ON TENACITY Ever wondered about how willing the woman with the 12-year issue of blood was to get healed? Have you ever considered the sheer willingness she possessed (Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48)? Drained and suffering for twelve years, and yet she kept on trying. Even after she had spent all she had and lost so much, when she heard of Jesus, she pulled herself and gave it all she got. Ever wondered about blind Bartimaeus? Do you realise that he had that encounter just before the Triumphal Entry of Jesus to Jerusalem, where there was a great multitude of people, removing their clothes, cutting branches, and shouting "Hosanna in the highest"? Do you imagine how willing and tenacious this man was to be heard above all this crowd? And even when MANY warned him - he still pushed on until he got the attention of Jesus. Talk about desire (Mark 10:46-52). The reason many children of God lead lives so removed from the eternal life Jesus gives is that they lack tenacity - no real desire! They can't be bothered to walk to church, fast a week, forego a meal and rather use that money to attend a service. It's too far, too hard, too pricey, too busy, too long - all excuses of pure failures! It's a reason their prayers aren't answered. Their prayers can't cause a storm in Heaven - where they are citizens and seated in authority - much less on the earth! The Good, Kind and Wonderful Father of Love is interested in hearing the desires and demands of those who are tenacious people of faith! Sometimes the record of Heaven, regarding a particular situation, reads: "Several people prayed (or claimed to) but somebody made a demand, and got it done!". And on earth, some will say "Oh, it's the result of decades- old prayers". Not always! Sometimes, it was just the one righteous man who made all the difference by his effectual, fervent praying (James 5:17). Many children of God come before the Throne Room of the Father, just strutting around! The child who means business gets His Father to the table and gets the deal done, leaving the rest to carry on strutting! Then they wonder why the new guy has got a blessing a thousand times bigger than all they were asking altogether. They think "maybe God doesn't love me, pitiful me". What a shame! They don't even grasp He is their Father. They think “maybe He has given our collective blessing to the new guy”. Oh No! Our God is the All-Sufficient One; He is El-Shaddai; the same Lord over ALL Who is rich to ALL who calling on Him (Romans 10:12)! You see, the other guy placed a demand, knowing he was coming before his Father, while you all weren't sure of what you were there for in the first place! And he got more than he demanded, because the Father gives to all liberally and he asked in faith (James 1:5-8). Yours still lies untouched! The Father loves to see His children dogged, persistent, determined, not lacking in resolve! The Father asks for your strong reasons and demands (John 14:13-14; 16:23; Isaiah 41:21; 45:11; Psalms 2:7-9; Hebrews 6:12)! Think about that woman (with the issue of blood)! Her conditions, the prevailing laws, culture and traditions maximally ensured she had no help! She had to press her own way through. Frail and weak, but with a fighting spirit! Lost all, but not the will to live! Not the will to be healed! Not the will to press through! Oh! See her faith! She heard of Jesus, and she determined not to be the exception to His Healing Power! Other physicians had tried and erred, making experiments of her! She heard of this One Who had consistent results! And she matched her faith and tenacity to His Power! If He had the Power - and she knew He did - then nothing would stop her! She wasn't coming next year; she wasn't opting for a progressive work over another 12 years! She set her conditions for her healing, subject to God's Power and Prowess! And He is the All-Mighty God! So why do you accept results, or situations and circumstances well beneath the power of God? Why do you present your case as though it were especially resistant to God's ability? Of what good are "buts" to you? Why must you define the exception, when "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)? Heaven accepts - in fact, loves! - determined, forceful, pushful Children of God. Jesus said, "From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of Heaven has been taken by storm and eager men are forcing their way into it." (Matthew 11:12, PHILLIPS). The Kingdom is for the valiant, strong, staunch and unwavering! Heaven is looking for men firm enough to advance the Kingdom's Agenda here on the earth, not weak folks that are easily cowed! The Father seeks people who will hold on to His Word, and hold Him to His Word, by their faith and persistence! Men who would say, "I don't mind if this is the last thing I do on the earth, but Father You've got to fulfil this Your Word or call me home! I'm not leaving this meeting with You until You hear me!" (1John 5:14-15). The sheer intensity of intercession scares many away; therefore, many children aren't privy to the Boardroom of Heaven. It takes a man of steel to sit and present arguments in those Meetings! We're in a hostile takeover of this world, folks; the devil and his band of demons won't get going from our situations until we enforce the Lordship of Jesus in those areas! We need a revelation of prayer, even and especially we in the Pentecostal circles! Not the shaking-head, looking-out-the-window kind! Not the kind where you don't even remember what you asked, a few minutes or days later. I am talking about people who know the Word, are established in the New Covenant, understand Redemption, and will demand justice of the Father and the enforcement of their rights on the earth! So many portions assigned to the Children of God on the earth remain not accessed, because the owners lack tenacity! They take whatever comes! No, they aren't being cheated. Have you had a case where a big seller just forgot to process your order, or some other issue occurred that hindered you from getting what's yours? You can take it in your stride and let it go. Or, you can call them up and demand a fix asap! And they get your order sorted out with added compensation. They didn't set out to cheat you; your order was probably too insignificant as to make a dent to the company's account, in any case. They probably don't know you. So, it's up to you to get it fixed! We are Heaven's Representatives here on the Earth! We are more than conquerors, established in victories, defended, secure and protected by the Lord of Hosts Himself, who also is our Father. We are sent to deliver the GOOD NEWS to mankind; that they have been delivered. But we are dealing with a tyrant who - though openly and decisively defeated, crushed, disarmed and paraded in the Heavenlies - will never let his prisoners go easily. How tenacious, then, do you suppose we need to be? The devil knows that one word from your mouth will send him scampering in fear and terror, reminding him and re-inflicting the pangs of the eternal defeat he suffered 2 Millenia ago. Yet, he still attempts - just in case you aren't tenacious; just in case you wouldn't mind a little fever, lack, insufficiency, or delay every now and then. And many a child of God just easily quits! Come on, Christian! You ought to be strong and tenacious like your Father! It doesn't matter the armour and mighty weapons of war that you have; if you would fret at the sound a whistle, then all it takes to defeat you is a whistle! The wishes and mere utterances of people lacking in persuasion, passion and power of belief and will is boring to Him. They are a dime a multitude. No wonder several people were thronging Jesus and He didn't notice. A great multitude crying "Hosanna" and - as good and great as that is - He had time for Bartimaeus. Faith people are a subset of tenacious people. There is something about tenacity that makes it a central theme to faith. Leaders, consistently successfully people are a subset of tenacious people. No one ever gets to and remains on top by resignation - to fate and circumstance, and from challenges or difficulties. Be more tenacious than a bulldog, Human! Be Bold and Courageous; Act like men, Hold fast to the confession of your faith, Child of God (Joshua 1:6-9; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Hebrews 4:14; 10:23)! You need boldness and courage to possess and divide the inheritance. The Father loves those who dare! Ever read about the parable of Jesus on prayer (Luke 18:1-8)? That woman had no strength against her enemy and her only hope was a wicked, godless, irreverent king. And she persisted and won! "Get me justice from my adversary", she said. Think about it, she wearied out a totally soulless and hardened ruler! And Jesus asks, "Shall God not avenge His own elect?". We wrongly interpret that parable as being primarily a command to pray (because of the "ought" in Verse 1). No, Jesus was showing why men should (ought to) pray! He was illustrating the powerful benefit of prayers! True, we are commanded to pray (1Thessalonians 5:17), but the import of this story is WHY we pray. This story should get us excited to pray because our Father, Who is Love and unlike the bad judge, will hear us SPEEDILY! Jesus however asks whether He will find faith - this persistent tenacious all-in faith, the true Godkind of faith (Luke 11:5-13) - on the earth when He returns? Will you, by the effectiveness and fervency of your prayer life, say a loud "YES" to Him? It is so evident that a revelation of the Father is necessary to pray this way. Not God, but the Father to us! (Luke 11:2) Prayer is based on that revelation and relationship. The Christian has been wrongly taught and so comes with feelings of a mix of unworthiness, shame, guilt, timidity, unholy fear, weakness, wretchedness and inferiority! Those that would make demands think they are at war with the Father to are trying to force Him to do what He doesn't! How sad! We come to our Father - the Father of lights, from Whom comes every good and perfect gift! (James 1:16-17). "It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32). It is His will and His Word! He said to come boldly and with a sense of righteousness (Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-23). He wants to see His children act like Him (Ephesians 5:1). He has blessed us and given us all that is necessary for full manifestation Eternal Life and Godliness. He wants our best (Ephesians 1:3; 2Peter 1:3; 3John 2; Psalms 35:27)! We need a greater dimension of this Revelation of the Fatherhood of God and its place in effective prayer! I thank the Father for my Dad and Mum, whom He has specially called, equipped and anointed for times like this, and through whom He is expounding and revealing these things again to the Body of Christ (See https://youtu.be/XqwqlQGrN1s, a teaching just four days before the initial writing of this letter). We glorify His Name! Hallelujah!! Amen! He wants us to come to the Throne Room with all certainty and assurance, doubting nothing. Then He knows we are serious for Him, for He has no pleasure in fools, or those who draw back (Ecclesiastes 5:4; Hebrews 10:35-39; James 1:6-8)! He is my Father, your Father, our Father! In this boldness and with this revelation, go! Amen. Yours in Him, ANU A. ADEWUYI (Email) CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE BIBLE CHURCH INC. (Email; Website; YouTube; Facebook; Twitter)
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