Enduring to the End by Frederick Hoehn, copyright 2015, all rights reserved. Chapter 1 Here is a passage from Matthew chapter 10-- 18 And you'll be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, don't think about how or what you'll say, for it shall be given to you in that same hour what to say. 20 For it is not you that speaks, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you. 21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child, and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you'll be hated by all men for my name's sake, but he that endures to the end shall be saved. 23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee into another, for truly I say to you, you won't have gone over the cities of Israel, until the Son of man has come. 24 The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. (Matt 10:18-24) Notice in verse 22, "He that endures to the end shall be saved." If you're a Christian, you have to endure to the end. To the end of what? Until the end of your life on earth. In another of my books, "He Thought He Caught Jesus Lying," I told of a man who had been a Christian for a while, and then quit. According to the early chapters of Ezekiel, that's the same as if the man had never been a Christian, in the sight of God. You don't win favor with God for doing half a job as a Christian. And Judgment Day will surely come. Here's another passage of scripture from Revelation chapter 2-- 10 Don't fear any of the things that you'll suffer, see, the devil shall throw some of you into prison, so that you'll be tested, and you'll have tribulation ten days, be faithful until death, and I'll give you a crown of life. 11 He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He that overcomes won't be hurt by the second death. Notice verse 10, "Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life." Christians need to be faithful until death. I had a Christian friend, Mr. G. He was getting up in years, and was having health problems. He asked me how God feels about suicide. I told Mr. G. that God is against suicide. Why? Because of those two passages of scripture, "He that endures to the end shall be saved," and "Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life." If you cut your life short with suicide, you're not enduring to the end, and are not being faithful until death (a natural death). But if you're like Mr. G., and have health problems, I have good news. "I am the Lord that heals you." (Exo 15:26) "By whose stripes you were healed." (1 Pet 2:24) "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and of death." (Rom 8:2) "Who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases." (Psa 103:3) Most Christians understand that their sins are forgiven, but many don't understand that healing from God for their bodies also belongs to them. A foremost authority on the subject of divine healing is Kenneth E. Hagin. His books are available at Amazon.com, and at Rhema.org And Norvel Hayes is also good on the subject of healing. He has books at Amazon.com, and at nhm.cc (Norvel Hayes Ministries), and at some Christian book stores. And Norvel Hayes has told us what to do about cancer. He refers to Mark 11:23-- 23 "For truly I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, be removed, and be thrown into the sea, and doesn't doubt in his heart, but believes that the things that he says shall happen, he shall have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:23,24) Hayes said, "If you have cancer, that's your mountain, COMMAND IT TO GO." And Frederick Hoehn says, if it doesn't go right away, command it to go again. And keep doing that, applying your faith with your words every day, until you are free of cancer, according to Mark 11:23, the words of Jesus. But most cancers are demonic in nature. So, command the demons behind the cancer to go. Please see my book, "How to Cast Out Demons." And don't forget to spend some time worshiping and praising God. There are lots of scriptures for that in the book of Psalms. Chapter 2 Norvel Hayes said the Lord told him, "My people don't worship me enough, and you don't either, son. You tell the people that if they'll spend time worshiping me, they can have anything they want." I saw Norvel Hayes on TV one time, on the GTV channel (Direct TV, I think it was). Hayes told about one of his female students who had trouble with her legs. She could walk with the help of crutches. Hayes told her to command her legs to be healed and healthy every day. She did that for about six months. Then one day, she went to the mall with her friends. As she was walking along with her crutches, she felt the power of God come on her. She threw down her crutches, and walked off with normal legs. Thank God! And Charles Capps got a miraculous healing by faith. He has books at charlescapps.com and at some Christian book stores (go to the "Charismatic" section of the book store). When you get something from God, you get it by faith. So we need to keep our faith strong. And I've written on the subject of healing, too. Romans 10:17 tells us, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." It's important for Christians to read at least a chapter a day in the Bible. If you're in a hurry, some of the Psalms are only six verses long. But lately, I don't read my chapter a day, I get it by listening to the Bible being read by Alexander Scourby on compact disks (CD's). That's available from Christian Book Distributors, Peabody, MA, and probably from other Christian book stores. CBD has a website on the Internet. And I usually get more than a chapter a day that way. Another way to strengthen your faith is to pray in unknown tongues as per Jude verse 20-- "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ until eternal life." (Jude 20,21) You see, praying in the unknown tongues builds us up on our most holy faith. But you can't pray in the Holy Ghost until Jesus baptizes you with the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, with the speaking in unknown tongues (languages). And the Lord wants every Christian to have the Baptism with the Holy Ghost with the speaking in unknown tongues. At one point, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, "Receive the Holy Ghost." The Holy Ghost, you see, is like wind. But they couldn't receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost until after Jesus had gone back to heaven. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, "You'll receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon you." Christians with the Baptism with the Holy Ghost are stronger Christians. And then, in Acts chapter 2, Christians received, for the first time, the Baptism with the Holy Ghost, with the speaking in unknown tongues. But Jesus said in Luke chapt 11-- 9 And I say to you, "Ask, and it shall be given to you, seek, and you'll find, knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened. 11 If a son asks bread from any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he instead of a fish give him a snake? 12 Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) to those who ask him?" So then, ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and when you pray, believe that you receive the things you ask for, and you shall have them. (Mark 11:24) Please see my book, "How to receive the Baptism with the Holy Ghost." Kenneth E. Hagin wrote on that, too. The Apostle John (John the Beloved) said a very important thing in the letter of 1 John-- "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." (1 Jhn 5:21) One kind of idolatry that Christians need to keep themselves from is pornography, which seems to be abundant in the world today. One of my books is titled, "Pornography Kills..." Pornography has killed many, and sent them to hell. As a young man, I sought the Lord one time about the temptation of pornography, and the Lord said to me, "You're just going to have to stay away from it." Every Christian needs to stay away from pornography, both the visual porn, and the dirty stories. Another kind of idolatry is praying to Mary, as some have done with the Rosary. There is no scripture authorizing the praying to Mary, and no one in the Bible prayed to Mary. Mary is not part of the Godhead, thus praying to her is idolatry, and a violation of the one of the Ten Commandments that says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." (Exo chapt 20) And on the subject of prayer, we are told in 1 Thess 5:17 to "Pray without stopping." And Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray and not faint." (and women, too) We should pray every day in our known language, and also in the unknown tongues. Do you remember the parable from Jesus about the Ten Virgins? Five were wise, and five were foolish. The wise virgins took extra oil with them. The foolish virgins didn't. (Matt chapt 25) The wise virgins went in to the wedding when their lord came. The foolish virgins didn't make it in to the wedding. What can we do to get extra oil? More prayer. More Bible reading. More doing of the things that we are told do in the Bible, such as "Do to others as you would have them do to you," helping the poor and the downtrodden. Visiting Christians if they are in prison, and so forth. We don't earn our way to heaven, but we are demonstrating our faith by our works, as per James 2:17-20-- 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? And in Galatians it says that "Faith works by love." (Gal 5:6) Another thing we Christians are told to do is to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. (Heb 10:25) Ask the Lord to show you where to fellowship with other Christians. Jesus said, "You MUST be born again." To become a born again Christian, obey Romans 10:9,10-- "That if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you're saved. For with the heart man believes for righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made for salvation." The Lord bless you. ___James chapter 1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings. 2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations, 3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. 7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, 10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away. 11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man, 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. 18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, 20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. 21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror, 24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. ___James chapter 2 1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also, 3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool," 4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats? 7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called? 8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well, 9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners. 10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law. 12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty. 13 For he shall have judgment without mercy that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. 14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food, 16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that? 17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works." 19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God." 24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. ___James chapter 3 1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation. 2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. 3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies. 4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants. 5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind, 8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be. 11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace. ___James chapter 4 1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members? 2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask. 3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts. 4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. 5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?" 6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up. 11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else? 13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit," 14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away. 15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that." 16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin. ___James chapter 5 1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath. 5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter. 6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you. 7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near. 9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door. 10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation. 13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven. 16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes a lot. 17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him, 20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.