TENACITY
by Tony Alamo
Jesus is the ultimate, the best example for us to see what true tenacity is.1 This word means the quality of holding fast or unwillingness to quit, resign or let go; like a man refusing to let go of his rights, or in the case of Jesus, “the Truth” and His mission. People who follow, preaching of Jesus and the teaching of the truth even to the death, what Jesus requires, are tenacious followers. 2
When anyone attempts to make a tenacious person give up, that person will express righteous indignation and become even more determined to go on many more times than before, even to the death of their physical bodies.
Sometimes the tenacious person becomes so tired dealing with ignorant people that in their weariness, they may like Elijah, despair of life. “And he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life” (I Kings 19:4). They wish God would take them, but when He doesn’t they just keep on going as Jesus did, even to His death on the cross. Where would we be if Jesus hadn't tenaciously gone all the way? And what else can we do? Our eternal life in Heaven depends on our continuing on to the end.3 “He that endureth to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 10:22).
There was a man in the Bible named Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob was a man of peace who lived in tents. He would rather be at home than be like his brother Esau, who lived the dangerous life of a hunter. He was his mother’s favorite, but Isaac showed favoritism to Esau, his brother.4
The first event between the brothers was when Jacob purchased Esau's birthright for the puny price of a pot of pottage, like beans or stew.5 Jacob took advantage of his brother’s hunger to accomplish the right to the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and God. A firstborn son receives as the birthright of the firstborn a double portion of the father’s inheritance (Deut. 21:17). However, with the patriarchs, it gives more. It gives the ruler ship of the people, the brethren, the entire family (Gen. 27:29), and the title to the blessing of promise (Gen. 27:4, 27-29), which also included the future possession of Canaan (the Promised Land) and of the covenant fellowship with the Almighty God Himself (Gen. 28:4).
Isaac became old and lost most of his sight. He was about to present Esau with the blessing because he was the elder son, but was curtailed by the deception instigated upon him by Rebekah (Isaac’s wife and the mother of Esau and Jacob) and Jacob. Jacob impersonated Esau, and added falsehood to the scheme. So Jacob received his father’s blessing (Gen. 27:1-29).
Esau hated his brother because of the deception and the success of it. He planned to kill him, but was waiting until his father’s death. Rebekah informed Jacob of Esau’s plans, so Jacob fled to Rebekah’s brother Laban’s home in Haran. Isaac approved. He wished Jacob to marry a kinswoman, not a daughter of Canaan.6
Jacob married two of Laban’s daughters. He served Laban fourteen years for his two daughters, seven years each, and another six years. He became wealthy. He fled from Laban and received news that his brother Esau was near.7
To make a long history short, after sending his two wives, two concubines, and his children away, Jacob was alone at night. It was a night of prayer, during which the angel of the Lord (it was the Lord) wrestled with him to find out how much power he had with God. Through faith and tenacity he prevailed so his name was changed from Jacob to Israel, which means wrestler with God.8 Genesis 32:24-30 states, “And there wrestled a man [the Lord] with him [Jacob] until the breaking of day. And when He [the Lord] saw that He prevailed not against him [Jacob], He touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with Him. And He [the Lord] said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And he [Jacob] said, I will not let Thee go, except Thou bless me. And He [the Lord] said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me, I pray Thee, Thy name. And He said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My name? And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God [Christ] face to face, and my life is preserved.”
Jacob had to receive a blessing from God. His brother Esau was near, and he thought perhaps he still wanted to kill him. When you need an answer from God, don’t let go until you receive the blessing (the answer).9
Matthew Chapter 15 tells of a woman of Canaan who cried unto Jesus, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He [Jesus] answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then [like Jacob] came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me [not giving up]. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith [you know that I am a good God, but I require faith and tenacity]: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour” (Matt. 15:22-28).
Let’s take hold of God in the name of Jesus and get our answers to the most impossible situations we face, as many others have.10 If you’re not born again of the Spirit, you will be after you say this prayer to God:
My Lord and my God, have mercy upon my soul, a sinner. 1 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the Living God. 2 I believe that He died on the cross and shed His precious blood for the forgiveness of all my sins. 3 I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit 4 and that He sits on the right hand of God at this moment, hearing my confession of sin and this prayer. 5 I open up the door of my heart and I invite You into my heart, Lord Jesus. 6 Wash all of my filthy sins away in the precious blood that You shed in my place on the cross at Calvary. 7 You will not turn me away, Lord Jesus, You will forgive my sins and save my soul. I know because Your Word, the Bible says so. 8 Your Word says that You will turn no one away, and that includes me. 9 Therefore, I know that You have heard me, and I know that You have answered me, and I know that I am saved. 10 And I thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving my soul, and I will show my thankfulness by doing as You command and sin no more. 11
You've just completed the first step in a series of five steps which are necessary to receive salvation. Your second step is to deny yourself and take up the cross daily for the purpose of mortifying yourself, that is, for putting to death your own will, your soulful self, and the world with all of its lusts. All these must be baptized into the death of Christ.
Step three is your resurrection from the satanic life of Adam unto the sinless life of Christ. Step four is your ascension into a position of authority to reign for God on earth, and the fifth step is to reign for God on earth to the end for the purpose of bringing about the kingdom of Heaven on earth. You must learn the Word of God, then submit yourself and do what the Word says, so that the Church and the world may see evidence of your submission to God's Word, His order, and His authority in and by you.
Praise the Lord. May God reward you abundantly.
Pastor Tony Alamo
Pastor Tony Alamo’s Radio broadcasts can be heard everywhere in the United States, Canada, and throughout the world.
Find the Radio Station listing for your area or Listen to Pastor Alamo's messages at wmqm1600.com .
Win souls.
Become a distributor of Pastor Tony Alamo’s gospel literature
and tapes and CD's.
For information e-mail: info[at]alamoministries.com or fax 479-782-7406 your requests.
Tony Alamo, World Pastor
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Worldwide
P. O. Box 6467
Texarkana, Texas 75505
Twenty-four hour prayer and information line: (479) 782-7370 / FAX (479) 782-7406
www.alamoministries.com
Tony Alamo Christian Ministries provides a place to live with all the things necessary for life to all those who truly want serve the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Services held every evening at 8 P.M. and Sunday at 3 P.M. and 8 P.M. at the following locations:
New York City Church: Vincci Hoteles, 16 E. 32nd St., 2nd floor, between 5th Ave. and Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016
Arkansas Churches: 4401 Windsor Dr., Fort Smith, Arkansas 72904 • 1005 Highway 71 South, Fouke, Arkansas 71837
Los Angeles Area Church: 13136 Sierra Hwy., Canyon Country, California 91390 (661)251-9424
MEALS SERVED AFTER EACH SERVICE
Free transportation to and from services provided at the corner of:
Hollywood Blvd. & Highland Ave., Hollywood, California, daily at 6:30 P.M., Sundays at 1:30 P.M. and 6:30 P.M.
Ask for Pastor Alamo’s book, The
Messiah, showing Christ from the Old Testament revealed in over three hundred
thirty-three prophecies.
Messages on CD or tape are available as well.
All Tony Alamo literature is free of charge, not for sale. If anyone is attempting to charge you for this literature, please call (479) 782-7370 collect.
Those of you who are in other countries, we encourage you to translate this literature into your native language. If you do reprint, please include this copyright and registration:
© Copyright April, 2009 All rights reserved World Pastor Tony Alamo ® Registered 2009
Tenacity footnotes:
1. Matt. 16:1-4, 21:12-16, Ch. 23, 26:1-2, 30-57, 27:27-56, Mark 1:21-28, 6:1-6, 8:31-38, 9:31, Luke 2:40-52, 4:1-37, 6:12, 9:51-62, 11:37-54, 12:1-5, 13:1-5, 18:31-33, 22:14-22, 63-71, John 8:12-26, 37-59, 14:28-31, 15:18-25, 16:1-7 return
2. Josh. 1:9, Isa. 40:31, 41:10-13, Dan. 3:13-18, Luke 22:28-30, Acts 5:17-42, Rom. 8:16-18, 12:1, II Cor. 4:17-18, Phlp. 1:27-30. Col. 1:21-24, Heb. 11:32-40, I Pet. 2:19-24 return
3. John 8:31-32, Acts 14:22, Rom. 2:7-13, 8:27-39, 11:21-22, 12:1, 12, Col. 1:21-24, I Tim. 4:14-16, II Tim. 2:3, 8-12, 3:10-17, Jas. 1:22-25, I John 2:16-19, 24-25, 28 return
5. Gen. 25:29-34, Heb. 12:15-17 return
6. Gen. 27:41-46, 28:1-2 return
7. Gen. Ch. 29-31, 32:1-6 return
9. Psa. 55:16-17, Matt. 21:21-22, John 15:7, Luke 6:12, 18:1-8, Rom. 8:26-27, I Thes. 5:17, Jas. 4:2-3, 5:13-18, Jude 3 return
10. Josh. 10:5-42, I Kings 18:20-40, II Kings 6:14-23, 18:13-37, 19:15-35, I Chron. 5:18-22, 13:14-18, 14:11-15, II Chron. 20:1-29, 32:20-22, Esther 3:8-15, Ch. 4, 7-8, Psa. 37:1-2, 7-20, 28, 34-36, 40, Ezek. Ch. 14, 2:23-25, 3:7-10, Mark 11:24, Luke 11:9 return
Prayer footnotes:
1. Psa. 51:5, Rom. 3:10-12, 23 return
2. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:54, Luke 1:30-33, John 9:35-37, Rom. 1:3-4 return
3. Acts 4:12, 20:28, Rom. 3:25, I John 1:7, Rev. 5:9 return
4. Psa. 16:9-10, Matt. 28:5-7, Mark 16:9, 12, 14, John 2:19, 21, 10:17-18, 11:25, Acts 2:24, 3:15, Rom. 8:11, I Cor. 15:3-7 return
5. Luke 22:69, Acts 2:25-36, Heb. 10:12-13 return
6. I Cor. 3:16, Rev. 3:20 return
7. Eph. 2:13-22, Heb. 9:22, 13:12, 20-21, I John 1:7, Rev. 1:5, 7:14 return
8. Matt. 26:28, Acts 2:21, 4:12, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14 return
9. Matt. 21:22, John 6:35, 37-40, Rom. 10:13 return
10. Heb. 11:6 return
11. John 5:14, 8:11, Rom. 6:4, I Cor. 15:10, Rev. 7:14, 22:14 return