FoTS - Patience

"Why is this car in front of me going so slow? Don't they know I'm late for work?"

"What? My flight is delayed? This is no way to start a vacation!"

Sound familiar? "Patience is a virtue," they say. It is also a Fruit of The Spirit, and stop #4 in our Fruit of the Spirit Bible study.

It is SO easy to be impatient in today's fast-paced world. Our schedules can get pretty full these days and one delay can throw the whole thing off. What to do? What to do?

Is our lack of patience a sign that we don't have the Holy Spirit in us? It could be. Perhaps it might be time to examine ourselves, and our schedules.

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

Our patience can be tested when we cram too many things into our day. Can we fully enjoy a conversation with a friend if we are constantly checking our watch because we have somewhere else to go?

Patience has a companion called priorities. They often travel together. As an example, a family might be at a weekend soccer match, but games are running behind. Evening plans need to be changed. Games get postponed until Sunday morning. Now what? Skip worship?

Patiently waiting on The Lord must be a priority in our lives. If we are not patient, do you think that God will try to TEACH us to be patient? Mhmm.

"But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." - 2 Peter 3:8

Uh-oh. I don't have time to wait THAT long!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." - Romans 8:25

Questions:

1. When was the last time you were impatient? Was it worth it? Describe. 
2. When you are impatient, what other emotions come along for the ride?
3. What do you do while you are waiting for God to answer your prayer?
4. Why is God so patient with us, even in our impatience?
5. How can I exhibit patience while others don't?

Gentle Reminders

Do you ever get frustrated? Well, let me tell you about MY day. Lol!

In the morning I was hanging a new light fixture in one of our bedrooms. It wasn't going well. Just when I thought I was all done, I stepped back to look at it and it was crooked. Now I have to do my work all over again. Frustrating.

Then, I went into town to run some errands. On my way there I stopped at McDonalds for lunch. I was still frustrated from my morning's electrical work. The lady in the car in front of me didn't help much.

She ordered her food and then pulled ahead, but she only moved ahead about half a car length. I couldn't move up to place my order. And there was a half car length gap in front of her yet.

"You know, if you would just move ahead a little, I could order." I said to myself. But I did say it out loud.

This pattern continued at the pay window as well. The lady paid but then didn't pull ahead far enough so that I could do the same. Ugh!

"There's plenty of room. You can do it!" Still, she never closed the gap to the car in front of her. A depth perception problem? Frustrating!

I finally made it to the window to pay and handed the lady my money. She gave me my change and then said something that changed my frustrating day completely.

"I like your bracelet," she said with a smile.

Bracelet? What? What bracelet? Oh! My I . . . Am . . . Second bracelet?

God is so amazing sometimes. Well, He's amazing ALL of the time! But He actually takes the time to give us gentle reminders when we really need them. I needed one and was blessed because of it.

"You know who's First?" I replied to the young lady's comment.

"Jesus!" she said with a smile.

That's all it took to make my day. To turn my frown upside down. The rest of the day was spent praising Him in the things I said and did.

Today I get to redo my electrical work, but I will do it with a smile on my face. And if for some reason I should get frustrated again, I am going to McDonald's! NO!! But I WILL think about my smiling young friend who reminded me that God is above ALL things.

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all." - John 3:31

My Delilah

I just got done reading the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson sure was a pitiful character. Kind of a wanty, needy fellow who liked his women and also liked killing Philistines. Everybody has to have a hobby I guess.

He seemed to me to be angry and never satisfied with his life. It was almost as if he was frustrated by it. Do you have times when you feel frustrated with the way things are going? Unsatisfied with the results in life? How do we fix that?

First off, I don't think we should be doing what Samson did. His life was filled with lusts of the flesh and killing. That doesn't seem like what a man, devoted to God since his birth, should be up to.

If we go back through the story I think we can find the problem. I think it was his parents. They weren't strict enough.

"Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. 2 When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”
3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” - Judges 14:1-3

Pretty demanding for someone devoted to the Lord. He is supposed to honor his father and mother yet he defied their wishes and disobeyed God's command not to marry outside his people. But then we read this . . .

"4 (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)" - Judges 14:4

God wanted Samson to do this? Confusing. Another question to ask when I get to heaven.

Later on in Samson's life he meets Delilah. Same song, different verse. Samson fell in love with someone who betrayed him. And that made me stop and reflect. Do I have a Delilah in my life?

It doesn't necessarily have to be a person. Is there something I love doing that distracts me from God's will for my life? What if it's eating things I shouldn't. I am a Type II diabetic. I shouldn't eat sweets, yet I do. We all struggle with things like that. They're called vices or addictions.

It could be gluttony, drinking, drugs, video games, sex, idolatry . . . there's all kinds of things distract us from God, yet we do them. Is that why we get frustrated? Frustrated like Samson did?

Since Adam and Eve Satan has been trying to keep us away from God. We ALL have something that does that for us. What is it in YOUR life? What is YOUR Delilah?

Delilah - Tom Jones

Are You Sick Of It?

You know that feeling you get when you think you're coming down with something? That little twinge in the back of your throat, the little muscle aches and the occasional cough? Yeah, well I had that two days a go. Now, I'm sick.

Sickness usually starts by us coming into contact with some nasty thing that grows with us, making us weaker as it gradually takes over our entire lives. It drains us of who we are supposed to be and breaks down our resistance. Yuck. I'm sick. Somebody get me a doctor! LOL!

Do you ever get sick of being sick? Most people do. When people get sick of something they will often take steps to get rid if it. We'll go the emergency room. We'll make an appointment with our doctor. We'll even take a vacation somewhere sunny when we're sick of winter.

What are you sick of? I'm sick of politics and news casts. If I never saw another slanted news cast, pushing some agenda, I'd be fine. If I never heard another politician arguing something, not because of their beliefs, but because it's against what another politician wants. I'm sick of it!

What about our sin? Are we sick of that? Or do we not complain all that much that it hangs around? God back and read paragraph two only substitute the word "sin" for "sickness."

^"28And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Mark 2:17

Jesus offers some excellent advice when we get sick of things in this life. Here's His prescription. Will we take it?

^"28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

The following two songs, from different ends of the Christian music spectrum, both deliver the same message. The first is a little head-banging rock from Skillet. Here's some of the lyrics.

Are you sick of it?
Raise your hands
Get rid of it
While there's a fighting chance
Are you over it?
Bored to death?
Have you had enough regret?
Take a stand, raise your hands

Do you see what the song says? When we get sick of all the stress and worldly situations in life we should raise our hands to God and . . . get rid of it. Give it to God! :)

The second song is a lot more calming and is ALL scripture. Quite a change in music style but both songs deliver the same message.

Sick Of It - Skillet
Come To Me - Aaron Shust

Frustration

If I had to select one word to describe my Christian walk these days it would have to be "frustrating." I never used to feel that way but lately I'd have to say I feel frustrated most of the time. My prayers are deeper, I have more biblical knowledge, I know more about God than I ever did, yet I find myself more frustrated than ever before. Why? That's easy.

I have a tremendous passion for youth - reaching youth, by whatever means necessary for Jesus. My frustration comes with their disbelief. It comes with the hypocrisy I see in their alleged faith in Jesus - telling my they are Christians, all while living as the pagans do. That is VERY frustrating to me.

I love these kids greatly and have been trying to figure out different ways to reach them, all of them. MOST of my ideas fall flat as a pancake. Why? Well, honestly, it's because they are MY ideas, not God's.

It seems as if today's teens are all born with A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder). They are easily distracted and, I believe, it is because they have been raised that way. Subliminally trained in the art of self-distraction. Or better put, self-ALLOWED distraction. Many young adults are afflicted with the same debilitating disease.

The biggest culprit in their A.D.D. training has got to be the "smart" phone. Since its invention back in 1973, our attention has been increasingly diverted to answer the phone. Everyone has a cellphone these days. And everyone snaps to attention as soon as their phone lights up or vibrates itself, pleading for attention. As soon as that signal arrives, our focus switches gears and whatever we were thinking before stops in favor of the new thought - "Someone wants to talk to me." It's all about us these days.

My wife and I went out to dinner with our daughter Saturday night. We went to a local bar and grille - the Saturday night before St. Patrick's Day. Probably not the wisest choice. As we sat there, I saw several people I knew. One kid who used to come to youth group was tending bar. Two others came in with dates. Each of them has tattoos now. I am not preaching today about "the evils of getting tattoos" but the ones I saw were not very Godly and it seems as if tattoos are all the rage these days.

I just shake my head in wonder. Tattoos, piercings. God gave us bodies, bodies He created specifically for us, and somehow we feel the need to customize them. Aren't they sufficient already? This is frustrating to me.

All three of these "kids" are professing Christians. All have been baptized by water. I wonder if the Holy Spirit has made a visit in their lives from what I observe. Nothing says "Jesus" like a tattoo of a skull in the middle of your back. I'm getting off track here.

Frustration is probably not the perfect word of this blog post. Perhaps it should be "Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth" because that is what I am feeling as I watch these young people, and older ones too, walk down a path that leads to destruction.

As a Christian, I am constantly examining myself to make sure I am not straying off the path. If I find anything in question I repent of it and try to change what I am doing. I do not embrace the sin, like I see so many doing these days. Frustrating.

I don't want anyone to think I have everything all figured out. I struggle like everyone else. But I don't want to live in my sin. It offends my God! So I repent. I pray for all of us as we walk through this world - to be in the world but not part of it. I go out of my way to meet with these young adults to remind them WHOSE they are. I ask them questions to make them think. They are the same questions I ask myself.

When Jesus was speaking with his apostles he told them this:

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." - John 15:18-19

That verse reminds me that I was chosen out of the world. I am to be holy as I walk through this place. That means "set apart." I should look different than those who do not believe. I should stand out. I should be different.

I'm just like everyone else. I get sucked into watching movies that are not God-honoring. I have thoughts go through my head that are not very God-honoring as well. They disgust me. I turn the TV off, I clear my head of impure thoughts and fill them instead with scripture. Still I fail. It's frustrating. So what do we do?

We live our lives, we love our neighbors and we continue to walk our sanctification paths towards Jesus. As we go through this world we walk arm-in-arm with our brothers and sisters. We reprove and rebuke like Paul told Timothy to do. We walk side by side, in love, with other believers and hopefully they will do the same with us. In that way we will grow rather than break down, encourage rather than DIScourage. One day we will no longer feel frustrated in our walk but delighted instead. We have been called into God's family. We should act like it.

. . . in my opinion.

But God . . . (those two words are amazing all by themselves) . . . but God has removed my frustration and replaced it with something. More on that next time. Until then, may God enlighten your time in this world - enlighten it with His Word. Read my friends, read. Read out loud!

"4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Handle

Have you ever heard somebody say, "God will never give you more than you can handle?" That sounds nice. It's kind of reassuring in a way. Just knowing that we can handle whatever God throws our way should encourage us and make us feel better, right? However, there is one thing you should know about the statement that God will never give us anything we can't handle . . . it's a lie!!

Where did we come up with that saying? It sounds biblical enough and it sounds like something a wonderful, loving God would say. The only problem is, nowhere in the Bible does it say that. In fact, the Bible is filled with tons of examples of God giving people WAY more than they can handle! Scripture is overflowing with example after example of how God tested His children by heaping up calamity upon catastrophe upon tragedy on them. Why? To make a stiff-necked people see that they CAN'T handle things by themselves.

Take the example of Job. He was given more than most people could handle. Open up your Bible's and read the first chapter of Job. He possessed 11,000 animals and many servants. His sons and daughter held many feasts and celebrated often. He was the richest man in all the land. Then, the next day . . .


"13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” - Job 1:13-19

But wait, there's more . . .

"7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” - Job 2:7-9

To summarize and place in a modern context, how would you like it if one day you lost your job, your only means of making a living, and you came home and found your house had been trashed by a tornado. Someone had stolen everything you had and killed your entire family and then butchered your puppy just for fun. Your car also burned up, as if the tornado wasn't enough, all your money at the bank disappeared and then you developed sores from head to toe and you couldn't stand the itching they caused. Oh, and FINALLY, you were left with a nagging wife who thought you should simply curl up someplace and die. And then you were provided with a weapon to accomplish the feat (verse 8). Nice. Would something like that be more than most of us could handle? My guess is yes.

When things back in the day got to be more than the people could handle, what did they do? When they finally had no hope. When they were just about to give up on life itself, what did they do? What did Job do? Check this: Job worshiped God.

"20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." - Job 1:20-22

Will God give us more than we can handle? Absolutely! Why? So that we will turn from worshiping ourselves and turn to Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to worship Him in any and all circumstances. God allows us into these situations so that the only way we could possibly emerge on the other side of them is with God's help. Then it is HE who gets the glory, not us.

If God only gives us things we can handle, then WE would get the glory and credit for getting through them, not God.

A young friend of mind once texted me an acronym - F.R.O.G. That stands for Fully Rely On God. Good advice for those who are facing a trial in their lives. Don't try to "handle" things on your own. Give them to God in prayer and then fully rely on God's grace and His tender mercy. Do so, and in the end, just like Job, you will be blessed.

Perhaps you have heard the following song. It's a wonderful song about praising God even during our toughest trials. But perhaps you haven't heard the story behind the song and just what it means to praise Him in a storm. I encourage you to listen to the story behind the song and then the song itself. You will be blessed. May your storms be few and may you ALWAYS fully rely on God.

The Story Behind "Praise You In This Storm"

Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Peace

There is a peace that faith in Jesus brings. There is a calm. A knowledge down deep inside that, no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright. Perhaps it's God's Holy Spirit that creates that calm. Or perhaps it is simply the knowledge, the understanding, that God is in control. God is on His throne and He always will be.

I had many reasons to be frustrated this week. A friend of mine had been "uninvited" to speak at a large festival near Madison when some of the city council members learned that my friend was a Christian and took a pro-life stance. The organizers of the event then pulled back their invitation, calling him a "controversial activist." The only thing "controversial" about my friend is that his smile is too big for his face. He's a big teddy bear.

It was a frustrating day at work as well. At least it could have been. Work piling up. Deadlines approaching. Not enough time to get things done. Have you ever felt pressure in the workplace? It is VERY easy to get frustrated. However, I have found that my frustration level has decreased since I placed my faith in Christ.

I don't want to create the wrong impression here. Jesus is not someone who makes us feel better, like he's a chiropractor or a massage therapist. No. The reason I feel better is because none of the pressure at work matters to me anymore. Yes, I want to do a good job. Yes, I want to get things done on time. But I give all that pressure to Jesus - in prayer, in my service to others. I just relax and work until the job is done.

In Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul tells them to chill out and place their faith in Jesus. We should do the same. :)

"7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

I went on a high ropes course with our youth group once. Several of the women leaders were freaking out about the possibility that they might fall. Trying to calm their fears I said, "Hey, what's the worst that could happen? You'd fall, the safety harness would fail and you'd plummet to your death. But then you'd get to meet Jesus!"

I thought what I had said was encouraging. Apparently not. I received an evil glare and this:

"No. Falling and dying is not the worst thing that could happen. Falling, living, yet getting horribly disfigured and handicapped for the rest of your life."

What an optimist!

Sometimes we do get frustrated though. We get scared and worried and think we might fall, even though Jesus tells us not to.

"Fear not." - numerous people, literally hundreds of verses in the Bible

"Do not worry," - Jesus, Matthew 6:24-35

We are pitiful at following Gods directions. But if we do? If we can relinquish all our fears and worries to Jesus, guess what awaits us? His Peace . . .

"27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27

Last night I received a text from my sister, carrying with it some bad news. Someone in our family is dying. So how do we handle it as Christians?It is going to hurt. It is going to cause worry and fear. The death of a loved one is one of those time when we see what we are made of . . . what we truly believe.

 So this morning I pray for my brother-in-law and the battle his mother is facing this morning. I pray for "the peace that surpasses all understanding" to rain down on him and his family. And for his mother I also pray for peace . . . the peace that comes through faith in Jesus. I pray that Jesus would have mercy on her and lavish her in His grace. And that she would receive Him into her heart, even at this late hour. May God bless you and keep you. Amen.

I Will Bring You Peace - Daniel & Catherine Lovett