Genesis - putting the puzzle pieces together

The best way to understand what a book is about is usually revealed in the first few chapters. The author wants you to invest in the main character so you will form some kind of attachment to them. Your eye will naturally begin to drift towards what they are doing, and all of the plot points revolve around what is going on with the main character. Or... at least that's what happens in books than man writes.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. Genesis 1:2

Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever -" Therefore the Lord God set him out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. Genesis 1:22-23

From this point on, the whole story gets a little skewed. The Bible, which is a story about God, and His love for man, the promises that He makes to us, His calling out to be loved is overshadowed by a secondary character... man.

Sometimes, we're guilty of that too. We are so consumed in our lives that we forget that it is not our story. It's God's story. He has a plan.

"Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you will I curse, and in you all families of the earth shall be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3

Abram, who later became Abraham only had one son. As we read on, we find out that the great nation that God is talking about does not just extend to those who are related by birth, but to those who have been adopted into God's family... those that make up a nation of priests and kings.


But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV)

Let's try to live our life in that context today... that it's God's story. Let us ask Him what his plan is, what His desires are. God is patience and sometimes it takes years for Him to do something as seemingly insignificant as give one man one son... and make a great nation. Abraham died only having one son... but he believed God was faithful to fulfill the promise that God mad to him.

What has God asked you to do... and what are you doing about it?

When your light is dark... you're in trouble!

The college that I went to sat on a hill. It was a really beautiful thing to see at night. The lights on the campus would illuminate the area around it, and it brought a kind of beauty and warmth to the area that gave you a sense of peace.

One night... there was a blackout, and the entire campus went mad. People left the safety of their rooms and started running through the campus. Since this was one of the few campuses that was not fully co-ed, there were guys and girls dorms. Many of the guys took the opportunity to run towards the girls dorms.

It was... chaos.

Cities are basically the same way. When you're in a city, and there is light all around, you feel safe. But when there's a blackout, there's this sense of urgency because you don't know what's around the corner. You no longer trust what you cannot see.

Good people, when there is no light, begin to think that they can get away with some things because they can't be seen.

That... is the problem when you are dealing with "man made light." You can turn it off. You can choose to hide what you're doing. It's consistent, but it could fail you at any time.

The Bible says that "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

When the sun shines, you can truly see everything clearly. Even if the lights went out during the day, the reflection of the sun would enable you to clearly make out sizes, shapes, colors... There is this sense that you have to do what is right, or else you will clearly be exposed.

When you live in a world where light is always around, you kind of take it for granted. You don't think about how important it is in terms of how we portray ourselves. We can turn on and off that man made light.

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:13

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet an sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of his right. Isaiah 5:20-23

Let's remember that we reflect The Son of the living God. Who has called us to be Salt and Light to the world.

Salt makes everything taste... better

Salt is probably one of the most under rated seasonings there is. However, it needs to be used carefully. A little salt can enhance the natural taste of bland food, but too much salt over powers can over power the food so you can't taste the food at all.

Salt plays a part in regulating the water in our body. Too much salt and we can retain water and become bloated.

Salt helps our nervous system work better.

Salt is used to preserve food. By adding salt to food, it creates this barrier that keeps bacteria from growing.

Too much salt... can kill you by causing high blood pressure and hypertension.

The Bible says that we should "Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." (Col 4:5-6) This is an interesting warning. Just the right amount of salt in what we say to people will help them understand what the Bible is trying to say. If we over use the Bible, we have the potential to make what we are saying unpalatable.

Jesus says "Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:50) So, basically, while we need to understand that we are to have salt in ourselves. Our saltiness acts to preserve us from the world.

It's this fine line of knowing how we apply what the Bible says to our own lives to keep us from "the corruption of the world" and knowing when to "flavor" what we say to reach others.

So... this week, let's remember that we are the salt of the earth. Let's get in the word of God and be covered in it so that it will preserve us from decaying into something that is unusable. But at the same time, let's make sure that we also skillfully share some of that salt with others so they can understand what the Bible in a palatable way.

When Jesus shared the gospel with others He rarely dumped a whole container of salt on them... He just sprinkled a little on their hearts... think about it....

Rain in the desert

I remember when I was in elementary school. We learned about deserts. These hot, seemingly lifeless places where the heat was unbearable and even the winds were hot. There was life... but the life that was there had adapted to the harshest of living conditions.

Even the plants that were there were harsh and hardened by the elements. The predominant vegetation... the cactus. This food that has the potential to provide some nourishment, but it's covered with what can only be described as prickly needs to ward of giving help to those in need.

The thing that really interested me about deserts is that every once in a while... it rains.

When the water comes - life sprouts out of nowhere. You see animals and insects that you never thought were there. You see blooming flowers, and leaves... during this time the whole ecosystem comes to life.

Life, without God is a lot like a desert. People get hardened.

Even Christians sometimes forget that we have a source that can refresh us regardless of the circumstance and we become hardened as well.

The question that so many people ask is: "how do we keep from being hardened?"


Jesus said "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:38 ESV)


...delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
        (Psalm 1:2-3 ESV)

At any time,we can meditate on the Word of God and get refreshment. Sometimes, the words will be like a hard wind that will cause us to examine our lives, and other times it will be a refreshing water... but in the word of God we will always find what we need so that we can yield the fruit that God wants us to produce IN ITS SEASON.

Let us struggle to find that refreshment that only comes from the word of God so we can produce fruit to benefit those around us.

Love...

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil: hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
 
Bless those who persecute you: bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21)

We live in a world where love is as fake as a 3 dollar bill. The word love is thrown around casually and applies to anything from our favorite sports team to food, from our friends to our car. Society teaches that love is temporary. As a result, people continue to look for something to fill that empty spot in their lives.

The word of God calls us to love in a different way. A genuine way. We love people because when we were lost in our sins, God loved us and gave His son for us so we would be able to have eternal life.

There are no really profound thoughts today... just a reminder that our definitions for love... the way that we should view the world... it's all found in the Bible. Let's remember to seek the answers in the word of God.

Selah

Who will you be?

God does not change. If we do not understand this fact about God, we will allow the world to change our views.


God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?
        (Numbers 23:19 ESV)

 Our society teaches us that we are what we do. They want us to base out image upon what we do... what we are in control of. I am an artist. I am an athlete. I am a doctor. They want us to be preoccupied with who we are and not who I AM is.


God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:14 ESV)

We were made in the image and likeness of God.

Then God said, “Let us make man1 in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

He calls us by His name. He has adopted us into His family. He chose us!

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

(John 15:16 ESV)

This week... let us struggle to remember who we are, don't let society change us to look like it does...

The Word of God

Honestly, I do not understand everything that I read in the Bible. I do, however; believe it is true. Sometimes, when I'm just reading throughout the Old Testament it links to something in the New Testament and I am overwhelmed and the consistency of the message... God is Holy, and His desire is that none of us perish, but that we love Him with all our heart, because of His loving mercy and enduring kindness to those who accept that He is God and God alone.

A few years ago, I came across something in the book of Psalms that I didn't understand until this morning.

The words of the Lord are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times. Psalm 12:6 ESV

One of the things that people frequently say is that the Bible was written by men. It has the potential to contain errors... then I read this verse... and I understand. God painstakingly made sure that every word that was preserved was as He intended.

Think about it. God says of His Holy Word that they are pure words. Refined and purified 7 times!

God went through extreme care to make sure that what we know about Him, His character, His plan, was preserved in such a way that it was a pure as when He spoke to Moses, the prophets, the apostles.

Today, let's just rest in that fact... that God painstakingly took the time to tell us about Him. Let's do our best to get to know Him by really embracing His words and asking God to reveal Himself to us through His Holy Word.

The times, they are a changin'

Feeling lost is not a good feeling. It causes a little... anxiety. Will you run out of gas. Will you have enough money for the trip. Will you find food... water... Will you get to your destination on time.  Lost is not a state that  people naturally like to be in.

What what do you do when your culture is lost? What do you do when seemingly a whole nation takes a detour down a wrong path, and they holistically decide to stay there?

 The concept is not new. Read 1 Kings and 2 Kings, and you will see a nation that wrestles with what to do from a spiritual and moral perspective. You will see a nation that struggles to follow God, then what happens when they start feeling good while they're lost.

It always starts with a subtle perversion of the truth. "I believe in the golden rule. The Bible teaches us to love our neighbors." Although this in essence is true, there's more to the story. Jesus says that the whole law, the 10 Commandments can be summed up in 2 things: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment." Matt 22:27-38 English Standard Version. Then... if it does not conflict with God, we "... shall love your neighbor as yourself." Matt 22:39 ESV.

Now more than ever, those of us that believe in a Holy God need to make sure that we do not follow the advice of people that reject the law of God. We need to not embrace the ways of those who willingly sin. We should not join in with people that laugh at the laws of God.

We need to find out what God says... live it, love it, learn it. Then, when everything gets shaken, we will know and understand that we trust in a living God that does not leave His people without help.

Take the rest of the day and just meditate on Psalm 1... don't just casually read it... meditate on it.

The times, they are a changin', but God... is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen!

Psalm 1 (NLT)
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

160,000 kids miss school every day to avoid bullying.

160,000 kids miss school every day to avoid bullying. That... is a huge number. I would like to say that the Bible has an answer for this. Unfortunately, it doesn't. But then, society doesn't either. Society teaches us that acceptance is the only way to really stop bullying. As Christians, we are called to love - to be like Jesus, who said that he came for the people that were on the outside... the people who think they all have it together - don't need a help. (Luke 5:31)

I heard a story the other day about a boy who brought a taser  to school in order to defend himself. Tasers, guns, knives... it's almost the wild west. I am not sure what I would do in this situation.

What I do know is that David was in a similar situation. He was anointed to replace King Saul, and at every turn, Saul tried to take his life. There were many times that David could have taken the life of Saul, but he didn't. Instead, he really cried out for God to do something.

In our society, we are taught to take things into our own hands. We are expected to act, in some way. It's our right to be heard! But... what if we really cried out to God and trusted him to do something in our own lives. Do we trust that he would?

I admit it. For much of my life, God has been my last resort instead of where I go first. Maybe, I am guilty of trying to play God in my own life. My prayer is that I learn to be like the heroes that we see in the Bible, the ones that realize that you pray first, wait on the Lord, then see what incredible things he does.

I'm not sure that will stop bullying right away, but I do know it will impact my relationship with God. And since we've tried everything as a society except for God, maybe it's time to try this instead.


I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
The cords of death encompassed me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I cried for help.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry to him reached his ears.
Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations also of the mountains trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
He rode on a cherub and flew;
he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.
He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him,
thick clouds dark with water.
(Psalm 18:1-11 ESV)

Changing directions is hard...

The Titanic was an incredible ship. There was nothing like it at the time. It was big. It was luxurious. It had every advantage known to man. The only problem that The Titanic really had was that it hit an iceberg and sank. I'm not trying to be glib... just make an observation. According to history, the ships watchman saw the iceberg and notified the captain, but it was too late to change the ships direction to prevent a catastrophic event.

I like to think of the Bible as being my "ships watchman". The problem is, sometimes we get so busy looking at all the good things, the promises, what God will do for us, that we forget to look out for the problems. The things that we may be doing... sometimes, we run straight for an iceberg without really looking at where we're going.

Cable television, reality television, the news... all of these things point us to a particular lifestyle. I sometimes forget that there is a difference between how we are suppose to live and the pointlessness of those whose only hope is in this world.

Our view point is skewed. People are looking out for themselves. When that happens, we forget about God.

17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:14-18 NLT

So... for a little while, I'm going to try to reset things in my own life (which is a continuous process). Let's explore the Psalms together. God said that David was a man after His own heart. David had this desperation about how he approached God.

I present Psalm 73 to you. Don't just read it casually. Find yourself in it.

1 Truly God is good to Israel,
    to those whose hearts are pure.
2 But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
    My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud
    when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives;
    their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people;
    they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
    and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything
    their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil;
    in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens,
    and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused,
    drinking in all their words.
11 “What does God know?” they ask.
    “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12 Look at these wicked people—
    enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
13 Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
    Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14 I get nothing but trouble all day long;
    every morning brings me pain.
15 If I had really spoken this way to others,
    I would have been a traitor to your people.
16 So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
    But what a difficult task it is!
17 Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
    and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18 Truly, you put them on a slippery path
    and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19 In an instant they are destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors.
20 When you arise, O Lord,
    you will laugh at their silly ideas
    as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.
21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
    and I was all torn up inside.
22 I was so foolish and ignorant—
    I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23 Yet I still belong to you;
    you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
    but God remains the strength of my heart;
    he is mine forever.
27 Those who desert him will perish,
    for you destroy those who abandon you.
28 But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
    and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.

Triple Threat

We live in a world where faithfulness is challenged on a regular basis. Whether it is in dating, marriage, friendships people are forget the importance of being true to their word or true to their promise. It's become so common place that people don't really encourage people the be faithful. Your personal happiness is WAY more important than being faithful.

The thing is, God is faithful. If we confess our sins to Him, He will be faithful and just to forgive us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9) What state would we be in if God stopped being faithful? Let us strive to keep our word and be faithful to others as our Father is faithful to us.

Gentleness. Honestly, I have problems with this one. Sometimes, I can be WAY too blunt. There are times when I drive home a point with such precision and accuracy that it causes more harm than good. Allow me this example... imagine for a second that you have a cyst on the bottom of your foot. Imagine every step that you take is causing you pain. It effects your life. The problem is, you've been living with it for years and to some degree you've gotten use to the familiar pain. Now, your doctor see's this and tells you that he can resolve this problem. You're hesitant, but decide to allow him to do the procedure. Gentleness is like skillfully using a scalpel to remove the problem. Now, image the doctor using a grapefruit spoon to dig out the cyst. Not as effective, but it could get the job done, and do more damage than good.

That... is why it's important to be gentle.

15 Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 16 But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. 1 Peter 3:15-16 NLT

Self control is another area where society is screaming at the top of its lungs in defiance of Christian values. In our society, they say, if it feels good do it. What does it matter if it doesn't hurt anyone else except for me? We live in a world of excess where the bad girl or the bad boy is celebrated. Whether it's the Jersey Shore, Real Housewives, Basketball wives, pop musicians, excess is the message. Not only excess, but acceptance of their behavior.

27 It’s not good to eat too much honey,
    and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.
28 A person without self-control
    is like a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:27-27

 22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
    they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
Proverbs 5:22-23

Over the past few weeks, I have learned a lot about where I stand spiritually by looking at the fruits of the spirit. It has truly been humbling. There's not much more for me to say, than I really understand that I need to relinquish control to God in quite a few areas in my life.

Be good

Doing good does not always feel good. I remember when I was young in Sunday School reading - the words, "if someone asks you to go one mile, go two. If someone sues you for your coat, give them your cloak too. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer them the other one." It really didn't make a lot of sense to me then.

I think once you become a parent you begin to understand it a little. You are willing to sacrifice some of the things that you want in order to meet the needs of your kids. It doesn't feel, good... but it's real good.

Here's the thing. Whether people believe in God or not, he gave His son so everyone would have the chance to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and accept salvation. There are people who are hurting and sometimes, like spoiled kids - they act out. Showing kindness to them shows the kindness of our Savior. It honestly won't make sense to them, and honestly, it doesn't make sense to me sometimes either... but doing good, doing the right thing is a good thing.

10 For the Scriptures say,
“If you want to enjoy life
    and see many happy days,
keep your tongue from speaking evil
    and your lips from telling lies.
11 Turn away from evil and do good.
    Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord turns his face
    against those who do evil.” 1 Peter 3:10-12

Kindness is a very big thing!

When I was in college, I went to a convention for one of the Campus Ministries that I was a part of. One night, after our sessions we went to the only place that was open to get a late night snack... a bus station.

There was an elderly homeless gentleman that was there who was asking the people in the line if they would get him a cup of water. Water didn't cost anything back then...  and student after student who had just spent time learning about the love of God paid him no attention.

When it was my time to order, I took what little money I had and bought food for him and for me. I called him over, say down and shared a meal with him. While we were talking, he called a guy over that worked in the bus station... I shared the gospel with him, and the bus station employee accepted Christ!

If I hadn't shown kindness to this seemingly homeless man, I would never have had the chance to share the gospel with the bus station employee.

6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:6-8 NLT

It's an easy thing to by kind to others. When we were completely lost in our sins, Christ died for us. Let's show kindness to others. We'll never know what will come out of it!

In your patience possess ye your souls...

Patience, was not a word that I would use to describe my Dad. Our trip to church was a 7 mile drive down a 2 lane highway. The whole trip would take about 20 minutes. One Sunday, we were driving down the road and there were a few cars in front of us that were probably doing the speed limit. Frustrated that they weren't driving faster, Dad downshifted his manual transmission car, pulled out into the other lane and proceeded to pass 5 cars.

This particular Sunday stuck in my mind because there was a guy on a motorcycle and a few other cars coming towards us. I remember racing towards the vehicles that were coming towards us, and Dad passing the last vehicle and switching lanes in what was just about the nick of time.

When I think about it now, some 35 years later, my pulse still rushes. Would we have been late if he would have stayed behind the other cars? Probably not. It was just... patience, was not his thing.

The only way to work on patience is to be put in situations where you have to use it. Most people really get annoyed before they have the chance to learn from it...

5 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, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 2 Peter 1:5-7

It's a progression. As Peter goes through this list, each item is built upon the other. In order to master patience (patient endurance) you have to have faith, moral excellence, knowledge (of our new life granted through the death of Jesus on the cross), self-control - then PATIENCE. After that, we'll understand godliness and the ability to better love our fellow Christians and the world.

Patience... is hard work.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance [patience]. 4 And endurance [patience] develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5

Patience is hard work because it is developed through problems and trials. But that is how we know that we have a strong character and an even stronger hope in salvation!

I think Jesus explained it best in Luke 21

 14 So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! 16 Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. 17 And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish! 19 By standing firm, you will win your souls. Luke 21:14-19

We will experience trials. But if we are patient - He will give us the right words and wisdom. Even if our family and friends betray us... even if they hate us and threaten our lives we will have a reward. The King James version puts it best...

In your patience possess ye your souls. Luke 21:19