Endure

“Behold, we count them happy which endure.”  (James 5:11)

What kind of habitation would the Lord be happy in?

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel…The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation, he is my salvation. He is my God and I will prepare him an habitation.” (Exodus 15: 1-2)

What kind of habitation would the Lord be happy in? Definitely the Temples, but what about our homes? Sometimes it is difficult to remember to pray and read the scriptures and meditate, bless the food and all those other routine things some take for granite. There may be some that have it all down pat and allow no discouraging words or evil past their front door but for most of us it is a daily struggle. I mean how can we close our door to the family member who has slipped and fallen and still believe what we believe? It is especially difficult in this election year as we strive to be good citizens and make the right choice.

We need not fear neither man, nor demon

A long time ago when I was a child, maybe ten or twelve, my best friend and companion in mischief died of Scarlet Fever. This was my first real experience with death. It seemed unreal to me that someone I cared about so much, someone so young would stop living. I refused to accept it. The day of the funeral came. Everyone was dressed to go except for me. When Dad inquired why I wasn’t dressed, I finally confessed that I thought that if I pretended my friend had not died all would be well.

Dad sat down next to me and among other things he explained to me that we all die. Young or old we must all die. From the moment we are born and begin to breath we begin to die. We should not fear death, he explained. If we live our lives well, in honesty and truth we will return to heaven from where we came. If we have done the best we can, death can be a good thing.

That was a long time ago and I don’t remember his exact words, but they made an impression on me. As Paul explains, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

 

While in this mortal body things happen that are good, bad, painful, unfair, horrible, wonderful and glorious. There is a purpose for our being here and for each of us that purpose is different. The scriptures tell us that we each have different gifts that we may bring to pass the purpose of God. The point I want to make here is that there is a purpose to our lives and at some point we will return to give accounting for what we have done in this body we were given.

We need not fear neither man, nor demon if we walk in faith, believing then knowing that God lives.  If we know this then God knows us and will welcome us home when our work here is done – “For we walk by faith not by sight.”  (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Help thou my unbelief

In the New Testament, a father asked the Savior to heal his child. Jesus answered:

“If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

I have reflected many times on this father’s request: “Help thou mine unbelief.” I wonder if the intent of the man’s pleading was not primarily to help him believe in Jesus as our Redeemer and in His healing power. He already may have acknowledged Christ as the Son of God. But perhaps he needed help to believe the Master’s healing power indeed could be so individual and so personalized as to bless his own beloved son. He may have believed in Christ generally but not believed Christ specifically and personally.

We often testify of what we know to be true, but perhaps the more relevant question for each of us is whether we believe what we know.

David A. Bednar (Oct, 2016)

The fruit of the Spirit

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness temperance.” (Galatians 5:22)  

If it doesn’t bring you peace and joy and all that other good stuff it is not of the Spirit or of God. Before this Paul list the works of the flesh: hatred, wrath, strife, along with adultery, fornication, idolatry and etc. And yet we do not need to be involved in idolatry or adultery or etc. to feel the effects of strife, hatred, wrath and etc. We are in the world and those things exist around us. We could not be tested and tried if they weren’t.

So what can we do about that? Reading the scriptures helps. I used to write quotes and put them on the refrigerator where I would see them when trouble hit. Keeping a prayer in your heart is another thing that helps. What I mean by that is that after you get up off your knees from praying in the morning you continue to pray in your heart.

Does strife seep in despite my armor? Sure does. Sometimes worse than others, but we work moment to moment for that peace and joy and to feel the Spirit. 

Lesson from Pistol Stearns at Boskeydell Baptist Church

 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  (Ephesians 6:12)

In other words, we wrestle against unseen things, which know what the stakes are and want to detour us from reaching the gates of Heaven.  How well I remember when I was as a teen, Pistol Stearns teaching our Sunday School class at Boskeydell Baptist Church and asking what Satan looks like. “Is he dressed in a red underwear and carrying a pitchfork? Does he have a pointed tail and horns on his head? If he did we would surly know him.”

Pistol was right but even then some of us would still follow him because the way back to God seems so hard and Heaven seems so far away.  Evil is so cleaver. “You messed up too bad. You’ll never get to Heaven now. Come with me,” it says.

Most of us got to that point because of those unseen things appear good, but lead us away from the straight and narrow path. “I’m all right I can still see the path,” we say. Then one day we realize we are too far away to get back without hardship. Been there done that and I bet you have also. Paul certainly did and he thought he WAS doing the right thing. The Lord knew his heart and what he desired. Paul may have even been like my dad sitting out in the bushes with his shotgun praying, “Lord help me see who is cutting my fence so I can shoot at them.” Paul might have been praying, “Lord help me find those horrible Christians so I can kill them.” 

Evil is so cleaver that most of the time it appears good and holy and righteous.