Endurance...

"But he (or she) that has endured to the END is the one that will be saved"-Matthew 24:13

This is taken from the book Insight Volume 1 page 724, published by the Watch Tower Society:

Endurance:

The Greek verb hy·po·me′no, literally meaning “remain or stay under,” is rendered ‘remain behind’ in Luke 2:43 and Acts 17:14. It also came to have the sense “stand one’s ground; persevere; remain steadfast,” and is thus translated ‘endure.’ (Mt 24:13) The noun hy·po·mo·ne′ usually denotes courageous, steadfast, or patient “endurance” that does not lose hope in the face of obstacles, persecutions, trials, or temptations.

Why Needed. Among the things Christians may have to face are indifference on the part of others, reproach, misrepresentation, intense hostility, hatred by close family members, mistreatment, imprisonment, and even death. (Mt 5:10-12; 10:16-22; 24:9, 10,39; Mr 13:9, 12,13; Re 13:10) This calls for endurance. Without this essential quality, a person simply could not come into possession of eternal life. (Ro 2:7; Heb 10:36; Re 14:12) This is because what counts is the finish, not how well a person may have started in the course of Christian discipleship. “By endurance on your part you will acquire your souls.”—Lu 21:19.

Persons who quickly accept “the word of God,” but only on a surface level, lack endurance. They soon give up under tribulation or persecution, losing out on God’s approval and blessing....

How Maintained. Contemplating the fine example set by God’s servants—the pre-Christian prophets, Job, the apostles Paul and John, and many more—and noting the outcome of their faithful course can be a great stimulus in maintaining endurance when one is experiencing suffering. (2Co 6:3-10; 12:12; 2Th 1:4; 2Ti 3:10-12; Jas 5:10,11; Re 1:9) Especially should the flawless endurance of Jesus Christ be kept prominently in view.—Heb 12:2,3; 1Pe 2:19-24.

It is also important never to lose sight of the Christian hope, eternal life in a sinless state. Not even death at the hands of persecutors can nullify this hope. (Ro 5:4,5; 1Th 1:3; Re 2:10) The suffering of the present will pale into insignificance when compared with the fulfillment of that grand hope. (Ro 8:18-25) Against the backdrop of eternity, any suffering, though intense at the time, is “momentary and light.” (2Co 4:16-18) A person’s remembering the temporary nature of trials and holding fast to the Christian hope can prevent his giving in to despair and becoming unfaithful to Jehovah God.

Endurance in the Christian way is not dependent on personal strength. It is the Most High who, by means of his spirit and the comfort from the Scriptures, sustains and fortifies his servants. He “supplies endurance” to those who rely fully on him, and so Christians rightly pray for his help, including the wisdom needed to deal with a particular trial. (Ro 15:4,5; Jas 1:5) Jehovah will never permit anyone’s being submitted to a trial that would be impossible for him to bear. If a person looks to Him for aid, not losing faith but trusting completely in Jehovah, the Almighty will make the way out so that he is able to endure.—1Co 10:13; 2Co 4:9.

Jehovah God and his Son want all to succeed. This is evident from the encouragement regarding endurance that Jesus Christ gave to members of Christian congregations at Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.—Re 2:1-3, 8-10, 12, 13, 18,19; 3:4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14, 19-21.

Proper View of Trials. Knowing that a person’s eternal future depends on endurance and that he can be confident of assistance from on high, Christians should not dread trials and tribulations, resenting them or giving in to complaint, self-pity, or bitterness. The apostle Paul admonished: “Exult while in tribulations, since we know that tribulation produces endurance.” (Ro 5:3) Trials borne patiently and steadfastly with divine help reveal that a Christian possesses the needed quality of endurance—something that was not known in actuality and by experience before the tribulation began.

Endurance should be allowed to have “its work complete” by letting the trial run its full course without any attempts to use unscriptural means to bring it to a swift end. Then, faith will be tested and refined, and its sustaining power will be revealed. Areas of weakness may be exposed, putting the Christian in a position to see defects and to make needed improvements. The molding effect of trials endured faithfully can make a person more patient, sympathetic, compassionate, kind, and loving when dealing with fellow humans. Thus, by permitting endurance to “have its work complete,” a person will not be “lacking in anything” that Jehovah God looks for in his approved servants.—Jas 1:2-4.

AM-Interesting isn’t?

We all have to show endurance as never before when Armageddon starts and throughout the Great Tribulation.

And now is the time to prepare for that, actually all your life might have been preparing you for that moment to happen.

In my case it has been a test of endurance since I was born, I can not tell you in detail all my tribulations out of respect for my family, because many things had been so painful that just by remembering them it hurts a lot...

But I will tell you this that is mostly personal, satan has attacked me since I was a little boy in horrible dreams and in “real” life as well.

I had to risk my life in 3 different periods of my life starting when I was 12 years old crossing the most protected border in the world...”illegally”.

Why? Because of “fun”? or trying to get “rich”? No, it was because we had to do it to survive.

How many immigrant workers in a “first world” country get rich anyways? Not many.

And then when in the “promised land” you get exploited in works that most people don’t want to do, and suffer persecutions and hate...

But why Jehovah has let me suffer so much all my life if He chose me for this since I was born?

It would not actually be a “blessed” and “fortunate” person one that Jehovah chooses?

It does not work like that with Jehovah, actually all my sufferings have prepared me for this moment, for Armageddon.

You all will know (if you want to survive) what it feels to pack your whole “life” in a single bag and go into unknown dangerous territories...with sophisticated persecutors looking for you that are “superior” to you, technologically speaking at least.

They will persecute you until the “ends of the earth”, satan does not want any survivors, he want us all to die with his followers too.

But as I already mentioned, and the Bible say it too, that wont happen. Jehovah will provide us with endurance to survive Armageddon.

But it wont be “automatically” given, you have to do your own part, if you fail because you get tired of “suffering” in the wilderness and start to miss the “good life” you had before...you will perish. Just like Lot's wife died when she wanted to go back.

So it's better that you start to make preparations for the “journey” ahead, simplify your life as much as you can, serve Jehovah in the preaching work as much as you can too. We only have 6 years or so to do both. That wont be repeated again in human history.

I already mentioned 32 items that you may need in the wilderness, but try to make it smaller than that if you can, you may not have the chance to get those things when the time comes for you to flee.

Better yet, go and hide some of them in the place you think you will hide, so when you arrive they will be there waiting for you.

But the best thing you can do, is to train yourself and your loved ones in how to survive in such harsh environments, that is a requirement, Jehovah will be protecting you and providing for you, but you will have to show your faith and that you prepared like the 10 wise virgins that Jesus mentioned in a parable on Mathews 25:1-12.

The full apply of these words of Jesus to his disciples will be truly fulfilled at the time:

“Truly I say to YOU that it will be a difficult thing for a rich man to get into the kingdom of the heavens. Again I say to YOU, It is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to get into the kingdom of God.”-Matthew 19:23,24.

Rich people usually expect others to do basic things for them isn’t it? They have servants at work and at home...at that time they will have none.

They will have to rely in “themselves”. Money will be useless.

Simple things like ice will be a luxury in a hot summer. You will fully appreciate the wonder of it at the time...I don't think that other thing besides food will give you some much joy like some water with ice...

But the problem will be that you wont have electricity...so getting a solar or maybe even a manual powered small ice maker will be one of the best thing you can probably own at the time!

No air conditioners nor fans, they require too much energy for a small solar powered generator to be efficient. Your best bet is ice baby! (just like that song...:-)).

Learn how to fish and how to hunt animals without fire guns (noise will attract your persecutors and they would easily find you...)

Learn how to endure with out the internet too!

That will be extremely difficult for some people that rely on it for all most everything, their work, to learn new things and to “socialize” with others.

The internet can be easily traceable, and they will find you just by being connected to it!

That is why I mentioned no “smart” cell phones with internet access, nor GPS devices...you must abandon your modern car miles away from your hidden place or they will find you because of it.

Also any kind of cell phone even a simple one without internet access can be traceable, and it wont be of any help anyways...besides telling your persecutors where you are at!

Many electronic devices have “tracers” too. Do you know that some people can listen to your conversations even when your cell phone is off?

Amazing isn’t it?

All those things will be something to be alert of.

Even most Short Wave Radios can be traceable...

So until we figure this thing out, even that may not be a good idea in some parts of the world...

So for some of you, you might have to go “blind”...I was also trained to do that in the B&W Photography darkroom when I was 18 years old.

No Internet, no Radio, no TV, no nothing but a Bible!

Do you think that you will need endurance?

I can assure you that you will.

AM.

Update 2-4-13:

If this people could survive 40 years in total isolation...YOU can too at the time of the Great Tribulation and Armageddon.

AM.