From the Pastor's Pen
"Persevere Until"

The late great African American poet Langston Hughes penned a poem entitled “Mother to Son” which begins: “Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up and places with no carpet on the floor –bare --But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on,”  This mother continues her advice to her son by saying: “So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now –“

In this poem, the mother tells her son, metaphorically, that life is often hard but he must persevere.  She prepares her son for the hard-knocks of life.  She tells him to keep reaching the landings and turning the corners and going forward when things seem dark. 

In John 16:33 and II Corinthians 2:6, our Father tells us that as His children and servants, as we journey through this life, our path to heaven will not be smooth as a crystal stair.  We too will have trials, tribulations, hardships and distresses.  The adversary will try to throw tacks upon our Christian walk and splinter our faith.  However, James 1:2-4 tells us that when we meet trials of various kinds, the testing of our faith will produce steadfastness and enable us to journey on.   We know that we are not defeated even when we are faced with what seems like bare stretches in our lives. We must continue to fight the good fight (I Timothy 6:11) and as it says in Colossians 1:11…be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience and joy.

In Revelation 3:21, our Lord promises us that, To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
So as we travel this road of life, to life everlasting, remember, we are more than conquerors and our victory and salvation is assured through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

My sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, continue to persevere until we are eternally united with our Father in Heaven the city of pure gold (Revelations 21:18)

Victory,

 James S. Hall Jr.
Pastor