A Call To Endure

Nick Minerva • Jan 03, 2021

For the last ten years, one of my greatest goals has been to live a faithful life. Regardless of whether or not my life is deemed flashy or impressive by most people’s standards is largely irrelevant. I just want to live and finish my life well. My favorite verse is Revelation 2:10 which says, “ Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. ” This past year I, like you, have been confronted with the reality that our world is fragile and insecure. Structures we trust in, fail. People we look up to let us down. Corruption seems to have become the norm. Loved ones pass away. Our faith continues to become more and more marginalized. Hebrews 13:14 serves as a stark reminder. “ For we do not have an enduring city here; instead, we seek the one to come.” We don’t have the promise of an unshakeable world. Not yet anyway. (Hebrews 12:26-28) We go to such great lengths to secure comfort and security when in fact we are promised the opposite. 1 Peter 2:11 tells us we are strangers and exiles. 1 Peter 4:12 tells us not to be surprised when we go through fiery trials. (Funny how we still act surprised, even offended when things don’t go our way.) 2 Timothy 3:1 promises our days will be hard. 

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. – Rev. 2:10

So often we view suffering and difficulties as the exception when in fact the New Testament tells us they are the norm. Jesus flat out tells us in John 16:33 that in this life we will have suffering. I am tremendously thankful for the prosperity and comfort that we have been blessed with in the West, but all one has to do is skim Church history and barely keep up with the news to realize we live in a bubble. (A bubble that may very soon pop.) But as thankful as I am, I think this bubble has made us soft. Hebrews 10 tells us that we will need ENDURANCE. Why do we need endurance? Because according to Scripture, pain is normal. Sickness is normal. Suffering is normal. Conflict is normal. Danger is normal. So we need endurance. 

We go to such great lengths to secure comfort and security when in fact we are promised the opposite.

We will need endurance so we can stay faithful to what we believe. We will need endurance so we can stay faithful to Christ’s bride, the Church. We will need endurance so we can stay faithful to our spouses and families. We will need endurance so we can stay faithful to holy living. Temptation is good at presenting itself in moments of weakness. We need endurance so we don’t shipwreck our faith and lives. We also need endurance so that we can continue to be salt and light even when, especially when, it’s inconvenient. We have a mission given to us by our King and he said he is sending us out as sheep among wolves. (Matthew 10:16) This is why we need endurance. But how do we endure? Often when we are in the middle of suffering and pain it seems impossible.

The good news is God does not leave us to endure in our strength. 2 Timothy 1:7 is a great little verse that shows us how God enables our endurance. First of all it tells us that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear. We don’t need to be afraid of what the immediate future may bring. (While much may seem uncertain, the above verses give us a clue.) God’s perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) Fear will cripple and immobilize us. There is a fight to be fought and a race to be won! (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7) Fear is not from God. God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but power. Power to accomplish the mission he has laid before us. Power to live a holy life. Power to live as conquerors. (Romans 8:37-39) Power to endure.

The good news is God does not leave us to endure in our strength.

God has also given us love. When we are regularly experiencing God’s love we can endure any difficulty. I don’t think we can comprehend how loved we are. Romans 8 tells us that God didn’t even spare his own Son because he loved us so much. Paul prayed that the church at Ephesus would be able to understand the love of God that passes comprehension. (Ephesians 3:17-19) It’s so easy to FEEL like we are unloved and unwanted, especially while suffering. But the TRUTH is we are more loved than we can ever comprehend. Lastly, we see in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has given us a sound mind. A sound-mind allows us to have a biblical world-view of suffering and difficulties. A world-view that tells us the suffering we face now will be nothing compared to the eternal glory that awaits the faithful. (Romans 8:18) A sound mind allows us to have hope when things seem dark. Hope that tells us even though our outward man is perishing, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (2 Corinthians 4:16) A sound-mind enables us to see our suffering for what it is and move forward in a Christ-exalting way. 

Spirit-enabled endurance is always accompanied by joy.

God has given us everything we need to endure and be faithful in this life. (2 Peter 1:3) But there is one characteristic of God-given endurance that sets it apart from flesh-driven grit. How do we know when it’s the Holy Spirit enabling our endurance? Joy. Spirit-enabled endurance is always accompanied by joy. (Galatians 5:22, Nehemiah 8:10) When we are walking in dependence on the Holy Spirit and trusting in him to enable us to endure through whatever difficulty we are facing, there will always be joy. Joy that Jesus died for us. (John 3:16) Joy that we have glory for all eternity waiting for us. (1 Peter 5:10) Joy that God is with us, no matter what we face. (Psalm 23) Spirit-enabled endurance is not a drudgery. It is a life of joy-filled faithfulness to the one who gave everything to us. 

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A Creed To Remind The Gathered Church Of Its New Life In Christ

By Nick Minerva • 14 Jul, 2023
When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us. We gather together as believers professing our great need We acknowledge that we have fallen short We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves But what we are incapable of doing, God did In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve So that could walk in new life So yes, we confess our great need We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ We are forever secure in the love of the Father We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ. We are no longer in bondage to sin We are no longer facing righteous wrath We have been declared holy by our King And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord To Christ be glory forever and ever Amen

A Praying Church: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 23 May, 2023
Prayer is one of those topics that always seems to convict me. I have never heard a sermon or read a book on prayer and not been challenged. Even as I am writing this review there is a bit of imposter syndrome because I know I should pray more. In A Praying Church , Paul Miller writes about how to become a people of hope in a discouraging world through prayer. And he does so in a way that was very authentic and accessible. While I was consistently challenged, I was also consistently encouraged. Throughout the book, he takes you on his journey of developing a personal prayer life plus countless stories of ministries that developed communal prayer as a vital component of their life together. One thing that struck home with me throughout these stories was the reality that prayer always grows out of desperation for God. There were several things that I found very helpful in this book. One of them was the connection between a life yielded to the Holy Spirit and a vibrant prayer life. The power to do anything of eternal importance comes from the Holy Spirit and the Spirit moves in response to prayer. Paul shows us a biblical pattern we see throughout the New Testament. Prayer-Spirit-Jesus-power. However, this is not a simple formula to get God to do what you want. Another thing I appreciated about this book is Paul tells us time and again that the Spirit often moves in ways we don’t expect and that almost always includes difficulties. The Spirit enables us to look more like Jesus and that means joining him in the fellowship of his suffering. So this is not a “how to turn God into your personal genie” scheme, like many books on prayer. God often answers in ways we don’t expect and in places we don’t anticipate. This book is also full of practical help. I’ve already mentioned the stories he tells, but Paul also offers several helpful charts, strategies, and ideas to help put into place what he writes about (and lives by.) At the end of each chapter, he has a section called “A Word To Pastors” with a few paragraphs of wisdom to help them become a person of prayer and then lead their congregation to become a church of prayer. This book also made me thankful that I am a part of a church that has sought to grow in corporate prayer over the last few years. This would be a great book for any ministry leader who is burdened with the prayer life of his or her church. But it’s also a great read for any believer seeking to develop their own prayer life. Crossway was kind to send me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of it at the affiliate link below.

Non-Toxic Masculinity: A Book Review

By Nick Minerva • 28 Apr, 2023
Let me start this review by saying everyone should read this book. If you've grown up in Evangelicalism, you‘ve no doubt heard of purity culture. For the last several years we have seen the harm that has come as a result of this sub-group of Christianity. In Non-Toxic Masculinity, Zachary Wagner does an excellent job unpacking its teaching and the damage that has come as a result. He explains so well the angst I've been feeling with the movement and how often the Church falls short and winds up doing more damage. But unlike many critiques, this one also points a way forward. We know what toxic male sexuality looks like. We see it in the news and unfortunately, in the Church. But what does healthy male sexuality look like? What does it look like for me? What will it look like for my boys? In my heart, I know what I want it to look like, but so often I struggle to find the right words to express it. Non-Toxic Masculinity paints a healthy picture that is (re)humanizing and ultimately looks like Jesus, who, like all of us, had a sexual body. Zach is also very transparent in this book and God used his transparency to encourage, challenge, and convict me. As you read his story you will no doubt find yourself resonating with him on some level. Every man should read this book for themselves first and foremost. But if you have sons, nephews, grandsons, or young boys in your life, reading it is a must. Non-Toxic Masculinity is a breath of fresh air that will prove to be a tremendous resource for generations. Thank you Zach for writing it and sharing your story to serve us.
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