Hi Faith Family!
Praying you are well and in good spirits today. It has been a while. Vacation + transfer to a new computer = several weeks without e-mail devotion. However, the devotions are back. I didn’t quit. I didn’t give up.
On October 29, 1941, Winston Churchill spoke at Harrow School with an important message about refusing to give up. Two years after the second World War had begun, England had endured a relentless bombing campaign. Some had begun to doubt a favorable outcome to the war. The following was a portion of the lesson he wanted to teach that day:
“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
While Churchill’s quotes and speeches are inspiring, I share the above as an introduction to a vital verse of God’s inspired Word from Galatians 6:9
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
God doesn’t suggest, but rather gives us clear direction not to become weary. God tells us not to give up. It is the weakness of human beings to quit, give up, or become tired. Such are reminders of the sinful condition in which we were born, the sin which so easily trips us up. But this is the sin from which Christ rescued us from, for which he suffered, for which he died.
Christ loved you so much that he sacrificed himself so you will live forever.
Christ loved everyone in this way, deeply desiring all to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. He uses us to share the Good News of Christ’s love.
Christ’s love compels us in our return of our love toward God as well as our love toward those we meet and spend time with day by day. Here are three points you may find helpful as we strive together not to give up.
1. Give all that you have, not more than you have. Some people who give up do so because they mistakenly believe that being tenacious demands from them more than they have to offer. As a result, they don’t push themselves. However, being tenacious requires that you give your all—not more, but certainly not less. Consider General George Washington’s record during the Revolutionary War. He only won three battles. But he gave all he had. British general Cornwallis, who surrendered to Washington at Yorktown to end the war, said to the American commander, “Sir, I salute you not only as a great leader of men, but as an indomitable Christian gentleman who wouldn’t give up.”
2. Work with determination, don’t wait on destiny. People who depend on luck, fate, or destiny usually become frustrated and give up. But trying times are no time to quit. That’s what makes the difference. For the thousands of people who give up, there is always someone like Thomas Edison who remarked, “I start where the last man left off.”
3. Quit when the task is done, not when you are tired. Robert Strauss stated that “success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired—you quit when the gorilla is tired.” Our own way of thinking limits our goals. Through faith, God empowers and directs us beyond what we ever thought possible.*
I am thankful for the special blessings the Lord has showered on Peace In Jesus this past month, through which I reviewed the lesson of never giving up. On August 19th, six people were baptized and three adults stepped forward as communicant members of our congregation. Adult baptisms included: Quy Thi Nguyen, Ngoc Thao Thi Nguyen, Minh Nguyen, and Hien Nguyen. Child baptisms included: Thao Vi Nguyen and Nguyen T. Nguyen. Those stepping forward for communicant membership included: Quy Thi Nguyen, Ngoc Thao Thi Nguyen, and Nghiem Nguyen.
Quy Thi Nguyen was born on July 9, 1935 in Saigon, Vietnam. She grew up honoring the cult of the lady Buddha. She married Giao Van Nguyen and had 9 children. Following the fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, Giao was detained in a re-education camp for over 8 years. During this time, there was not enough rice for their family. Finally, Giao, Quy, and their two youngest children were allowed to immigrate to the U.S. through the H.O. program in 1994. Giao had a loose connection to Cross of Christ, and then became a regular attendee of Peace In Jesus from the time our doors opened in 1999. In 2000, Giao became the first adult baptism of our congregation.
From the time I met Giao's wife, Quy; she was always respectful and pleasant. However, she maintained her allegiance toward the cult of the lady Buddha even as she allowed me to begin a Bible Class in her home. Giao was our congregation's first official funeral in April, 2003. This event provided opportunities to witness to Quy and other family members. One occasion in 2005, I remember studying with her in her home when she was particularly conversational. I had to fight my way into the conversation a few times to finally deliver this message: "I am regretful when I hear you speak of your past, because of all the difficulties and hardships you have faced, especially in Vietnam. I am thankful for all the benefits and blessings you now enjoy living in the United States. But I am worried about your future, Mrs. Quy." At this, she began to cry. It was the first time I had seen any response of this kind by this strong Vietnamese woman displaying a hard-core Buddhist belief. She agreed to expand the Bible Class to include three of her adult children living in her home. At the conclusion of the class this late summer, I began to explain that we were at the end of the course. Thao, one of Quy's adult daughters, quickly asked, "Baptism, pastor?" I said that this would be a wonderful opportunity for baptism for anyone who wanted it. We set the date, and Thao assented for herself and her children. Nghia, Quy's son, also agreed. Quy herself was also nodding her head in agreement when the date was chosen.
On August 19, 2007, this same Quy Thi Nguyen was made a child of God through Holy Baptism.
Every soul is precious. All six baptisms were special that day. But Quy's wetted brow reminded me that you never know who the Holy Spirit will grab by faith. You never know how long it may take for the Lord to use your witnessing to bring some soul to himself. In His Great Commission, we hear Christ's call to "go." In this command, we should also hear "don't stop." We must never give up.
Prayer idea: Praise God for the gift of faith. Thank God for creating faith in the hearts of those you cherish. Pray for someone to whom you have been witnessing for some time.
Blessings on your week!
--Pastor Dan
* 3 points regarding tenacity adapted from John C. Maxwell’s The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player