Faith Working Through Love: The Fruit of Patience

Patience (aka long-suffering) is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). It is also the first attribute associated with love in I Corinthians chapter 13.

How many people these days exhibit patience though? I know I struggle with it. I want people to be nice to me NOW.  When they get impatient, I get upset. I am impatient for them to be patient! Oh, what a flawed world we live in. We have more flaws than we know.

But God is patient. I John 4:8 tells us that God IS love.  To know God is to have this patient love living in us. As God the Father’s only begotten Son Jesus Christ demonstrated that love toward us (see John 3:16). It is a very patient love.

Acts 10:38 declares that Jesus did good and healed everyone that the devil oppressed. Out of love – the Father’s perfect love – He healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out devils. His love was full of patience  and endured  much  unbelief.

One time there was a man whose son had a deaf and dumb spirit. Jesus’ disciples could not cast it out. When Jesus heard this, it frustrated him. “O unbelieving generation! How long must I remain with you?” he said. “How long must I put up with you?” In other words, “How patient must I be?”

Why did he say that? Perhaps it is because people still questioned His ability to heal, despite the many miracles He had done.  Imagine, for example, that you are an expert table maker.  If anyone can make a table, you can. But despite the fact that people know you built thousands of tables, they question your ability to build another one. Perhaps they suspect your “table-building anointing” has run out. They asked your workers for help but they weren’t as skilled, so they wonder if perhaps you  have resigned from the business.

“I know  you did  it before, but are you sure you can do it again?” they ask.

You know you still have what it takes to build tables, but most people doubt you can. Even after seeing you at work, they’re still not sure. You feel the patience draining out of you.

“Oh, puh-lease! You’ve doubted me a hundred times and I’ve had it up to here! No more, that’s it, I’ve reached my limit. I’m finished, do you hear me? Completely finished with you!”

That’s what Jesus could have said. But love is full of patience – aka long-suffering – meaning that it suffers long. Despite the continual episodes of unbelief His people demonstrated, Jesus showed them patience.

He said, “Bring the boy to me.”

The father made another mistake. He said, “If” – as in, “If you can do anything, please help us.”

Again, Jesus showed patience, by encouraging him. “If you believe, all things are possible to the one who believes.”

The father asked Jesus to help his unbelief and Jesus did.

The fruit of love is patience, and patience comes from God.

 

 

 

 

 

Advertisement

Anointed: The Box Versus The Horn

                              Part I. The Anointing That Didn’t Last

             A. The Anointing of King Saul

Anointing for ministry is only as powerful as the sacrifice behind it. How well do ministers understand that sacrifice?

I Samuel 10:1 tells us that the prophet Samuel poured a box (or flask) of oil on Saul’s head when he anointed him to be king. Oil in scripture can serve as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, who came upon Saul mightily. The Holy Spirit empowered Saul to do his job as king. David, who succeeded Saul, acknowledged this fact continually.

David had great respect for God’s anointing on Saul’s life. Many times in scripture he refers to Saul as “The Lord’s anointed.” David did not dare harm Saul, because He knew God’s prophet Samuel had indeed anointed Saul.

Saul started out strong, following after God. His anointing didn’t last, however. That’s because he didn’t appreciate the truth supporting his anointing. As a result, he acted foolishly. This happened as he prepared to do battle against the Philistines. Samuel, the man God chose to make the sacrifice prior to waging war (I Samuel 13:8-10), had not arrived within the set time limit. As his men scattered from him, Saul panicked. He took matters into his own hands and sacrificed the burnt offerings and peace offerings himself. As a result, the Holy Spirit left him (I Samuel 16:14).

             B. The Failure of Man-made Sacrifice

Like Cain, Saul discovered the hard way that you can’t earn God’s favor through your own labor. Think about it: Cain offered to God the fruit of the ground over which he had labored with his own blood, sweat and tears.  Saul pretty much did the same thing – not by offering fruit and vegetables contrary to God’s law – but by stepping into the priest’s role. Saul, who was not a priest, made the sacrifice himself. Did he take the time to ponder the meaning behind the sacrifice? Not likely.

The point is this: Forgiveness of sins requires the shedding of blood. The Jews knew this. To escape Egypt, they had to sacrifice a lamb and place its blood upon their door posts. Moreover, the lamb must be spotless, without flaw or blemish. For Saul to offer such a lamb rashly – and improperly as well, was a foolish thing to do.

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells a parable of ten virgins preparing for a wedding feast. Five, he says, were wise. They had plenty of oil. But five were very foolish. They let their oil run out.

This parable leaves much to ponder. For example, if oil represents the Holy Spirit, how could the foolish ones let it run out?

Saul, I believe, was like one of the foolish virgins. He started with the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit left him because of his disobedience.

But the Holy Spirit never left David.

Both kings were anointed. What was the difference?

               C. Saul Got the Box; David Got the Horn

Well, we might want to consider the difference in symbolism, because Samuel used a box (or flask) of oil to anoint Saul. However, he used a horn of oil to anoint David. The story behind the horn, of course, goes all the way back to Abraham and the sacrifice that saved the one God called his “only son.”

It all points back to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, foreshadowed in the symbolism of this story. How well do ministers of this gospel understand the meaning behind that sacrifice? Do we rest on Christ’s finished work for us or choose to take matters into our own hands?

 

Cast Out Thieves to Heal the Blind and Lame, Part II

   I. When Prayer Gets Lost in the Shuffle

 

In Jesus’ day, thieves ruled in God’s house.

Prayer got lost in the shuffle like a mouse.

 

“It is written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves,” Jesus said as he overthrew the merchandisers’ tables (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

Did they see it coming, I wonder? Or were they too busy selling stuff to notice their blunder? Had “business as usual” blinded their eyes to the needs of the physically blind?  Perhaps the reason they lacked sympathy for the lame in body was due to the holes in their lame souls. They had no true walk with God, and it showed in the way they treated others.

 

The crowd, confused and scattered, couldn’t find their way.

They sacrificed large sums of money to hear men say,

“It’s not enough. You must do more to please the Lord,”

But it was more than any of them could afford.

 

The blind and lame, they longed for peace,

Joy in their hearts, a sweet release

But found no place inside their “church,”

Which had left them in the lurch.

 

The crowd was wandering like sheep with no shepherd, and the blind and lame had to fend for themselves. Why is that?

 

     II. Religious or Righteous?

 

Well, do you remember the story in I Samuel chapter 13 where King Saul prepared to wage war against the Philistines? God’s prophet Samuel had arranged to meet with Saul prior to the battle so he could offer the sacrifice, causing God’s favor to shine down on them. He ordered Saul to wait until he arrived before proceeding, but Samuel was running late and Saul grew impatient.

 

There seemed to be some fear involved, for when Saul saw his army scattering, he took matters into his own hands and offered the burnt offering himself. Like Cain, he went against the grain of what God told him to do and attempted through the fruit of his own efforts to bring a pleasing sacrifice to God.

 

It’s like the leader whose words imply, “Please us,”

Instead of, “Trust fully in Jesus.”

 

Saul’s actions were religious but not righteous, for he didn’t seem to understand the meaning behind the sacrifice.

Prayer got lost in the shuffle.

 

Religious men who lack a true relationship with God see no problem substituting their own procedures for God’s perfect will. As a result, their “flocks” scatter. The “sheep,” abused, become confused and nobody gets healed.

 

   III. Taking Time to Appreciate God’s Perfect Sacrifice

But those who rest in God’s perfect sacrifice for them will throw away their crutches and “rise with wings like eagles.” They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (see Isaiah 40:31) And those who allow the risen Christ to anoint their eyes with His salve will receive new vision to move forward.

 

Unfortunately, our busy lives allow little time for this. To tune out distractions can be hard. If you don’t set them aside in order to pray, however, you’re sure to lose the battle.

 

Before Jesus ascended (to heaven),

Because His word was ended,

He told his followers to wait –

But not on fate,

 

They weren’t to fear being late, but in obedience wait to be filled with the promised Holy Spirit.

 

It’s all about determining to believe God’s Word and meditating on God’s goodness shown through His only begotten Son, our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Sometimes you must escape the noise before you can appreciate His sacrifice on your behalf and understand the power of Isaiah 53:5, which states:

 

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

 

“My house shall be called a house of prayer,” Jesus said. We are that house when we surrender our lives to Him.

 

Write the Vision and Make it Plain

“Write the vision and make it plain. . . so he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2

When Pete Plain, a twelve-year-old with “two left feet,” gets his hands on a colorful but illegal comic book, he can’t resist taking a peek inside. What happens next changes his entire life.

The boy who was never very good at anything gets taken on a journey far beyond his wildest dreams. As people from his past connect with people from the present, he struggles to understand what is happening. The more truth he uncovers, the more challenges he faces. Can he find help from another realm, with friends to help him overcome his fears and face the bullies in his life?

The visions Pete encounters on his comic book journey impart fresh hope to him, giving him strength to forgive and speed to help in time of need.

As his home life crumbles, he has nowhere to look but up. But will his natural tendency to look down get in the way?

And what about the boys shooting kids with toxic slime? Can Pete put an end to their mean pranks before it’s too late, or will the bitter malady known as Sadly Absent Dad Syndrome keep him from fulfilling his destiny?

With evil forces threatening to disable him, Pete faces an important choice. He can either allow the guilt of past mistakes to disable him or he can choose to rise above it.

Along the way he realizes that he has far to go. But he has a vision he can reach if he runs with it, moving step by step toward his goal.

One touch begins Pete’s journey. Who knows where it will end?

We all have a mission in life. The first step to fulfilling it is to find out what it is.

“Write the vision and make it plain, so he can run who reads it.”

https://miracle-times.com/book-blogging/speed-sight-book-release-now/

https://miracle-times.com/healing/believe-instant-miracles/

True Miracles Bear Good Fruit and Attract Persecution

True miracles bear good fruit. They also attract persecution. Pastor Naboth found that out the hard way. That’s because his charismatic church was a house of prayer where people stood in awe of God. The gatherings were lively and God’s Word went forth powerfully, resulting in signs, wonders and miracles.  Minds were healed, hearts were changed, and many souls were saved. For the deaf to hear and the blind to see was commonplace. But to see the way the rich shared with the poor was a true miracle indeed.

“True miracles are normal when you connect with Jesus, the divine vine,” the pastor liked to say. “For those who question the validity of these miracles, look at the fruit. With God all things are possible.”

Many people rejoiced to see such authentically true miracles, but, as was to be expected, others mocked.

That included old Ahab, a grumpy minister from a glitzy nearby church two blocks down the road. “Yeah, right. Be realistic. That Naboth is a phony through and through,” he grumbled. Ahab did not believe in miracles.

“There’s something fishy about that pastor and his group of wild fanatics,” he muttered as he dipped his hand into a can of stinky sardines. “I don’t trust the holy laughter. I know he pushes those people down. Someone ought to teach them to take God more seriously!”

As rich Reverend Ahab grumbled, his wife Jezebel strode into the room, bearing a pot of nasty tea. Next to it, she set down a plate of soggy sauerkraut which matched her wrinkly face.

“What is it now?” she snapped. “I could hear you whining from all the way down the hall.”

Ahab frowned at her. Then he burst into tears. “I offered Pastor Naboth half my cash stash to lay hands on me and anoint me to do miracles like he does. But he had the nerve to tell me my heart wasn’t right with God. I might have known he’d let me down. It’s probably because I’m pro-choice and he believes in no choice when it comes to matters like abortion.”

Jezebel smacked her lips. “Obviously the doctors are the ones should have the sway – I mean, the final say when it comes to what women do with their bodies. We all know that’s what it really means for a woman to have a choice. It’s between a woman and her doctor and she should trust her doctor, no questions asked. Speaking of doctors, I’m the doctor around here. And don’t you forget it!”

“All right, all right,” growled the Reverend Ahab. “Put down your picket sign for now and let’s get back to the matter at hand which is, I’m right and he’s wrong.”

“She – as in, me – is right too,” said Jezebel.

“Yes, I get it, I get it. But the point is, I didn’t slave and sweat for all those years to put MY church on the map only to lose half of it to him. Attendance has taken a nosedive and no one cares.”

Jezebel groaned. “Stop complaining and let me handle it. I’ll drum up a scandal that’ll bring the pastor and his congregation to their knees.”

The wicked woman set to work immediately. First, she posted rumors about Naboth on numerous social media sites in order to gain support for her unjust cause.  Secondly, she found many lying witnesses willing to accuse the pastor of all sorts of abuse. Finally, she hired a very experienced lying law firm to take Pastor Naboth to court. They accused him of pushing people down on purpose and performing false miracles for show. They also made it appear as if he’d visited illicit websites he had never even heard of.

Through poisonous words delivered via pen and untamed tongues, Jezebel and her cohorts dumped tons of dirt on Pastor Naboth.

But even though they buried his reputation, the good fruit of the Holy Spirit still remained. That’s because, despite every attempt to ruin him, no one could deny the true miracles, signs and wonders that took place in his church. For God would not allow the bitter herbs of Jezebel’s wrath to overtake His “vineyard.” He can bring new life out of the deadest circumstance.

As for Pastor Naboth, he praised God amid the fiery trial Jezebel and Ahab put him through. Instead of taking vengeance into his own hands, he died to himself and, in a sense, was resurrected. The bad guys killed him with their words but couldn’t keep him down.

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”  (Matthew 5:12)

https://miracle-times.com/miracle-power/gods-miracle-power/

https://miracle-times.com/resurrection/when-life-stinks/