Patience

Patience is the companion of wisdom. ~ St. Augustine  

Most of us struggle with patience in some area of our lives. For some being patient with children demands counting to 10 (sometimes twice), while others have to remind themselves to breathe in AND out when dealing with teenagers. Slow drivers with 'seasoned experience and their big cars' can send patience out the window; long lines, late people, and heavy traffic snatch patience from others. Hypocrisy, lying, whining or procrastination can tip the scale of patience. We know what triggers our frustration whether we admit it or not. In the scheme of life, I suspect none of these things really matter very much.

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom, beginning with The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline...Fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:1,7 NLT). Later, Chapter 14:26-30 gives this advice: Those who fear the LORD are secure; He will be a place of refuge for their children. Fear of the LORD is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death. Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes. A relaxed attitude lengthens life! 

The discipline that unites with wisdom gives birth to the patience in our lives. I suppose an absence of patience could point to a lack of wisdom. Ouch! Over the last several weeks in different venues I have heard a Proverb used, not incorrectly but without a reference of the phrase. Perhaps the ones speaking did not KNOW where their saying is found. Proverbs 27:17 says this: As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. Are you surrounding yourself with faithful friends, those who not only hold you accountable but desire to encourage you? Do your friends add value to your spiritual growth? A wise friend challenges you to be more, stands beside you, prays for you. Just as the Lord teaches patience and wisdom complement each other, a faithful friend can champion your heart. So, this week, spend some time reading about wisdom in Proverbs, thank God for faithful friends, and let your new relaxed attitude lengthen your life of Kingdom-service! - dho

Healer

LORD, You alone are my portion and my cup, You make my lot secure. 
Psalm 16:5



Healer by Kari Jobe

All Power and All Glory!

My favorite Sunday School song between first and third grades was Tell Me the Stories of Jesus. We frequently sang it as we gathered in a large group before breaking into our respective classes. It's a song we rarely hear anymore, but the images of Jesus that it evoked have stayed with me over the decades. Thoughts of "things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here"  and His "words full of kindness and deeds full of grace" mixed with "scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea" while "the children stood around His knee"  filled my mind. I could almost hear the "stories of Jesus". Sweet memories of a simple time refresh my soul.

Now, life is NOT so simple, and Jesus is NOT only kindness and grace. Jesus is more! Jesus is holy and righteous, power and glory, peace and justice. Jesus is Perfect Love. As I have grown older and in my faith walk, my understanding of Jesus has grown deeper roots. While He is STILL the Jesus that told stories by the sea - Jesus is more! Jesus is rest for the soul, peace during the chaos, joy in the adversity. Jesus knows every heart, the deepest wounds. the greatest fears, the smallest hope! Jesus is the story we tell others. 

Yet, Jesus is MORE! He is all Hope and  the path to Everlasting Life. To recognize Jesus as the Messiah is to fully embrace the resurrected Lord, believing He will return as promised. When Christ returns, He will be All Power and All Glory! 

Then I say heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one know but himself. He is clothed in a robe dripped in blood, and the name by which He is called is The Word of God. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 19:11-16

Holy, Holy, Holy - King of Kings and Lord of Lords ~
'Faithful and True,' You come as a warrior on a white horse marked as All Power and All Glory, Righteous and Ruler. Your robe bears witness to my soul's redemption; Your battle becomes my soul's greatest victory. Wordless, I lay face down before The Word of God, offering tears of praise and gratitude. You are Absolute Power, Perfect Love, Pure Grace. My soul whispers Holy! Holy! Holy! ~ dho
 

HOLY!

Psalm 24:7-8 NLT

Open up, ancient gates! 

Open up, ancient doors, 

and let the King of Glory enter.

Who is the King of glory?

The LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, invincible in battle. 

New Roman Road

Jesus said: "Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:19-20 The Message

We are called to go out and share the gospel of Jesus. So, how can we do that? When I was growing up, one of the measurements used asked us to record our "contacts" every Sunday in Sunday School. The data collected reflected the number of people I had actually invited to come to church with me. There were many times that number was "0". 

Today, there are many more opportunities that provide avenues to share God's Word, but are we using them? While inviting the unchurched to come to church is still important, each one of us has many more ways to give witness to our beliefs. Social media is one way. There are new "apps" every day that increase our ability to communicate. In the 'old days' a handwritten note would be mailed to keep in touch with a visitor; now an email or text can accomplish the task almost immediately after a visit. How are you using your social media tools to share Jesus with others?

In the June 2012 issue of Christianity Today's magazine, Robert Crosby sheds some light on the expanding world of technology and how this is impacting Christianity's witness. More people are becoming "engaged" in reading the Bible because of smartphones, tablets and laptops. He specifically gives the reader an update on YouVersion, the "fastest growing Bible app for mobile devices." Another segment features the creator of "the Bible page on Facebook." Sometimes posting a Bible verse on Facebook gets "10,000 responses from around the globe" in as little as 10 minutes.

Crosby writes: The ancient Roman roads spanned more than 250,000 miles... enabling both the empire to grow and the gospel to advance rapidly. Today's Roman roads are the Internet, the smartphone, the tablet, and social media, ready and waiting for innumerable journeys of faith and witness. While the ancient roads connected hundreds of towns and cities, the new ones connect millions of homes and individuals.*

Opportunities in this new era are expanding as I type and hold vast possibilities. In a recent discussion of social media the question was asked, "How do you use Social Media to spread the gospel of Jesus?" Most of us have email accounts, and many of have Facebook or some similar social media. We text to keep in touch and share pictures and "moments" but do we utilize these tools to speak the name of Jesus?  Share a Scripture, a song, a quote, a thought, a photograph, a video that says Jesus love you! Start a blog! People are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God. As Oswald Chambers often said, "Be the broken bread and poured out wine." to someone. Take the New Roman Road. Try it today . . . and the day after and the day after! - dho



* Christianity Today, "The Social Network Gospel"; Robert C. Crosby, June 2012, pg. 36-40.

Hope Passionately and Confidently

Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
O Lord, hear my voice!. . .
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope . . .
Psalm 130:1,5 ESV

Life is full of choices and consequences. Every dilemma, each decision can evoke emotions from delight to disappointment. Actions range from selfish manipulation to self-less motivation, from seeking one's own desires to seeking God's will. Even the every day, ordinary responses to life bring either frustration or fulfillment. In the depths of disappointment and despair, God's promise of His Presence reassures. We cry out to God because He hears us, because He loves us, because He chooses us!

Eugene Peterson writes about this Psalm in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction:

"By setting the anguish out in the open and voicing it as a prayer, the psalm gives dignity to our suffering. . . Suffering is set squarely, openly, passionately before God. It is acknowledge and expressed. It is described and lived."

As we reflect on our suffering, consider the words of the psalmist and seek the LORD! When we cry out to the LORD while waiting for Him with hope, we become more authentic in our faith.  Peterson goes on to say, "Hope . . . means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions." Getting lost in our suffering is not living our prayers. Authentic faith passionately lives before God trusting Him for necessary provisions. Authentic faith works through times of suffering, confident that God will provide the meaning and conclusions for His Glory! Live passionately and confidently in God. ~ dho

The LORD replied, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Exodus 33:14

 

Shelter of the Most High

For he will command his angels concerning you

 to guard you in all your ways. 

Psalm 91:11

Wireless Plan

Seems every mobile phone company has a "deal"! It is always a different bundle or package, new texting rates, extended data plans, and on and on! Most of us these days are accompanied by our mobile phone almost everywhere. We check our email, text a quick message, or make a call. Ringtones can be set to identify particular callers. To avoid interruptions, we can 'silence' our phones. Today's smartphones double as computers. So, what wireless plan do you have? Is it the best?

The following was on a church sign:

The best wireless plan?

PRAYER - unlimited

minutes, unlimited messages!

Clever and it catches our attention because it speaks our language! God's wireless plan is best. This plan is not just voice activated, but thought activated, and when the heart and mind can't find words, the Holy Spirit expresses the need for us. Free, unlimited time with the Lord - no restrictions on days or times. His PRAYER line is open 24-7, 52 weeks or 365 days a year [366 days during Leap Year]. "525,600 minutes" a year ~ FREE! Unlike some of the people we call or text who don't really want to talk to us, God always wants to spend time with us. Be still and know that I am God. No ringtone required!

Choose God's wireless plan ~ now and always! This deal is 'forever'!  ~ dho

To God our Savior

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.  Jude 24-25 NKJV



Only 25 verses long, Jude's letter to the 1st century Christians continues to echo through millenniums to us, the 21st century Christians. Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, the brother of James, the writer of the Epistle of James, writes this letter around 60-64 AD to warn believers of false teachers and to encourage believers to live holy lives. 200 centuries later, these words still warn and encourage us. The writer of Ecclesiastes concludes, "There is nothing new under the sun." The same sinfulness and truthfulness still battle for control today. Warren Wiersbe's commentary in the Transformation Study Bible makes it simple and clear: The truth doesn't change; it applies fresh every day. 


In verses 20-23, Jude gives us a lesson in authentic faith, a living faith. With Christ, our faith becomes holiness, our prayers rise through the Holy Spirit, and mercy is ours in His love. Christ calls us to live lives of compassion and discernment, lives full of His love. Jude, like his brother James, gives a call to authentic faith, a faith of words and deeds, a faith that demonstrates the grace of Christ. How does your faith look? How does your faith live? Do those in your circle of influence find your faith journey to be marked by authentic faith?

The last two verses are a doxology full of praise to God, the only One who is wise, the only One worthy of praise, the only One that is both glory and majesty, authority and power. Only God offers grace that invites us into His presence both now and forever. This evokes both Hallelujah and AMEN to sing together deep inside my soul!!  ~ dho

Worship His Holy Name!

The LORD is the source of all goodness and blessings.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! I'll worship His HOLY NAME!