Romans 5:3, “…but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.”

     This post will begin a weekly series of biblical and practical encouragements taken from my new book titled,  i am…a Christian.  It is a book of encouragement for the believer as we journey down the path of life.  Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”. Each day we need to remind ourselves of who we are and what we ought to be doing as Christians. I’ve taken 77 principles from God’s Word and applied them practically to everday Christian Living. This book embodies the whole idea of this website as it is written mainly to encourage.

 I decided to do the first edition as an audiobook as it really lends itself as a listening experience. It is not just a book being read out loud, but a more rich audio “involvement”. It will be available as a download here on the Pathwalk Publishing website in a few weeks. I will also have a podcast each week pertaining to a topic in the book. I hope that will be an encouragement as well. To get the podcast you will need to sign up here:

http://www.pathwalkpublishing.com/tinc?key=eDLc9G7s&RegistrationFormID=59004

     I’m excited about the new book and I pray it will be a blessing to many people. One of the topics is the title of this blog. It is sometimes/often difficult to be patient in times of trials. It is difficult to be patient in even the little things in life like driving down the road and being stopped at a railroad crossing. Instead of waiting patiently for 5 minutes (which is an eternity at a railroad crossing), I find myself simmering on a low boil. That’s the flesh at work. As soon as I realized I wasn’t being patient, I prayed for someone in our church. The impatience left and I felt victorious. This is what Job did. He prayed for his friends and the Lord restored him (Job 42:10).

     Patience in life is one of the greatest and hardest principles to learn. It is easier said than done to “trust God”, in times of testing. It is a spiritual wrestling match with myself as I try to balance trusting God and working myself out of mess. My Pastor sometimes says…”Pray as if it all depends upon the Lord, and work as if it all depends upon you.”

     I close this blog with three ideas about patience through trials that I hope will be an encouragement. Trials exist in our lives for many reasons, three of them being:

1. They are for our good ultimately.

2. They draw us closer to the Lord.

3. They are for His glory.

Amen                    

 Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

     It’s hard to believe the summer is just about over. Officially it’s not until September 22 but unofficially it ends this week. For many, school will be starting up again with all the traveling and events that go with it. Sports may start as well as instrument lessons, church activities, and all the running around that goes with these things. This is where you really get busy.

     Ecclesiastes is a great book. Solomon really puts things in perspective although it sounds like complaining at first. He was in a position to try and do whatever he wanted. And the motive of gaining happiness apart from God came to one simple word: vanity.

     He goes on to take a very “macro” look at life which we all need to do from time to time. Look down the road 100 years…you’re not even here anymore. The concerns of today are long gone. Look at some pictures of people from 100 years ago. They lived just like you, had concerns like you, and problems that were seemingly insurmountable, like you might have. But they’re gone now. All that living is forgotten here on earth.

     Solomon says there is a season for everything. We know that to be a true statement. Life is in a constant state of flux. In order to bend with it, we need to stay grounded. Grounded in the Word daily, in prayer constantly, and walking consistently. These times are difficult. To try and get through them in our strength alone would be as Solomon simply put it, vanity.

 2 Kings 2:23-24, “And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”

      This story from 2Kings made for some pretty attentive kids when I taught it in Jr.Church two weeks ago. The lesson is still the same…God is powerful and be careful what you do. Especially to His anointed. Elisha was clearly going to be used of God now that Elijah was taken to Heaven. He just parted the Jordan river and crossed over on dry ground. The power of God was upon him. That gang of trouble in the above verses had no idea who they were messing with.

       The other day my son looked out the bathroom window and saw this large black bear taking a dip in the kids’ pool. (Which incidentally was inflatable and is not inflatable any longer). The kids got to see him up close as he flipped open the garbage container and started pulling out the bags. He was quite amazing and certainly instilled fear in all of us. What a magnificent creature to view when you are at a safe distance. When I took the picture above I was thinking about the “Fear Him” blog. Our society is so flippant in it’s idea of who God is that they have no idea of the real majesty of the Lord. Some branches of Christianity have even tried to make Jesus “cool” and bring Him down to human levels. That borders on irreverance if not outright blasphemy. He is the Lord and King of all yesterday, today, and forever and deserves more respect than we sometimes show.

 Leviticus 19:12, “And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.”

     I took the kids to a pre-Revolutionary War era prison the other day in Connecticut. What started out as a copper mine became a prison for burglars, rapists, blasphemers, and other criminals. It dates back to 1773 and came complete with iron chains, underground confinement, and whipping post. Ah, the good old days! As we walked through the grounds I contrasted the bare necessities provided here, against those “necessities” of today’s prisoners like TV, hot showers, and 3 square meals a day. I’m not saying it’s a Holiday Inn but it sure beats sleeping underground chained to stone.

     As we ventured through the Guard’s Quarters, a sign caught my eye. It read, “When sin was a crime.” Is this the modern thought of our society? I think some sins have fallen off the societal “crime” list and are now acceptable in our “progressive” world.  One sin in particular has gone from forbidden to fashionable in today’s age. The sin of blasphemy. On top of this sign read, “If any person within this Colony shall blaspheme the Name of God the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost…or curse in the like manner, he shall be put to death. ” This is taken from Leviticus 24:15-16 and was part of the Connecticut Code of 1650. Old fashioned? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We have lost the fear of God.

      On the lighter side of this dark place were the remains of a 250-seat chapel where area “clergymen” would come and read the scriptures. As I walked around this brownstone and iron meeting area I wondered if anyone got saved in these meetings. I would hope some did. Our Lord is so full of pardon and grace, even up to death (remember the thief on the cross). In a world that curses God instead of begging Him for forgiveness, there’s a verse to be reckoned with. Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

 Luke 12:20-21, “But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

     These sure are uncertain times. What’s going on with the good ol’ American dollar? It’s not buying as much as it used to, that’s what’s going on. I’m not an economist, or versed in finance but I know what a dollar used to buy. Now it takes a dollar and a half. This has a lot of people worried, including Christians. If you are thinking yourself into a frenzy about the global economy and your personal investments, don’t. God says not to. “Take no thought for your life…” Luke 12:22 says. For more encouragement, read the rest of the passage in Luke. Verses 16-34 tells the parable of the rich man. It’s a great study to be encouraged in times like these.

     A good thing about financial pressure is that it helps us to re-prioritize our heart. Instead of relying on our bank account, we have to rely on God. There’s just too much month and not enough money. We have to trim the “fat” off our living. We are so blessed we forget quite often. Compared to other countries we live like royalty. We’ve got it better than Solomon had it. Do you think he got in his tub and turned a knob that produced hot water? Did he have a phone? How about a coffee maker? And yet the flesh cries out “I’m not satisfied yet!” We are spoiled.

     Money is a powerful motivator and the Lord uses it (or a lack of it) to draw us closer to Him. Instead of going crazy and thinking your life is over, sit down and talk to God. He already knows your needs before you ask. It may take a drastic situation to get you to that point however. There’s a peace that is far better than riches when you rely on Him to provide for your life. A peace that passeth all understanding.

So, what is this? Hopefully you could make it out as a Lego Noah’s ark scene. This is the kind of stuff that stirs me…to see that kids know the truth. They could have built anything and they chose to do something that reflects their heart. This is where the training pays off in a good ol’ fashioned smile from Dad.

      There’s two things that stood out for me…1. Noah’s Ark is built like, well, an ark would be built. It’s not a bathtub-looking thing overstuffed with animals. 2. There are dinosaurs getting on. Even in believer’s circles we tend to shy away from dinosaurs being on the ark. The evolutionists have done a fine job of making even Christians doubt the truth. That’s why it’s so important to teach stories like Noah and the flood to our children. They don’t have any walls up to doubt. They trust Mom and Dad to tell them like it is. Sadly most parents just pass on beliefs that don’t mean anything.

     Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Ecclesiastes 9:11, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

     Imagine coming out your front door and seeing this! It’s the kind of scene that astonishes you, but on the inside you say, “better you than me!” I guess that’s the selfish flesh saying that. It’s the same curiosity that slows us down at a traffic accident. Our necks crane and strain looking to see what happened hence the term “rubbernecking.”

     It is however only a matter of time before we become the spectacle in some God-allowed situation. The bad things in life happen to everyone. Accidents, sickness, poverty, death, these are all part of this life. They are extremely difficult to handle, even more so for the unbeliever. As Christians we can lean on the Lord to see us through.

     I believe this is precisely why God gave us the book of Job. It is such an extreme example of a godly man losing everything he had. He lost his family, his wealth, his health, and his friends. Everyone thought he was cursed. But the Lord showed Himself faithful in the end. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). May we find peace in our trials knowing that He is always right there beside us.

 1 Corinthians 3:13, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

     Wood, hay, and stubble. That is a lot of what the Lord will reveal about my works on that day. If he tarries longer, I may be able to get in a few works built on gold, silver, and precious stones. (1Corinthians 3:12) As much as I am anxious to meet the Lord and see the reality of Heaven, I also fear for the day that I will give an account to Him. I wish I didn’t waste so much time not serving, I wish I could rewind and try again.

     I love to hear it when a preacher says they will never retire. They’re going to just keep on preaching until they can’t preach any longer or they die trying! That’s the right perspective. The world says work hard and save for retirement where you can live easy and golf everyday. A lot of those guys are dead in the first couple years. Why is that? Maybe because there’s no reason, no direction anymore. I’m sure golf gets old like anything else.

     Christians look at life differently. We don’t have much time, there’s a lot of work to do, and this life is only the beginning. This life establishes us for the next. Our retirement is in Heaven! While we are here we need to stay busy serving the Lord. John 9:4 says, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh , when no man can work.” Jesus was saying this and it applies to all of us as well.  We’ve only got one chance to do right. May we stay faithful and diligent until that day when we hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

 A church prayer bulletin is published each week after the midweek prayer service. Slips of paper are handed out before the service and individuals write a prayer request  to be posted on the bulletin. Each week without fail there is a prayer request that reads, ” That my Daddy would spend more time with me.”

     Life is so short on earth. People often say that things always fall back to either time or money. Time is far more precious. You can always get more money. Time is gone forever. How much money would someone be willing to pay at the end of their life for just a little more time?  In my own short existence I know how fast the time goes. Especially with kids. In the time span of a week it seems as if one of them grew 2 inches. I can’t believe how fast life goes by. That’s pretty much a universal opinion.

     One day a little boy wanted to play some catch with his father. His Dad said, ” I can’t right now, I’m getting ready to go to work.” The next day the little boy asked him to play once again to which his father replied, “I can’t right now son, I’ve got to go to work.” The little boy went to his mother and asked why Daddy always had to spend his time at work. “He spends his time at work so he can get money,” the mother replied. So the little boy went upstairs to his room and got his piggy bank. He brought it down to his mother and handed it to her. “How much time with Daddy can I get with this?”

     Ephesians 5:15-16  “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

 Maybe you’ve seen the sticker on a car or on a t-shirt that reads “No Fear”. It’s the slogan for an outdoor company that caters to “extreme sports”. An example of an extreme sport would be like jumping out of a helicopter onto a high mountain peak by parachute, landing on the mountain slope and skiing down while lighting yourself on fire. The last part might be an exaggeration but it’s not impossible.

     Today’s youthful generation have no fear of the One that holds each breath in His hands. They get a “high” from facing the possibility of death and surviving to tell about it. The next stunt has to push the envelope bigger, higher, faster, and more dangerously. I suppose it fills a void in their life, but only temporarily.  Permanent peace can only come from God. There is no such thing as squaring off against death however. When it’s time, it’s time. It’s almost as if people think they can “beat” death in a situation. The reality is that God mercifully allowed them to live. Even in their pride and arrogance.

     We should have a healthy fear of the Lord. He made us. He determines our lives. He loves us. We need to humble ourselves a lot and get off the “look what I did” pedestal of life. The problem is not that we have low self-esteem but that we love ourselves too much. Love Him and fear Him reverently.

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is         understanding.”