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Having Patience While Perfecting the Saints
Bishop Oprie Jeffries–Overseer of the True Church
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How do you show patience to the Saints who refuse to obey the word? |
Bishop |
Suffering comes along with patience. God is not slack concerning his promises but is long suffering to us wards not that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. What that was saying is that you have to have patience to wait on God for different things that you want God to do for you. A lot of times people want God to do things for them but they don’t have the patience to wait. Suffering will always come along with some kind of patience. This is Paul talking to the people in II Thessalonians 1:3-4 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure. When we talk about patience we are talking about tribulations and the things that you would endure. That is why Paul gives this ordinance to show how you would glory in the things that people are doing in the church.
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How would you show patience when dealing with a hard head member? |
Bishop |
In dealing with someone who is hard to understand, the patience would have to come from me. I would have to have patience with the individual, to go to the individual, to talk to the individual and be humble like the Bible says the Bishop has to be humble. It goes on to say that the Bishop must be blameless he cannot grow. He cannot be mean or rude to the individual and he must be humble when talking to them. You cannot be demanding. You must be meek and humble to deal with the person with that problem. |
What is spiritual patience? |
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Bishop |
Spiritual patience is a person waiting on the Lord. They must repent and be baptized and then they shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That means a person who has patience can’t just look for the Holy Ghost when he gets baptized or just rise up and the Holy Ghost come on him. So therefore he has to have a waiting period and learn things as he goes through. The scripture says the Holy Ghost is given to those who obey him. You have to learn how to obey the scriptures that way the spirit comes through. Jesus said in St. John 6:63, It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. So those words have to be spoken unto the person in a spiritual manner. You have to show the humbleness and meekness that is in you. The person has to show that in order to talk to the individual who might be out of control or does not know how to control himself. If an individual is out of order in some area then we must be humble in order to go to that individual to correct them. Patience must be in the person.
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Can you think of a personal experience where you have shown patience? |
Bishop |
A young lady calls me quite often saying that people talk about her. It’s hard for me to know what to say to her but no matter how many times she calls I can’t be harsh with her. I try to understand the best I can. I talk to her real humble and with a quiet spirit. |
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Were you always a patient man? |
Bishop |
You get practice as you do things. You must practice at being patient. |
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The Importance of Patience While Raising Children
Elder Marvin Jones, Sr. – Pastor of Augusta & Burke County
When I think of this subject, I think of tolerance and endurance with self control. It is healthy to be able to go through your early life as a child without the responsibility of providing for your very existence. I allow my mind to go back a few seconds and my first thought is to consider that I was once a child. I too possessed childish ways. From time to time in raising my children, I saw my own childish ways being reincarnated in some of them. Being that I knew the end results of their actions (as was mine) would be that of sorrow and regret, It was now my responsibility as an adult to intervene before things got out of control. As much as we strive to treat everyone the same, it is not so when it comes to our children. I use the same spiritual and moral principal, but my children all had different ways. The same principals applied in Proverbs 22:5 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”. I still dealt with them differently. In some cases talking worked, but not in all. Proverbs 3:12 “For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth”. How much more we who are assigned the task of raising children.
My Sister-in law has a saying that “children are little people”. Matthew 7: 12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to then:” No one deserves to be abused or mistreated. Showing love is the key. I always leave my children with the frame of mind that they can always talk to me. I have an open door policy. That’s my story.
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Having Patience with an Illness
Elder Emmitt Robinson, Jr. - Pastor of Savannah
We as Saints must have patience during our time of illness. James 1:2-4, does not say if we face trials, but when we face them. He assures we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. When we have illness in our lives, we should have a positive outlook because of the results trials will bring. James tells us to turn out hardship into time of learning. Illnesses come to teach us patience. We do not know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. Our illness or suffering comes sometime so that God can make us mature and complete ("perfect"). We should look at it as opportunities for growth, thanking God for promising to be with us in rough times.
1Peter 4:12-13,tells us that: Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happen unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed , ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. We should not let our illness or suffering take us away from God. It should draw us closer to him. For God demonstrates his power through our suffering that others might have hope. Many have already made it through life, enduring far more difficult circumstances than I have experienced. Suffering is the training ground for Christian maturity. It develops our patience and makes our final victory sweet ("Eternal life with Jesus"). I have been through many trials in my life that has taught me how to wait on God. The things I have suffered have built up my faith in the Lord. As a Saint, I thank God for knowing that he is always with me. King David said he is on my right side and my left side, he is always walking before me; oh what a mighty God we serve. For he will carry us through every valley and help us climb every mountain. Be blessed in Jesus name!
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Having Patience while dealing with difficult people
Elder Gregory Adams, Sr. - Pastor of Deliverance Temple
In life we are confronted with different people with all kind of attitudes who are always difficult to work with or be around. They expect us to deal with them and their unpleasant attitude. As saints, we are supposed to deal with them. The following have been said – “ I’m not going to let nobody disrespect me”; “I don’t want to be around them”; “ I won’t go around them; “My pastor told me that if someone kills my dog, I should kill their cat”. The question is ”WWJD” What Would Jesus Do? Let the truth be told, not man’s mouth. The scriptures remind us in Romans 12:20 if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give drink: In doing so thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. In Hebrews 10:30- for we know him that hath said Vengeance belong to me, I will recompense, said the Lord. We do not render to people the same negative spirit, because as people of God (Christians) we are taught according to James 1:4 Let Patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Having Patience allows us to deal with people who act out negatively, who are rude and disrespectful. Regardless to how discomforting a situation or person is we should be able to say yes; yes Lord, yes, to your will and to your way. Why yes? Romans 5:3 says, because we glory in tribulation: knowing that tribulation work patience; and patience experience. It has been said that some people are like sand paper, they rub you and rub you. After a while, you are nice and smooth and they are torn and ripped- good for nothing but to be thrown away. As we deal with difficult people let us do as Jesus said in Luke 21:18 In your patience possess you your souls. Be encouraged in knowing that at the end of the day, God will judge you for what you do and others for what they do. Be Blessed!
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The Importance of Patience within a Marriage
By Elder Gary Battle - McDonough Mission
To the ones who desire to build a strong and lasting relationship with deep roots of trust and commitment. A marriage that can say, “Amen” to the statement “… for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health… until death do us part”, there are a few things that come to mind:
Endurance - the ability to go the distance under pressure and uncertainty and stay in there with a good attitude.
- Hopefulness – the scripture reminds us that hope that is seen in is not hope at all, for if you can see a thing why would we need to hope for it, rather we hope for that thing we cannot see clearly.
- Forbearance – loosely stated this is the ability to “put up” with something, maybe some annoyance (habit), or something that grates on the nerves. Perhaps some unlearned skill.
- Longsuffering – To be long spirited, not to faint, don’t give up on, to stay alongside, be empathetic.
- Fortitude – inward strength, character, integrity.
- Long Temper – as opposed to short tempered, self-control (temperance), to stay under control during the battle of in the heat of things.
- Consistency – to remain stable over time, but improving. 2 Peter 3:18 … Grow in grace and in knowledge.
All of these terms can be summed up in one word- Patience. In a marriage, one of the most important characteristics for each to master is that of patience. For this virtue is the glue of bind that holds everything together, even love, because it takes time (patience) for true love to develop. The scripture admonishes us in James 1:4, “… let patience have her perfect work that you may perfect and complete wanting nothing.” The Point here is that it is up to you alone to allow the work that only patience (time) can bring to perfection in your relationship. The key component of patience is not just waiting, but waiting with hopefulness, cheerfulness, and a good attitude.