Advancing Encouragement By:
Bishop James Jr. Hairston

James: 5:7: Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is hard to be patient through hard times, good times or at any time! To be patient wears thin on most people. Patience takes a lot of fortitude and endurance in order to go through something possibly unbearable at times. This world is truly filled with impatience; we have microwaves, fast foods, cell phones, high speed internet and many other fast pace methodologies to get what we want. Who can delay gratification in order to be patient? That is why patience is a work in progress, it takes hard work to be patient and you need the help of the Spirit of God in order to past the test. Before you can even value patience you have to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness, 2Peter 1:5, 6? Patience starts with faith and then you have to add valor and excellence to your faith which is virtue in its meaning in this text. Valor means strength and courage of excellence that leads to knowledge meaning by now you have learned how to use your faith with courage and strength in the Lord. In addition, now you have developed self control or temperance because of your knowledge of faith in the courage to be strong in the Lord no matter what you are going through that leads you to be patient. Peter said patience is like a farmer working his fields while he waits for the precious fruit to harvest. Therefore, I believe that the farmer starts out with faith which in his faith he developed valor that established knowledge of how to use his faith in courage to be strong to empower him to have self-control and by then the farmer has patience and longsuffering while waiting for his harvest! He knew that the Lord would rain down on him so he could produce a harvest; it is like waiting on the Lord to deliver you out of sufferings, afflictions, hard times, persecutions or whatever you are going through, you know that the Lord is coming to rescue you. Yet, what is even more important than that is the waiting upon Jesus Christ return for the Rapture. However, today be patient in the coming of the Lord for all the things He has in-store for you first in this life and in the life to come in Jesus Name...

James Jr. Hairston