December 19, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Personal Testimony Week

Personal Commentary by Phillip Lee

I was born at night, but it wasn’t last night.

Now that the Respect for Marriage Act has been signed into law, by not accepting or affirming same-sex marriage, now places you in the same category as a racist.

Look at the wording for the Respect for Marriage Act: Public Law No: 117-8

This act provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages.

"Specifically, the act replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.)

The act also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages based on sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The act allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations."

My personal commentary…

Apart from the broader goal of legitimizing homosexuality, the alleged aim of all gay rights initiatives, is to protect homosexuals from discrimination based solely on their sexual orientation.

Too often, gay rights are presented and promoted as an issue of civil rights with the gay community likening themselves to African Americans or other minorities who have suffered under discriminatory laws and social policies.

Is such an argument and analogy really justified?

Have homosexuals really been the object of prejudice and discrimination in the same way as African Americans?

The color of one’s skin is not a matter of choice; that is genetically determined. However, homosexual behavior is not genetically determined.

Therefore, it is one thing to say that we believe in civil rights for all regardless of one’s skin color. It is quite another matter to say that we believe in civil rights for all regardless of one’s behavior.

Homosexuals frequently speak of themselves as if their being gay is fundamental to who they are as persons and as a community. Ultimately, they are in effect defining themselves by their gayness. As a result, they set themselves off as a separate class, a group needing, if not demanding, special attention and deference.

Are we as a society really being asked to connect and equate civil rights and homosexual rights as the same?

As a member of the gay community for 17 years, I was never denied the right to vote, own property, or attend the college or university of my choice. History clearly dictates and reflects that African Americans cannot say the same.

Therefore, comparing homosexual rights to the civil rights of African Americans is shallow and ultimately insulting. Homosexuals, as a class, have not suffered discrimination as African Americans.

The attempt to blur the lines that homosexual practice is clearly about morals by comparing a behavior to an issue of civil rights is dishonest and misleading. A significant number of homosexuals do not suffer from economic or other key forms of discrimination as do African Americans.

As citizens of the United States, homosexuals have all the afforded rights extended to every citizen. These fundamental rights include: the right to vote, the First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, and freedom of religion.

Ultimately, there is no socially compelling reason to grant special status to homosexuals and there should be no comparison to the history and present-day of African Americans.

There is no doubt, no question that closely tied to the quest for power by gay activists is their crusade for acceptance, the desire, and demand to gain society’s approval of homosexual behavior.

Homosexuals have the right, as do others, to believe that homosexual behavior should be accepted as normal.

They do not have the right to demand everyone agree with them.

Pastor Phillip Lee
Executive Director
His Way Out Ministries

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Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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December 14, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

An Intense Battle—the Remnant Christian & Remnant Church

Today, anyone who believes in upholding and protecting the Lordship of Christ and the Authority of Scripture, especially its relevance to social issues, as well as offering a defense for sound doctrine will most assuredly find himself in an intense battle.

Articulating Biblical precepts can get you fired, canceled, censored, and possibly even jailed. The demand for dedicated faithful followers of Christ Jesus to be silent is growing.

However, we must never be ashamed of the gospel – and we are told to proclaim its precepts.

If the Christian community is ever to meet the challenge of the relentless pro-gay assault upon the Church and God’s Word, it is essential and imperative the Church recover its purpose and proper place by preaching and teaching the entirety of Scripture as it applies to all of life – which includes the realm of sexual ethics and morals.

For faithful followers of Christ Jesus, following the teachings of Christ and being purposed to reach men and women struggling with same-gender attraction may inflict a tremendous personal challenge, if not a very high price.

However, if we are truly in love with Jesus, our willingness and obedience to go in His Name does not really cost us anything, it is a joy. But it just might cost those who do not know Him or refuse to follow Him a great deal.

Over and over again, I have found that teaching and testifying about a God that saves and delivers from the snare of homosexuality causes many people to have their plans for life upset. The world and its effects have worn away the faith of many. While it is continued to be taught and preached that God can do the impossible, do we still believe that?

When it comes to the issue of homosexuality, the Church has become fractured and viewpoints can differ from church to church, denomination to denomination, and believer to believer.

While some say, “God created some men and women homosexual; acting out sexually doesn’t matter, you are saved by faith and not works; homosexuals were created to be lost; God accepts you where you are and no change is necessary,” each and every one of these misguided false statements flies in the face of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have even tragically heard it said, “the very best a homosexual can hope for is celibacy,” when it comes to change. Is it any wonder the man or woman struggling with homosexuality is often completely confused about the Christian viewpoint? Too often, the individual trying to follow and be obedient to the full Gospel of Christ encounters someone who is there to tell him he doesn’t have to change his life, just change churches. It is far easier to change churches than it is to be obedient and change your attitude and behavior.

As a Christian, I must be obedient and involved in the full purposes of God which will often cause many to be offended. However, being obedient to Jesus never brings dishonor to Him. The only thing that dishonors Him is not obeying Him.

I believe an appropriate question for the Church today regarding homosexuality and related issues is, “Am I being loyal to the notions of Jesus, or loyal to Him?”

Are we, His Church, remaining loyal to what He has clearly stated in His Word regarding homosexuality, or are we trying to find compromises with conceptions that never came from Him?

Helping a man or woman to come out of homosexuality takes a tremendous amount of effort. Frankly, it is much, much easier to say that it simply can’t be done than to embark on a journey that may last for a very long time. Tragically, many have counted the cost and ultimately made the decision that it simply wasn’t worth the effort. However, that never has, nor will it ever minimize God’s power or His sovereignty.

Yes, God is more than able to change our life, but He requires our obedience and participation. Unfortunately, we live in a world today that seeks, if not demands, a simple and natural explanation for just about everything. Anytime we look to the world for definitive answers, we place ourselves on shifting sand.

When a person who was once controlled by his sin is now free from that sin and engaged in a new kind of life pattern, hasn’t change occurred?

Oswald Chambers states in My Utmost for His Highest, “A man is a slave for obeying unless behind his obedience there is recognition of a holy God.” I find it remarkable that God never insists on our obedience, but when we truly know Him, we want to instantly obey Him and live according to His perfect will from sunup to sundown.

Indeed, obedience is much better than sacrifice. However, the wonderful hymn, “I Surrender All,” does not seem to be at the top of the charts today. Today, like never before, God desires that all men and women surrender their sexuality to Him. When anyone is obedient and fully surrenders their life to Him, which includes their sexuality, life will take on new meaning, purpose, and a relationship with God, that many never thought possible, will become a reality. Why? Because God always blesses obedience.

“I tell you the truth unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” (John 12:24-25 NIV)

Today, there remains a remnant being used by God to bring repentance and restoration to men and women with unwanted same-sex attraction. Personally, I continue to hope and pray their example will bring repentance and restoration to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Holiness, godliness, and spiritual discipline should be, must be the distinctive marks of the true Church. Jesus prayed that His people be kept in truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Compromising God’s Word, His Truth, or withholding His Truth only leads to greater unity with the world and not His Church.

As Christians, may we never forget that while our obedience to the Great Commission may cost us personally, the good news of spiritual deliverance through Jesus Christ remains an important and vital resource that Christians must share.

On God’s truth is where a Christian, the Church must stand.

Pastor Phillip Lee
Executive Director
His Way Out Ministries

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Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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December 13, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John (2SoJ)

Wisdom for the Week & Forever

God’s music is not only good for the ears but also for the thirsty soul, the injured spirit, when without strength, and the healing of the body.

I suggest you begin each day with this song, “Who I Am” by Casting Crowns—on the 2003 album Casting Crowns.

It will change your life forever if you begin today!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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December 12, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Walking on Bones

I work on not taking pride in anything I do. God has taught me that great faith requires only humility along with honoring God’s will alone. With His faith in my life, there is peace, and my joy comes in not what I do but what God asks me to do and the suffering that comes along with doing His will. God’s plan for me is— humility to faith to the completion of God’s will.

That is why I walk on bones. I not only see them under my feet, but I hear the sound of bones breaking as I walk over dry, aged, and bleached bones. That sound brings me hope and strength to see the future of the Body of Christ.

My good friend, David Hauser, West Coast Regional Director of Healing Rooms (IAHR), spoke to me about Ezekiel’s vision and prophecy of the valley of bones (Ezekiel 37:1-14, KJV). This Scripture is not only for Israel but the Body of Christ. David’s willingness to share with me opened the door for God to speak to me.

37 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley, which was full of bones,

2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves and bring you into the land of Israel.

13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

This will be fulfilled in California. Almost all the past revivals in America have begun and/or taken place in California in the past 100-plus years. There are so many prophecies that have been only partially or not fulfilled during that time frame; you and I cannot number them—many were not recorded but have only an oral history. (Personal note: revivals and judgment always come together, just as it states in Scripture, we see this manifested in America’s religious history.)

It is God who is faithful and what the Holy Spirit will do will not only usher in the Second Coming of Christ but also the Judgment of the Lamb of God. You will see these verses fulfilled with such force and intensity that the Body of Christ will be amazed and frightened.

I might not see the total fulfillment of this passage of Scripture but it along with every other verse in the Bible will be fulfilled, which (I believe) within the next 100 years. I do not have any specific time frame, any day, year, or season, only the Father knows the times and the fulfillment of all things, but His abundant grace has given me wisdom and insight into what is to come. (I trust the Gift of Wisdom more than the Gift of Prophecy during the last days. The Bible supports this claim.)

All things have not, as yet, been placed under Jesus’s feet, nor is every Scripture completely fulfilled in the Bible. Nevertheless, it is getting closer to this fact, we now see the Scriptures being fulfilled almost every day in America. America will have a spiritual awakening, so massive and powerful, I call it the Second Pentecost; Scripture calls it the Latter Rain.

This Rain will cause the Dry Bones to be no more. It is a combination of all past revivals that have taken place, the ‘bones of revivals past’ will be risen from the ground—their dry bones will be made to come alive again. This is the Lord’s doing, and it will be marvelous in our eyes but only for those who can believe Him for it.

Thank you, Jesus, for all you are about to do, and may all glory and praise be given to you alone!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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December 10, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

When Did God Say, “It’s going to be easy.”

The Kingdom of God has never been easy. As the Bible says, “The Kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). It is a fight, a battle, and God does not take prisoners.

With that being said, the battles you and I struggle with are mostly the ‘internal’ varieties. It is the old man/woman within, that gives us the longest and hardest-fought battles, we will ever encounter. Most Christians have to transition from internal to external battles.

Remembers this rule: “You only have one problem and that is being spiritual (or Christ-like)”. As Jesus told Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith will not fail you.” Or, if you need another example here is Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

We do not fight against flesh & blood as the Bible says but against powers of darkness and every evil thing. Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

So, your battle is against evil on earth and evil in heavenly arenas. If it is not against fleshly things, then swords or guns do not work here, but you need spiritual weapons and spiritual armor. Your bulletproof vest will not help you either. That is why you need the armor of God—the ‘suit for spiritual warfare’. The full armor of God that Christians are called to put on comprises the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:10-18).

This is your and mine battle requirements, and the fight will not be easy. There is no retreat, often no rest, we are always attacked, and our evil foes come in numbers of 6 to 666. It is never a gentleman’s fight or a fair ‘1 on 1’ encounter. There has never been a battle in the Bible that was numerically fair—evil and darkness consider you the enemy. Your enemy hates you and would like you dead not only spiritually but physically as well.

You will be hated, and you will be spoken of as being evil, lying, deceitful, and untruthful person. Christians are hated just like Jewish people. As the Bible states, “We are as sheep for the slaughter.” Jesus said you would be persecuted and hated by all people, but He said you need to rejoice—you have a great reward. Matthew 5:12, “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

It’s time to rumble! If you are not hated, you are not in the fight God called you to. If you are not persecuted, you are doing something wrong. If you are not ‘suiting-up’ with armor, you will not win the battle. You need to be humble as a lamb but as dangerous as a serpent and lion. This is what God has called all His people to do—to fight and win

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December 6, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Time to Choose, Stand up, & Fight

Satan wants you to lose your joy, get discouraged, and give up. God wants you to be happy that your sins are forgiven, to choose Him (faith) over all other options, and become an army of the Gospel of Righteousness with your brothers & sisters in the Body of Christ.

There is not much one can trust today. No one is truthful or tries to create joy and confidence in so many of our traditional institutions. When was the last time your favorite news outlet created a warm and genuine sense of well-being and an abundance of joy?

Good news is hard to come by in the USA. What is created is fear, worry, and hate. This is exactly what Satan wants you to hear 24/7. Where is the ‘good-news’? You will only find it within Christians and those Christians that live-out their faith where they live and work.

You will not find good-news in our schools, governmental buildings, courts of law, or medical organizations. In America it is about the love of money, controlling what we know, and being anti-Jesus Christ.

I will rather be happy! I like loving people more than money. I work on learning more about Jesus and less what news outlets want me to know. I like being anti-evil and against everything, Satan promotes through people. This is what makes me happy and indeed stronger every day.

With all the evil coming and now all over the earth and also God’s judgment over His creation, it is still Jesus that makes me happy and gives me strength. Remember the church in the Book of Revelation, they had little strength, which means little joy, but that is enough to keep you and make us overcomers in the Body of Christ. Just a little of God’s joy in our lives is more than all the evil Satan can throw at us in any given situation.

Be joyful today and tell Jesus you are thankful—then watch miracles happen!

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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December 4, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

A Look Into the Future

What I am about to share with you scares me. I might not be 100% correct but there is nothing personal in what I am telling you that will profit me in any way. I do not look for credit, honor, or respect because of what I say. It comes out of obedience to the Father, and it is the Holy Spirit’s job to show you the truth in my words and what you should do. Please pray about this message and if the Holy Spirit convicts you of any truth in my words, then immediately do what God is asking of you…be faithful and passionate.

Almost seven years ago God spoke to me and said, “Eight years, no ten.” I was praying about what is to come and how much time we had to prepare before things got very bad. I wanted to know what to do and what to expect. This was the time before the election between Trump and Clinton. I tried to figure out what God meant by these words and exactly when all of this would take place.

It is a tricky business when God speaks to us about future events. I always wait and hope to hear from others in the Body of Christ. If God is speaking to me, He is usually speaking the same words to others. I like verification & agreement among the saints. I do not consider myself a prophet to any degree, but one does not need to be a prophet to hear from God and to be given words or visions. There is way too much ‘hype’ being given to so-called prophets and apostles in the Body of Christ. Ministers are trying to become ‘somebodies’ through their ministries instead of becoming more of a ‘nobody’. They are no good to the Body of Christ and should not be given much respect.

God has called us to humility and servanthood—this is the path to much faith—the path to fame is not the path God has called us to. Nevertheless, we need each other, and it is in the unity of the Spirit, not in giving each other honor or self-recognition that will make the Body of Christ strong. My calling in God is not for me but for others, and I cannot minister to others if I think I am greater or better than others. This is an anti-christ spirit and is what Satan would want us to do. What I am about to say needs others to judge and search the mind of God. Truth is found in unity, humility, and abiding in the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I believe this is what God was telling me.

1. America and maybe the whole world has ‘eight years’ before an economic depression (some sort of a recession) comes upon us all. This should happen and be completed within the next two-three years.

2. In ‘ten years’ comes a total collapse of our economies–at the end of the next 2 to 3 years. A depression like we have never experienced. What I believe causes this is not monetary or financial but natural disasters. These natural disasters will be ‘the straw that breaks the camel’s back’ and the negative forces already in our economy causing a recession to completely give way.

3. Therefore, we all need to get out of debt, become self-sufficient, and be able to grow some food and have good water to drink. Natural disasters will be life-threatening and many people will die.

4. California will be hardest hit, most of the state will become inhabitable and unable to sustain itself. This alone would break the US economy and force us into a depression.

5. Why does this happen? It is because of its sin. California not only has refused all the revivals God has given it over the past 100 years, but its sin has grown to such depths that it has promoted and glorified its sin throughout the whole world. Our problem is nothing more that our sin which we have not repented of no matter what God does to help us avoid His judgment.

6. It is God’s judgment upon our nation which will destroy what we now have. It is our sin that is the cause of all the trouble we will soon face within three years. (The details of what will happen to CA I will save for another time, but it will be great and frightening.)

7. As God judged Israel in 70 A.D. so God will be judging our nation shortly. Your only escape will be to escape into the arms of God. The Latter Rain/the Second Pentecost is your only hope. You need to prepare now! Not only will your life depend on it but the lives of your family as well.

So, you do not have much time and you will need to prepare. The antichrist (Satan, the beast) will appear after the whole world collapses—however much time it takes for all nations to give up and no one wants to be a leader of any country. Satan will now arise and do miracles to help people that are left but only if everyone receives the mark of the beast on their life. There are people that have the mark now, I have seen it often already, but the world has not completely collapsed. America’s fall will begin to come within 4-years. So, get in love with Jesus and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. (More about this later.)

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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November 30, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

A Personal Note

A personal note is needed before I give you a look into the future. God has been busy in my life during the past year. He has been pushing me ‘to see what He sees’ and believe in His truths with more passion and commitment on my part.

All of this can only take place with a spirit of brokenness, repentance, and humility on my part. It is never easy coming to grips with the truth; it requires taking an honest, detailed look at oneself—who we are and why we do things. The closer I come to God the more I dislike myself, but to be without His love is unimaginable to me. I will rather be in the presence of God than to be anywhere else.

God told me recently that, and I quote, “I am waiting for you.” God loves me so much He has patience for me and waiting for me to complete the tasks He has placed before me. I am frightened by what is coming. The Book of Revelation is not a fairytale book of stories but what we will be facing –the fulfillment of every verse of the Bible.

The Bible has ‘opened up’ to me with a freshness and insight into the Scriptures—wisdom I have never realized before. God is pushing me to pray more, to use faith more (my response to the will of God), and to ‘pick-up my cross each day’ no matter the cost to me personally. He reminds me that if I have pride in what I do, even if it is a good and honorable deed, there is no reward for me in heaven. God wants me to have zero pride and consider myself ‘an unworthy servant’ and do all things with humility never prideful.

This is where I am finding myself. When I follow His direction and purposes then spiritual things begin to happen in my life. I understand that all things have a spiritual component and a connection to God’s purposes and the working of the Holy Spirit. We indeed have only one problem—that is being spiritual as Jesus was always doing God’s will and never taking credit for the will of the Father.

So, what I am about to write to you in a couple of days comes from seeing Jesus hanging upon the cross, seeing Him absent in the tomb, and taking to Him while walking along the paths of life after His death and resurrection.

The Lamb of God is about to return to earth, and it is the wrath of the Lamb that the whole world will be rejoicing in or deathly afraid of. We have this choice—believe in Jesus or be judged by Jesus, this is our only choice.

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What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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November 29, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Guest article by Rick Joyner, on having patience

Rick Joyner states, “Patience is crucial to inheriting the promises and being in God’s will. Consequently, I have tried to turn “waiting” into special opportunities to “enter His gates with thanksgiving” (see Psalm 100:4) and get closer to Him. We are told “in everything give thanks” (see I Thessalonians 5:18), so I have especially tried to use unexpected delays to thank Him for the delays, so I can learn more patience. It works!

Since thanksgiving is how we enter His gates and presence, and since we are told in Psalm 16:11, in Hispresence is fullness of joy, if we are thankful for the delays, this can lead to unfathomable joy in His presence. In this increasingly dark and fearful world, the joy of God’s people is a great and desperately needed light. In Isaiah 40:31 we are given another remarkable benefit for learning patience:

Those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.

This “new strength” we gain by learning to wait on the Lord is His strength that comes from abiding in Him. With His strength, we can run and not get tired, and walk and not get weary. We can even soar like eagles and see the world from a much higher place. In fact, we “can do all things through Christ who strengthens” us (see Philippians 4:13).

As we have discussed over the last two weeks, our impatience can cost us far more than we realize. However, patience can also profit us far more than we realize.

As a pilot and flight instructor, I was in the business of time. People fly planes because they want to get somewhere fast. Still, if they do not take the necessary time for preflight inspections and preparations, they may not arrive at all. As a professional pilot who taught other pilots for years, I saw pilots who would gradually become more careless (care-less) in their preflight inspections, and some paid the ultimate price. Sometimes saving a few minutes can cost us everything.

I am sure few have considered that obeying speed limits can add years to their lives, and not just by avoiding accidents. I wear a device that measures my vital statistics. So, I decided to monitor my stress levels by traveling ten miles over the speed limit, versus five miles over the speed limit, versus going the speed limit. I monitored these many times over many trips. To my amazement, my stress level traveling ten miles over the speed limit was between 30 and 50 percent higher than traveling the speed limit.

Having more stress is just one of those things that can shorten your life by weakening your heart and immune systems. Depending on how much we drive, this added stress can not only significantly shorten our lives but also cause us to be much more tired and less productive. To add this much stress to our lives to save a few minutes here and there can cost us more than we realize.

Living faster does not equate to living a better or more productive life and can have an enormous impact on our longevity. Likewise, as we have addressed in Hebrews 6:12, it takes faith and patience to inherit the promises. Our inheritance in Christ can be affected by this. This verse implies that if we have faith without patience, we could miss our inheritance. Patience is a profound demonstration of faith. True faith is not in an outcome but in God. How can we have true faith in Him but not trust in His timing?

Again, impatience is not a fruit of the Spirit, and if we let impatience lead us, we are not being led by the Spirit. Being misled in this way can cost us far more than any amount of hurrying has ever saved us. Realizing this, Carl Jung, one of the greatest minds in psychiatry and the greatest thinkers of his time, said, “Hurry is not of the devil; hurry is the devil.”

The devil is the biggest thief, and one of his successful tactics to steal from us is to feed our impatience. We are also told in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” How can we abide in the God of peace and still be driven by impatience? Perhaps this is one of those “gates of hell” through which the devil has access to our lives. How much more fruitful and enjoyable could our lives be if we abide in the God of peace, demonstrated by our patience?” by Rick Joyner, Nov 8, 2022, Choices, Part 25.

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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November 28, 2022 WWJWMTD by Steve, the son of John

Guest article by Phillip Lee, on relationships Phillip writes, "…although healing many people of their physical ailments, Jesus often indicated that the forgiveness of their sins was the true gift." Even those with limited knowledge of the Bible will remember that Jesus was scorned and ridiculed for spending time with what was considered the “worst” sinners and the most “unclean” people of His day. However, Jesus was always determined to focus on those who had the deepest need for Him. As He said, “He was sent not for the healthy, but for the sick,” (Matthew 9:12) and He had little tolerance for those who failed to see their own brokenness. Clearly, Jesus hung out with sinners. He dined with prostitutes and tax collectors. He interacted with adulterers and harlots. He touched those who were ravaged by socially unacceptable diseases. Simply loving them, He listened as much or more than He talked, and His compassion for them and His understanding of their hurt was clear. If we are to reach the individuals struggling with same-gender attraction or the gay community, we must do the same. A very simple scanning of the gospels offers a good picture of several attitudes and actions that characterize Jesus’ way of relating to those who did not know Him and who were lost in their sin. Jesus routinely broke religious and cultural boundaries. Jesus healed people on the Sabbath, He entered the homes of undesirable people, and He spoke publicly to people the religious leaders ignored. Clearly, Jesus sacrificed tradition and reputation for the sake of the lives He sought to impact. Boy, now there’s a lesson: being more attentive and mindful about our character rather than our reputation. Jesus began His interaction with sinners by loving them first. In other words, he had a genuine love for them and wanted to get to know them. Remember? If we are going to be effective in speaking into an individual’s life, we must first establish relationship. Jesus was all about building relationships with sinners. Certainly, Jesus, being Jesus, had quicker relational success than we might have, but His example in getting to know people and letting them see Him is vital for our evangelism efforts. Jesus physically touched people. In other words, He wasn’t afraid to get a bit dirty. He touched lepers, blind people, and prostitutes. Frankly, I believe physical touch was Jesus’ physical manifestation of His love for people. In His day, it was considered unclean to even be in proximity with such people. His own disciples often tried to keep “those people” away from Him. But Jesus not only didn’t avoid those people, He sought them out. And it was His touch that healed them both physically and spiritually. Jesus offered people something better than their sin. He pulled their attention away from their sin and enabled them to consider and focus on what He could give. He told the woman at the well that He had living water, and then He offers her Himself. After He saved the adulterous woman from being stoned, He offered her freedom from condemnation. After the harlot anointed His feet, He forgave her sin and saved her for eternity. Now, catch this. While Jesus healed many people of their physical ailments, He often indicated that the forgiveness of their sins was the true gift, even more so than the physical healing they so desired. If we are going to reach the homosexual community, we must offer them something better than their sin. Jesus’ own examples provide us with several practical tools for reaching our gay and lesbian friends, neighbors, etc. First, please take this to heart – you have permission to love your gay friends or family members. And, frankly, you have more than permission, you have a mandate from the Lord.” Pastor Phillip Lee Executive Director His Way Out Ministries WWJWMTD What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

This e-mail, including attachments, may include confidential and/or proprietary information, and may be used only by the person or entity to which it is addressed. If the reader of this e-mail is not the intended recipient or his or her authorized agent, the reader is hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this e-mail is prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender by replying to this message and delete this e-mail immediately.