FAITH & PATIENCE
Its been 17 years since I founded Heart of the Hills Church with a half dozen people, and since that time, there has been FRUIT, FRUIT, FRUIT .. people coming to KNOW JESUS, people being FILLED WITH the HOLY SPIRIT, people being HEALED by the LORD JESUS, and people GROWING and HAPPY ! ! What is the KEY ???
Faith & Patience . . . YOU CAN’T WIN if you QUIT ! ! !
Mark 4:26-32 (NIV)
26 He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 NIGHT AND DAY, whether he sleeps or gets up, THE SEED SPROUTS AND GROWS, though he does not know how.
28 All by itself the soil produces grain-- FIRST THE STALK, THEN THE HEAD, THEN THE FULL KERNEL IN THE HEAD.
29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
30 Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
31 It is like a mustard seed, which is THE SMALLEST SEED you plant in the ground.
32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
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GOD REWARDS FAITHFUL AND PATIENT PEOPLE (He Himself is Faithful and Patient):
Heb 6:10-15 (NIV)
10 God is not unjust; HE WILL NOT FORGET YOUR WORK AND THE LOVE YOU HAVE SHOWN HIM AS YOU HAVE HELPED HIS PEOPLE AND CONTINUE TO HELP THEM.
11 We want each of you to show this SAME DILIGENCE TO THE VERY END, in order to make your hope sure.
12 We do NOT want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through FAITH AND PATIENCE INHERIT what has been promised.
13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,
14 saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."
15 And so after WAITING PATIENTLY, Abraham received what was promised.
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EXAMPLES FROM OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS:
Heb 11:6-13 (NIV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith NOAH, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark (Do you know how many YEARS it took to build the ark? One of our LIFETIMES) to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
8 By faith ABRAHAM, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age-- and Sarah herself was barren-- was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.
12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
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SCRIPTURES TO LIVE BY:
Luke 8:15 (KJV)
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
Heb 10:35-36 (NIV)
35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
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SOMETIMES GOD GIVES VISIONS AND DREAMS - HERE IS HOW TO HANDLE THEM:
Hab 2:3 (NIV)
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. THOUGH IT LINGER, WAIT FOR IT; IT WILL CERTAINLY COME AND WILL NOT DELAY.
Dr. Hagin once said, “When the Lord began speaking to me about future projects or events, generally it was two years before it came to pass.”
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FINALLY:
James 5:7-9 (KJV)
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.
8 BE YE ALSO PATIENT; STABLISH YOUR HEARTS: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
SPIRITUAL TEST - 1 Cor 3:3 (AMP) For you are still UNSPIRITUAL, having the nature of the flesh as long as you are UNDER THE CONTROL of ordinary impulses . . . (you are not carnal if you HAVE ordinary impulses, you are carnal if you are under the CONTROL of those ordinary impulses)
(DO NOT OBEY EVERY IMPULSE YOU HAVE)
RESIST TEMPTATIONS - it HELPS me to resist temptations when I consciously realize that EVERY thing I do, EVERY word I speak will be judged :)
Jesus did NOT obey His impulse in the garden of Gethsemane (if it be possible, let this cup pass from me), He expressed it to the Father, controlled it, them went with the Father’s will (nevertheless let Your will be done, not Mine)!
Live your life with PATIENT EXPECTANCY ! ! !