There are many things that can keep you out of Heaven; but in this message, I want to focus on one thing many Christians lack that can cause them to fail in this final hour. I want to start by going to the story of the rich, young ruler. He went to Jesus and asked, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life (Matthew 19:16)? That young man wanted to know what it would take for him to inherit eternal life; so Jesus answered him, Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother (Mark 10:19).

After that answer, the young man was probably feeling pretty good about himself because he knew he had obeyed all those commandments from his youth; so he asked Jesus, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet (Matthew 19:20)? He wanted to make sure that nothing in his life would keep him from receiving eternal life.

Jesus answered him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions (Mark 10:21,22). Jesus had uncovered his weakness—his trust in his wealth. That one thing would keep him from receiving eternal life.

The man then walked away empty-handed, not because he had wealth but because he put that wealth ahead of God. After the man left, Jesus told the disciples, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God (Mark 10:24,25). Jesus was showing the disciples that just one thing could keep a person out of Heaven.

Saul’s Journey for Lost Donkeys

Friend, you may now be thinking you are off the hook because you’re not rich and trusting in your wealth, but that is not the one thing I want to bring before you in this message. The one thing I want to talk about can be found in this scripture: In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19). Without patience, you will never be able to maintain your soul in Jesus Christ; and you can even lose possession of your soul to the devil.

King Saul is a great example of this. Before he became king, he at one time set out on a journey to find his father’s lost donkeys. He traveled many miles over several days but could not find them. Then he decided that he and his servants should turn back. He didn’t want his father to have to leave the other donkeys he was taking care of to look for him.

The servant then pointed out to Saul that they were close to where Samuel, the man of God, was; and he suggested they go and see if he knew anything about the lost donkeys. Saul agreed; and when they found Samuel, he said the donkeys had been found. As they were getting ready to leave, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on,) but stand thou still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God (I Samuel 9:27).

Signs of God for Saul

Saul stayed; and when it came time for him to leave, Samuel anointed his head with oil and gave him a list of signs that would take place on his journey home. First, two men would come to him and tell him that the lost donkeys had been found. Then they would go on to say, Thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son (I Samuel 10:2)?

Second, he would meet three men on their way to Bethal to worship God. And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands (I Samuel 10:4).

The last sign was that Saul would meet a company of prophets playing musical instru-ments; and Samuel told him, They shall prophesy: And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man (I Samuel 10:5,6).

Lastly, Samuel instructed him, And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do (I Samuel 10:7,8).

Saul Got Ahead of God

Saul knew his father was worried about him; but instead of rushing home, he followed the man of God’s instructions. When you have patience, you will not rush ahead of God; you will wait until He tells you what your next step should be. You will calmly bear hardship, misfortune, provocation or any annoyance without complaints; and you won’t let anyone or anything persuade you to do something that will take you out of God’s divine will for your life. So many people have made bad decisions because of trying to please others instead of God.

After Saul did become king and had reigned for two years, the Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel. When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits (I Samuel 13:6).

At that time, Saul was in Gilgal; and he was supposed to wait seven days for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice unto the Lord. Saul knew that the people were scattered from him, so he became impatient and took matters into his own hands and offered his own sacrifice.

And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering (I Samuel 13:10-12). Saul had forced himself to do something he shouldn’t have done.

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue…because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee (I Samuel 13:13,14). When you don’t have a heart for God, you will lack the patience to do God’s will and obey His commandments.

Saul Failed to Wait on God

Friend, do you wait on the Lord for His divine direction, or do you become impatient and get ahead of God? Do you make decisions according to what you think is right instead of what God thinks is right? Your decisions may seem like a good idea at the time, but are they what God wants for your life?

Saul’s decision was the wrong decision at that time, and it cost him the Kingdom of Israel. Saul’s life then continued to go downhill, and God became so disappointed in him that He could no longer use Saul in any great way. God said to Samuel, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night (I Samuel 15:11).

King Saul had started off so strong in the Lord, but it didn’t end that way for him. What matters in life is how you finish the race. Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit (Ecclesiastes 7:8). King Saul’s ego got the best of him, and he got ahead of God. Friend, don’t let the same thing happen to you.

Patience Requires Divine Love

Having divine patience in your walk with the Lord is so important, but you will never have it unless you learn to love and trust the Lord with your whole heart. The Bible says, Charity suffereth long (I Corinthians 13:4). Love is patient; so if you lack patience, you lack love.

The Bible says, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength (Mark 12:30). When you have that kind of love, you will have complete trust and faith in God and in His directions for your life.

We all need to continue to grow in the Lord and to add more faith to our lives. Peter said, And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:5-8). You must add patience to your faith, or you will become barren and unfruitful.

James said, But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing (James 1:4). Will you let patience have her perfect work in your life?

Content in God

You will know you have perfect patience when you are content in whatever situation you may be in just as Paul was. For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content (Philippians 4:11). Being content means you’re satisfied and fulfilled, not depressed, unhappy, upset or complaining. The Lord wants you to be patient and content and trust Him so He can turn everything around in your life.

Let’s go back to Saul. Do you think it was by chance that Saul’s father’s donkeys were lost and Saul had to go find them? I’m sure his father had plenty of servants he could have sent to look for those donkeys. Do you think it was by chance that Saul found Samuel while he was on his journey? God was in complete control of that situation, and He worked it out according to His will.

God will also create situations in your life that will lead you to where He wants you to be if you are patient. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). If you lack patience, you won’t claim this scripture for yourself.

Job Had Divine Patience

Job was one of the greatest examples in the Old Testament of someone who endured great tribulation with patience. Both he and his wife went through so much. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to lose all of your children in one day, but Job’s wife did not have patience to wait for the Lord to comfort her and give her divine direction; and she said to Job, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die (Job 2:9). To be able to make that statement, she had probably already cursed God in her own heart.

Job, however, did not give up on God; and he said to his wife, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil (Job 2:10)? Job was able to make it through that trial because he had great, divine patience.

Jesus said, In the world ye shall have tribulation (John 16:33). Will you let patience have her perfect work in your life? If not, you are likely to say or do something you will later regret; and it may end up costing you your soul.

Watching and Waiting for Jesus

Christians have been waiting for about 2000 years for the promise of the second coming of Jesus to be fulfilled, but you can’t allow yourself to lose sight of it. You must see the signs of Christ’s return all around you in this world today and not become like one of the scoffers Peter mentioned when he said, Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation (II Peter 3:3,4).

Every member of the Bride of Christ will stand in their place with perfect patience no matter what anyone says or does, trusting that Jesus Christ is coming back for His Bride. Let me remind you again of this scripture: In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).

The Holy Spirit is the one who will guide you and give you the patience and self-control you need to wait on God, but many Christians do not yield to His help. When the journey gets a little rough, they get impatient and miss blessings they could have because they don’t wait on God.

Face Storms God’s Way

As you can see, patience is a very important ingredient in your life; so be careful with it. If you become irritable, restless or anxious, you're in danger of losing or may have already lost your patience. Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6,7). Notice that the peace of God will keep not only your heart in Christ Jesus but also your mind.

When you patiently wait on the Lord for His direction in your life, you will have perfect peace even when the storms of life are raging all around you. How do you handle yourself when you are battling a storm? Are you thrown off balance and afraid, or do you have perfect peace? Do you forget that Jesus is your safety, and He cares what happens to you; or do you rest patiently in Him?

The disciples had the privilege of being with Jesus so much, but they forgot that He was their safety when they were out on the sea in the middle of a raging storm. There arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he [Jesus] was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (Mark 4:37-39).

Jesus was not fearful and caught up in the storm; He was full of divine peace and fast asleep. The disciples didn’t have that perfect peace, so they became impatient and even accused Jesus of not caring for them. When you have divine patience, you will not just appear to be calm on the outside; you will also be calm on the inside as you wait for your deliverance to come.

The Israelites Failed Many Times

The Israelite people missed many blessings because they would not patiently wait on the Lord and trust Him to take care of them. God gave them signs and wonders to prove that He would take care of them; but when it became rough in the wilderness and there were hurdles in their way, they began to grumble and complain. No matter what God did for them, they were never satisfied.

When the Egyptian army was coming after the Israelites, God parted the Red Sea so they could cross on dry land. He then stopped holding the waters back when the enemy was in the midst of the sea, and they all drowned. That great miracle should have proved to the people that God was with them and protecting them, but they quickly forgot.

Later, the people were very thirsty, and the waters were bitter. Again, they grumbled and complained. Even so, the LORD shewed him [Moses] a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Exodus 15:25).

When the Israelites were hungry and had no food to eat, did they pray and ask God to provide for them? No. They grumbled and complained to Moses, but God still gave them bread from Heaven to eat. God provided every need for those people, but they wouldn’t trust Him with their whole heart.

There was another time when the Israelites didn’t have any water, and they got so angry with Moses that they were ready to stone him. After all the sacrifices he had made for them, they wanted to kill him. And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink (Exodus 17:5,6).

The Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land was not easy, so God was trying to prove to them that He would take care of them. Unfortunately, they kept failing the tests.

Be a Good Testimony

God is proving us daily just as He did the Israelites to see if we will patiently wait upon the Lord. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth (Psalm 37:7-9).

Because of impatience, the testimony the Israelites left behind was very sad. What kind of testimony are you leaving behind? Do you lose your patience and say things that are not edifying? Do you grumble and complain? The Lord may still be able to bless you at times, but think of how much more He could bless you if you would patiently wait on Him. But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).

The Israelites lost sight of the Promised Land again and again because they let the trials and tribulations of their journey take them over instead of yielding to God. You will have all the strength you need on this journey if you will just patiently wait on the Lord and never lose sight of your destination. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) (Hebrews 10:23).

You may feel that you can lose your patience and then just repent, and everything will be fine; but one of these days, you may lose your patience and not have time to repent. No matter how many valleys you have to go through in this life, you can’t afford to lose sight of Rapture ground.

Receive the Holy Ghost

If you don’t have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the devil wants you to think you have plenty of time to receive Him; but that is not the case in this late hour. If you really love and trust the Lord, you will seek the Holy Ghost with your whole heart. Jesus said, Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

Are you willingly and patiently seeking and waiting for the fire of the Holy Ghost to come down and baptize you, or are you impatient and not willing to spend much time at the altar? The Holy Spirit wants to come in and baptize you, but you have to tarry until He comes.

What if the 120 who had gathered together in the Upper Room waiting for the promise of the Holy Ghost to arrive had not patiently tarried? What if they had been worried about the night coming and had decided to go home? Thankfully, those disciples were patient and knew the importance of receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

It’s not up to you to decide when the Holy Ghost is going to come in; the Holy Ghost decides that. If you think you can get the Holy Ghost whenever you want to, you’re full of arrogance. The Holy Ghost will only come into a vessel that is full of love, praise, humility and divine patience.

Learn to Suffer with Christ

It takes great patience to suffer with Christ, and Peter reminds us how important it is to be able to do that. For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously (I Peter 2:19-23).

Jesus is our example. He hung on the Cross with great patience and gave His life for you and me. Cruel men whipped Him, beat Him and pressed a crown of thorns into His head. People mocked Him and spit on Him, yet He hung there so we could be free of our sins. He had the power to have come down at any time, and He could have called upon a legion of angels to rescue Him; but He didn’t. What love…what humility…what divine patience.

We don’t know what we will have to face in this final hour. We may have to suffer and endure like the Early Church disciples did. We may have to put our lives on the line again and again; but as true bridal company members, we must do it while patiently waiting for God to have His will in our lives.

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us (II Timothy 2:12). It’s your choice either to reign with Christ or be denied by Christ. If you have divine patience, you will endure any suffering just like Jesus did when He went to the Cross.

It’s Time to Possess Your Soul

Child of God, the devil is doing everything in his power to keep you from making the Rapture. He will try to distract you with battles of the mind, fear, worry and so many other things so you won’t focus on what God is doing in your life and in the lives of others.

The devil wants you to lose patience with the promise of the second coming of Jesus Christ and make you think the Lord isn’t coming anytime soon. He wants you to think you have plenty of time to live your life as you want to so you will not be focused on winning souls. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not (Galatians 6:9). We can’t afford to miss any souls in this last hour. Are you going to work to help reap the harvest of souls, or are you going to faint in despair and unbelief?

Friend, are you struggling with your patience today? Do you lack self-control and longsuffering? Do you say and do things you later regret? Jesus sacrificed all so you could have eternal life, and I would like to give you this opportunity to receive Him into your heart.

Pray with me now and say, Oh, God, save my soul. Forgive me for my sins. I have come home to serve you for the rest of my life. I believe the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins. Come into my heart, Jesus. Come on in, Jesus. Amen. Friend, if you meant that prayer, you have Jesus Christ in your heart. Live for Him daily; and with perfect patience, let Him work everything out for you.

Let God Heal You

Now, you are ready to receive your miracle. It doesn’t matter what sickness or disease is in your body—God made you; He can heal you. The Bible says, They [believers] shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 16:18). I’m a believer, and I’m ready to pull down Heaven for you. Heavenly Father, you know what these people’s needs are. Break their bondages and set them free in the blood name of Jesus. We curse every sickness and every disease in their bodies. Heal! in the holy, blood name of Jesus. Lord, let everything come to normal and let them be a great and mighty witness for you in this final hour. Lord, give them the strength they need to live for you. Lord, bless them and keep them and let them be a blessing. Amen.