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Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the disastrous Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, focuses on the one brave unarmed man who resisted the tanks of the Chinese Red Army. Would we have the same courage to stand spiritually as this man was able to stand against physical dangers? The collective power of the saints will continue to wane into absolute weakness until not one stone will be left upon another. Can we stand alone? We do not have to fear. We will never be truly alone because God Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ have promised to stand by us in perpetuity. Sadly, even though God was continually with Elijah, the heretofore bold prophet, succumbing to the depths of bottomless despair, could not see God's intervention in his life. Elijah's anxiety and fear led Elijah to limit God, forcing God to replace him with Elisha. Samson, on the other hand, abandoned by his own cowardly people, exercised a little more calmness and fortitude, receiving exponential power from God to slaughter the haughty godless Philistines with nothing more than the jawbone of an ass. We need to trust God to give us the spiritual resources we need and His power to deliver. Attending to Paul's counsel to Timothy, we must (1) cleanse ourselves from dishonor, (2) work on relationships with our brethren, (3) avoid confrontation and competition, (4) make use of our Christian virtues to enable God to grant repentance, and (5) watch in awe as God works.

Calmness Chinese army David Democratic reforms Despair Disintegration Elijah Hand of the holy people Integrity Jezebel Job interviews Jury duty Knowledge Olivet prophecy Military intervention Patient endurance Persecution Perseverance Running to and fro Samson Tiananmen Square Massacre Standing alone Timidity Timothy "Woe is me‡ disease

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