(Revelation 14:1-20)

Then I looked, and there on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with Him were 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was also like harpists playing on their harps. 3 They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones not defiled with women, for they have kept their virginity. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They were redeemed from the human race as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. 6 Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, having the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” 8 A second angel followed, saying: “It has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, who made all nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath.” 9 And a third angel followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is mixed full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or anyone who receives the mark of his name. 12 This demands the perseverance of the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.” 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write: The dead who die in the Lord from now on are blessed.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “let them rest from their labors, for their works follow them!” 14 Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and One like the Son of Man was seated on the cloud, with a gold crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 Another angel came out of the sanctuary, crying out in a loud voice to the One who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So the One seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 17 Then another angel who also had a sharp sickle came out of the sanctuary in heaven. 18 Yet another angel, who had authority over fire, came from the altar, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from earth’s vineyard, because its grapes have ripened.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle toward earth and gathered the grapes from earth’s vineyard, and he threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20 Then the press was trampled outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press up to the horses’ bridles for about 180 miles. 

The people described in verse 12 are those saints who have continued to keep God's commands and to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. The word "perseverance" or "endurance" is possibly a key term in the Book of Revelation. It is found seven times in the Book (1:9; 2:2, 3, 19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12), and can be defined in this context as obeying God's commands and staying faithful to Christ.

But how long did these people remain faithful and how long are we to remain faithful? Our society today has everything at their fingertips; literally. Maybe this is why we have lost focus of the long process of Christian discipleship. But God doesn’t seem to get in a hurry about many things. We do.

It seems that the smart phone and smart devices in general have taken over the world. Take for instance someone who is wanting to live a healthier life or just loose weight? There are literally hundreds of free apps for smart devices that can help people keep track of such things as calories burned and steps walked each day. Some even offer interaction with bar codes on the back of food products to keep up with calorie count. But at the center of all these helpful tools is a simple principle. The small decisions we make every day of our lives have a major impact on our long-term health. That statement is also true for the spiritual life of a Christian. Just the simplest of decisions that each one of us make every day have a major impact on our long-term spiritual health.

God works in ways we will never understand and in a time frame that, quite honestly, cramps some of our styles. He does this because He is shaping our character as a person of God as well as His Church. The text we have read today reminds us to not be fooled by the quick fixes of the world. Satan even tried to tempt Jesus to take a shortcut to complete His mission by bypassing the cross (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus patiently endured by trust and obedience to His Father. We are called to do the exact same thing.

What will it take for us to endure? First, we must set our minds on recognizing and celebrating the small victories along the way of our spiritual growth. Stop and deliberately thank God for the growth He is bringing in your life. This happens when we keep our eyes on the prize of heaven. A lone-ranger attitude will never work here because it takes a community of believers who are committed to providing forgiveness, support, and living examples of Christ-like faith. A Christian community can foster the personal habits that are vital for long-term character transformation. This is not a sprint. This is a marathon.