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| Beth in the audience. |
Then click on Read more.....for my notes from the event.
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And now my rough notes: James 5:7-11 7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
When was the last really big rain in your life?
We live in between rains.
What do we do in the wait?
Eight for the Wait
1. EMBRACE THE WORD YOU LOVE TO HATE.
James 5:7-8a
Patient --- Is there a word you love to hate more?
This culture is NOT training us to wait!
makrothymeo - entails bearing up with people
hypomone - entails bearing up with circumstances
perseverence
You are called by God for this generation to bring you to a place you can produce much fruit.
If you're a QUITTER, you'll never fulfill your destiny.
Do not give up
The harvest is coming
It's going to take endurance. Pressing through!
2. SEE THE SACRED IN THE SIMPLE WHILE YOU WAIT
Isaiah 6:3 "......the whole earth is full of His glory."
His specialty: to take that which is common and sanctify it.
James 5:7 "See how the farmer waits.........."
a sacred place - where your focus is all on the Lord.......
All while waiting for the big move from God.
Living is messy!
"See how the farmer waits for the land to yield it's valuable (precious) crop.
v. 8 Stand firm.
Strengthen your heart.
Confirm your heart.
3. GO LOOK FOR YOUR HEART WHERE IT GOT LOST.
Your hands will always follow your heart. Commit to get heart back in it. Where did it get lost?
Deuteronomy 11:13-14 13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil.
Hosea 6:3 "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
Put your heart back n it. He will send rain.
4. WATCH FOR RELATIONSHIPS A LONG WAIT CAN COST.
The longer the wait endures
The more relationships suffer.
Must turn tenaciously towards God
(or will turn on one another).
Mockery in the lost world about the delay or return of Christ. Cynicism is rampant.
A the wait goes on, we beome more and more callous to it - when we lose the mentality of : HE is right here! Right at the crack in the door. Guard against cynicism!
**We are so prone to give our opinion instantly,
without having a night to think it over.
The religious debate out there ---- ltos of mudslinging-----dishonorable to our God.
Speak the truth:
- in love, with respect
- an honest debate is not the grumbling
- go in the Spirit to go to a brother/sister in love
Here are five top reasons not to get cynical:
1) Because Jesus is still changing lives.
2) Real people are doing REAL things all over the real world.
- people you'll never hear about 'til heaven.
- faithful people all over the world, oblivious to the noise
3) A passion
for God's Word
is spreading
like wild fire!
4)Some long standing barriers are breading down.
How rare this would have been 50 years ago---to come together
like this to study the Bible
-from all denominations.
charismatics and non-charismatics
calvinists and non- calvinists
etc.
5) Because God will kick your tail!
-a cynic never realizes he's getting a divine tail kicking.
- if you're in a mode of discipline or chastisement, the only way to end it is to realize it!
- if you are cynical about any of the persons
on the platform at your church. God will not like it! Repent.
v.9 Don't grumble! Unexpressed feelings of resentment or expressed through a groan or a sigh. sometime it is "that look". Not talking about an honest complaint!
Romans 8:26 "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirt Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
- not to do our groanings with one another
- we have things to groan aoubt and the freedom to groan about them.
- bring your groanings to God "turn to Me--not to one another"
James 5:16-17 "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!"
5. PRAY! BELIEVING THAT YOUR RAIN IS NEAR.
1 Kings 18:41-46 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. “Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’” Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.
Pray.
Not arrogant, where everyone can hear it.
Down, with head between knees, humbling.
6. STUDY THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO PERSEVERED.
hypodeigme (hoo-pah-daya-ma) - model
We count as blessed those who have endured. But we are scared to death to be one of them!
We love a great story. We just don't want to be one.
Picture your great grand child some day telling your story.
Beth says "sometimes I felt I was not worth living outside the cycle of defeat. But my children were worth it. My harvest is farmed for more people than me."
God is not unjust.
He will not forget your work.
The work you have shown to His people.
Gotten Lazy? Get going again! Pay the price!
God promises lots. and through patience and faith you will see it.
"the prodigal" in this time of invitation, He has run to you.
Do we live in the reality of the fresh annointing of His forgiveness?
James 5:11 "As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."
Job 42: 1-5 "Then Job answered the Lord and said: I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be twarted.
3 Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?
Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Hear, and I will speak; I will question You, and You will make it known to me!
I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear. but now my eye sees You."
7. TRUST THAT GOD WILL CAUSE YOUR EYES TO SEE.
Isaiah 46:10 " ...declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet undone, saying 'My counsel shall stand, and i will accomplish all my purpose."
*Knows the end from the beginning
*He knows the spring rain from the autumn rain.
"He is jealous for me"
Job 19:25-27 "For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last He will stand upon the earth
And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself
and my eyes shall behold, and not another
my heart faints within me!"
Psalm 138:8 "The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your steadfast love O Lord, endures forever.
do not forsake the work of Your hands."
Philippians 1:6 "and I am sure of this,
that He who began a good work in You
will bring it to completion
at the day of Jesus Christ."
*HE WILL PERFECT THAT WHICH CONCERNS YOU.
*YOU CAN TRUST YOUR PEOPLE WITH HIM WHEN YOU DIE.
James 5:11 "Behold we consider those blessed who remain steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful."
**full of compassion and mercy
8. ALL THAT HE'S BEEN, YOUR GOD WILL ALWAYS BE.
Healer
Redeemer
Provider
*Anything you have in your history with God, you still have.
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