PATIENCE

GOD GAVE ME A SCRIPTURE YESTERDAY THAT WAS RIGHT ON TIME, I'LL SHARE IT WITH YOU - HEBREWS 10:36

"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."

IN ESSENCE - YOU NEED PATIENCE, SO THAT AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD - DONE WHAT GOD ASKED YOU TO DO - AND WHEN GOD LITERALLY USED YOU TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL AND PURPOSES - IT IS THEN THAT YOU NEED PATIENCE SO THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE WHAT HE HAS PROMISED.

Isn't this good? God knew where I was spiritually and physically - I was on the marta train, late for work, and wondering why am I doing this. I also was 'wondering' about raising the girls. I knew without a doubt that I did what God wanted me to do in the raising of them, and also how He wanted me to do it. But what now? So without asking, God is telling me to wait on Him, have patience...

Tony Evans (The Perfect Christian, How Sinners like Us can Be More Like Jesus) states that "...patience is doing what you're supposed to - sowing the seed and strengthening your spiritual life - while you wait without complaint for God to send the rain that will produce the growth."

We should learn to not complain about the people and circumstances that God has placed around us, but ask Him to give us patience. (Remember the story of little 'Much Afraid"?)

Do you ask God - "Why me Lord?" or do you say "I know God is doing something good in my life."

In talking about patience we must also add the experiences of Job. Look at Job's reward for His patience.

"And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before." Job 42:10

Also consider Mary and Martha after their brother Lazarus died. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from death, He said -

"...Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" John 11:40

This is one of my favorite verses. It all comes down to believing God.

ARE YOU AT A PLACE IN YOUR LIFE WHERE GOD IS TELLING YOU TO WAIT?
IF SO, BE PATIENT, AND BELIEVE GOD ...

Thanksgiving

Thanking God for What He Has Done.

We do not need one day a year to thank God, just as we should pray unceasingly, we also thank God at all times for all good things that come into our life.

Memorize Psalm 100:4.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name."

What To Thank God for -

Make a list of things your family is thankful for and keep adding to your list all year long. Be sure to include the following:

• His Love and Free Offer of Salvation -
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)

• His Provision -
"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

• All Good Things -
"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father." (James 1:17)

You can thank God for anything and everything good, including safety during the storm, a found parking space, safety during a near accident that you avoided, good news from a friend, or the beauty of the day.

• Unasked-for Blessings -
"For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep." (Psalms 127:2) We are His Beloved...

We can thank the Lord for those things we have received without specifically asking for them. "...More than we can ask or imagine..."


So Be Continuously Thankful...

(From the Teaching Home Newsletter)

Purpose

I was reminded this morning, while reading a passage in Oswald Chambers', "My Utmost for His Highest", that it is all about God's purposes. Which means we must stop dictating to Him. This is a hard lesson, because we are accustomed to long prayer lists, telling God exactly what we want, when, where, and how.

He does wants us to come to Him, to seek Him with all our hearts, but there is a difference between seeking Him and His Will for our lives, and telling Him how we want it done.

LEARNING TO SEE OURSELVES AS GOD SEES US

In looking over the previous post on self concept, I was reminded of a little book that I read some time ago on this subject, by Hannah Hurnard, Hinds Feet on High Places. It is an allegory of the journey each of us must take before we can live in 'high places', new heights of love, joy, and victory, based on Habakkuk 3:19. This is living in the Kingdom. The character, little Much-Afraid goes on a journey with the Sheperd, Jesus, with two companions, Sorrow and Suffering. Little Much-Afraid had a twisted mouth and crooked feet, and was afraid of everything and also had a longing to be loved. She goes through many difficult places and dangers, sometimes rising on the heights, and at other times going through the valley. Her journey takes her along the shores of Loneliness; agony of disappointment and frustration in the wilderness; the Forests of Danger and Tribulation, and through great storms and the times when she almost turned back when the heights seemed so far away. Until she finally comes to the High Places. This was after her heart of flesh and human love was replaced with the heart and love of Jesus. Jesus gave her a new name, Grace and Glory - and her companions, were also transformed from Sorrow and Suffering to Joy and Peace.

Jesus called her Daughter of the King (Psalm 45:10-15) He tells her to "...forget your people and your father's house; and the King will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him...". Now that she is with Him on the High Places, she can go where He goes, and share in His work in the valley below, with her companions, Joy and Peace. Her crooked feet were transformed to 'hinds feet'.

What she learned -
-to accept with joy all that He allowed to happen to her and lay down her own will;
-to bear all that others were allowed to do against her, and to forgive without bitterness;
-that everything, all circumstance in life, no matter how ugly it may seem to be, if it is reacted to in love and forgiveness and obedience to God's Will, it can be transformed; and
-that Jesus never saw her as she actually was, lame and weak and crooked and fearful, but He saw her as she would be when He had done what He promised and brought her to the high places.

Oswald Chambers said that sometimes God has to break our hearts to get us to the place where He can us. In which case we should shout -

'Break my heart Lord so I can be used by You!"

SELF CONCEPT

Knowing who you are in Christ…

We will explore who you are in Christ and learn what it means to have your self concept based on who God says you are. Self concept can be loosely defined as a person’s view of themselves. How they ‘see’ themselves. This will in turn determine how you act and behave and how you relate to others. It is not based on what you do (job, successes or defeats in life), and it is not in pleasing other people, or in other people’s opinions of you. It is based on accepting who God says you are, and seeing yourself as God sees you. This begins by accepting His truths, and rejecting the lies of the devil.

Many people may feel a sense of hopelessness about themselves, their relationships, and about life in general. Regardless of how they are loved and treated by others, regardless of how many Bible studies, church services, conferences, or counseling sessions they participate in, or how many times they go down to the altar in response to invitations from preachers; they may still have negative beliefs that will decide how they respond to love and truth. There are many reasons for this state, which could include family background or past experiences.

God’s light must penetrate down to our deepest beliefs about ourselves. This could possibly be a very painful experience when we admit that we do feel negatively about ourselves and we then allow God’s light and truth shine on how we see ourselves. This will take time, it has taken possibly years to develop negative habits, but God’s love, expressed through His people, His Spirit and His Word, can bring healing to our deepest hurts and give us an appropriate sense of self-worth.

God created us, He knows how we are made, and He knows what we need. Trust Him.

Answer the following questions, to examine your self-concept.

Define self-concept or self-worth.
Are you glad you are you?
Do you have a healthy self-concept?
(From The Search for Significance by Robert S. McGee)

Repeat the following affirmations daily, look up the accompanying scriptures, and pray for openness and honesty before God as you accept these truths of who God says you are.

((Whether or not we feel it is true, we still need to believe it. Jesus is the truth, the Holy Spirit is truth, and the Word is truth, so we should speak the truth in love. The Bondage Breaker, by Neil T. Anderson))

-I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
-I am chosen by You, my Father (Ephesians 1:4)
-I am Your child according to the good pleasure of Your will. (Ephesians 1:5)
-I am an heir. (Ephesians 1:11 & Romans 8:17)
-I am saved by Your grace. (Ephesians 2:5)
-I am Your workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
-I am a citizen of heaven. (2:19)

YOU ARE A DAUGHTER OF THE KING, A CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM.

NEVER FORGET THAT.

GOD LOVED YOU SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON FOR YOU.

BELIEVE IT!