STAYING THE COURSE

By David M. Colburn, D.Min.

OBSTINATE:  And what are the things you seek, since you leave all the world to find them?
CHRISTIAN:  I seek an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that will never fade away, safely laid up on Heaven, to be bestowed at the appointed time on all who diligently seek it.  Read it, if you will, right here in my Book.
OBSTINATE:  Oh, bosh! Away with your book!  Will you go back with us or not?
CHRISTIAN:  No, because I have now put my hand to the plow.
OBSTINATE:  Come then, Pliable, let us go back without him; there is getting to be a lot of these crazy fools, who, when they take a fancy to a thing, are wiser in their own eyes than seven men who can give a reason.
PLIABLE:  Don't revile.  If what the good man says is true, he is wiser than we are; the things he hopes to gain are much better than what we have.  I am inclined to go with him.
OBSTINATE:  What, more fools still?  You had better listen and go back with me.  Who knows where this unbalanced fellow may lead you?  Be wise, and go back with me.
CHRISTIAN:  No, come with me, Pliable.  There are such things to be gained as I spoke of, and many more wonderful things besides.  If you do not believe me, read it here in my Book; and the truth expressed in it is all confirmed by the blood of Him who wrote the Book.
PLIABLE:  Well, neighbor Obstinate, I am making my decision.  I am going along with this good man; I cast in my lot with him.  But now good Christian, do you know the way to this delightful place?
CHRISTIAN:  I was directed by a man whose name is Evangelist to hurry on to a little gate that is before us, where I shall receive instruction about the way. (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, 14-15)

Defining "Staying the Course":

"Staying" is the act of holding to a fixed location or direction (e.g., a AAA Trip-Tick, the syllabus for a college course, the stay used to keep your sails pointed in the right direction.)

"Course" refers to a connected series of events or actions along a pre-determined route.
To veer off course, on a sailboat one may adjust the tension by loosening the rope fastened to the mast, on a road trip one may follow an unexpected detour not shown on the AAA Trip-Tick, or in the classroom the professor may discover an exciting and valuable new element to add to a course and thus modify the syllabus.  Each change in course or direction requires a reasoned decision and an action.

In the pejorative, that "stay" on the boat may be loose due to poor maintenance and the rope 
may come loose as a result precipitating a catastrophe at worst, a drifting off course at best.
Poor choices may also alter ones course such as the accountant who first takes the paper clip, 
then the pen, then the stapler, and then is shocked when finding himself headed for prison after embezzling thousands of dollars.  Every choice, great and small, has consequences even if we do not recognize them all in the moment of choosing.  Consider the generations-long consequences of Abraham's failure to wait on God and to father Esau, the first of the Arab nation, which is now on a collision course with Christianity, Judaism, and Western ideals of freedom and sovereignty.

Therefore, "staying the course" refers to choosing to be unmoved by the 
World, whose Prince is Satan, whether in a moment in our lives or along the road 
to Heaven.

When President Reagan encouraged the world to "Stay the course" in ending the 
evil empire that was the Soviet Union he might have said "Don't give up!"

When President George Bush encourages the world to "Stay the course" in resisting 
the violent onslaught of radical Islam his supporters sometimes say "Don't cut and 
run!"

Jesus told us that if we are to be His disciples we must take up our Cross and follow Him.

What is His Cross?  

1.  The Cross is where one truly separates oneself from this fallen world and commits, come what may, to the perspectives and priorities of a Heaven-bound Christian.
2.  His Cross is where He took on the punishment due every created being from Genesis to the White Throne of Judgment at the end of created time.
3.  His Cross is where He earned for us the opportunity to be rescued from our rebellion against 
God; the technical term is propitiation, and it makes for a fascinating word study.

What is a disciple?

1.  A disciple is someone who is eternally saved by Christ.
2.  A disciple is someone who is in the process of becoming spiritually matured through discipleship.

What is the process of discipleship? 

1.  It requires submission to the accountability of one who disciples you, pastor, teacher, group leader, mentor, or counselor.

2.  It requires consistent effort in:

	a. Prayer, talking to the One who has sought the restoration of broken fellowship 
with man ever since Adam & Eve swallowed the 'dumb' pill in the Garden of Eden.  So we pray without ceasing, we pray in agreement with one another, we pray in celebration and in need, and we pray as did Jesus for wisdom and strength in all things.

	b. Bible Study, reading His Story which tells us about His character, His promises, and His love for us.  We learn from Bible characters what to seek and what to avoid.  And we get the 'big picture' of God's Hand upon the flow of creation.

	c. Bible memory, "hiding the Word in our hearts".  How will the Holy Spirit draw to 
our remembrance the words of God if they are not first hidden there?  To hide the Word in our hearts, we first say the Book and verse citation aloud, say the verse again, then repeat the citation.  It is further helpful to write it down on a card, put it somewhere visible, and repeat it while exercising, driving, or waiting for an appointment, etc.  Making it our computer or cell phone screen saver or background for the day, we immerse ourselves with the memory verse!

	d. Bible meditation, rephrasing the verse using our own words and then contemplating and reflecting upon them.  As appropriate, substituting our name for the generic "he," "she," "them," "my people," etc. makes it more personal, as does thinking of a circumstance or person to whom we may link the verse.  Questioning the verse creates awareness; "examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11) and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to reveal layers of meaning.

	e. Service and Evangelism, compelling us to live-out the love that Jesus has poured into us and to go forth and tell the world.  God teaches us, through service and evangelism, that we are not to keep our light hidden under a barrel nor our salt stored and unused.  There are risks, but He gave it His all; He asks us to risk nothing, for one day all we have will be discarded at the threshold to Heaven.

	f. Giving, expressing our faith and thanks to God. When we give we trust God to 
provide, sometimes a lot and sometimes a little.  He is always faithful and that grows our faith.  Keeping a prayer journal or a faith journal will generate a running testimony of God's faithfulness in ways we may otherwise miss.  God only asks that we give a little of His money back through the church; we do so gratefully for He allows us to keep the rest and His provision is always what we need and often much more.

	g. Fellowship, gathering together for whole-church worship and teaching and gathering together in small groups for worship, teaching, sharing, caring, accountability, service, and evangelism. This is the model of Jesus and the Apostles during His time on Earth and following His departure and the arrival of the Holy Spirit of God following Pentecost.  We are relational creations and are doomed to failure in spiritual warfare with the Prince of this World, Satan, unless we gather together.

	Finally there came a message for Mr. Steadfast (the man found upon his knees in the enchanted ground) which said that he must prepare for a change of life, that his Master was not willing that he should live so far from Him any longer.  The message put Mr. Steadfast into a deep meditation.  “You need not doubt the truth of the message.” (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, 254)

How do we "stand" in the face of attack, confusion, exhaustion, and frustration? In the older part of the whole Testament of God, David writes, "Though a thousand may fall beside you, and a multitude on your right side, it will not reach you" (Psalms 91:7). Allow the word picture to flood your mind: There stands the soldier on the battlefield, his fellow warriors dying all around him.

As we learned in the prior discussion of "meditation", we question:

1.  Who is this terrible enemy that he destroys so many?

	Satan, the evil one, the enemy, fallen Lucifer, the serpent, the one who prowls about 
	the earth seeking whom he may devour, the father of lies, the lawless one, the 
	tempter, the accuser of the saints, the prince of demons, the morning star, the son of 
	dawn.  Notice that all of these names are obviously dark and evil but the last two.  
	These last two tie him to post-creation and bind him to all that will one day perish.  
	Only those who are joined to God through Christ will survive the great cleansing.

2.  What is the reason for this battle?

	The battle started in Heaven when Lucifer expressed his free will in rebellion by 	seeking a peer relationship with God; it then peaked once in the Garden of Eden when 	the serpent deceived Eve and then Adam, causing them to emulate his rebellion; later it 	reached another peak at the Cross; but it has been battle to battle since the first rebellion.  	God seeks to reclaim His love relationship with His creation and Satan seeks to steal 	them from Him.

	In each of our lives is a contest for our eternal souls.  We are offered hope by God and 	Hell by Satan, but Satan lies and we must discern between his lies and God's truth.  Our 	discernment is tested every waking hour.

3.  Where is this battle taking place?

	The battle is waging in the spiritual realm, in the hearts and minds of the unsaved and 	in our hearts and minds as well.   Satan cannot indwell us as he can the unsaved, but he 	can harass us. The battle is worked out as we choose to grown better and stronger 	through tests or if we choose to entertain the enemy by drifting into temptation.

4.  When will this battle impact me?

	It has already been impacting each of us our entire lives.  As the storybook character 
	Sherlock Holmes once said, "It is not that I see things that others do not, it is that I 
	notice things they fail to notice."  The Apostle Paul warned us of the "more 
	important" battle that rages in the unseen (spiritual) world.  We must learn to 
	recognize the evidences of that spiritual warfare and choose to be active allies of the 
	Lord rather than careless and unknowing tools of the enemy.

5.  Why are they falling and suffering and dying and not me?

	God has His perfect plan and perfect timing and desires to use us in His great work.  
	We sometimes stand because we have been faithful and sometimes because He 
	sovereignly chooses to protect us for His reasons.  God chooses to allow us to be 	blessed as we are conduits of His blessings to others. Our rebellious fallen natures 	cause us to get in His way from time to time, He is grace-filled and tolerates us as He 	chastises us toward spiritual maturity.

6.  How am I armed to resist this terrible enemy?

	The full armor of God equips us to withstand the Enemy's attacks.  

For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,
And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints [God's consecrated people]. (Ephesians 6:12-18, Amplified Bible)

In the newer part of the Bible we call the New Testament Peter writes: 
"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are" (1 Peter 5:8-9) 
"These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Against what are you having to "stand firm"?

List three things that you find difficult in life -- things that are sins you want to resist but 
struggle to resist:

1.

2.

3.

	Now they went along together toward the gate.  Though the City stood on a great high hill, the pilgrims went up the hill with perfect ease because of the two heavenly ones leading them by the arms and because their mortal garments had been left in the river.  Therefore they went up the great hill swiftly, even though the foundation upon which the City was built was higher than earthly clouds.  They ascended through the regions of the air, joyously conversing as they went—exceedingly happy that they were safely over the river and had such wonderful companions.
	Their conversation was about the glory of the place, which the shining ones termed inexpressible.  "There," they said, "is Mount Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, the innumerable company of angels, and the spirits of men just made perfect.  You are going now to the Paradise of God, where you shall see the tree of life and eat of its never-failing fruit.  And when you come there, you shall have white robes and will walk and talk every day with the King, through all eternity.  There you will never again see the sorrows, sickness, affliction, and death you saw when you were on the earth, ‘For the former things are passed away.’”  (Rev.  21:1-4) (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, 153-154)

List three actions that would move you in a clear direction, one you believe to be of God 
but that you struggle to follow (e.g., finishing college, seeking forgiveness, getting a job, 
reading the Bible, joining a small group, going on a missions trip, praying for someone 
who is hard to pray for, getting your finances in order, regular exercise and healthy diet, 
making a certain confession of faith and being baptised, joining a church family)

1.  

2. 

3. 

The Faithful Welcomed to the Eternal City
But how glorious it was to see the sky beyond the river filled with horses and chariots, trumpeters and pipers, with singers, musicians, and myriads of immortals with waving palms to welcome the faithful home as they filed through the gate of the eternal City. (John Bunyan, Pilgrim's Progress, 256)

Every promise of God fulfilled, every pure desire of God-inspired, Holy Spirit-indwelled, Jesus-empowered hearts met, resurrection, redemption, reconciliation, restoration all at once.

Amen!