The Promise to Return

 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

The Lord promised that someday He would return. Scoffers and unbelievers throughout time have doubted that Jesus will return to earth again. It has been a long time since this promise was made, and one can be tempted to doubt if His return will happen. But time is not relevant with God. God does not count time that way we do. A hundred years may seem like a long time, but to God it is but a vapor in light of eternity. It is God’s desire that everyone come to the knowledge of His love and grace. He patiently waits for His creation to turn their heart toward Him. God waits even for the scoffers to see their sinful ways and repent from their unbelief. Our present culture, especially in the US, has turned their hearts away from God. The concept of Jesus returning back to earth to rapture His church is viewed as religious fanatic idealism. But His promises are true, and someday He will split the eastern skies, and we who believe will be caught up in the air, and so shall we ever be with Him. He will not fail to keep His promise.

The Feebleminded

 1Thess 5:14
…comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, and be patient toward all men.
There are those around us that don’t have the ability to make good judgment. They may have been born with a disability, or they may have a lack of education and training to make good decisions. The feebleminded can easily be confused and disoriented. They often need someone to help guide them in making a good decision. It is easy to lose patience with someone who does not understand things that are common sense to most people. It is our duty and responsibility to help and support those who struggle with mental illness or depression, and give them the guidance they need to do what is needed. Patience is a virtue that does not always come easy for most people, especially those who don’t understand the nature of disability orders. The concept of equity, to give everyone the opportunity to be what God wants them to be is demonstrated in our love and patience to help all men regardless of their human weakness, or position in life. Follow that which is good and put aside your biases and reach out to those who need your help.

In My Old Age

 Titus 2:2

That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience

How ironic that on my 62nd birthday this scripture was highlighted in verse of the day in Gateway. I often don’t read the scripture of the day, but did today. I don't know if I am considered to be an “aged man”, but I am no longer a young man in my prime. With age comes experience, and with experience hopefully some wisdom. Learning from successes and failures, we learn that it is often best to wait and see how God is moving, staying steadfast in our faith that God is in control. He orders the steps of a good man and keeps him in the way of righteousness. The influence of our life trickles down to our children and grandchildren. The impact we make may never be known in our lifetime, but let it be said of me that my faith was sound, and that I demonstrated love and patience towards others.

Waiting For Him

Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Waiting is not one of my virtues. I don’t like driving in traffic waiting for the light to turn red. Waiting in line at the store to check out creates undesired stress. I think we all look for the shortest line, and become frustrated when it  moves at a snail pace. This is one reason I don’t enjoy going to amusement parks, I don’t want to wait in line for a ride that will last 5 minutes. I have endeavored to work on my waiting skills by using the time to find something productive to do, sometimes this works, but other times, I become frustrated and become impatient. Waiting for God to answer prayer or work out life’s problems or make His will know is not something that comes natural for me. I trust Him to know what is best. Still waiting on Him move in our church, to see an outpouring of His Spirit. I’m waiting on God to open the eyes of the blind, to work in lives of those we have been praying. We labor and work for the kingdom of God planting the seed. We have been planting for 31 years in Denver, waiting for Him to give us the increase. 

Unruly Spirit

1 Thess. 5:14  Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

There is no excuse for being rude. Universal courtesy among all decent people is to be polite and be respectful of others. Being rude is not only unacceptable, but especially to anyone who names Christ as their Lord and Savior. As Christians, we are the mouth piece of Christ, to the less fortunate ones in life we are to show empathy and understanding. There are those in life that are born with learning disabilities or physical abnormalities and lack the ability to function as most human beings. Through Christ, we should be the first to show kindness and refrain from making unruly remarks. The fruits of the Spirit are the manifestation of a person born again of God. Let God work through us to show the world that God is love and is patient toward all men.

Be Patient

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Patiences is not one of my known virtues, especially if my waiting is caused by someone who is inconsiderate of my time. But not all circumstance that try our faith are caused by someone else. Life happens, and we are often face with having to ask for patience. There are somethings in life when no-one is at fault. God has ordained the testing of our faith. He wants us to look to Him and trust Him that He has everything under control. In this we rejoice, knowing that God has a plan. God desires that we seek Him for wisdom when we are faced with situations that test our faith. Patience to trust Him and hold steady and wait on God to take care of the problem. Lack of patience is an indication of instability and a faith that is weak. “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” -v4

Waiting on God

Psalm 25:5 “Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.”-

Waiting is not my strong suit, especially when it appears that it is time wasted doing nothing. But to wait on God does not mean that we sit around and waste time. Waiting on God gives us an opportunity to renew our strength in Him. Time to reflect and examine our hearts before God. Time to seek Him in the stillness of the night. Waiting for Him to do great things, and contemplating how He will do it. The timing of God is always right and He know just the right time to make things happen. Our humanist want to see things happen now. We become impatient when progress is not being made and it looks like we our marking time. Marching in place and going no where. But they that wait on the Lord, shall have their strength renewed day by day. They let go and trust God for the future and believe that He has all things under control. 

Waiting on God

James 5:8 “Be ye also patient; make firm your hearts, for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.”--

 Probably one of the most difficult virtues to obtain. Waiting, doing nothing, when you have so much to do and places to be is not something that come natural for most of us. The idea of having patience (waiting for an event to take place or for something to be completed) is address in God’s Word because it is so much of what happens in our lives day to day. I often have to take a deep breathe and remind myself that God has everything under His control and on His time clock. Many still wonder when the Lord will return, but all we need to worry about is to be ready when He comes. Occupy ourselves doing the work of the Lord, waiting patiently for His coming.