Monthly Archives: August 2013

PATIENCE

What is a long time? It is interesting how the answer to that changes depending on the situation. A week might seem like a short time while on vacation but an eternity when separated from a spouse. To a kid entering high school four years seems like a long time; however, to those graduating it seems all too short. In life things come and go.

Things we look forward to, that seem like they will never come, eventually do. It is important that we be patient people. However, patience is never more important then in our dealings with people. Paul told Timothy that as a man of God he should put on this all important virtue (I Timothy 6:11).

Paul was not instructing him to allow sin to prevail in the congregation, but he was instructing Timothy to allow men time to grow in the faith. While Timothy taught diligently the word of God, he was to understand that people take time to grow. Not everyone was raised the same way we were and not everyone comes from the same circumstances.

I obeyed the gospel at a young age because I was taught it my whole life. But, many have been brought up with an atheistic, apathetic, or denominational mind set. These things take time to overcome. It is hard to change the way one thinks. If we simply throw our hand in the air and give up then we are doing a great disservice to those we are dealing with and even to the church of our Lord.

If we want to be men and women of God then we will learn patience.

Garrett Bookout

STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD

As we read through the Bible we read of many promises that our God made to different individuals. Sometimes it took a long period of time for these promises to come about and sometimes it was very short. Sometimes extraordinary things had to take place and sometimes it was quite simple. Sometimes the promise was a positive and sometimes a negative. However, no matter what promise God made or how difficult it might seem for God to accomplish it, God always fulfilled His promises.

God promised Abraham a son (Genesis 17:16); He delivered (Genesis 21:3)
God promised to make a nation of Abraham’s decedents (Genesis 12:2); He delivered (Deuteronomy 4:7-10).
God promised that through Abraham’s seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18); Christ was that Seed (Galatians 3:16).
God promised Abraham’s decedent’s a land (Genesis 12:7); He delivered (Joshua 13-21)
God promised forty years of wandering for Israel’s lack of faith (Genesis 14:33, 34); and they wandered forty years (Joshua 5:6).
God promised to tear down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-5); and God tore down the walls of Jericho (Joshua 6:6ff).
God promised the baptism of the Holy Spirit would fall upon the apostles (Acts 1:5); and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).

There are literally hundreds more that we could study. However, there are two more of great importance that must be considered.

God promised a home in heaven to the faithful (I Thessalonians 4:14-18).
God promised vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:7-10).

Has God given us any reason to doubt? Certainly not. God has made many promises and He certainly keeps all of them. For some this will be worrisome; however, for us it should be a source of great comfort. God has promised a home in Heaven to those who are faithful and God keeps His promises.

–Garrett Bookout