What We Need Now: Patient Endurance

Most Christians want to see the return of Jesus Christ. It is desired that the end will come soon because this world is getting more evil by the day. Most Christians simply want an easy escape to Heaven.

We certainly do live in a world gone crazy, with bizarre and dangerous acts being committed on others causing serious injuries and death. Christians are being beheaded, burned, and martyred in ways unfathomable. Innocent people are being driven over by a truck. Others wounded and killed with a machete. Yet others shot with ammunition. Others have had their faces chewed off by madmen who are high on drugs and most likely demon possessed!

Unfortunately, the world we find ourselves living in today is not totally surprising if you have read the Bible. Some of the gruesome details are not written in the Word of God, but we were warned of the impending doom and persecution of what was to come.

Whether you are a believer in God or not, you cannot deny that there is great fear mounting in our environment. Can you be safe going to a large special event where there are lots of people? What happened in France is certainly a great tragedy during a time of celebration. How about being trapped on a train in Germany with what occurred there? Countless other examples can instill fear in the hearts of men and women around the world.

To my growing readership around the world, particularly in locations where fear is growing more intense with “wars and rumors of war,” I encourage you to be strong in the Lord. If you haven’t been saved by God, you need to get saved. Salvation is free and it’s wonderful. You’ll never receive another gift so great that is lasting for eternity.

If you haven’t been born again, you must do so to see the Kingdom of Heaven and to see God Himself face to face someday. Please, I want to encourage you! Take a look at some of the first blog posts that were posted back in 2011 and 2012 to learn more if you don’t understand. Also, read the Bible and find a church that teaches the Gospel and the whole Word of God.

If you’re in China, as a few readers of this blog have been located, then maybe your mission is to learn and worship underground. Maybe your freedom to embrace God is not much freedom at all, but I assure you that with patient endurance you will someday be totally free. In the meantime, your soul and your mind can be set free with Jesus Christ now.

We we need now is to have patient endurance for the day of our salvation. We need to patiently endure the things on this earth while we run our race.

“ ... Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

What are you doing to run your race? Are you even aware of the race at all? You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to be in this race. This is a spiritual race. Are you even saved?

My mission is to evangelize by planting seeds for others to be able to understand how to enter into the Kingdom of God through the salvation God offers in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. He offers forgiveness, love, and sanctification.

I do my best to spread the Gospel and plant these seeds. I am trying my best to encourage others, which encourages me, too! Sometimes it's difficult when I, myself, am going through trials and tribulations in my body or my life. No one said it was going to be easy. With Jesus Christ, we can have our best friend and ally.

Instead of having fear and being ready to jump ship from this life, we need to pursue our Godly talents and work at them with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and that begins with loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We need to get down to business.

If you’re just sitting around waiting for things to wrap themselves up here on the earth by just looking and wanting Jesus to come back, then I assure you His coming will be delayed. Why? Because you are waiting without patient endurance! You are waiting without doing anything during the wait.

God’s timing is not really being delayed and yet, in a sense, it seems like it is delayed. He tells us what it will be like:

“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.” (Revelation 15:16)

Are you watching for Him? I certainly am watching with anticipation while I work out my salvation with my ministerial gifts. Are you clothes clean? This means you are being sanctified (made holy) by not sinning and by living a clean life worthy of God’s glorification.

Patient endurance has other applicable meanings, which can also include persecution. Christians are being persecuted more and more each day. Yet, we are to endure this with patience, too! See the following scriptures:

“This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12)

“Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.” (Revelation 13:10)

What is your destination? What is mine? Only God knows. So make the most of every moment you are alive here on this earth and seek God for His will and the correct direction for your path.

“Think of all the hostility He (Jesus Christ) endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.” (Hebrews 12:3)

If you are saved, you better be struggling your best not to sin! The sins of this world are a trap to pull you away from God. Be strong! Don’t ever give up!

Only Jesus Christ gave His own life in place of our sins — all of our sins! Yet, that doesn’t mean we should go ahead and sin and then just repent. Oh no!

There is also patient endurance in discipline; it’s “divine discipline.” God’s discipline is similar to a good and loving parent, but even better because He knows best.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.’ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as He does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?” (Hebrews 12:5-9)

Here are several more scriptures about patient endurance in our wait:

“May the Lord lead our hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God, and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

“By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the One who called us to Himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share His divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:3-8)

“I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.” (Revelation 1:9)

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.” (Revelation 2:2)

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.” (Revelation 2:19)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God’s Word for Today: “Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)

Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.

Who is Your Rock?

I’ve heard so many people refer to another person as their rock. They’re usually referring to their spouse, their girlfriend or boyfriend, their parent, or someone else they look up to or feel they can lean on. The rock is strong and always there for the other person.

I’m sure you’ve heard others you know referring to someone else as their rock, too. Maybe you’ve even said it about your mom or dad or your spouse. There’s only one problem with this.

There is truly only one to lean on who is strong enough to hold us. He keeps us from sinking. He is a strong foundation, a strong tower, and truly The Rock! You may be surprised to know The Rock is the Savior, Jesus Christ. The Rock is also God.

It is with our God that we can have the greatest strength possible. In Genesis 49:24-25, He is also referred to as the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, and the Rock of Israel. Our Rock should be the Almighty God.

Yes, in Deuteronomy 32:4, we specifically find: “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is!”

We need to be careful who we give this honor to now that we know because it should not belong to others. In fact, the Israelites “abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation.” (Deuteronomy 32:15)

Let this not be known of you or me: “You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth.” (Deuteronomy 32:18)

Let me be clear where why we should be careful who we refer to as our rock because we give honor to others instead of to whom it belongs:

“No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)

“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!” (2 Samuel 22:47)

“The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, and my Savior ...” (2 Samuel 22:2)

“For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid Rock?” (Psalm 18:31)

In fact, God is eternal, so God is the eternal Rock, too! “Trust in the Lord always,
for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.” (Isaiah 26:4)

There is some who believe through their religion that Peter is the rock, but I beg to differ with that opinion because it not correct. Just read the whole Bible and you can’t argue with the truth that reveals God is the Rock! Jesus is the Rock, too because Jesus is one with the Father, God.

The Bible also tells us: “I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago.” (1 Corinthians 10:1) “... For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Corinthians 10:4)

Please remember next time you want to call someone your rock that this honor and title should be reserved for the Holy One, God, the Almighty and Jesus Christ! Maybe your answer to the question, “Who is your Rock?” will be reconsidered in light of who really deserves this title.

“Let all that I am wait quietly before God for my hope is in Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:5-6)

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself and may you answer His call!

God’s Word for Today: “The Lord is my Rock, my fortress, and my Savior; my God is my Rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” (Psalm 18:2)

Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.

The Word of God

If you haven’t guessed by now, I really enjoy writing. That’s why I went to school for an education in communication. Yet, reading, studying, and learning the Word of God is the best education you can get.

Most words have more than one meaning. When we consider the meaning of the Bible, we think of “the Word of God.” What is the word of God? There are multiple definitions.

Of those who believe in God, how many do you think study the Word of God? I’d say, definitely not enough!

When referring to the Bible and speaking of simply “the Word” with a capital letter, we must realize that this phrase is also referring to God in another sense, as follows.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)

Who is the Word? Not just what is the word.

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

The Word of God is also Jesus Christ! For the Word was made flesh. God came to earth as a human being, born of a virgin. God became flesh for us. He is just and He is love. He came to save us. He came to bring us back to Himself. He came in hopes that with your free will that you will choose Him. For He is pure truth, pure love, and salvation is found in Him alone.

Although different versions of the Bible are slightly different with the words that are used, they are still very similar and still can be understood and believed. The various translations are meant to describe the original text. The original languages of the Bible were written in Hebrew (Old Testament chapters) and Greek (New Testament chapters).

It takes faith to believe. It takes a heart of God to understand. It takes our willingness to accept the free gift of salvation to become a believer with faith and understanding. If you don’t understand this, please go back to the first blog entries and read on.

When asking someone, why don’t you read the Bible, many answer, I don’t have time! Really? Time is a matter of what you make it. You can make time for whatever really matters to you. If you don’t think reading the Bible is important, then I implore you to think again. This world is getting darker by the moment and dangerous. Don’t you want to know what God is saying?

The Word of God’s multiple meanings can be indicated by our need for Him:

“Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.” Another version states that “Every word of God is pure. He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.” (Proverbs 30:5)

The Word of God must be preached, heard, taught, read, and ultimately, received to understand it. Your heart must be open to God and His truths.

Furthermore, “Jesus replied, ‘But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’ ” (Luke 11:28)

In another meaning: “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)

If you have been saved, you have been born again. If this does not make sense to you, again, please search back in the blog posts for these subjects I wrote about previously.

Have you been born again?

“For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” (1 Peter 1:23)

The Word of God is alive and eternal. There is no end to God or His Word. Yet, there is coming an end to this earth, the world we now know.

In the Bible, in Revelation 6:9, we are informed that there will be people who have been martyred for the Word of God, and they are in Heaven awaiting the full number of the other martyrs who are being beheaded and killed for their faithful testimony. We see this in our world today across the globe.

In Revelation 19:13, we are informed that “He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God.”

In Revelation 19:16, it is indicated that “On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.” This is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father God.

In Luke 4:4, Jesus said “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”

Do you? Do you read the Bible? Do you hear it preached? Do you hear it taught? Do you know it? Do you live by it? Are you nourished by the Word of God. This is the Gospel!

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, [is] the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:14).

It’s coming ... the end. This is a warning.

I am warning you that one day, everyone who is alive on that day here on this earth will have heard the Gospel, the Word of God, and then after that everyone will have been given a chance to accept, believe, and confess to be saved. Then the end will come. You choose today, not tomorrow. I implore you to read the Bible and learn about the free gift God has set before you. With this gift, you can’t live like the world, you must honor and respect the gift. You must honor and respect God!

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself, and may you answer His call!

For God called me to Himself, and I am forever grateful. I pray you will answer His call before your time runs out. Don’t wait!

God’s Word for Today: “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”  (Hebrews 4:12)

Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.

Not Tomorrow, but Today!

I am posting a second blog post this month that is a repeat of an old blog post. Why? Because the information that follows is just as necessary today as it was yesterday.

This post is not for tomorrow, but it is for today! It's very, very important!

"Behold, today is the day of salvation." You have no promise of tomorrow here in the land of the living on this earth. For you do know not when you will breathe your last breath and die. God breathed His life into us in the first place! He also gave the life of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ for us.

There is only 1 Savior! Jesus Christ is the 1 and only Savior who gave His life for you to receive forgiveness and for you to be saved. Saved from what? From Hell! From everlasting separation from our Creator.

Jesus Christ took on all the sins of everyone, and ultimately, He rose again to live. Who other savior is there? Do you know of any other who has risen from the dead? What religion or spirituality offers a confidence of salvation? There is none. There is no religion that can save you. There is only a relationship with the true Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Father God.
 
Why wait? Do you not understand that It may be too late if you do not choose now! For today, and right now, at this moment, is the day of salvation! Behold, as the scripture begins with this word that is defined to mean: "to be able to perceive through apprehension."

You may not believe today, but if you die tomorrow, it will be too late! Choose now to believe and live in the newness of this life and through death into everlasting life. It will ultimately be either an everlasting eternal and wonderful life with God in Heaven or it will be an everlasting eternal death in terror with Satan. But it's your choice! I pray you won't reject God!

God won't force anyone to accept Him because He gave us all free will! Yet, He loves us all so very much, more than you'll ever really know. God will never force anyone to love Him back! He gives us the choice. This is true, unconditional love!

As we are given in The Bible: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9-10) — "... Indeed, the 'right time' is now. Today is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2)

If you have not received Him into your heart, I pray that today — now — you will accept His love for you! Then you may realize that there is purpose in this life, and it's all worth it in the end!

I'll take the risk that you may reject this message. Instead, I hope you'll embrace it if you haven't already done so. I am praying for you and sending you my love, in Christ, Patty

Until we virtually meet again, may God call you to Himself.

God's Word for Today: "And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation." (Psalm 35:9)

Copyright © 2016 by Patricia Shehan

All scripture is quoted from various translations of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) and is set it italics.