Baptist City Blog

Managing Disloyalty

Numbers 16:26

"And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins."

Disloyalty never makes sense. Disloyalty is normally caused by a jealous follower who wants the position of the leader without paying the price of that position. They want everything handed to them without having to earn it. Literally, it is a lazy, selfish person who desires the position that is not rightfully theirs.

Unfortunately, we learn how to deal with disloyalty through the life of Moses. Moses was one of the greatest leaders you will learn about in the Scriptures. He was the epitome of how a leader should lead. You would think that everyone would be pleased with his leadership, but we find this was not the case. Korah gathered a group of people against Moses and told him in verse 3, "...Ye take too much upon you,..." Korah thought that Moses didn't have the right to lead the way that God told him to lead. Korah's disloyalty affected several people and their families, because they eventually lost their lives. When studying this story, God shows us how to manage the sin of disloyalty.

First, leaders should deal with disloyalty promptly. God did not wait for the disloyalty to work its way out. I have found many leaders make the mistake of thinking that the disloyal person will eventually come around, to their own detriment. When you see disloyalty, you must deal with it immediately. The longer you allow disloyalty, the more time you give to the person who is disloyal to influence more innocent people.

Second, in person you must approach the disloyal person about their disloyalty. Moses didn't send Joshua or some other person to deal with the disloyalty, but he went himself to deal with it. Leaders must not be afraid to deal with disloyalty face to face. If you have done nothing wrong, then you have nothing from which to hide. Many leaders won't deal with disloyalty because they don't like confrontation, but as a leader you must confront the disloyal person about their disloyalty so that you can quickly squelch its roots.

Third, you must deal with disloyalty to the degree of the disloyalty. Because Korah's disloyalty was very open, God dealt with it in an open manner by killing Korah and his followers. The more open a person's disloyalty is, the more open you must be in dealing with disloyalty. If you catch disloyalty before it becomes public, then you can deal with it in a private matter; however, when a person is publicly disloyal, you must then deal with that person in a public manner. This will show others that disloyalty will not be tolerated at any level.

Last, followers must not associate themselves with a disloyal person. God told everyone to get away from Korah and his followers. He told them not to "touch" anything that belonged to them. When you see someone is disloyal, you must stop having any association with them. You may think you can handle their disloyalty, but it will eventually affect your spirit, which will eventually affect your actions.

Christian, be careful that you don't get caught up in the sin of disloyalty. Disloyalty is like leprosy in that if it is not dealt with it will spread, and if you come into contact with it, you will be affected by it as well. If you will learn to always keep your eyes on God and follow Him then you will find that you will never be caught up in the sin of disloyalty.

Principles of Counting

Numbers 1:19

"As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai."

You will notice that when God told Moses to count the children of Israel, He told him to count those who were "able to go forth to war." Were these the only people in the nation of Israel? Not at all! There were other men who could have been counted. There were women and children who were citizens of Israel who could have been counted. Did God not count the others because they were not important to Him? Not at all! Every person is important to God.

So, for what purpose did God only counted those who were "able to go forth to war?" God was showing that when counting you would be wise to know how many producers you have. The men who went to war were the producers for Israel. They were the ones who defended the land from their enemies. They were the ones who would plant crops in the fields. An organization or a country will fail without producers. Your producers will be the ones who will make or break your organization.

One of the mistakes I see pastors make when counting their church attendance is that they make a big deal out of their Sunday morning crowd. There is nothing wrong with this, but the fact is the Sunday morning crowd is not the crowd that produces. In all reality, the Sunday morning crowd is probably the crowd that takes. I am not saying this crowd is not important, but what I am saying is that this crowd does not show the strength of a church. I often tell pastors that the crowd they need to keep a close eye on is their Wednesday evening crowd. Most of the people who come to Wednesday night services are the ones who help strengthen the church. A pastor would be wise to make more of the Wednesday night crowd than their Sunday morning crowd. What is the benefit of counting the producing crowd?

First, it gives you an honest knowledge of the state of your flocks. Proverbs 27:23 says, "Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks,..." Every church leader would be wise to know how many producers he has in the church. A person who invests would be wise to know which investments are the ones that produce. An organizational leader would be wise to count their producers. This will let you know the strength of your organization. Your producers are the foundation of a church, organization or an investment.

Second, it shows where your focus should be. If you don't know who your producers are, then you could likely waste time on those who will waste your time. Those who are not producers certainly need time, but a leader should spend more time building the producers for they build that for which you are working.

Third, it motivates others to work harder. When followers know that you are interested in the producers, then that motivates them to become a producer themselves. It gives people a clear vision of what they should become.

If you are a leader, don't count to get the big numbers, but count to find your producers. The amount of your producers show the strength of your organization. If you are not in the producing crowd, then work hard to become a part of that crowd so you can help your church or organization. If you are part of the producers, then make it your goal to bring others into this crowd. This benefits you and the organization for which you work.

No Trespassing

Leviticus 6:2

"If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;"

It is humanly impossible to live life without one day wronging someone. Though we may never initially do this, we often find that we have done something against someone. Whether intentional or not, we must get right with the one whom we wronged if we want God to bless us.

God dealt with this issue when He told Moses how to offer a trespass offering. It's interesting that God calls it a trespass offering because that implies that we infringed on someone else's property or rights. You will notice that God says, "If a soul sin,..." God does not excuse anyone from trespassing against another. He simply deals with the issue of wronging someone else. It doesn't matter if they wronged you, what matters is that you did wrong to someone else. God was dealing with the issue at hand, and you are the issue.

Furthermore, God indicts us even further by saying, "...and commit a trespass..." God is teaching us that when we do wrong, it is nobody else's fault but our own. When you do wrong, you chose to do wrong. When you infringe on another's rights, by choice you infringed on their rights. If you are going to right a wrong against someone else, then you must come to grips with the fact that you chose to do the wrong. You must not blame anyone else, you must take full responsibility for your own actions. So, how do you right a wrong when you have trespassed against someone?

First, admit to the one whom you wronged that you have done wrong. In verses 3-5, you will see that before the trespass offering was to be offered, they had to go to the person whom they trespassed against and get it right. By going to that person they were admitting their wrong. Christian, you will never right a wrong until you admit to the one whom you wronged that it was your fault. It may not be easy to look that person in the eyes, but you must go to them if you want to get it right.

Second, restore to the best of your ability what you took from them. God commanded in these same verses to restore what they took from the one they wronged. You must find a way to restore what you took from the person when you wronged them. It may not always be easy, but you must find a way to give back to them what you took from them.

Third, restore more than you took. God said they were to " add the fifth part" to the one they took from. In other words, your restoration should make them better off than they were before you committed the trespass. Anything less than this will not be accepted by God.

Finally, after you have done these things, then ask God to forgive you. You will notice that each of these areas were to be completed before they offered the trespass offering to God. God is teaching that He will not forgive you until you get right with the one whom you wronged. You can ask God to forgive you when you wronged someone, but if you haven't got right with the person, then God won't forgive you. God wants you to understand that you can't be right with Him if you are not right with the one whom you wronged.

Have you wronged someone and have yet to get right with them? Christian, you will never experience God's forgiveness until you get right with those who you have wronged. If there is someone that comes to mind whom you have wronged, then don't let this day end without attempting to get that wrong right. God's forgiveness is predicated upon you getting right with others. If you are right with others, then you can get right with God.#edit

Which Side Are You On?

Exodus 32:26

"Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him."

You know the story very well. Moses spent forty days and nights on the top of Mount Sinai receiving the commandments from God. While he was at the top of the mount, Aaron and the people were in the valley building and worshipping a golden calf. When Moses came down from the top of the mount, he saw the people naked and dancing around the golden calf. When he saw this, he became angry and threw the tablets of stone on the ground and broke them. It is always good to see that there are people who get angry with sin. Moses' action towards sin should be a lesson to everyone.

However, the truth I want you to see comes from the verse above. After Moses confronted Aaron, he then stood in the gate and drew a line to decide who was on the LORD's side. He told them that whoever was on the LORD's side should come to him in the gate. Moses was forcing people to choose sides. He was not worried about offending people by forcing them to make a choice; rather, he was forcing them to make a decision of whether they would serve the LORD or the golden calf.

One of the dangerous movements infiltrating our churches is one where you don't force people to choose sides. They simply don't want to offend anyone with truth. Instead of making truth clear, they muddy the waters and tell people that they need to decide what is right in their own mind. Their feeling is that they don't want to make people feel uncomfortable to the degree that it will run them off. Even if they must compromise who they are and what they believe, forcing people to make a choice will not be something they will do.

Let me make this very clear, the Scriptures will force people to make a choice. For instance, you make a choice of choosing Christ to be your Saviour to go to Heaven, or you choose another path that will send you to Hell. God is for people making choices for whom they will follow. God is not concerned with how uncomfortable it will make people, rather He is concerned that truth is made plain.

Truth will never be that light on the hill if we don't force people to choose sides. I know there are some who are uncomfortable reading this, but if we don't make our choices clear then truth will fail to be a part of our society. You may not like the Scriptures telling you how to live and dress, but that is all a part of choosing sides.

In order to make a decision then clear lines must be drawn. Moses drew a clear line for those who were on the LORD's side, and you must make a clear line for people so they will know which side is the LORD's side. Don't be afraid to define sin. Don't just tell people not to sin, but tell them what is sin. When people clearly know what is right and wrong, then they must make a choice as to which side they will be on. When you create gray areas, then people can't make a choice. It is imperative that people understand what is right and wrong.

Christian, don't flinch when preachers declare what is right and wrong. As long as they show you from the Scriptures where something is right or wrong, you should not fight against them. Drawing clear lines simply helps you to know which side you are going to follow. I challenge you to always choose the LORD's side. It may not always be popular, but it is always right. When you go to work or school, choose the LORD's side at all times. In your home, choose the LORD's side with what you watch and do. Everyone around you should know whose side you are on. Do they?

Thou Shalt Not

Exodus 20:4

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"

One of the common complaints you hear in Christianity is that people say they get tired of all the rules in the church. You often hear people say that they don't like the preacher telling them how to dress, where they can go, with whom they should be friends, etc. Many people who have dropped out of church tell me that the reason they stopped going to church was because they didn't like the preacher always telling them what to do.

Several times in the Scriptures God says, "Thou shalt not..." In fact, two hundred and forty times God says this in the Scriptures. This is just one of the phrases God uses to show us what not to do. If you are not careful, you will allow this phrase to be the thing that drives you away from serving God; however, I believe if you looked at this phrase in a different light you would realize that God's rules are not so bad. Let me show you some perspectives you should keep about the phrase, "Thou shalt not..."

First, "Thou shalt not..." reveals your heart. You can tell a whether a person is rebellious by what they do when they are told not to do something. You will hear people say, "I'm not going to let them tell me what I can't do!" There are many people who take it as an honor badge to rebel against God's commandments. You have some who say that you are going to run off people by telling them what not to do. Well, apparently God didn't get that memo, because two hundred and forty times He commands us not to do something. Rules don't run people off, rules only reveal that the heart already ran off. It simply reveals to authority the heart of an individual. Don't be afraid of the rules God has set in place, for they are partly there to reveal an individual's heart.

Second, "Thou shalt not..." shows you what you can do. If God is telling us what not to do, then He is also revealing what we can do. Too many people look at the negative side of the statement when they ought to see that there are many things God allows us to do. It is not keeping you from doing things, it is only showing you what you can do. God is simply giving you clarity by telling you what not to do.

Third, "Thou shalt not..." protects you from harm. Sadly, the people who look at the negative side of this command don't realize that God is keeping someone from harm. God tells us not to do something because He knows if we do it that it will hurt us. When my parents told me not to play with the electrical plugins in the house, they were not being hateful, they were simply keeping me from hurting myself. Christian, God is not being hateful by telling you not to do something, instead He is revealing His love towards you by keeping you from hurting yourself.

Fourth, "Thou shalt not..." keeps God's blessings upon your life. If you will obey this command, then you will keep God's blessings rolling into your life. Obedience is the key to the blessings of God. You discover the fountain of God's blessings by learning what not to do.

Let me encourage you not to look at the commandments of God in a negative light. Don't let the Devil snooker you into the feeling that all the rules God set in place are grievous. Instead, look at the rules in a positive manner and see that God is truly trying to give you His blessings if you will obey Him. If you will look at it in this light, then you will find that serving God truly is the best life to live.

He Will Provide

Genesis 22:14

"And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen."

One could only imagine the confusion in Abraham's mind. For many years he went without a child, though God promised that He would make a great nation out of his seed. Finally, God gave him a son to be that seed out of which the great nation would be born. Then, God told Abraham to take his only son and give him as a sacrifice. We are not talking about giving his son to serve God for the rest of his life, but what we are talking about is God told Abraham that He wanted Him to offer his son as a burnt sacrifice. This certainly may have seemed strange and difficult at best. Yet, Abraham obeyed and went to the top of Mount Moriah to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. When Abraham laid Isaac on the wood and was about ready to kill him, he must have been confused and wondered what God was doing. Yet, God stopped Abraham and provided the ram that was needed for the sacrifice.

After Abraham offered the sacrifice, he called the place Jehovahjireh. This name comes from two separate names. The first name "Jehovah" means, the Supreme Being. It is the name that God used to show Israel that there was not a greater than He. The other name is "Jireh" which means, will provide. Abraham was simply saying that the LORD will provide. In other words, through Jehovahjireh your needs will be met.

What is your need today? Like Abraham, do you look at what God is sending you through and wonder what He is doing? There are many times in the lives of Christians that God's commands will not always make sense, but we must always understand that if He commands us to do something that Jehovahjireh will come through and provide for that need. Let me give you a couple of thoughts that will help you in this area.

First, Jehovahjireh came through for others, and He will come through for you. Look through the Scriptures and you will see that Jehovahjireh provided. He provided food and water for the children of Israel in the wilderness. He provided protection for David when surrounded by the giants. He provided for Gideon when all seemed to be impossible. Likewise, the same God that provided for them will provide for you. Maybe God told you to do something and you're not sure where He is. I promise you that God will provide. God never commands you to do something that He doesn't provide the wherewithal to do it.

Second, Jehovahjireh will provide in His time. I can imagine Abraham wondering when God was going to provide the sacrificial ram. God provided it in His timing. God doesn't have to work in your schedule. In fact, God's schedule is most often different from yours; however, He always provides on time.

Third, you must step out by faith for Jehovahjireh to come through. There is no need for Jehovahjireh to provide if you have not stepped out by faith. We want God to provide first and then step out; whereas, He wants you to first step out and then He will provide. If God has told you to do something, then do it and trust that Jehovahjireh will provide.

Fourth, keep a good attitude until Jehovahjireh provides. Stop complaining about what God is not doing and trust that His provision will come through on time. Why should Jehovahjireh provide for you when all you do is gripe? I know if I was Him I would not provide for the one who gripes about Him not doing things in your timing. Keep the attitude that would show Jehovahjireh that you believe He will provide.

Whenever you have a need, pray to Jehovahjireh and ask for His provision. When you pray, literally use the name Jehovahjireh as you pray. Be patient and realize that Jehovahjireh will provide in His timing.

Don't Kill Your Brother

Genesis 4:8

"And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."

The story of Cain and Abel is sad not only because of the death of Abel, but because of the potential that these two men could have accomplished together had Cain obeyed God. The Scriptures are not clear on how often Cain and Abel were to sacrifice to God, but we do know that they were to give a blood sacrifice. Abel took the firstling of his flock and sacrificed the lamb. The Scriptures teach that God respected, or accepted, Abel's sacrifice. On the other hand, Cain took of the fruit of the ground to give as a sacrifice to the LORD. This sacrifice was rejected by God because it was not a blood sacrifice.

Because Abel's sacrifice was accepted, Cain became bitter and allowed his bitterness to fester in his heart. Instead of learning from his brother, he let the bitterness turn to evil desires and finally killed him. This all happened because his brother did what was right and was accepted by God.

I fear that many times the one who does right is the one who becomes the hated by those who are implicated in the wrong. Paul said to the Galatian Christians in Galatians 4:16, "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?" Apparently, because Paul told the Galatians the truth, they treated Paul as the enemy instead of getting right with God. Because he told the truth, he became their adversary. Because he told the truth, they tried to kill the messenger instead of facing their sin and getting right with God.

All too often in Christianity we treat the messenger as the bad guy instead of listening to the message and correcting our sin. I have watched those who expose error become the enemy because they told the truth instead of allowing someone whom people loved to continue to attack truth. This is absurd! Those who expose error should not be killed because they tell the truth. When men become the defenders of the authenticity of the Scriptures, they should not become the enemy. Instead, those who attack the Scriptures should be the ones who change their ways. Just like Cain got upset at Abel and killed him for doing right, many Christians are killing the messengers of truth instead of changing their errant ways.

Christian, let me warn and challenge you not to kill the messenger when they tell you the truth. I know that hearing the truth may not always be easy to accept, but the messengers of truth are not your enemies. Teenager, your parents are not your enemy because they correct you and try to get you to do right. Christian, your pastor is not your enemy because he preaches the truth without apology and it exposes your sin. If you have a friend who exposes sin in your life, don't attack your friend who is simply trying to help you have God's blessings on your life.

The action you should take when you hear that you are wrong is to confess your sin to God and do right. Abel had the opportunity at the door to do right; instead, he killed the one who exposed his error. Anytime the Holy Spirit uses people to show you your sin, don't let the messenger be your enemy, but change your actions so that God's blessings can be upon your life. Don't kill your brother because he tells you the truth, but thank him and take the appropriate actions to change what you need to change.

What Makes Heaven, Heaven

Revelation 21:27

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."

One place every Christian looks forward to going is the place called Heaven. In the minds of most people, Heaven is a paradise. It is the place that is the perfect place to live. Throughout the years I have been to many wonderful places that are considered a paradise. My wife and I had the privilege of going to Hawaii, and it is certainly a wonderful place. There are many things about Hawaii that we both liked. One of the slogans about West Virginia is that it is "almost heaven." I have lived in West Virginia for several years, and it is certainly a wonderful place.

Though there are many places on this Earth that could be considered heaven, there is no place like Heaven. Most people get saved because they want to go to Heaven when they die. It is the paradise to which we all look forward to living in someday. But, what makes Heaven heaven? Let me show you a few things that make Heaven a wonderful place.

First, we see in the verse above that there will be nothing that can defile allowed there. God will not allow anything into Heaven that would spoil it. In other words, there will be no sin in Heaven. There will be no lying in Heaven. There will not be anything that is abominable allowed in Heaven. Yes, you may struggle with overcoming sin on this Earth, but when you get to Heaven, you can be assured that God will not allow sin there. Sin is what spoiled this Earth. This Earth was perfect until Adam and Eve sinned, but in Heaven God will not allow sin to be brought into it by anything or anyone. Thank God, when you get to Heaven you will never again struggle with sin.

Second, we see in verse 4 that there will be no tears in Heaven. Aren't you glad that when you get to Heaven you will never again have to carry a broken heart? Death will not be present in Heaven. Pain will not be present in Heaven. No parent will ever carry a broken heart for their child in Heaven. No spouse will ever again have to carry the heartache of an unfaithful spouse in Heaven. Christians will never be persecuted by the heathen in Heaven. We could go on and on describing the things that bring tears, but one of the things that makes Heaven heaven is that tears will be wiped away.

Third, verse 25 shows us that there will be no danger in Heaven. You will never have to lock your doors when you get to Heaven because there will be no thieves in Heaven. You will never have to watch for wicked people who would try to hurt you because there is no danger in Heaven. Peace and safety rule in Heaven.

Most of all, what makes Heaven heaven is that the LORD God Almighty will be there. If the LORD's presence is the only thing to which we have to look forward to about Heaven, then Heaven would still be heaven. Yes, it is the LORD Who makes Heaven what it is. All these other things about Heaven are wonderful, but the presence of God Himself is what makes Heaven heaven.

Christian, this life may seem to bring you heartache, but you can look forward to that day when God brings you to Heaven. Though you can't be in Heaven right now, what you ought to do is try to bring Heaven to Earth. Each of these things that makes Heaven heaven can make Earth a little bit of Heaven if you will do them down here. Don't wait until you get to Heaven to experience Heaven, but experience a taste of Heaven right now by bringing these things into your daily life.

The Motivation of Anticipation

2 Peter 3:14

"Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

The anticipation of a young couple getting married is great. The young lady anticipates her wedding by preparing the activities and decorations for their wedding day. She chooses a bridal gown and dresses for the attendants, all in anticipation for her wedding day. The young man plans the honeymoon and the tuxedos that he and his attendants will wear. He chooses a place where he and his new bride will live. All of this is done in anticipation. The anticipation of their wedding day motivates them to make major changes in their daily schedule and life.

God says that the anticipation of His return should be motivation to live a certain way. Just like the young couple make changes in their lives for their wedding day, you should make changes in your life for Jesus' return. As you see that day approaching, it should motivate you to be what God wants you to be when He comes. The verse above shows us how we should live our lives in anticipation of His return.

First, the anticipation of Christ's return should motivate you to live a peaceful life. Living a peaceful life carries a few implications. It means that you should be at peace with God. In other words, your life should not cause turmoil between you and Christ. You want Christ to find you doing what He desires you to do. Moreover, you should strive to be at peace with others. You don't want Christ to find you with your heart filled with ought towards your brother. You are going to live with them in Heaven, so now is the time to be sure that there is nothing between the both of you. Furthermore, it means to be at peace with yourself. The only thing that will cause you to be at peace with yourself is to be sure that you are doing God's will for your life. The return of Christ should motivate you to be sure that you are fulfilling the will of God for your life.

Second, the anticipation of Christ's return should motivate you to live a blameless life. Christian, don't do anything that can cause others to point their fingers at you. Christ's return should be the motivation to make sure that your testimony among men is what it should be. People should not be able to point their finger at you and say that you have wronged them. People should not be able to point their finger at you and say that you are living a wrong life. The anticipation of Christ's return should motivate you to have a proper relationship with mankind.

Finally, the anticipation of Christ's return should motivate you to live a life without spot. This is making sure that your relationship with Christ is right. Is there anything in your heart with which Christ would not be pleased? Christian, you want your relationship with Christ to be right. You don't want Him to find you with hidden sins. You don't want Him to find you with a life spotted by the world. Christ's return should be enough motivation to make sure you are right with God.

Simply put, the anticipation of Christ's return should motivate you to be right with yourself, others and Christ. If you are right with Christ, then you will be right with others and yourself. If one of these areas is not right, then all of the areas won't be right. Let your anticipation of Christ's return motivate you to change the things in your life to be sure that you are right in all three areas.

Living With a View of the LORD's Coming

James 5:7

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain."

The LORD's coming is the one event that every Christian longs to see. This is the time when the LORD will come to take His own to Heaven. The dead in Christ will rise first, then those of us who are alive will be caught up together in the air to meet the LORD. What a day that will be! Every Christian should live their life with a view of the LORD's coming. God shows us in James 5 how we should live as we wait for His return.

First, we should be patient for the LORD's return. In other words, we should not lose hope that the LORD will return. With every trial and heartache that we endure, we must be patient for the LORD's return. We must not allow the heartaches and trials that we face cause us to quit. Just like the farmer must be patient for his crop to mature so that he can reap the benefits of his labors; likewise, every Christian must be patient and realize that Christ will reward them when He returns.

I can completely understand how those who face physical difficulties could become impatient with the LORD's return, but you must not lose hope and continue serving the LORD in spite of your difficulties. It is certainly understandable for a Christian to become discouraged with the dominance of sin in this world, but you must be patient and continue to avoid the temptations of the world realizing that the LORD will reward you for living right. Yes, there will be times when you may want to quit, but you must not allow your trials to cause you to become impatient. Realize that every promise the LORD makes He keeps. You must live patiently awaiting the LORD's return.

Second, you need to fix your heart on what you believe. Verse 8 says, "...stablish your hearts:..." God knew that in the last days his own children would be deceived by false doctrine if they didn't stablish their hearts. Christian, if there is ever a time when you need to settle what you believe, it is in these last days. People whom we would have never thought would compromise have compromised. They compromised because they didn't stablish their heart. Settle what you believe, and don't let anyone turn you from the truth of the Word of God.

Third, settle differences with the brethren. Verse 9 says, "Grudge not one against another, brethren,..." In these last days we can have relationships with those close to us destroyed if we don't remove the grudges in our heart. In other words, God is teaching us not to live self-centered lives in the last days. These are not days when we should be living for ourselves, but these are days when when we should live for others. Live to be a soul winner and lead others to Christ. Live to help the brethren and not worry about what you will get out of it. Don't hold grudges in your heart towards another, for that will hurt your testimony and witness.

Let me ask you, are you living with a view of the LORD's return? Is every action you perform the type of action you would want to be caught doing if the LORD returned? Let your patience help you to live your life with a view of Christ's return. Live every day as you would want the LORD to catch you if He returned. This could be that day, so live appropriately.