Patience vs Waiting (Dominating Time)

The other day I had a conversation with a friend, I was telling her my new revelation of faith(which is really my old revelation, only I didn't have a name for it back then). We were sitting in her kitchen and through her back door(which is a glass screen) I stared at the fence that separated her property from the neighbour's. "Here's the gist of faith, as I've come to recognize it; I'm right here at your kitchen table, I see that fence and decide that I'm taking it, I get up and head towards it immediately, not glancing to my left or right, not considering the obstacles in the yard, but just going for it because it's mine."

She considered for a moment then responded, "well faith is really seeing the thing, in your spirit, declaring that you have it now, and waiting for it to manifest."

So I ask, "why wait, isn't it yours now?"

"Yes, it's mine now, but I have to wait for it to manifest."

"I don't remember seeing Jesus wait for the miracles he called forward."

"How about that fig tree, Jesus cursed it but it didn't die immediately. Peter saw it the next day as they pass by that way."

"No, it died the same time. It died at the roots. That's how trees die, not by the branches. "

"No, I don't disagree that it died at the same time, but that story is so we can see that we can believe patiently in case we don't see it immediately."

I didn't think I needed to argue the point further, but I had recently realized that the Holy Spirit doesn't give deference to time. Jesus pattern the Holy Spirit when he said "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."(John 4:35). He didn't even respect time!
 In the Holy Spirit's realm, time is no factor and I notice that He expects me to do what He says right away, no matter how outlandish they were to my sense knowledge. But how does this work, really?

Be Persistent
 

 As "faith" Christians, we have a thing we like to do, and it's called waiting. We like to wait. We give time power. That's a problem. Don't give time power. Time should not have dominion over you. Someone prayed for you but you didn't see yourself healed, instead you said "Oh, I'm just waiting on my healing". 15 years and you're still waiting on your healing. That is not faith, faith is not waiting!

People see Hebrews 12:1-2 "... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..." and think Paul means lollygagging around. But look at his phrasing, "let us lay aside every weight.. which doth so easily beset us; let us run with patience!"

 Oh, but we think we're being patient. Listen, patience doesn't mean waiting around! Patience means you see your goal and you refuse to consider any other circumstance, any other thing, any other story, but you remain steadfast until you get that goal! You will stay on that treadmill until that other person gets off, you would rather collapse on that treadmill than allow that other person beat you. Because you insist that you will win this thing! That is what patience means. Patience means never letting your opponent, whomever or whatever it is, to have victory over you.

Folks think they're being humble, not forcing God, being patient... You're letting time have dominion over you. No! You take that healing and you refuse to give up until you see it! With your spiritual senses, you start experiencing your healing.  You meditate "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."(1 Peter 2:24) until your wholeness is real to you. You declare and decree because you know all while moving swiftly towards it. That's force. That's creation.You persist and insist until you have it.

 But for some people, faith seems like a huge evasive thing. That's why they don't get victory. The fight of faith is a place called rest. You take into account who you are, whose you are and enter into His rest. You fight to get your mind from being boggled with; self questions, God questions, opponent fears, accusations, victim-hood; turmoil.  You fight to keep the noise abated. ( Hebrews 4:2-3 -For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. )

Instead, faith is being broken down in categories and placed into boxes, which is why it's so hard for people. Friends, faith is simple and believing is a choice. 

Don't consider the obstacles
 

For example, the Lord reveals mysteries to you regarding a deadly communicable disease that the media has mislead people of, either knowingly or through ignorance. You research and your the revelation is confirmed. What will you do with that revelation? He tells you to start with a documentary, educate the masses, create a paradigm shift. Only problem with that is it's a political minefield. You aren't even a filmmaker. You have no affiliation to the disease. You know absolutely no victims of it personally. You have no money to do it. Let me learn some things first, you say. Why is He insisting you do this anyway? (you know He's insisting because the desire won't go away!)

So what's your response; you say, I'll research some more; I'll work, make money then I'll do it; then you ask your friends their opinions. You know they'll say "you're a programmer, you make decent money, keep secure", but you're delaying through fear. This is big. This is massive. So you lengthen the process with time , elevating the object beyond yourself.  It's as if you're one of the twelve spies who reported that "not only were the opponents giants in our eyes, we were grasshoppers!"

Instead, what you aught to do is say "Holy Spirit, since you want me to do this, please provide all the connections, resources and materials to accomplish this." And KNOW that He will help you!

 When obstacles show up they want your focus. They(the devils creating the obstacles) know that if you give them attention, you're saying, "you're powerful enough to be a threat to me, so let me give you the attention you deserve." They know you've applied fear to them. You've qualified them. They know you're giving them power.

Look at Apostle Paul, he had just walked away from a shipwreck, then unknowingly gathers up a bundle of firewood with a venomous snake hidden in there somewhere. Clamp! The viper grabbed on to Paul's arm!

The Barbarians looking on thought, "this guy's a murderer! Look, vengeance is after him", after all, to have survived a deadly disaster, only to be attacked by a poisonous snake moments later, would definitely draw suspicion. 

Paul simply shook the snake off into the fire and kept doing what he was doing! Still, "Any moment now...", the Barbarians expected Paul to simply keel over. Hours passed and he remained!

Acknowledging the snake or its bite never seemed to cross Paul's mind. He hadn't interrupted his activity to consider it.

Could the snake kill a man? Yes, it was venomous and I don't think they developed anti-venom back in those days.  Was Paul ignoring it? No, but Paul knew this; that such things are only light afflictions, the Holy Spirit has the real power. Paul knew who he was(a son of God and steward of the mysteries of God), whose he was(Christ's) and what his goal was(Teach, preach and demonstrate the Gospel of the Kingdom Of God).
He knew that no weapons fashioned against him could prosper so Paul saw the viper's bite for the nothingness it was.
Paul trusted and knew that when the Holy Spirit said he'd be unharmed He wasn't talking about the shipwreck only. He remained in God's rest.


 Wasn't Paul the person who said he had fought the good fight, he had finished the race, he had kept the faith?

The reason some faith healers find it so much harder to heal their own bodies when injury or disease attacks, is because it's much easier to rest in the Holy Spirit's finished works for a stranger than for themselves. When 'trouble' is that close to home, there are too many questions, condemnation, worry etc going on in their minds.

But with faith, no is not an option; the only possibility you see is your goal. With faith, you run with patience, swiftly towards your goal.  With faith, you remain in blessed assurance, the perfect hope in God. Enter into His rest!