Warm hellos once again friends, brethren, fellow laborers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God from here on the Gulf Coast of lower Alabama. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.

Human nature never ceases to amaze me. Its twists and turns of human reasoning are incredible.

Recently I was involved in a discussion where someone stated “we need to take down all the monuments of famous leaders from history in our country”.

In August of 2017 on a Saturday evening my wife and I were in New Orleans, and viewed where a statue used to be that was taken down earlier. In May 19 of that year – A towering statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee no longer stood over the city of New Orleans. … New Orleans had taken down the Civil War General’s Statue.

It was the last of four Confederate-era monuments that New Orleans had pledged to remove amid a swirl of controversy. It was amazing the hubbub made about statues of Civil War notables from the South.

There was also a conflict in Virginia with extremism on both sides. One side had official permission to hold a demonstration. Some of them held a Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist point of view. Some were just protesting the attempts to remove the statue of Robert E Lee and other Civil War leaders from the South.

The most serious event was the mowing down of a number of people and subsequent killing a woman with a car by an extremist. The other side did not have permission to demonstrate. One side instigated most of the violence involving the throwing of various objects and beating up individuals. Many of them were part of the Antifa group (short for anti-fascist) and Black Lives Matter, known for stirring up violence at a number of events.

The media then seized the headlines back then by claiming President Trump did not choose the right words and be specific enough in his statements condemning the violence.

In spite of his inadequacies, I was impressed then with the President’s patience in dealing with the barrage of accusations and challenges from the media and his political adversaries. Now years later the attack continues. We need to pray for his protection and for wisdom and continued courage to confront lies and distortions spread about him. Did I say he is perfect? No. He’s human. But I put myself in his shoes with the accusations, and wonder, how would I respond? Would I be patient?

Last Friday evening, we discussed in my letter, what it means to be an overcomer. How does all this tie in with overcoming?

One of the things I’ve noticed with many, is that as the world continues down its course of rejecting God, and man becomes more prone to lean to his human reasoning and tactics…he becomes more and more impatient. Many of our continued protests are heavily influenced by a lack of truth, understanding of history, and patience.

You have probably heard the old saying “God grant me patience and I want it now!” When painful and trying circumstances persist, it is challenging to continue to exercise patience.

Many in our nation want things to be done differently, and the viewpoints through different lenses, each unique, are varied and often skewed.

Scriptures address the subject of building patience.

The Book of James addresses it. “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:3-4) The Greek word translated “patience is hupomone. The Online Bible Greek Lexicon comments on the application of the word: “steadfastness, constancy, endurance, a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings.”

If our trials and challenges disappeared after our first prayer to deliver us, we would not really be tested would we? It’s the important element of time that creates the real test and trial, and challenges us to exercise patience and endurance.

When things in the world don’t go exactly the way we think it should according to what we read in the Bible, some become impatient. Some lash out verbally, and chase others away with their exuberance.

The apostle Paul comments on patience: “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11-12)

Paul combines a number of characteristics in this appeal to those who have the goal of inheriting the promises. James promotes patience especially in waiting for the coming of the Lord at this time of trial and troubles in this world. James talks of the prophets who exercised patience with suffering. Many of them suffered persecution, rejection, threats, and even death. “You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. . . My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.” (James 5:8, 10)

What if one gets discouraged and has to deal with feelings of wanting to give up? That is also part of the testing. One has to keep the goal and end result in mind and stir up hope and faith in the promises we are given. We need to stay in the race and not give up even when we may become weary.

Notice again the encouragement in the Book of Hebrews. “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

We’ve heard the observation that we are neither in a dash, nor sprint, but in a marathon in our journey to the Kingdom of God. The KJV translates “endurance” above as patience. It is translated from the same Greek word hupomone we had encountered above. Endurance is simply another word that is associated with hupomone. So, developing patience takes time, perseverance, and incorporating hope and faith in the process.

You and I must be determined to grow in patience. May we all grow in patience as we experience trials, see the world unravel, and especially incur those personal “trials” that continue for some time.

May we also be encouraged by the apostle Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

The world and its troubles will continue and increase. Our personal challenges will be straining and difficult. But do we know that God is God and He will never leave us? We do. Let’s keep our eyes on Him and keep moving forward as each day draws us closer to the return of Jesus the Christ.

Arms up friends! Our sincere prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Thanks in advance for your heartfelt prayers for us.