Matthew 24:13 - Faith and Endurance

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:13 (KJV)

The church and the elect are not identical... Endurance in
faithful obedience reveals the elect. [Disciple SB]

Jesus predicted that his followers would be severely persecuted
by those who hated what he stood for. In the midst of terrible
persecutions, however, they could have hope, knowing that salvation was
theirs. Times of trial serve to sift true Christians from false or
fair-weather Christians. When you are pressured to give up and turn your back
on Christ, don't do it. Remember the benefits of standing firm, and
continue to live for Christ. [Life Application SB]

The true Christian is the man who holds to his belief, when
belief is at its most difficult; and who, in the most discouraging
circumstances, refuses to believe that God's arm is shortened or his power
grown less. [Barclay Commentary]

If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. In
tiny increments you will get spiritually sloppy. You will let a few
days slip by without consulting your compass. Your sails will go
untrimmed. Your rigging will go unprepared. And worst of all, you will
forget to anchor your boat. And, before your know it, you'll be
bouncing wave to wave in stormy seas....
Stability in the storm comes not from seeking a new message, but
from understanding an old one. The most reliable anchor points are
not recent discoveries, but are time-tested truths that have held
their ground against the winds of change....
Attach your soul to these boulders and no wave is big enough to
wash you under. (Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado) [Inspirational
SB]

Our challenge is not to solve the mysteries of prophecy, but to
be faithful in our service to our Lord until He comes (vv. 36-51).
[Victor Bible Reader's Companion]

Two frogs fell into a bucket of cream.  They thrashed around and
tried to hop out.  But they couldn't make it.  Finally one of the
frogs got tired and quit.  "What's the use?" he said.  So he flipped
his flippers one last time and then sank to the bottom in despair.
He failed.
However, the other frog was tougher.  He said, "I may not make
it out of this bucket either.  But I'll go down kicking."  So he
kept on kicking.  And soon, to his surprise, the cream turned to
butter.  With his feet on a chunk of it, he jumped out.
Both frogs could have failed.  One did, and one didn't.  Why?
Do you sometimes feel like one of these frogs?  What do you think
you could do to make sure you keep "kicking" and don't give up?
[source unknown]