BE PATIENT

            Patient waiting is often the highest way of doing God's will. –Collier

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Galatians 6:9

            When we go on visitation I often remind our church of this verse. I remind them it is not up to us to give the fruit. God will give the increase if we just remain faithful. The harvest may not be today or tomorrow. It may not be next week or next month. It may be a year or two from now. Whenever God gives the increase, we just need to be ready for it!

            We need to be ready to share the Gospel. We need to be ready to give godly counsel. We need to be ready to give help whenever help is needed.

            Even though we are being patient that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing anything! We should still be GETTING UP, GETTING READY and GOING TO CHURCH learning how to be patient!

BE HONORABLE

                 My honor is dearer to me than my life. –Cervantes

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. Proverbs 22:1

                       “On my honor I will do my best, to do my duty to God and my Country and to obey the Scout Law…” That is the first part of the Boy Scout oath that I learned over 30 years ago. It’s amazing the impact those years have had on my life. I can honestly say, for the most part, my time in the Scouts was good. It helped develop part of the man I am today.

            While the Boy Scouts has changed for the worse in the past 30 years, my understanding of what honor is has not. Is has only gotten deeper and richer. Honor is remaining true to godly core values. It’s doing our best even when no one is watching. It’s doing our duty to our fellow man. Being honorable is still doing our best and doing our duty to God and country!

BE STUDYING

Ever learning of our Saviour is much needed in an ever changing world.   

And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business,

and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

1 Thessalonians 4:11

                        This past Sunday we celebrated our Patch Club kids’ accomplishments for the year. Each of the kids worked hard and finished the tasks that were set before them. They didn’t just wake up and find these tasks were finished. They memorized verses and completed many pages so they could pass the books.

Each one of us would do well to follow the lead of these young people. We should never stop learning about our Saviour! We should not retire our learning, we should re-fire it! We should keep on keeping on!

BE THANKFUL

            HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5

            One of the most neglected attributes is the one of being thankful. It’s a neglected expression when someone holds the door open. It’s a missing attitude when given a raise. Many times it’s a missing character when it comes to what Jesus has done for us!

            How thankful are you when it comes to the things The Saviour has done for you? Does your thankfulness show up in your actions? Does your works prove your love for the Saviour?

BE YE HOLY

            It is a great deal better to live a holy life than to talk about it. Lighthouses do not ring bells and fire cannon to call attention to their shining-they just shine. -Moody

Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 20:7

            When the Lord saves a lost and dying soul, He does more than just saving them from hell. He is saving them from themselves. Left to ourselves, we will always find ourselves not only drifting toward sin but running to it. When we follow the paths of sin, we will eventually find ourselves dying from the very thing that we chose to do in the first place. I am reminded this morning of James 1:14-15, But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

            The cure for unholiness is living a holy life. It is walking in His righteousness. But we can’t do it on our own! We have to have Jesus’ righteousness in us. When we got saved, He gave us His Spirit and when we follow the paths of righteousness, the Holy Spirit leads us along the way keeping us from self destruction!

            Want to avoid self-destruction and the old saying, “Sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer that you want to stay, and cost you more than you are willing to pay? Then—Be ye holy!

BE FRUITFUL

            Being fruitful begins at home.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

                        Starting the day off in God’s Word will provide fruit for daily living. You will learn how to love your family by the Word. You will learn how to have faith by the Word. You will learn how to be good by the Word. You will learn how to be fruitful by the Word. Get the drift?

            Being fruitful is more than just hearing the Word. It’s following the Word and watching the Spirit of God use the Word to produce fruit in you and others. You want to learn to be more fruitful? Get in the Word and learn at the feet of Jesus!

BE FAITHFUL

            Being faithful is more than going to church on Sunday.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:2

            A steward is one who has been given a responsibility. A steward or stewardess on an airplane has the responsibility of taking care of the needs of those flying in the airplane. A conductor (a steward on a train) has the responsibility of taking care of the people on the train. As stewards, Christians have been entrusted with the Good News of the Gospel to teach and preach to the sinner and to the saint.

            What a great responsibility! We shouldn’t take that responsibility flippantly. We ought to be faithfully serving our Saviour not just on Sunday morning but every second of every day. There is no time to sit down, take a break, or shut up. We as blood bought, born again Christians need to stand up, stand fast, speak up, being faithful to our Saviour!

            God has put a high standard on faithfulness. As a matter of fact He requires it. What area of your life is lacking in faithfulness? What will you do to get where you need to be with the Lord?

RUNNING BUT GETTING NO WHERE!

            True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. -Taylor

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. Revelation 2:5

            My wife and I use to have a treadmill. I really didn’t like it though because when you got on the thing and started walking it didn’t give me a sense of instant pleasure. I didn’t see any new sights as you get when you walk outside. A butterfly flying around pollinating the flowers, a squirrel chasing another, a beautiful sunset, all bring about a sense of accomplishment. With the treadmill all I got was the same ole view and I didn’t seem to be getting anywhere.

            When we get on life’s treadmill of unconfessed sin, we don’t get anywhere. David said in Psalm 51:12, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…” In this repentant Psalm, we see David has lost his joy in the Lord because of sin in his heart. The only thing that will cure that and get him back moving forward is true repentance and faith in the Lord. David said, After I repent, God can use me; “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.” Psalm 51:13

            Have you been trying to do something for the Lord but you’re not getting anywhere? Do you have sins that to men’s eyes are hidden? Do you harbor sin as if some cherished keepsake, afraid of what may happen if you trust and obey God? GET UP, GET READY, and GO TO CHURCH with mindset of, I’m going to confess and ask God to forgive me. Trusting He will do what is right and you will accept the consequences. It is then, and only then, God can and will use you for His glory and your good! It is then you will be getting somewhere!

A FRESH VIEW OF JESUS

            Jesus Christ is light to the eye, honey to the taste, music to the ear, joy to the heart. –Spurgeon

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6

            Many times we get in the ruts of life. We feel as if we can’t do anything right. We can’t seem to mark off another item on the “To Do” list. It gets us in a state of depression that if not taken care of will lead to health problems!

            I have found when I get a fresh view of my Saviour I can get things done! I see how He helped the woman at the well. I see how He healed one with palsy. I see how He saved souls. It is when we get our eyes back on Him and His grace we find out that we cannot do anything without Him anyway!

            Are you battling an uphill battle of unaccomplished tasks? Is depression breathing down your neck keeping you from rejoicing in your Saviour? Invest some time in the Word today! Seek Him in the Word getting a fresh view of His grace! It will help you get out of the rut of life and back on the run for the Lord!

I NEED TO SEE JESUS!

            Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for, because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything. --Peter Marshall

The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: Psalm 146:8

            Oh that we might always see the way to go for the Lord. Unfortunately, there are things keeping us from seeing which way to go. When I boil it all down I find two reasons we are blinded to God’s way; Sin and Sovereignty. When we have unconfessed sin in our lives God’s way is blurred. It’s blurred because He does not hear our prayers. It’s blurred because He will not condone sin. It’s blurred because God is holy and He wants us to be holy as well.

            The second reason is God’s sovereignty. Sometimes, God wants us to trust Him more. It’s not that we don’t but it’s when our faith needs to be deepened. It’s a time to hear what the Spirit is trying to teach us. It is a time we need to get focused a little more on the Saviour. It’s a time when doors are closed, and we need to get alone to see Jesus in His Word.

            Are you in a time when you need to see Jesus? He isn’t that far away! Open His Word and start reading. It won’t be long until He shows up in your life!

I NEED HELP...JUST NOT YOUR HELP!

            Many receive advice, only the wise profit by it. –Syrus

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. Proverbs 12:15

            These commercials on television about where to find a good contractor are interesting. They proclaim their company is the company to go to in order to find the best plumber, HVAC, painter, etc. Funny thing is these companies have paid a heavy fee in order to get a good referral from said company. Seems a little bias to me that a company you have paid to give you a good recommendation would give you a good recommendation!

            You want a good referral? Find someone who has used the contractor you have in question. Let them tell you about their craftsmanship, their pricing, and their accountability. Someone like that has not been bought to give their opinion.

            You want to know something about Jesus? Find someone who walks with Him, talks with Him, and serves Him. They are the ones who can tell you the most about Jesus. Those are the ones who can help you get your life where it needs to be! Yes, you do need their help! The prayers they offer for you are of more help to you than you can imagine! Those prayers may be what is standing in between you and hell. Receive the help from the wise!

STICK TO IT!

            Be dogmatically true, obstinately holy, immovably honest, desperately kind, fixedly upright. –Spurgeon

Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:4-5

            Looking at creation always amazes me. We see the ants doing their work. We see the birds doing their work. We see the fish doing what God created them to do. But with men, it’s so much different. Man has free will in which he can choose whether he will do God’s will or not. He can run from God’s will for him to be saved. He can say no to God. He can do whatever he wants to and he will live with the consequences.

            I have found when I line my will up with God’s will, my life will is so much better! When I don’t follow my heart, listen to negative influences, or chase empty dreams, God can work in and through my life. This is when God works! He works when we yield our lives over to Him. He works when we stick to His will. He works when we get out of the way. Will you surrender your will to Him today?

CHARACTER HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT.

            Fame is vapor; popularity an accident; riches take wings.  Only one thing endures, and that is character. -Greeley

In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Titus 2:7-8

            Character has been defined as: who we are when no one else is around. What we watch, what we listen to, where we go, and what we do when no one else is around all make up our character. Interesting thing is our character is put on display when times in our life get rough. It shows up in the classroom when our teacher “gives” us a failing grade. It shows up in the work place when we don’t get that promotion we thought we deserved. It will even show up at the kitchen table when you don’t get the fried chicken you wanted for supper.

            How are you preparing when your character is put on display?

RENDER HONOR WHEN HONOR IS DUE

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

            As we celebrate this Memorial Day, let’s not forget who it is for. It is not for the active duty service member. It is not for the veteran. It is not for the military retiree. This day is for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. It is for those who gave their life for our freedom and the freedoms of others. It is for those family members who are left behind.

            Would you take a moment to recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for your freedom? Will you honor those who have given their life for you, your family, your friends, and your Country?

NO KISS FOR JESUS?

A kiss is a sign of affection for the one you love.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. Luke 7:45

            In Luke 7, we see a humble lady come to Jesus, break an alabaster box of ointment, anoint Jesus’ feet, and then she began kissing His feet. She couldn’t stop. She was exhibiting her love toward her Saviour in such a way it made others uncomfortable. They didn’t see the need of humility in a kiss. However, that didn’t stop her. She continued on!

            In our service to our Saviour, there will be some who cross our paths that don’t like the way we serve Him. Many of those people do nothing for Him. We should not be discouraged by them. Do not let those that sit back and criticize your service hinder you. Continue on serving Him with gladness, keeping your eyes on Him, and not them! For if we do, He will bless our work and He will be honored!

A HISTORY WORTH REMEMBERING

The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable. –Sockman

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Isaiah 46:9

            It’s good for us to take a minute or two to remember what our Saviour has done for us. His Creation, His Cross, His Cure, His Coming Again, none of it ever gets old. We may grow complacent and apathetic but if we stop and remember what all He has done for us, it won’t be long before we have a spark of revival in our heart. It won’t be long before we are asking for forgiveness. It won’t be long until we are singing His praises!

            Where are you at with the Lord? Have you forgotten the things He has done for you? Take a moment to think on the things worth remembering!

HELP IS HERE!

When things are falling apart look up!

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:2

            As a little child chasing after their mother, you and I need to chase after our Saviour! We need to do so with our arms stretched out, calling out to Him, and waiting on Him to help us! And it’s great because He is always there for us!

            I am reminded of an old song that states, “I can’t even walk without Him holding my hand.” Are you trying to do life on your own? Stop friend! Jesus wants you to trust Him! Let Jesus lead and guide you! Let Him!

BITTERNESS KILLS

            Bitterness ends relationships that would otherwise benefit everyone and would bring honor to the Lord.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Hebrews 12:15

            There is a cure all for bitterness and that cure all is forgiveness. When we don’t forgive we are not displaying God’s grace in our life. When we don’t forgive it grieves the Spirit in us. When we don’t forgive, it will end friendships. When we don’t forgive, it will rob us of God’s favor in our life. When we don’t forgive, it has the potential of killing us!

            If you want to live a fruitful, productive, and Christ honoring life, you better learn to forgive. Forgive quick, often, and as much as Jesus has forgiven you!

WHAT WE NEED NOT WHAT WE WANT

           Every Christian ought to have a compassionate heart to invite people to the Saviour.

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Matthew 25:35

            A few days ago, I visited my brother who was having surgery. I got back home around lunch, so I prepared myself a sandwich, ate it, and sat in my recliner to catch a nap. It wasn’t but a few minutes when I heard a knock at the door. I got up and a homeless lady was standing there. She asked for a ride to the bus station and a ticket to Boston. I told her I didn’t have any money for a ticket and I was not, by myself, taking her to the station. She asked for a Coke or other soda. I didn’t have either so I offered her a bottle of water. It seemed as if it offended her that the only thing I had was water. To make a long story short after talking to her about salvation, she went away with a couple bags of chips and a chip her shoulder.

            Many people come looking for something from the Lord. God offers them exactly what they need and they too walk away with a chip on their shoulder. Unfortunately, that chip is what will end up sending them straight to hell.

            Friend, if you have come to the Lord looking for something other than salvation, rethink why you came to Him. He didn’t come to give you financial peace. He didn’t come to make your life easy. He didn’t come for you to have your best life now. He came to seek and save that which was lost! He came to save sinners! He came to save you!

A FEW ANSWERS FOR PROFESSING CHRISTIANS SUPPORTING THE PRO-CHOICE MOVEMENT

            The Bible has the answers.

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

            Many professing Christians think abortion is okay. Their reasoning is based in the fallacy that it’s the woman’s body and she should be able to do with it what she wants. But what they don’t understand is our bodies are not ours. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 clears it up, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

             They also don’t understand that the “unwanted” pregnancy could have been prevented if they would have followed God’s Word in the first place—abstain from sexual sin. Abstaining from all sexual sin, including premarital sex is God’s way of preventing “unwanted” babies. (By the way, there has never been a baby conceived in the womb that God didn’t want to be born.)

            Lastly, the question arises, “What do we do with all of the children in the world that’s already here?” Maybe, follow scripture on that one too? James 1:27 says, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” The Christian way to support children is to give them a hand up, not a hand out. It is not to give them a fish so they can eat for a day but it is to teach them to fish so they can eat for a lifetime!

            One last thought; Why not find answers in God’s Word? For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Proverbs 6:23 Unless, that’s the real issue of the problem; you don’t want to follow what His Word says to start off with?