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When Patience Wears Thin, Remember Who Wins

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THE WORD

2 Peter 1:5-8 – And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I am writing about something today that was one of my biggest hurdles I had to overcome: getting and keeping patience. I am tested with my patience on a daily basis and demonstrating God’s love is one of the greatest ways I let my witness shine to others. I have found that the only time my patience is ever tested is in areas where it begins to induce stress (where else would it be?!?). As we go on through our own lives there will always be new people and situations that we must face that we are not always prepared for. I could not tell you how many times I have wanted to speak my mind or to do what I thought was justified but the Holy Ghost would quicken me to stop; for when I look back on it now I know the person that works patience walks in the spirit of God’s love.

I have had to literally walk away frustrated and take a deep breath and pray before I could move on. There were moments where I had to let a few tears run down my face from the words and looks of people without saying a word in return. There have been times when I wonder if people truly loved me like they said they did! When it gets the worst, however, I remember who the victor is over it all! That is God almighty through us! So if we allow God to fight our spiritual battles, we will succeed in our carnality. We alone would never prevail. Allowing God to lead us proves the outcome that God intends! Seek him for a patience-filled heart and a peaceful mind! Hold on to the promises of God!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

When a disagreement occurs between you and another person: smile, tell them you love them, and walk away. God through your prayers can definitely take care of the rest!

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Do No Evil

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THE WORD

James 1:23-24 – For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

I could not be more troubled about how much it seems that evil is ever present around the people of God. I want to ask some questions that will put us in the frame of mind of what I’m writing on today: How hard do we really try to walk away from something we know that we are seeing or hearing is wrong? In all reality we may find the answer is not too hard at all. If something (being the spirit of God) leads you to know that something wrong is going on, and you have the power to make a decision to change that behavior, then it is our responsibility hands down! If we learn to walk with God’s higher standard then they will know that there is something that drives us to be above the temptation of sin. Could we say a witness of the Lord?!? How much do we restrain ourselves from saying things that we should not in a situation where we are affected? Not too much at all. Keeping ourselves from saying irrational things is one of the hardest things to do simply because we feel enabled from our own self-right of justice. If they wronged us, they are going to hear about it, right? There is a difference in doing things in love versus out of spite or with an attitude! You have to always remember that everyone will answer for their actions and that self-control is only truly successful by the quickening of the anointing in you to help you prevent such decisions! How difficult is it to trust God when you feel like that you are surrounded in darkness? It is truly easy if you allow God to do it! We are the light of the world, but God is the fire that burns within! His spirit will keep you each day and never let you feel stale! If you learn to stir up the gifts and callings every day through worship, prayer, fasting, reading, and ultimately obedience then you will begin to unlock something that will (as the old song sings) shun the wrong and do what is right!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

Make every active attempt each day to avoid the evils that you can and pray for God to lead you out of every temptation that would prove difficult for you to walk away from.

Daily Regeneration

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Regenrate – reform or reborn; to replace what is lost or injured; a spiritual or moral birth

Birth Of A New Spirit Within You

Ezekiel 36:25-27

[25] Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
[26] A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
[27] And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

God places something within me, and all of my cold and barren conditions are replaced. I am regenerated through the spirit of God! He gives us something to take the place of what needs to change; all the sin and the temptations that drive us from God especially!

The Spirit Is Of Divine Origin

John 1:1,4,13

[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

[13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

That which is placed in me is not of my own: not of blood, or in other words my life. It is neither the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but born of God! There is nothing that I could ever find or create in this world that could ever bring me true life and happiness! Try as you may, but it will only be when we finally come into surrender to God and recognize that it’s none of the wills of me but of Him!

Regeneration Is Essential To Spiritual Vision

John 3:3,5-8

[3] Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
[6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
[7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
[8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

We cannot see, be led, enter, or understand the will of God without the spirit! And without a vision, we would perish regardless! I must be born into! I must have that experience! I must come to God to be as new! The spirit performs a work in you to make you as not what you were. We could never imagine what the spirit could do in us, just as we read the reference to the wind. We simply know that when it comes to help us that we must submit, simple as that!

The Spirit Brings Forth A New Creature

2 Corinthians 5:17

[17] Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

By the spiritual transformation through coming to Jesus Christ, all ways and lifestyles and all that I ever knew was made new! The person that I once was has been forgiven and my sins have been cast from me. People might try to remember me as I was, but God sees me as the one who has been saved by the sacrifice at the cross.

You could say that I had a funeral for the death of the old man!

It Is Necessary To Salvation

Titus 3:4-7

[4] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
[5] Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
[6] Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
[7] That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Not by our works, but the works of Christ! He made a way for you! By His grace through salvation we can be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life! That should stir your heart if you read it over and over each and every day!

We Are Regenerated By The Word Of God

1 Peter 1:23-25

[23] Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
[24] For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
[25] But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

We must be born into the understanding of the word of God and not our own. Our own understanding shall fade away! The word of God will keep you continually! Regenerate you! People could never say enough to help you in a bad situation. That’s why the comforter and teacher of the Holy Ghost is there to guide you and give you water when you thirst, or in other words knowledge in areas that no one could provide.

Obtained By Faith

1 John 5:1

[1] Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Take that step out and believe! God is ready to receive you today! To repent means to turn! Turn to God and away from the life you once had known and renew yourself to be the person that through the spirit can be successful now and in the future!

Walking Close Versus Standing Back

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When Jesus was alive and walking in the midst of people working miracles, there was always a crowd; people always wanted to be where the action was. They either wanted to get help or bear witness to it. And to those that were not able, they cried aloud for it.

So what about today?

We as God’s people often will be in services today and feel the presence of the Lord enter in the midst but stand by because we are either unsure or do not believe for whatever reason. These reservations, whether we choose to acknowledge it now or later, are ripping the church apart day by day. We NEED the spirit of God to heal our land, guide or direction, and repair the broken-hearted. We need the backbone of the pillars of the saints of God to be restored once more so that we stand again proud and not afraid when one small trial comes through to blow us over!

I choose today to walk close to the presence of God! I want to be right in the middle of it! I press through the crowds of hindrances and stumbling blocks in faith just to get to the hem of Christ’s garment! I’m that desperate for joy and peace in my life! There is no other by which we will stand and have a stable life! Join with me in walking close again and not standing back anymore!

God Provides What Is Promised

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Proverbs 25:22 – For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee.

Matthew 16:27 – For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

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One of the key scriptures that we read in the Bible is that the “promises of God are yea and Amen”. In other words the combination signals a great big yes! When you begin to petition your needs and wants before God, you are backing it up by actually going before him through the works of obedience and living it. All the while you are continually asking and putting your faith into action by the experiences you have and the ones you believe is ahead. You see, the spirit of God in its own magnificent way will bear witness and start to speak to your heart according to the will of God. It may not always be what we want to hear, but sometimes that when God’s ways exceed our ways!

Sometimes I am sure that we could wish that God dropped in our laps millions dollars so that we could have lots of “stuff”, but that may not be in Gods will right? God’s promises to us are that we would not go without and as long as we are obedient that everything will be taken care of for us, even in the midst of uncertainty. There are many who choose to stick with what they can read, and that is fine. I want to encourage us to step out of the boat and try to be more faithful and start to believe in the spirit that bears witness in the depths of our hearts! I know it is a simple thought, but I just want to remind you that if God has spoken to you in your heart or through the ministry of others, heed to it! Be led by the spirit of God, stay close to the Lord and pray in faith for the good things to come. Water those promises until they grow to full fruition! I know they are on their way!

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Put Into Practice:

This is not an actual physical activity today, but I would like for you to consider an activity of the same. Imagine that someone was standing on top of a building and was about to jump. Bear in mind they are being faithful to the inflatable safety device that when they reach the bottom they are safe. What if there was just enough of a hole in the safety balloon to cause it not to function? The person has to know and consider all of these risks before they ever lift from the ground to jump, right? The faith that it takes to get a person to leap is just the amount that it takes to be enough. The amount of faith that it takes for us to be willing to be out of our comfort zone and be in risk sometimes may be the very thing that God is looking for from you. It may be one thing that you have been afraid of to do your entire life. Trust me, I would have never thought that I would be writing, singing, playing, or preaching! Trust God and take a leap of faith! And by leap I do not mean off of a building! Get out there and make a difference in this lost world!

Drawing From The Fountain Of Life

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Revelation 7:17 – For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 21:6 – And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

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When it comes to things we need, there is a vast abundance of resources available to every person for just about anything you can think of. We are living in the information age! If you want to know something you do not have to go to too much effort to find the information about it. I have found that having this leisure does not fulfill everything. In fact, my curiosity for every question that comes across my mind does not necessarily have an answer.

When it comes to the things we wish we did not have, the reality is that they are present before us. Burdens will never go away or the thought of them. Worries will more than likely be prevalent in the future. The great thing about the things I do not want is that there is something that can help me shake them off. I am put in remembrance that I can always draw from the fountain of life! I can draw from the living water of the spirit of God. Jesus said drinking from this water would have you to never thirst. It was implying that it would be something that would always fulfill you while you were living on this earth.

Now we know that there are always going to be more trials, but you can always be refreshed in the spirit each day. Always remember to let your cup be filled by God and not be dry from neglect! God intends for our vessels to be full and abundant with His resources! Just remember: You can live longer off of water than you can food. You can live off of the spirit of God far longer than you ever can with any other substitute. I say you, but it applies to all of us! If we apply it we can grow leaps and bounds and see the storehouses of our hearts flourish!

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Put Into Practice:

Take an empty glass that you can pour water in and sit it in front you. Now then, go ahead and make an attempt or two at having a drink of what would normally be your regular beverage. It seems silly that you would go through the motions without the substance, right? At some point we all reach this low point before God, where we are just going through the same routine of going to services and doing our part but serving God with little spirit within us.

Silly or not, just remember to keep yourself from ever getting in that position. Continually keep in prayer before God. Stay in good communication with God and with your pastors or teachers. Never forget to come to the realization of the worth of the resources that are often recognized but not utilized!

Find The Good In What You Can

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Proverbs 12:25 – Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

Philemon 1:4-8 – I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient

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With everyday shocks and surprises around the corner, it is very easy to get frustrated at everything going on. It is also easy to simply throw your hands up and give up on your walk with God. In fact, this is the behavior that we are seeing in churches right now in all walks of life. If I thought about it long enough, I am sure I could say that there are plenty of reasons for me to be justified about being upset at situations or even people for that matter. I (as we all have to at some point) have to remind myself that I definitely know better than that. We that are attuned to the leadership of the spirit of God know that we must be faithful even in times of peril and distress.

Consider those individuals in the bible who faced perilous times and that could have given up easily, yet you read that they continued on for the cause of God and made it through. It inspires me to realize what is of more worth to me now. People that get mad at you for no reason whatsoever are just upset people upset for a reason you cannot change regardless of what you do to alter it. Objects that break cannot be fixed are just objects broken regardless of the glue we use to mend them. Ultimately, we must realize that our emotions cannot fix everything and in an upset or distressed state leave our walk with God spiritually disabled. God can fix every circumstance and does not need me to get angry and try to always intervene on my own behalf.

I have to be reminded to be thankful for what I have, for what is going to come, and that things are not worse than they are. When I begin to do that, I take a deep breath and step away from the situation, and finally just let God have my emotions and let him transform me (via the comforter of the spirit) to a person he can use. Big subject matter, but useful if we only but apply it!

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Put Into Practice:

Get out of the habit of thinking of the negative first. Begin to think of the spiritual positives right off the bat, and allow God to unlock a witness through your faith and endurance through tough times. Every time you make it, it is another testimony to find out how good God is!

Spirit Is Life

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The spirit of God serves so many purposes for us: It keeps our minds when we feel like drifting. It keeps our hearts when we feel broken. It heals our bodies when we feel weak. It goes forth and reaches out to others when we petition to God on their behalf. It does more and goes forth way beyond the mention of my few words, but to sum it all up: Spirit Is Life!

Will We Go Away?

John 6:61-67

[61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
[62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
[63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
[64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
[65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
[66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
[67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

The words of Christ should be something we pin up on our walls to remind ourselves: the words he speaks are spirit and are life. It also quickens us; one even would wonder what the purpose of quickening is. If you have people in the midst of your services that are in desperate need, God will quicken you to be obedient so they can know and feel the spirit for themselves.

We Must Serve

Luke 22:27-28

[27] For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
[28] Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations.

We have to learn to work in stability, and to be as ones that serve. We also have to continue! My first steps to the Lord were obviously the easiest to take, but once I come to the understanding of the spirit, I have to learn to serve others with the love that God has place inside me (via the spirit).

What The Spirit Does

Matthew 4:19

[19] And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Matthew 5:6-14

[6] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
[7] Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
[8] Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
[9] Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
[10] Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[11] Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
[12] Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

We are the light of the world! We are the fishers of men! We are the appointed ones to go forth and be the arms and heart of Christ; to love others and reach out to them as Christ reached out to us.

We might face persecution for the preaching and execution of the gospel. We cannot let this make us give up or quit what God has called us to do; for we not only shall be blessed, we are blessed when we face it.

The Goal Of The Spirit

Hebrews 13:13

[13] Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.

Let us take that wonderful spirit that is within us, and take it forth as a light of the world so that they can be drawn unto Jesus Christ! It’s the only thing we could ever give that will ever last!

The Costs Of Ignoring Godly Instruction

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When we accept Christ into our lives, it is such a wonderful thing; for many transitions and lifestyle changes begin to take place on their own without anyone or anything as much as having to say a word. That’s the wonderful benefit of the spirit of God when we choose to listen! Unfortunately, as we continue forward in our walk with God, a lot of the things that we carry out on a normal basis for Him become routine and just “the motions”. The routines and motions begin to simply numb us to what God is trying to say via the spirit directly to you or through people that God has led to instruct you in your local church or ministry.

I would ask all of us to consider the cost today. When we begin to turn a deaf ear to the word of God being sent to us via many avenues, our lives begin to take on more burdens and weights than was ever intended to begin with. And as we continue to go through the motions in this manner, we eventually fall under the weight of sin and simply not being able to handle all that comes our way. It never fails that when these patterns occur that rather than recognizing why it truly happened, we simply want to blame God for “letting us fall”. I wish I could say that was not true, but it’s not the case in the day we live in.

God wants us to be a hearer first, then a doer second. We don’t need to do anything until we hear God. And if we are not listening, we have no real business working out of the flesh. This is a tough topic, but we must strive to follow the will of God and to know what He would want us to do by divine leadership through the spirit. Let’s not ignore the preachers or the teachers, but let us tune our ears closely to what God is trying to say though others! Obedience is better than sacrifice! You can show up to church and sacrifice your day and time to be there, but be obedient in listening! That will serve you as a much greater benefit in the long run of your life!

Pick And Choose Your Battles

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THE WORD

2 Chronicles 20:15  – And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

Exodus 14:14 – The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When we deal with everyday problems and the trials of life it can be hard to be calm in the midst of the storm. As our emotions begin to influence our judgment we may begin to spiritually decline. And as we decrease spiritually the lack of love is reflected in our irrational actions with little regard to try and improve the situation.

So the question is: What will you reap from that which you sow? If you sow something in anger or revenge then chances are that you will reap the by-product of these poor decisions. If you sow things with love (especially when the situation is provoking you emotionally) you will find that your feelings will be lessened in their ability to lead to bad decisions. God wants us to have peace and patience in everything that we do. Always remember to pick and choose your battles each day, and try to find the true worth of what you are fighting for. Sometimes it is best to walk away and let God give you peace first. The spirit of God will guide and fight for you in your every endeavor! Remember that!

PUT INTO PRACTICE

If you observe someone letting their emotions get the best of them you may just learn something. It may be by the change of tone of their voice or body language but it is easy to pick out when someone may not be thinking clearly. Put yourself into check the moment this attempts to happen to you. What was done that provoked you? What was said that bothered you? What happened that caused you harm? As you find the answer, pray and examine the right choice that you can make instead of the one you immediately feel.