“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Eph 4:2)

According to the Bible, when you act patiently towards another, you are acting loving towards them. “Love is patient.” (1 Cor. 13:4)

The Lord’s example

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Two Helpful Bears 

There lived an old couple who quarreled frequently. The whole village knew about it, and when, at last, they ceased their quarreling, questions were asked as to how it all came about. "Two bears did it," said the wife. "Two bears?" exclaimed a neighbor, "we thought two bears caused all the trouble." "Ah!" said the husband, "but these are two new bears which we found in the Bible. We have learned to love "Bear ye one another's burdens," and "Forbearing one another in love." - Christian Advocate 

Therefore

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Col. 3:12)

Quote

“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases it will have no power to hurt you. So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.” -  Leonardo da Vinci

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matt 5:9)

What does peace look like?

Long ago a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.

The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled.

As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.

A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.

The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?

A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power. 

A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil. - Berit Kjos, A Wardrobe from the King, pp. 45-46.

About personal peace

Duke University did a study on the factors found to contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability (personal peace) are:

·      The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.

·      Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.

·      Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.

·      Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.

·      Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.

·      Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humor, compassion and loyalty.

·      Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.

·      Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. - Source Unknown.

Put peace into practice

Peace is one of the nine spiritual fruits that the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of born again  believers. (See Gal. 5:22-23). God produces spiritual fruit in you to be put into practice and shared with others. And God will be with you!

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:9)

Therefore

Make every effort to let the peace of God rule in your heart and do whatever leads to peace in every situation you encounter.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” (Rom 14:19)

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” (Col 3:15)

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7)

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and remembers your sins no more.” (Isa. 45:25)

God's amazing acts of forgiveness

God's incredible and gracious ability to forgive, even what is considered unforgivable, is astounding! On the cross, Jesus cried out, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" (Luke 23:34). Jesus also generously forgave His disciple, Peter, who had deserted him during His greatest time of need and denied Him three times—and even swore while doing it. Yet Jesus met with him afterward, forgave him, and then commissioned him for ministry. (John 21:15-25)

You must also offer forgiveness!

The Bible says that you must forgive others or you won't be forgiven! (Matt. 6:14). Another place it says, "As you have received, freely give" (Matt 10:8)

Forgive yourself, too!

Forgiving others is hard, but often forgiving yourself is even harder, especially if you've made some big mistakes you deeply regret. You may have repented (turned away from them). Although you may have asked and received forgiveness from others, you may not have forgiven yourself. And, truthfully, if you haven't forgiven yourself, you are not in a healthy position emotionally to help others. Therefore, forgive yourself and move forward!

Here are some reasons to forgive yourself

·     Forgive yourself because God forgave you first.

When you ask for God’s forgiveness based upon Christ having already paid for your sins and your having trusted in Him as Savior and Lord, He forgives you. It is as simple as that. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

·     Forgive yourself because you are a new creature in Christ.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17)

·     Forgive yourself because you are free to move ahead.

First, guilt can be a healthy emotion that alerts you to your mistakes and the need for change. However, holding onto guilt after repentance and making necessary changes can become unhealthy, keep you emotionally stuck in the past, and prevent you from moving forward. The Bible says, “Whom the Son, sets free, is free indeed!” (John 8:36)

·     Forgive yourself because failing to forgive yourself will blind you spiritually.

Not forgiving yourself will cause you to see things through the eyes of guilt, shame, and condemnation. It will ruin your faith and cause you to go blind spiritually: "But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." (2 Peter 2:9)

Therefore

So, just as Jesus Christ forgave you, do the same and be kind and tenderhearted with forgiveness toward yourself. Then, go do the same for others! 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:32)

“Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matt. 10:8b)

Psalm 92:12  “The righteous will flourish…”

The president of the United States is empowered to give a full pardon to prisoners. Once pardoned, the president sets them free and expunges their criminal records as if they never existed; they then have a completely fresh start. This is a complete life changer for the many who have been pardoned.

This is a picture of what happens when a person becomes “born again” as stated in the Bible in John 3:3 and 1 Peter 1:23.  

A new creation

The Bible says it very clearly this way: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17) 

Declared righteous

At the moment a person becomes “born again”, God completely forgives their past! He no longer remembers their past sins as though they never happened! He then declares them to be a righteous person!

“Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom. 5:9-11)

Benefits for the righteous

There are wonderful benefits for the righteous in the form of God’s promises! Look what the Bible says about the righteous person.

“The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’” (Psalms 92:12-15) 

They will

·      Flourish like a palm tree

·      Grow like a cedar of Lebanon

·      Be planted in the house of the Lord

·      Flourish in he courts of our God

·      Bear fruit in old age

·      Stay fresh

·      Stay green

·      Proclaim great truths about the Lord:

> “The Lord is upright”

>  “He is my rock”

>  “There is no wickedness in Him”

Claim the above promises for yourself!

They are for those who have are saved. For those who have believed and confessed Jesus as their savior.

Therefore

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:9-10)

“Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1)

“I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Other translations say, “full life” or “satisfying life.” Whether the words in the verse are abundant, full, or satisfying, the meaning is really about achieving the kind of life that Jesus intends for you to have—a life that reflects what He has created you for.

The average lifetime

In his book, In an average lifetime, Tom Heymann says the average American spends 3 years in business meetings, 13 years watching TV, spends $89,281 on food, consumes 109,354 pounds of food, makes 1,811 trips to McDonald's, spends $6,881 in vending machines, eats 35,138 cookies, and 1,483 pounds of candy. Catches 304 colds, Is involved in 6 motor vehicle accidents, is hospitalized 8 times (men) or 12 times (women), and spends 24 years sleeping.

Wow! That is amazing! But, I really don't think his list describes the “abundant life” Jesus was talking about in John 10:10. That kind of life is very fulfilling, satisfying, or, simply put, happy.

Many get it wrong

There has been, and continues to be, a mountain of opinion, ideas, and instruction on the subject of achieving one’s potential, personal fulfillment, and finding happiness. Humanistic psychologists put forth the idea that “self-actualization (the fulfillment of self through reaching one's potential) is the highest expression of a human's life.” Wrong!

Elevating one’s self won't do it for you

In contrast to the so-called self-actualization stuff, which teaches us to elevate the SELF and to place our own wants and desires in the first place of importance in our lives, we have the following instruction from Jesus Christ:

“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matt. 22: 37-40)

Therefore

The answer is not about SELF, but it's about others, beginning with God first and then your neighbor next. You already love yourself, and that's why Jesus says to love others as you love yourself. In other words, put God first, and He will take care of the rest.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33)

Job 12:22 “He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.” 

Before I had personally prayed to commit my life to Jesus, I had been attending church on Sunday mornings with the family I was living with. I wasn't really interested in religious things, and I was only going to church because I felt duty-bound to do so because they were committed to it. 

A simple prayer changed everything!

Then, one Saturday afternoon while driving, I prayed a simple heartfelt prayer and asked Jesus to come into my life and help me. I had been struggling with alcohol and prayed the simple prayer in a fit of desperation. Afterwards, I felt a tremendous sense of relief.

The following Sunday I was back in the same church as usual, but something was very different! The pastor seemed to be preaching differently and much better and clearer than before! He was interesting! I could understand what he was talking about! And I enjoyed it! Afterwards I complimented him on his “new and improved” style of preaching. I told him I was glad he changed his preaching style and hoped he continued to preach this way instead of the boring way he usually did. He just looked at me and said, “Mike! I haven't changed! I spoke exactly the same way as I always do! So, it isn't me; something obviously must have changed with you!” I then remembered that I had prayed to invite God into my life.”

The light had come on with me!

Jesus is “the light of the world” and after I had received him, he brought his light into my life. That's why I was suddenly different. I was a new creation in Jesus! I had come to see the light!

Therefore

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12 NIV).

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Eccles. 3:1)

When I was a teenager, I spent a couple of wonderful Alaskan summers commercial fishing and living with Joe Redington, Sr., and his family. Those summers were Alaska at its best!

A note on the door

It all started when I was 14. On the last day of school, I returned home to our log cabin in Rabbit Creek, Alaska, only to find a note on the door. The note informed me that my parents had moved to California. It also instructed me to go to the Emard Cannery in Anchorage to meet Joe Redington, who would be waiting for me there. After recovering from my initial shock, I followed their directions and found Joe exactly where the note said he would be.

Working with Joe was a wonderful experience and a privilege! Joe is an Alaskan legend and the “father” of the Iditarod dogsled races. I helped him on his fishing boat, “The Nomad,” I fed his dogs at his home on Flathorn Lake, and I loved watching him practice dog sledding even in the summertime with sleds equipped with wheels!

Joe was a great mentor to me

He and his family lived in a big house next to Flathorn Lake, where they lived completely off the grid. They didn't have electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing, but they didn't miss any of it! We collected seagull eggs, hunted, and fished. I helped him deliver groceries and supplies to folks out in the wilderness. On long Alaskan summer days, we commercially fished Cook Inlet until we had a full load of salmon. Then we made the long twelve-hour trip to Emard Cannery in Anchorage to deliver our load. 

I suddenly lost my footing! 

One day, when we had a big load of fish and were about halfway across Cook Inlet, we stopped for a rest and dropped anchor. Joe went below to take a nap, and I was alone upside. Part of my job was to keep the fish from drying out. I hauled up seawater with a bucket on a rope. This time, as soon as I lowered the bucket over the edge into the water, it filled up, but I lost my footing, and the weight of it pulled me overboard! The water immediately filled my hip boots, causing me to sink even deeper. My boots stuck to my legs, and I couldn’t get them off. I couldn't swim with them! I was quickly running out of air.

Something miraculous happened!

Then I felt something grab me by the top of my hood, pull me up to the surface, and back onto the boat! It was Joe! Joe told me he had just awakened from his nap. He came onto the deck just in time to see me fall overboard and disappear under the water. He was able to grab the gaff pole to reach for me. It was miraculous that he came on deck at exactly the moment he did and was able to snag the top of my hood. It was a miracle!

God is the God of perfect timing!

“God sends Angels  to minister to them who will be heirs of salvation.” (Heb. 1:14)

“My times are in Your hands – deliver me . . .” (Ps. 31:15)

“You are my hiding place; you will preserve me from trouble.”(Ps. 32:7a)

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their habitations. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27)

Home and neighborhood one

When Susan and I were first married, we lived in a new single-wide trailer in a beautiful tree-filled park next to a picturesque duck pond. It was perfect, and we loved it. We were thrilled and content there. Then Susan’s father saw a documentary on television about trailer fires. It scared him, so he presented us with a handful of papers to apply for a home loan. We loved where we lived and didn't think we needed to move, but we completed the paperwork anyway in order to please him.

Home and neighborhood two

We were completely surprised when we received loan approval and soon moved into a brand-new home in a new neighborhood. We lived there happily for several years.

Home and neighborhood three

When we had our fourth child, it became obvious to us that we needed a larger home. We looked for months, and nothing seemed right, so we stopped looking. Then, a friend we knew casually mentioned that his family had just decided to sell their home. We went to see it, and it was perfect for us. We bought it and still live there today!

We could tell that God had led us to each home and neighborhood location!

Each location brought us into new relationships with productive ministry. God put the right connections together so that the right things could happen at exactly the perfect times. We saw a number of our neighbors come to Christ, some into full-time ministry, and we could clearly see His hand in all of it.

It is no accident that you live when and where you do!

God has placed everyone in the world according to his perfect plan!

What we learn from Acts 17:26-27 about WHEN, WHERE, and WHY we live on earth:

·      God created all people from one man, Adam. “From one man he made all the nations.”

·      To fill the earth. “That they should inhabit the whole earth.”

·      He appointed when they should live. “He marked out their appointed times in history.”

·      He appointed the exact places where they would live. “The boundaries of their habitations.”

·      For His stated purpose of reaching them for Himself. “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”

And He even created us with certain abilities and talents to enable us to do His good work

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19)

Over the years Susan and I have claimed this agreement promise in many situations.

Recently, we were considering a large purchase and had the amount we wanted to pay for it set aside in the bank. Then we found the item, but it was a couple of thousand dollars higher than what we had agreed together to pay for it. So, we prayed together once again and said, “God, we have agreed on the amount we want to pay for this item, and we have that money set aside. If this is the correct purchase for us, let us know by providing the extra money in unexpected ways. In Jesus' Name, amen.”

Then we waited

If this was the item for us, the money would come. If it wasn't for us, the money wouldn't come, and we'd keep looking for it elsewhere to become available at our agreed on  price.

The answer came in two parts

First, we got a phone call from our insurance company saying they were returning to us $1,000 that we'd paid earlier to them as a deductible on a claim for damage that had occurred during a power surge. They said the power company had unexpectedly decided to take care of the deductible amount. So, they were returning it to us!

Secondly, we called to double-check the price of the item we wanted, and they told us they decided to reduce the price by $1,000!

So, we had our answer!

We made the purchase with complete confidence.

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 15:5)