Patiently Enduring Until We Are Patient

The Kingdom of God is holy.  That means it is wholly unlike the way man runs things. God is love. 

 1 John 4:8 (NKJV) — 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

That means He is patient, kind, doesn’t parade himself… doesn’t demand His own way.  Prophetic revelation or an understanding of God’s plans for us TEST love.  They test whether or not I am truly interested in living in God’s ways, His Kingdom, or my own ways.

Without love being the main aspect growing in my ministry, my ministry is growing bad fruit, not good fruit.  If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad.  If the tree is bad, it is cut off and thrown into the fire. Without love, there is no kingdom of God present.  Love covers a multitude of sin.

To truly be a leader in God’s kingdom is to be a leader in patience and service, not impatient position.  Most will throw away their prophetic destiny for an unsatisfying bowl of soup because they cannot see God in their waiting, learning selflessness, knowing things that they don’t assert, and seeing people do things wrong that they patiently wait for God to right.

1 Corinthians 13:4–12 (NKJV) — 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

The more God fulfills His promises to me, the more I see those promises differently than I immaturely imagined them.  God didn’t give me prophetic promises to satisfy my flesh!  No! He gives them to invite my Spirit into His kingdom.  My Spirit is willing; my flesh is weak.

Right now, God is testing the church in the midst of the whole world.  He does this in the context of shaking Israel among the nations.  He is PROVOKING a faith crisis to see what we all… the whole world… really wants.  The Church, filled with the Holy Spirit, should be leading the charge of PATIENT FAITH, loving enemies, praying for those who spitefully use us, blessing those who curse us.  Ultimately, if Israel is going to fulfill her prophetic destiny, she is going to have to learn this lesson as well.  Clearly, this is not a lesson yet learned.

Impatience, doubt, fear, and INDIFFERENCE towards perceived enemies is the true enemy of faith. God made every human.  God never authorizes us to make some of them our enemy because we perceive they are against God.  God decides who HIS enemies are, not us.

Ephesians 6:10–13 (NKJV) — 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

And what do the people of God truly stand for?  the truth that no one is a threat to God. 

Those who know God for real don’t let people become a threat to themselves.  Look at Jesus on the cross:

Luke 23:32–35 (NKJV) — 32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

This^ is the only kingdom I want to be a part of. Most that claim Christ want nothing like this. They are enemies of, not friends of, the cross and thus not following Jesus. He STILL loves them, though.

 IYKYK

If you know God then you are required to recognize the way prophetic fulfillment creates a FAITH crisis… not so we can fail, but so that we can succeed in patience.  No one can stand in the way of what God wants to do.  To know God… to truly have faith… is to have faith in who GOD is, not in how the promises He makes are accomplished.  His ways are unknown.  Even prophetically, I see dimly.  What I can know is God’s character.  No one can stop Him.  Only I can stop the fulfillment of His promises to me by my impatience and unwillingness to be led in His ways, and out of my own.

 Abraham was TESTED by the promise that he would be a father to many nations when he had no children. David was tested by the promise of being King. Jesus was tested by the promise of resurrection, even unto death.

What is my promise?  What is the test of that promise?  When circumstances arise to resist that promise is it being thwarted or fulfilled.  Do I give up all the promise because I can’t believe God REQUIRES patience and faith from me to be qualified for the very inheritance?

Psalm 105:17–19 (NKJV) — 17 He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave. 18 They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons. 19 Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.

God puts us so near to fulfillments over time…but the closer we come to the fulfillment of all prophecy… the closer we come to the failure of love.  Why?  Because of impatience and a lack of confidence in God.  We begin seeing people as the problem to our promises, not the beneficiaries of our ministry.

If we can’t patiently love those who stand between us and the promises God has given us, then aren’t really moving into our promised land at all.  We are steadily marching to the same hell we were always on our way to when God spoke the promise to us in the first place.

 Psalm 37

The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

— A Psalm of David. 1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. 11 But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 12 The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming.