Staying Down Makes You A Failure by John Hagee

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Falling Down Does Not Make You A Failure— Staying Down Makes You A Failure
Saint Paul was the Apostle of persistence.  Did he give us Romans 8:37 when everything was running smoothly?  No, he said, “we are more than conquerors” after being beaten three times with a Roman cat of nine tails…after being stoned and left for death in the dirt…after being betrayed by his dearest friends…

I dare say that none of us have been beaten with a roman cat of nine tails, nor stoned and left for dead.  But Paul, when these things happened to him, said, “These light afflictions, which last only a moment, will achieve eternal glory for us “ 2 Corinthians 4:17.  In America these days, if you speak to someone about their Christian faith and it’s just not glowing and oozing with complimentary overtones, they’re highly offended.  Christians in the early church were thrown to the lions in the Roman coliseum and they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  Listen to the words of Paul:  “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” 2 Corinthians 4:8.

If you get up one more time than you’re knocked down, you’re the winner.  I like the word triumph:  “try-umph”!  Get up again and give it another shot.  Don’t give me an alibi; give it another try, in Jesus’ name.

Source:  12 Sunday Mornings—Volume 2