Never give up, never surrender!

I love campy, funny movies.  The silly ones are the best.  A good laugh,  a fun story and I'm there.  One of my favorite movies is "Galaxy Quest" with Tim Allen as the star character.  It's a science fiction parody and it's great fun.  One of the things I've noticed is that some of the best quotes come from these campy, silly movies.  Tim Allen's character has a line in the film that is his motto, "Never give up, never surrender!"  It's a great line and often used by him at the worse possible moments.  I love the quote because it could have been a verse from Paul's writings.  In fact he says the same thing in different ways.  Jesus repeats the theme and idea as he writes to the churches in Revelation.  It's the big idea behind a walk with God....don't quit, don't stop, don't give up.

Now, I know many have given up.  The walk of faith is wonderfully easy, but it's also very difficult.  It demands a commitment to keep going even when it gets tough.  It is a walk that must be done with God's help. Many that I meet are bitter, angry and disillusioned with God and faith,  They have come to a difficult time in their life and simply given up.  They may have prayed and not seen the answer they wanted.  They might think this shouldn't be this hard.  But, for whatever reason there are some who have surrendered.  There are many who have given up.  They are the battle wounded of the faith all around us.

So, what do we do?

There are two tasks for us,

1. Make a personal commitment to walk with God and grow in faith, and

2. Stop along the way and help those have have stumbled and lost their way. Tim Allen, throughout the film, understands that as the captain of his team he's responsible to help everyone get through the battles together.  This thing called Christianity is a team sport.  We can't, we shouldn't do it alone.

As I thought about Tim's battle cry, "Never give up, never surrender!" my mind raced through scripture to find similar rally cries and realized there are many.

To Joshua both God and Moses said, "Be strong and courageous!"

To the people of Judah Jehoshaphat said, "Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed."

To Gideon God said, "Go in the strength of the Lord."

To us Jesus said, "Go, make disciples of all men and I am with you always."

There are many more challenges to endure in scripture.  As you read the bible watch for them.  They are everywhere.  The rally cry for the church, as we live through these difficult days, is at the very end of the book.  Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." And the reply from the reader is this, "Amen, come Lord Jesus!"  There is a day, it's coming closer each day, when King Jesus will return and reign.  It will happen.  It's not a dream or illusion.  It's not fantasy or the silly words of crazy men.  It's the sure future of us all.  Jesus is coming, it could be today. Our response?  "Come, Lord Jesus!"  Even saying that out loud makes you aware of this soon realized event.

And so, Tim's words from a silly movie give direction as we look to that day,  "Never give up, never surrender!"  Why?  because the king is coming!

The challenge from Jesus as we approach that day? "Watch, be ready!" (Never give up, never surrender!")  It might be today.

(Read Matthew 25 for more on this theme of endurance from Jesus.)