will He withhold from those who walk uprightly" (Psalm 84:11). We can leave it all with Him (Philippians 4:6)!
3. Encourage the Christian to seek God's forgiveness for his or her involvement. Go over "Restoration," page 17. Also share "Assurance," page 15.
4. Suggest praying especially about the involvement in the occult so that he or she never becomes entangled with it again. Encourage a serious commitment to Bible study. This is a way of redeeming the misspent hours of occult involvement: ". . . redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Offer to send Living in Christ, which is a great help for Bible study.
5. Encourage the inquirer to seek fellowship with committed Christians and to get involved with a Bible-teaching church for worship, Bible study, prayer, and witnessing. As he or she seeks this new identity, all relationships with friends involved in the occult should be severed, and any books on the occult in his or her possession should be destroyed.
6. Pray with the inquirer for complete deliverance and restoration to the Lord.
Scripture
See "Background." Paul, writing to Timothy, offers understanding about the "spirit of the age" in which we live and advice on how to counteract it:
"But you must realize that in the last days the times will be full of danger. Men will become utterly self-centered, greedy for money, full of big words. They will be proud and abusive, without any regard for what their parents taught them. They will be utterly lacking in gratitude, reverence and normal human affections. They will be remorseless, scandal-mongers, uncontrolled and violent and haters of all that is good. They will be treacherous, reckless and arrogant, loving what gives them pleasure instead of loving God. They will maintain a facade of 'religion' but their life denies truth. Keep clear of people like that. . . . . Their minds are distorted, and they are traitors to the faith. . . . Remember from whom your knowledge has come, and how from early childhood your mind has been familiar with the holy scriptures, which can open the mind to the salvation which comes through believing in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for resetting the direction of a man's life and training him in good living. The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God, and fit him fully for all branches of his work" (2 Timothy 3:1–5, 8, 14–17, PHILLIPS).
PATIENCE, LACK OF
Background
Patience is an admirable character quality that few people, including Christians, seem to possess. According to the Bible, our lives are to be characterized by patience, for it is important in developing the mature, stable character which God wants to produce in His people: "Love is patient, love is kind . . . it is not easily angered" (1 Corinthians 13:4–5, NIV).
Patience is the ability to absorb strain and stress without complaint, to be left undisturbed by obstacles, delays, or failures. God allows difficulties, inconveniences, trials, and even suffering to come our way for a specific purpose: They help develop the right attitude for the growth of patience. As the Christian sees these trials producing beneficial, character-building results, the stage is set for the development of a patient spirit. God the Holy Spirit will then be able to produce the fruit of patience in his or her life: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience . . ." (Galatians 5:22,
NIV).
Billy Graham comments on the lack of patience which characterizes our generation: "This is a high-strung, neurotic, impatient age. We hurry when there is no reason to hurry, just to be hurrying. This fast-paced age has produced more problems and less morality than previous generations, and it has given us jangled nerves. Impatience has produced a crop of broken homes, ulcers, and has set the stage for more world wars."
A bit of introspection and analysis with regard to impatience may be revealing and helpful. What makes me impatient?
• Am I immature? Am I petty?
"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:14, NIV).
• Am I selfish, legalistic, or demanding? Am I able to make allowances for the mistakes and imperfections in others, remembering that God is still working on me, too?
"Be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all" (1 Thessalonians 5:14–15).
• Am I easily irked because "someone is getting away with something"?