Welcome to Day 10 of The Challenge! Our verse to memorize is II Timothy 2:10:
~
"Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes,
that they may also obtain the salvation which
is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory."
~
Picture this! An aged elder looks a young chap in the eye. His weathered face shows marks of great sufferings at the hands of cruel men, but his eyes glisten of hope and love. The lad has heard stories of this man’s sufferings: “five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. In journeyings often, in perils of waters, … in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by 
the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (II Cor. 11:24-27). After all this, he places a hand on the boy’s shoulder and with firm conviction says, “endure all things… that they may also obtain the salvation.” Little did Timothy know that he would possibly be dragged out of a city and stoned to death after faithfully serving the Lord.
Jesus Christ endured all things, and calls us to do the same. It has been a huge privilege of mine to read the stories and meet those who willingly “endure all things”. I recently read a biography which mentioned men in prison who accepted the deal 
given by the prison warden: “You preach, and we’ll beat.” Two years ago, I met Brother Yun, whose life and testimony bear witness to enduring all things. In his 23 years of ministering in China, Brother Yun was arrested and sent to prison three different times. He spent a total of seven years in prison for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, enduring all things is much different for each person, but whether it is getting along with annoying siblings, doing menial chores around the house, being despised for what you believe, experiencing rejection by friends because of your standards, preaching the gospel, or getting beaten, all can and should be done joyfully for one cause: that others “may also obtain the salvation.”
~ David Waller
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January 10th, 2009 at 6:23 am
Very powerful, David. It is only by the grace and strengh of God that one can suffer for the good of his persecuters.
Most American Christians do not face direct physical persecution today, but the advancement of liberal groups is unbelievable. Visit http://www.silencingchristians.com and you will walk away with a deeper understanding of how American Crhistians are enduring hardship in the 21st century.
January 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Wow! Way to draw the reader in and make it real for what it really was. Thanks for making this passage so applicable to our somewhat regular, easier seeming lives. It’s also very true that in our current days many people are being persecuted by even the church itself. Good reminder that in all circumstances we should do whatever is necessary to stay true to the Lord.
January 10th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Thank you all so very much for your insightful and encouraging posts, sharing what God has impressed on your heart about the verse of II Timothy for the day!! Although I have not been able to check the website every day, I have really enjoyed reading what all of you have written and I have been blessed by each illustration/application!
Thank you so much for encouraging us to memorize II Timothy! It is one of my favorite chapters and it is fun to know that there are others memorizing it at the same time that I am!
May God continue to bless each one that has committed to memorize His Word with many rich insights as we continue this journey through II Timothy!
January 10th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
Very well said, David! I remember being inspired by reading Brother Yun’s book, The Heavenly Man, after hearing him speak in the Philippines. What an incredible testimony of God’s faithfulness!
January 10th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
The Greek word for “endure” in this verse is the same Greek word for “endured” in Hebrews 12:2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Just as Jesus endured the cross, Paul did the same. And I am motivated to follow their examples.
Endure means “to remain under, that is, to endure or sustain a load of miseries, adversities, persecutions or provocations in faith and patience.” Paul endured all this to bring the Gospel to others! How much more I should joyfully endure the every-day things and circumstances that surround me at home, like the realistic examples David listed. And not just endure them, but endure them with patience. Patience! That reminded me of the verse in Hebrews 12:1 which instructs us to “run with patience the race that is set before us” I remember a few years ago when I “saw” for the first time that word in the verse. This race we are in requires patience. And when it sometimes seems that things are not going anywhere (and I am in the Lord’s will), that is where the patience, long-suffering, and endurance come in. That was a whole new eye-opener for me. As I learn from the experiences God brings me through at home, I then can be better prepared for whatever He brings me through in the future. And in this day and age, who knows what the future holds?!
That is really neat that you both were able to meet Brother Yun personally! A family friend gave us his book a while ago and I was able to browse through his amazing story.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:40 am
So true David…I often ask myself if I would be able to endure persecution for Christ’s sake? Do I love Him that much? Though it should never be a fear, I believe we must count the cost for following Christ and be prepared to suffer for Him.
I was recently skimming over some articles in “The Voice of the Martyrs.” And I was overwhelmed with how trivial many of the things were that worried or concerned me in comparison to the suffering that many of them were going through for Jesus’ sake.
May God give us all grace to be consumed with the things that really count for eternity.
January 17th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Albert Einstein once said, “In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity.”