Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off

"Patience is the ability to count down before blasting off."
- Unknown

Obedience is the fruit of faith; patience, the bloom on the
fruit.
- Rossetti

When a person's faith seems to collapse without warning, one can
be sure it has been the result of inner conflicts--the termites of disobedience.
- Quinton J. Everest

"A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back." KJV
Proverbs 29:11

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." NIV
Proverbs 29:11

Lord, I realize that I must remain faithful to Your law
and must have patience to finish this life well.
Grant that I will always be in control
and can be an example to others.

Dutch version > Geduld is het vermogen om af te tellen voor explosieven te laten ontsteken

patience (Photo credit: Swiv)

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2013 update:

 

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Wishing to do the will of God

Daily Heavenly Manna
I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Hosea 6:6
HE who gives his will, his heart, to the Lord, gives all; he who gives not his will, who comes not in obedience of heart unto the Lord, can offer no sacrifice to the Lord that could be acceptable. "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice," is a lesson which should be deeply engraved upon the hearts of all the sanctified in Christ Jesus. To have the spirit of obedience is necessary too, and whoever has the spirit of obedience will not only obey the divine will, but will seek to know the divine will more and more that he may obey it. It is of this class that the Scriptures declare, "His word was found and I did eat it;" and again, in the words of our Lord, "I delight to do Thy will, O My God: Thy law is written in My heart." Z.'03-220 R3225:5

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A Living Faith #9 Our Manner of Life

A LIVING FAITH

Our Manner of Life

Previous: A Living Faith #8 Change

When we consider the great price that has been paid for us and the great love extended towards us, really it is very reasonable matter that we are asked to respond to that love. If we truly do love the Lord our God, then we will strive to obey His Word and put the Commandments into practice day by day. In addition we will earnestly desire the return of the Lord Jesus and strive to diligently prepare for that great and glorious day.  By way of exhortation Peter asks:

“What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” 2 Peter 3:11-12

That word ‘ought’ means: ‘it is necessary’, or ‘there is need of’, or ‘it is right and proper’. It is indeed only right and proper, that as children of the Almighty, we live our lives striving to be holy, separate and undefiled to the best of our abilities. There is a great need for personal conduct to be upright and to be ‘Christ like’ in our way of life and behaviour. Indeed Paul speaks of this as being our ‘reasonable service’. So we read:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 

That word reasonable means, logical or rational. Reflecting upon the great price paid for our redemption, the great mercy extended towards us and the divine love shown towards us surely must inspire a willing, wholehearted response. The rational response is to demonstrate loving appreciation by obedience to His Word. Our manner of life must change as we grow in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith and love will be shown not merely by our words, but by our actions.

Yet as always being so prone to forgetfulness we need constantly reminding about the true values in life. We must maintain the right perspective, thus Jesus commands us to remain in his love lest we stray:

"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in my love.”If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  John 15:9-10

Now the Commandments of Christ booklet is a loved and valued reminder of the principle teachings of Christ.  Our manner of life must manifest obedience to those commandments, if faith is to be something that is living, vibrant and active in our daily lives. Ask yourself the following questions:

Ø What do those commandments mean to me personally? 

Ø What effect do they have upon my daily life?

Ø How am I as an individual, personally putting them into practice?

These questions are very pertinent for Jesus must come first and above all else in our lives. Indeed he is our life! Did not Jesus say:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27

What does bearing a cross daily mean? Clearly, it means a sacrifice of self, a crucifying or putting to death the ‘old man’ and following Christ daily. In other words, not our will, but doing the will of Yahweh as expressed in the commandments so clearly laid out in scripture.

So then what do I mean by suggesting that the commandments of Christ are personalised? Well, firstly consider the greatest commandment of all, Jesus said:

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30

What does this mean in practical terms?

Personalising this commandment might go something like this:

Ø  Service to God must be first in my life: Matthew 6:33

Ø  I must work in the Lords service faithfully and diligently to the best of my abilities: Isaiah 66:1-2; Matthew 24:45-47; 1Tim 2:15

To give another example of personalising the commandments of Christ we can recall that Jesus provided the means by which in his absence his disciples would be reminded about his ministry and resurrection. We read:

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.” Luke 22:19-20

What does this mean in practical terms?

Well, if we honestly desire to remember Jesus and all that he represents, then again personalising this commandment might go something like this:

Ø  Jesus must be my example in everything and I will try to be like him. 1Peter 2:21-23; John 13:15-16

Ø  Only through Jesus can my sin be covered, therefore I must remain in him.  John 15:5-7; Heb 2:1-3

Ø  My aim must be to prepare diligently for when Jesus Christ returns. Because of this, I will not get too engrossed with the work and interests of this life. Matt 24:44; Luke 12:35-38, 40; 2Peter 3:10-14

For a third example of personalising the commandments of Christ consider these words of John:

“If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1John 1:6-7

What does this mean in practical terms?

Well before answering that question let us first reflect upon some more scripture:

“The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130

“Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6

Without the Word of Yahweh there is only utter spiritual darkness. Therefore our manner of life must be subjected to the scrutiny of His Word which alone can illuminate and guide our feet in the way of life. There can only ever be one Truth, any other gospel is a lie and will not save. Therefore personalising this commandment to “walk in the light” might go something like this:

Ø  I cannot have fellowship with those who live in darkness, but must set an example to others: Eph 5:11

Ø  I cannot have fellowship with those who turn away from sound doctrine and/or practice: Gal 1:6-9; 2Thess 3:6,14; 2John 8-10

To be continued...A Living Faith #10: Our manner of Life #2

 Andy Peel

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Let us become nothing, and Christ everything

SOMETHING TO CHEW ON

Have you ever observed who Jesus said had chosen the “better part”? - Mary, the woman who sat at his feet. When we are willing to spend time sitting at the feet of Jesus we will be the humble, holy Christians our Lord desires us to be. Let us observe two important steps in gaining a clearer understanding of the true relationship between humility and holiness.

 When the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian believers, he was writing with two main purposes in mind: first, to thank them for their generosity to the poorer saints, and second, because he had learned that dissension had arisen that threatened the very usefulness of the church at Philippi. Apparently this church had been divided and the believers had taken sides. A fairly quick survey of the book will indicate how Paul dealt with the problem. He refused to recognize the two factions and did not criticize the women who were at fault. Instead he tried to fill their minds with our Lord’s lowliness, humility, and longsuffering. The apostle had learned that the secret of the unity of the believers lay not in looking at the disease, but rather in fixing their eyes upon the physician.

 The second chapter of Philippians contains perhaps the clearest account of the self-emptying of Christ. For Paul, all spiritual life centres in Christ, and when he wishes to direct the believers’ minds to the great graces of meekness and humility, he can think of no better way than to present a broad outline of the story of our Master’s redemptive work as portrayed in his life and death on the Cross. So he writes, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not think to snatch at equality with God, but made himself nothing, assuming the nature of a slave, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” Philippians 2:3-9.

  Our Lord has given us an example by his earthly life that all can safely follow: Paul tells us that Christ “made himself nothing,” he “took the nature of a slave,” he was “made in the likeness of men,” “he was fashioned as a man,” he “humbled himself,” or as it could be better rendered, he abased and made himself low. Then he adds that Christ became “obedient,” showing that the supreme act of self-humiliation consisted in Christ’s voluntary submission to the final act of suffering death. In laying down his life Christ certainly humbled himself and showed the extent to which he was willing to go to save sinful, selfish man. We all need to wear the yoke of Christ and we should practice his humility. The great teacher says, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” He might have said, “Learn of me, for I can perform miracles which nobody else has ever performed.” He might have said, “Learn of me, for I am the most advanced thinker of the age.” But no: the reason he gave was because “I am meek and lowly in heart.” Mattew 11:29.

  We read in Scripture of three men whose faces shone - Jesus, Moses, and Stephen - and all are noted for their meekness and humility. We are told that on the Mount of Transfiguration the face of Christ shone. Moses after forty days of personal communion with God came down Mount Sinai with his face shining. And on the last day of Stephen’s life when he was being questioned before the Sanhedrin we read that his face was illuminated as the face of an angel. If our faces are to shine like this, then we must go down into the valley of humility, because it is this valley which will lead us to the Mount of Transfiguration.

  Perhaps one of the meekest characters in all history, apart from our Lord, was John the Baptist. John was the centre of attraction in Jerusalem and Judea. Thousands were streaming out into the desert to hear this great and powerful preacher. Hundreds had already been baptized by him. One day there came out from Jerusalem a very influential group, appointed by the chief priests to ask the wilderness preacher his identity. Was he Elias, or the Messiah, or this prophet, or that prophet? What a wonderful opportunity he had to pass himself off as the Messiah! But no! He could have said, “Haven’t you heard of me, I am the world’s greatest preacher.” But not John. Just notice what he did say. “Tell them I am Mr. Nobody. I am a voice to be heard and not to be seen, a mere signpost pointing to ‘The Way.’ In fact, I am here to proclaim the coming of him whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to unloose.”

  David had learned the lesson of humility. In all of David’s psalms there is not a reference to the fact that he slew Goliath. Man’s tendency is to make himself bigger and bigger, but John’s attitude was: “I am just the signpost pointing out the way. The morning star fades away as the sun rises. He must increase, but I must decrease. Actually, he is the Bridegroom, I am just the Bridegroom’s friend.” Instead of elevating himself, he humbled himself. What a difference it would make if we could each gain this spirit and get behind the cross and be just a mere signpost pointing out “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” John the Baptist was very little in his own estimation, but before his birth the angel had stated he would be “great in the sight of the Lord.” And this was his greatness when he cried, “Behold the Lamb of God! I am nothing, he is all and in all.”

 The Arabs have a saying which goes something like this: “As the wheat and tares grow together it is very easy to see which the Lord has blest. The ears that have received the blessing bow their heads as the weight of the grain bends them over. But the tares with no fruit to bear, keep their heads high and erect above everything else.” Those who have the blessing of God and thus have the fruits of the Spirit as recorded in Galatians 5:22, “Love, Joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance,” will never be able to keep their heads high and erect in a boastful way.

 The showers, as they fall upon the mountain peaks, often leave them desolate and barren because the water rushes down into the fertile valleys below. If a man is proud and lifted up with vanity, rivers of God’s grace may flow over him, and yet leave him as dry and desolate, and unfruitful as the mountain peaks. Yet once the grace of Christ takes hold of a man, what a transformation takes place! Consider those ignorant, self-centred disciples before Jesus called them. In fact, right up until the night that the Lord’s Supper was instituted, they were striving among themselves as to who would be the greatest. But when the Holy Spirit came, there was a transformation. When Matthew writes, he keeps himself right out of sight. He reports the deeds of the other disciples, but when he refers to himself it is Matthew, “the publican.” Mark’s Gospel, which most commentators agree is really Peter’s version of our Lord’s ministry, contains only damaging statements about Peter, while the things to his credit are not referred to. Luke, although a doctor, keeps his name right out of sight, and John only refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” The poet summed it up this way:-

“All of self and none of Thee, Some of self and some of Thee,

Less of self and more of Thee, None of self and all of Thee.

  A Dr. Bonar once remarked that he could tell whether a Christian was growing or not. In proportion to his growth he would elevate his Master, and talk less of himself, and of his own importance. Can we not also consecrate ourselves and put the world and self beneath our feet, allow Christ to become all and in all? Let us become nothing, and Christ everything. May we nail self to the cross, and adopt as our motto - “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

 - John Aldersley

Golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters obedience

The golden rule for understanding in spiritual matters is not
intellect, but obedience.

-- Oswald Chambers

Dutch / Nederlands > Gouden regel om geestelijke dingen te begrijpen is gehoorzaamheid

Golden rule (Photo credit: Dr Phil)

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The way of salvation

Jesus appearing to Thomas the Apostle, from the Maesta by Duccio di Buoninsegna (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dutch / Nederlands > De Weg tot verlossing

The Way of Salvation: The way to enter the Kingdom of God is by faith.
This involves belief in His Word, the Bible, and obedience to its requirements that men and women confess their sins, repent, be baptized and follow Jesus faithfully.
Ultimately, it is only by God Hís grace through Jesus that we are saved, not by anything we do.
(Mt 16:24-27; Mk 16:16; Jn 3:3-5; Acts 2:37; Eph 2:4-5; 1 Thes 2:13; 2 Tim 3:14-17; Heb 11:6)

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