Bible in One Year: Thursday, November 5, 2009 (Prov 1 - Prov 3) Memorise: "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim 2:3) Read: Acts 20:22-24 22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23 Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Those that can satisfy the King of kings these last days must be tough and rugged. They must be people who can tolerate hardship. 2 Timothy 2:3 says, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ". Some believers easily melt under pressure. If some people go through a few days of hunger for their faith in Christ, they will call it quits with Christ. Those the Lord will use for greater works, those who will carry His latter House glory and be recognized as the sons of God are rugged. They develop thick skin to afflictions, persecutions, difficulties and problems. For such people, discouragement and disappointment cannot stop their journey to Heaven. They would prefer to starve like the four Hebrew children in Babylon than partake of the portion of the king's meat. They are immune to abuses. If you still easily blow your roof over an abuse, you are not yet hardened enough for the Master's use. In today's reading, even when Apostle Paul was warned several times by spirit - filled brethren of the dangers ahead of him, and he had the option of going or not, he resolved to go. He was already a dead man. A brother sought God to use him to positively affect lives. He went through about 12 years of wilderness experience and was toughened. He saw a vision of himself in the afterlife. This happened several times to the extent that he no more feared death. He was prepared to face death while serving God. It was after God had helped him to overcome the fear of death that He began to use him to impact his generation. Today, the Lord is graciously using him to affect nations for good. If you are not yet prepared to die for Him, He may not use you for top assignments He has reserved close to His heart. Divine assignments are apportioned according to training, experience, and level of preparation. If you want God to use you for great jobs, you must count your life as nothing. You must be prepared to lose it if necessary just to glorify Him who has called you. Unfortunately, because many still love their lives, they do all they can to keep living and in the process lose the things that matter in all eternity. Are you a diehard follower of Jesus Christ? If you are not, you can be one today! ACTION POINT: Using Isaiah 14:5, ask that the staff of oppressors against your progress be destroyed now.