus time and again throughout His ministry. While Jesus hung on the cross, the devil, through those who passed by and the chief priests and scribes, mocked Him, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Come down from the cross so that we may see and believe (Mark 15:19-32). The devil was speaking through them and if Jesus had come down from the cross there would be no salvation for lost humanity. We are saved by His blood that was shed to pay our sin debt. The devil knew this and he did his best to prevent Christ from making salvation available.
1 Thess. 2:18 (KJV)
Luke 22:31 through Luke 22:32 (KJV)
Notice the work of the devil's demons. They caused some to be mute (Matt. 9:32-33; 12:22), blind (Matt. 12:22), deformed (Luke 13:11-17), convulsive (Matt 17:15-19O, and insane (Luke 8:27-29). Satan brought on Job's physical affliction (Job 2:6-8). Even if he doesn't bring on the affliction, as in the case of Paul's thorn, he may use the illness as his "messenger" of discouragement (2 Cor. 12:7).
Why is it so hard to win the lost to Jesus? They are the children of the devil and he doesn't want to part with them.
John 8:44 (KJV)
1 John 3:10 (KJV)
Lest we become discouraged in trying to win souls to Jesus, we must understand how hard the devil works to prevent us from doing so. He blinds the lost.
2 Cor. 4:4 (KJV)
He promotes false teaching (doctrines) which is made up of lies and many believe his lies and follow him.
1 Tim. 4:1 through 1 Tim. 4:5 (KJV)
The devil takes away the Word of God when it is proclaimed so that people will not receive it and be saved.
Luke 8:11 through Luke 8:12 (KJV)
The devil will sow his own seed at the time the good seed, the Word of God, is sown.
Matt. 13:37 through Matt. 13:39 (KJV)
I've heard it said that the devil attends every worship service and I believe it. We need to be reminded again that the devil is very busy.
1 Pet. 5:8 (KJV)
II. We Fail To Consider The Forces That Are On Our Side.
We could certainly become discouraged when we realize the forces that are against us. But we are encouraged mightly when we learn of the forces on our side -- the help which is ours as we fight the battles.
Heb. 1:14 (KJV)
Psa. 91:11 (KJV)
Psa. 104:4 (KJV)
Matt. 18:10 (KJV)
Let us notice some of the ministries performed by angels.
Matt. 4:11 (KJV)
Matt. 26:53 (KJV)
Acts 10:1 through Acts 10:6 (KJV)
Acts 12:11 (KJV)
Acts 5:19 through Acts 5:20 (KJV)
Acts 8:26 (KJV)
Luke 16:22 (KJV)
Matt. 25:31 (KJV)
Matt. 13:39 (KJV)
Matt. 13:49 (KJV)
2 Thess. 1:7 (KJV)
Heb. 12:22 (KJV)
We praise God for help we get from these angels.
"Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?" -- Heb. 1:14
C. H. Spurgeon wrote the following:
"Angels are the unseen attendants of the saints of God. They bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone. Loyalty to their Lord leads them to take a deep interest in the children of His love. They rejoice over the return of the prodigal to his father's house below, and they welcome the advent of the believer to the King's palace above.
In olden times the sons of God were favored with their visible appearance, and at this day, although unseen by us, heaven is still opened, and the angels of God ascend and descend upon the Son of man, that they may visit the heirs of salvation. Seraphim still fly with live coals from off the altar to touch the lips of men greatly beloved. If our eyes could be opened, we should see horses of the Lord; for we have come to an innumerable company of angels, who are all watchers and protectors of the seed royal. Spenser's line is no poetic fiction where he sings --
"How oft do they with golden pinions cleave To what dignity are the chosen elevated when the brilliant courtiers of heaven become their willing servitors! Into what communion are we raised since we have intercourse with spotless celestials! How well are we defended since all the twenty thousand chariots of God are armed for our deliverance!"
The Holy Spirit is God and possesses all power. Without His help we will utterly fail.
1 John 4:4 (KJV)
John 14:15 through John 14:17 (KJV)
John 14:25 through John 14:26 (KJV)
When one is saved, the Holy Spirit takes up His abode in the body of that Christian.
1 Cor. 6:19 through 1 Cor. 6:20 (KJV)
And Jesus said that if we love and obey Him, He and the Father would come and abide with us.
John 14:23 (KJV)
Thus we have the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with us to enable us to carry out our mission of proclaiming the gospel to a lost world.
The life and work of Jesus was under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit.
Matt. 3:16 through Matt. 3:17 (KJV)
Luke 4:13 through Luke 4:19 (KJV)
Matt. 4:1 (KJV)
Acts 1:1 through Acts 1:2 (KJV)
Matt. 12:28 (KJV)
Heb. 9:14 (KJV)
Rom. 8:11 (KJV)
Now, if Jesus needed the power and leading of the Holy Spirit in order to carry out His mission, what about us? We must have that same power or we'll utterly fail and that power, thank God, is available for us.
When Jesus gave us "The Great Commission" He promised to be with us and He surely meant He'd be with us in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matt. 28:18 through Matt. 28:20 (KJV)
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost.
Acts 2:1 through Acts 2:4 (KJV)
These early Christians went out to preach the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 6:7 through Acts 6:8 (KJV)
Rom. 15:17 through Rom. 15:19 (KJV)
Let me point out several ways the Holy Spirit can help us other than impowering us for service.
Rom. 8:14 (KJV)
Gal. 5:18 (KJV)
Rom. 8:16 (KJV)
Rom. 8:26 (KJV)
Gal. 5:22 through Gal. 5:23 (KJV)
John 14:16 through John 14:18 (KJV)
John 16:12 through John 16:13 (KJV)
1 Cor. 2:9 through 1 Cor. 2:11 (KJV)
Rom. 8:10 through Rom. 8:14 (KJV)
III. We Must Remember This -- Jesus Met With Failure.
Let me very quickly say that Jesus did not fail but He did meet with failure. He was dealing with people who had the God-given right to choose, and often they turned a deaf ear to His words. They chose not to follow Him. Let me repeat -- Jesus never failed. There was no failure on His part. He said that He finished the work He was sent to do.
John 17:4 through John 17:8 (KJV)
And on the cross just before He died, He declared that He had finished His work -- His mission was completed.
John 19:30 (KJV)
He acknowledged that He met with defeat when He:
Luke 19:41 (KJV)
Luke 4:16 (KJV)
Matt. 11:20 through Matt. 11:24 (KJV)
Matt. 13:1 through Matt. 13:8 (KJV)
Matt. 13:18 through Matt. 13:23 (KJV)
Matt. 13:24 through Matt. 13:30 (KJV)
Matt. 13:47 through Matt. 13:51 (KJV)
Matt. 25:46 (KJV)
IV. Jesus Did Not Fail To Finish His Mission.
He accomplished what He came to accomplish. He was faithful to Him Who sent Him.
Heb. 3:2 (KJV)
John 4:34 (KJV)
John 5:36 (KJV)
John 17:4 (KJV)
John 19:30 (KJV)
Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world" (John 8:12). That light has never and will never burn dimly. Remember how John put it, using Goodspeed's translation, "It was by Him that life came into existence, and that light was the light of mankind. The light is still shining in the darkness for the darkness has never put it out." (John 1:5) Moffatt translates it, "In Him was the light for men: amid the darkness the light shone, but the darkness did not master it." So Jesus is not a failure as a light nor does He grow dim in His shining.
All the forces of hell have conspired to put out this light, but it still shines.
Isa. 42:4 (KJV)
Isaiah is speaking of Jesus and says that He will not be discouraged and that He will not fail. I am told that the word "fail" here signifies or means "to burn dimly."
As Jesus stood in the court of Pilate, reviled, spit upon, slapped in the face crowned with thorns, Pilate and all the others thought our Lord was a failure. One of the twelve had betrayed Him for thirty pieces of silver. Peter, warming himself at His foe's fire, had denied Him. John stood alone in the darkness. There was no one to appear for Him; to testify for Him. They thought He was a failure. The Light shines on and the darkness of sin will never put it out.
As He hung on the cross, between two thieves, Himself crying out in agony, "My God, My God. Why hast Thou forsaken me?" those who gambled for His garments thought He had failed. When Christ cried from the cross, "It is finished," those who crucified Him were sure He had failed. The Light shines on and will continue to shine brightly.
After His shameful death and the glorious account of His resurrection, his followers went out in His name to preach the gospel. Tradition tells us that Matthew died by the sword. Mark was dragged through the streets of Alexander by wild horses and his flesh torn off on its stones. Luke was hanged on a tree. John was boiled in a caultron of oil. Bartholomew was skinned alive. Andrew was crucified. Jude shot through with arrows. Simon was crucified. Matthias was stoned to death. Thomas was pierced through with a lance and Peter was crucified head downward. But the light shone on and will continue to shine. Christ had not failed.
A little less than two centuries ago Vallaire, the French agnostic, declared the Bible an obsolete book. He even preached the funeral sermon of Christianity. But the light shone on and today more copies of the Bible are being sold than ever before. The light shines on.
Thomas Paine predicted that the Bible and religion would become extinct. But he was proven a false prophet and the light shines on.
Ingersol traveled up and down this continent denouncing the Bible and Christ and predicted that soon both would disappear. When he died a Chicago newspaper editor commented, "And so we see that even a glow worm sheds more light on the problems of humanity than the intellect of the greatest infidel ever to live." The light shines on. The darkness has not put it out.
The Emperor Diocletion tried to extinguish the Light of Jesus. He pursued Christians into the Catacombs of Rome. He threw them by the thousands to the hungry lions in the colosseum, set them afire until the living torches converted roads into a veritable white way. When the Emperor could find no more Christians to kill he struck off a medal which bore the inscription, "Christianity is Destroyed." But in twenty five short years afterward Christianity became the established religion of the Roman Empire, when Constantine took as his motto, "In the sign of the cross I conquer." The light shone on. Jesus was not a failure.
Someone has said -- He is not a failure in literature. Take out of the libraries the books inspired by His life and words and works and you have left dust covered shelves. Cowper's "Task" found its inspiration and imagery in the Bethelehem manager. Pop's "Messiah" is but a pen picture of the Prince of Peace. If He had never died, Bryant's "Thanatopsis" would never have lived. If He had never risen Wordsworth's "Ode to Immortality" would never have been sung. He is not a failure in literature.
He is not a failure in the Bible. It has been well said, "The Bible is the frame of which Christ is the picture." Another says, "The Bible is a story of which Christ is the theme." "The Bible is the body of which Christ is the heart." "The Bible is the sky of which Christ is the sun, moon and stars. It took hundreds of years to produce the Bible. It was written in palaces, in prisons, by princesses, and peasants, but whenever written, and by whomever written, all told but one story, the story of the man, Jesus. And his has been called "The greatest story ever told of the greatest life ever lived. He is not a failure in the Bible.
"His life is the light that shines through the darkness -- and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5, The Living Bible) The light is still shining in a dark world.
V. Victory Is Ours In Jesus.
Jesus was never discouraged. He never had a defeatist attitude. He knew His would be victorious. He urges us to have confidence in the triumph of His cause. We may, and will, meet with failure but in Jesus we are assured of victory.
1 Cor. 15:57 through 1 Cor. 15:58 (KJV)
When we meet with failure, we must not give up but move on to others. That is what Jesus did.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
3 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.
2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
1 And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, showed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, 2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. 4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: 6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!"
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
28But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
17 I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. 23 And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. 24 But I say unto you, That it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Gal. 6:9 (KJV)
Several years ago, Fortune Magazine analyzed several hundred successful men. Fortune found these men had failed an average of seven times each before succeeding. Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded. Babe Ruth may have become famous for setting a home run record, but he also held the record for strikeouts. Winston Churchill did not become Prime Minister of England until he was 66, after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks.
As Thomas Edison said, when an aide urged him to quit after hundreds of failures on a particular project, "Why quit now? We know at least a hundred things that won't work!"
May I share with you a true story of long ago? It points out the fact that we are never to give up when we're in the battle for the Lord and the right.
Young William Wilberforce was discouraged one night in the early 1790's after another defeat in his 10 year battle against the slave trade in England. Tired and frustrated, he opened his Bible and began to leaf through it. He found a small letter written by John Wesley shortly before his death. Wilberforce read it again: "Unless the divine power has raised you up . . ., I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that [abominable practice of slavery], which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God" Oh, be not weary of well doing. Go on in the hame of God, and in the power of His might."
Wilberforce was challenged anew to keep at his task, and God blessed his efforts. Just before he died in 1833, the House of Commons was about to pass the bill that would abolish slavery in England.
As we make it our aim to advance the cause of truth and right, we need to remember the admonition, "And let us not grow weary while doing good."
Jesus still meets with failure as He offers salvation to those who are lost. Have you caused Jesus to meet with failure because you say no?
Jesus didn't fail to become the world's Saviour. He didn't fail to provide life to those who are dead in sin. He won't fail to save you and give you everlasting life if you'll accept Him as you Savior.
John 5:40 (KJV)
John 3:16 (KJV)
John 3:36 (KJV)
1 John 5:12 (KJV)
You'll fail and fail miserably if you do not accept Him today. There is no success in the truest sense, outside of Christ. Will this be said of you? "Yet you won't come to Me so that I can give you this eternal life." (John 5:40)
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
