Patience and Peace

       Some say 'Don't pray for patience, because God will give you more opportunities to practice and display it'.  While I can understand that kind of logic, I still believe in praying for continuous help with my own forbearance.  On a greater scale, I believe in praying for peace through my struggles with patience.  The opposite of peace is war.  I think we can create a war within our minds as we deal with our impatience in all things.  We tend to get anxious, short-tempered, frustrated, doubtful, and generally unhappy in our impatient circumstance.  In these moments, it's best to pause and talk with God.  He can best calm our thoughts, emotions and fears.
       "When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy."  Psalm 94:18-19
        "Trust Me in the midst of a messy day. Your inner calm--your Peace in My Presence--need not be shaken by what is going on around you. Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity. When you start to feel stressed, detach yourself from the disturbances around you. Instead of desperately striving to maintain order and control in your little world, relax and remember that circumstances cannot touch My Peace." [Jesus Calling]
        John 16:32-33  "A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
        In Colossians 1:9-14, Paul and Timothy recognized the importance of patience and encouraging endurance through it.  "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."  I need to pray that for myself and others.  Satan tries to derail us from our purposes in life by turning our focus off the eternal and onto the temporary fluff.  When you feel yourself getting impatient and short-sighted, ask God for the strength to endure. 
        Our patience extends into our trials of suffering.   Often we get overwhelmed by what we are going through, but we must be patient and persevere.  James 5:7-8  "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waitingfor the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near."  God is in control and hears our cries, therefore be patient for his answers and comfort.  
        "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27  Peace is given to us through the Holy Spirit.  Guidance through our troubled times is a comfort like no other on Earth.  Proverbs 19:11  "A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense."  May we all remember God's patience with each of us and let us pass on the same grace and mercy with ourselves and others. 

          

Time Sensitive

Revelation 1:1-3  " The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,  who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."


         I've been sick a lot over the past month or so.  It used to be that a few extra doses of Vitamin C was the remedy for just about everything.  Now there is so much of this, that and the other to take and it's all time sensitive.  I'm supposed to take 'this' antibiotic every 12 hours, 'that' probiotic twice daily but not within 2 hours of the antibiotic, and then all the 'other' regular medicine that are part of my daily regimen.  It's a lot to juggle while trying to rest and get well at the same time.

        "God’s plan for our life also contains time-sensitive elements. He orchestrates events to accomplish His will, bring Himself glory, and benefit us. This is why cooperation with His timing is so crucial." [intouch.org]

        1 John 2:3-6  "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word,love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."

       "Sometimes we make the mistake of viewing the Bible as a list of rules. Certainly obeying God (John 14:21) and spending time with Him are important, but not because we need to be rule-keepers. Jesus and the Father had a loving relationship. When we have a relationship with God, we desire to spend time with Him and obey Him so we can become more like Jesus.  When we want to understand how to love, or how to be humble, or how to have faith, or even how to set our priorities, we can look at Jesus and follow His heart." [odb.org]

        Matthew Henry comments below [1-5] on the importance and privilege of reading Revelation, but it also applies to the reading of the entire Bible.  How can we follow Jesus if we don't know His Word?  Reading Scripture is time-sensitive, because it can guide you away from troubles before you encounter the temptations and worldliness of life.

 1. It is a blessed privilege to enjoy the oracles of God. This was one of the principal advantages the Jews had above the Gentiles. 

2. It is a blessed thing to study the scriptures; those are well employed who search the scriptures.

 3. It is a privilege not only to read the scriptures ourselves, but to hear them read by others, who are qualified to give us the sense of what they read and to lead us into an understanding of them. 

4. It is not sufficient to our blessedness that we read and hear the scriptures, but we must keep the things that are written; we must keep them in our memories, in our minds, in our affections, and in practice, and we shall be blessed in the deed. 

5. The nearer we come to the accomplishment of the scriptures, the greater regard we shall give to them. The time is at hand, and we should be so much the more attentive as we see the day approaching.

      
      May we all be time-sensitive to God's will for our lives and cooperate with Him.  Each of us must die to self, relinquish our own desires and plans in order to pursue His because the time is near and none of us know when the trumpet will sound.

The Power of Influence

"Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  Colossians 3:12

"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." —Colossians 3:17

"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24

"For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations."  Psalm 100:5



       Influence is kind of like a super-power, yet most of us don't realize the magnitude of it's power.  Our influence can be used for good or destruction, so we must be aware and mindful of its use.  Our influence is projected onto others in all the roles of our lives; parent, friend, co-worker, neighbor, sibling, and even as a stranger.  People are watching, so that you can use your influence to point them to Christ.  As believers, we are called to be people of influence—the Lord’s servants who point others to the One whose touch can change their lives.  Are you an influence of Christ's love and action?

      "God has entrusted each of us with influence in the lives of others. We have a deep responsibility in those relationships, not only to spouses and children, but to friends, employees, and customers. The temptation to press too hard, to demand too much, to force progress, or to orchestrate success can lead us to harm others even when we don’t realize it. For this very reason, followers of Christ are urged to be patient and gentle with one another."  [odb.org]

     "Perhaps you serve in some unnoticed place, doing nothing more than ordinary deeds. Others might think that’s a waste. But God wastes nothing. Every act of love rendered for His sake is noted and has eternal rewards. Every place, no matter how small, is holy ground. Influence is more than lofty acts and words. It can be a simple matter of human helpfulness: being present, listening, understanding the need, loving, and praying. This is what turns daily duty into worship and service."  [odb.org]

       What's a good example of how to use our influence when dealing with another and sin?  "The best example in the Bible of our approach to sin is Jesus’s interaction with the adulteress woman. He didn’t humiliate her (he waited until the crowd had gone away to even confront her personally). He didn’t shame her (she knew what she had done was wrong). He didn’t yell at her about right and wrong.  But he also didn’t tell her she was “OK just as you are.” He didn’t tell her love trumps everything, even sin, so she was welcome to continue living as an adulteress, as long as her heart was in the right place and she loved God. (Which is a contradiction.)  He extended grace to her because of His love, and He offered her the power to be changed. She had the choice to “go and stop sinning” after her encounter with the living Savior. Jesus offered her the ONLY thing that would heal her: repentance and forgiveness, made possible by grace.  To excuse sin and exchange the standard of truth (God’s Word) for being in the popular crowd of acceptance, is unloving. How hateful is it to lie to them for temporary gratification, only to find out, when we stand before the Judge, that we are both condemned–us for having led others astray, and them for believing our lie?" [generationcedar.com]

      Elisabeth Elliot said, "If we demand perfect role models, we will have, except for the Son of Man Himself, none at all.”  We may not set out to be a 'role model' because we've all made mistakes and fall short of the glory of God.  We can use those opportunities to be an influence with an intentional purpose of pointing others to God's grace and mercy.

Influence requires:

1.  Authenticity
2.  Trust in God's grace
3.  Fruits of the Spirit, not being overbearing
4.  Prayer, before and after witnessing

     "Your words have the power of life or death. You are going to have the opportunity to use your words to hurt, demean, slander and wound others. You are also going to have the opportunity to use your words to heal, encourage, inspire and love others. You will occasionally make the wrong choice.  Once the words leave your mouth, you can't take them back. Use your words carefully. When others are misusing their words, guard your words. Make the choice every morning that life-giving words will come out of your mouth. Be known for your gentleness and compassion. Use your life to give life to a world that so desperately needs it. You will never, ever regret choosing kindness."  [A. B. Gardner]

May your influence in life always point others to Jesus.

Rest in the Lord ...by Guest-writer Jim Ehrhard

Jim Ehrhard is a missionary who is currently serving in the Ukraine with his wife and two young daughters.  He is a former pastor at Bible Church of Cabot and Cornerstone Bible Fellowship.  He is a professor at the Kyiv Theological Seminary and teaching others in the way of the Lord.  He is a blessing to many.

The following is from his latest update and I wanted to share it because I know it is applicable to my life and probably to yours as well.  Thanks Jim!

Probably nothing is more difficult for me than learning to rest. Even when I take a vacation,

it takes me a few days to slow down and stop thinking about the things I need to get done!

This is doubly true spiritually. If you ask me, “What is the hardest thing for you spiritually?”

I would answer, “Learning to rest in the Lord.” I think most other believers would say the

same. While the Bible is full of admonitions to rest in the Lord, it is the one area we struggle

the most with. So, I’m learning to rest – but it is the hardest thing for me to do!

Rest in the Lord! …

Well, how can we rest in the Lord?

First, rest comes when we have done all that the Lord asks of us. Rest is not merely passive;

it comes when we know we have done all the Father asks. Jesus had this perfect rest

(John 8:29). We must first do all He has commanded us to do and then we can enter into

His rest. Psalm 37:3 reminds us, “Rest in the Lord and do good.” Not merely rest – but do

good. This is true even for spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:13 says, “after you have done

everything, stand.” In other words, we can only truly rest in the Lord, standing against the

enemy, when we have done all He asks of us. A disobedient spirit keeps us from rest as well

as from spiritual protection. Proverbs 19:23 says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one

rests content, untouched by trouble.” True rest begins when we have done all the Lord

commands. There is no peace or rest for the disobedient soul!

Second, “cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you!” (1 Peter 5:7). Also, Psalm 46:10 tells

us to “cease striving and know that I am God.” Rest comes when we do all He has called us to

do, and then we put everything in His hands and trust Him for the outcome. We cease

striving.

Third, to rest, we must trust the sovereignty of God. On the Sabbath day, the Israelites were

told not to gather any manna. They were to gather a double portion on Friday and to trust

that God’s provision would be enough. We cannot rest unless we learn the secret of

contentment (Philippians 4:12). We learn to be contented with what a sovereign God has

provided for us.

But God’s desire for us in not only spiritual rest, but physical rest. Jesus told His disciples,

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-32).

Even in creation, God rested on the seventh day as a pattern for man (Genesis 2:2-3;

Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus corrected the Pharisees when he reminded them, “The Sabbath was

made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Rest refreshes us so that we are able

to be ready to serve the Lord another day.

Resting in the Lord is definitely the hardest part of the Christian life! It is far easier to be

active in ministry than to take time to rest. I’m learning, and I’m trying to learn to rest in the

Lord, not just for my physical health, but for everything in life. It’s a lesson easier to teach

than to live! I’m learning ….

God is THE Chainbreaker

     What do you think of as a 'prison'?  Is it the physical facility that holds convicted criminals?  Or is it the strongholds in our lives that keep us from being who we may want to be or that God wants us to be?  The strongholds in our lives can be physical limitations, emotional hurts, addictions to different vices, spiritual setbacks, or a many variety of chains that bind us down.
       God is the 'chainbreaker' that is available to all of us.  "Life’s circumstances change and sometimes we are humbled. Yet we can be hopeful and content knowing that there is One who has promised to never leave or forsake us. We can trust Him fully." [odb.org]
       We must turn our eyes and hearts upon Jesus, rather than relying on our own strength.  "I am prone to take action, in other words, not because I am a confident man of God, but because too often I have no confidence in God. I’m worse than someone who thinks “God helps those who help themselves” is an actual Bible verse. Part of my worry, of course, is not that God will abandon me, but that His purposes are different from my own.  It seems that quite often what God expects from us is not bold speech or decisive action, but the very opposite: waiting, quiet endurance, and a persevering love that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:7)."  [intouch.org]
     We all need the Lord’s courage. A courage that relies on Him to guide us where He would have us go, to give us words to speak and silence when our words aren’t needed. A courage that loses this life in order that He would save it.  While we may experience physical or other kinds of limitations, what really matters is that we continue doing what we can for the Lord until He calls us Home.

       "In our society, we tend to make choices based on what will bring us the most happiness. But in the Bible, God’s concept of happiness is much better defined by the word contentment. Remember Paul saying, in essence, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11)?"  [intouch.org]

 Two weapons for being content when circumstances make us feel miserable:

 1] Remember God is in control; keep your eyes on heaven and the things of this world will go strangely dim

2] Turn our obsession to satisfy ourselves into a love for others; God doesn’t tell us to live for our own convenience. 

      I wrote this blog over the past two weeks through my thoughts and devotionals I've read.  It may sound selfish, but I have needed this blog as an encouragement to myself to get through this month of trials.  I'll share one of my fears that acted as a stronghold against me and made me doubt God's plan for me.  When I was in the hospital for 4 days, my IV was in my good arm-the left one.  During those 4 long days, I could not move my arm on my own at all.  The what-if's of fear set in.  I prayed between my moments of fear to trust in God's will no matter what the outcome.  God had mercy and I was able to move my arm as soon as the IV was removed.  God freed me from that simple, yet powerful chain.

     If you put your trust in God, He can free you too from whatever is holding you back from being the child of God that He created you to be.  May God have the strongest hold on you!

Doing Your Part In Your Relationships

''We are truly rich when we know just a few people in a way in which we know no others.''

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17).

“Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy…  Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel” (Proverbs 27:5-6, 9).

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”


     Luke 10:30-37  "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, `Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? " And he said, The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, Go and do the same.""



        Godly friendships are such an important part of life.  They encourage us, confront us, strengthen us, love us, pray for us, convict us, serve us, bear patience with us, humble us, spur us on to good deeds, sympathize with us, show compassion towards us and share the truth with us--even when it hurts.  I thank God for all the people He has put in my life to do all these things listed and for me to return the love, as best I can.

        How can we show Samaritan-like love in our relationships with others? [intouch.org]

See with eyes of compassion. If we’re busy and preoccupied with our own schedules and plans, we probably won’t see the needs around us. There could be a coworker who’s discouraged, a struggling neighbor, or even a family member who needs our help.

Have compassion and seize the opportunity to help. It wasn’t simply a matter of feeling bad for another person; the wounded man’s helpless condition moved the Samaritan to action. This is the point at which we often retreat, because stopping to help someone costs us time and effort.

      Let us also remember that, no matter how consistent, honest, and sensitive a friend we may be, we are all still sinful humans who may eventually hurt, disappoint, or even change. Christ is our ultimate Friend, the greatest Lover of our soul!

Forgiveness

Acts 15:39-40  " They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord."

Colossians 4:10   "My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark,the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)"


      If you've been reading my blog the past few weeks, you know I've been doing an online bible study on Colossians.  Well I ended my last session today and it ended with 'final greetings' from Paul.  Like the verse Colossians 4:10 above, as an example, it is one I quickly skim by without further study.  We must remember "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

     So what can we learn from Colossians 4:10?  "Paul had a quarrel with Barnabas upon the account of this Mark, who was his nephew, and thought not good to take him with them, because he departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work, Acts 15:38. He would not take Mark with him, but took Silas, because Mark had deserted them; and yet Paul is not only reconciled to him himself, but recommends him to the respect of the churches, and gives a great example of a truly Christian forgiving spirit." [M. Henry]

      Mark was a quitter and Paul held a grudge for some time, but with the help of the Holy Spirit he forgave him.  Have you ever felt like that?  I know I have and I needed the Holy Spirit to not only convict me but to guide me into repentance for that unforgiving grudge.  The Holy Spirit guides me into seeing another perspective other than my own and to remind me of all the times I've failed and been forgiven.  "If men have been guilty of a fault, it must not be always remembered against them. We must forget as well as forgive. If a man be overtaken in a fault, you who are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, Gal. 6:1." [M. Henry]

       Today, I watched the movie, "I Can Only Imagine."  It's the true story of the lead singer of Mercy Me and what led him to writing this #1 Christian song.   I don't want to spoil the movie plot for anyone, but there are 3 God-truths to gain from it... 1] No one is beyond God's transforming reach and love, 2] Forgiveness is possible with the help of the Holy Spirit, and 3] Don't wait for a terminal illness to make amends with God and each other.

      "Forgiveness lies at the heart of the Christian faith, with our Savior extending forgiveness even when He was dying on the cross. Jesus loved those who had nailed Him there, uttering a prayer asking His Father to forgive them. He didn’t hang on to bitterness or anger, but showed grace and love to those who had wronged Him." [odb.org]


The Bible is very specific on the cost of anger. The Bible says:

• It causes arguments (Proverbs 15:18--A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict,
      but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.).
• It causes mistakes (Proverbs 14:29--Whoever is patient has great understanding,
      but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.).
• It causes foolish things (Proverbs 14:17--Whoever is patient has great understanding,
      but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.).