Running the Race with Patience

{1Co.9:24} Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? The "one" here is those who abide in the "One" Jesus Christ who IS the Word. Jesus will finish the race and all in Him will, too. The prizes are many: eternal life, a work or ministry, fruit, the high calling of the Man-child or the Bride, etc. Even so run; that ye may attain. Many Christians do not run and therefore do not attain the prize. {25} And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. The running IS denying self and taking up our cross to follow in Jesus' steps.) Now they [do it] to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. We patiently endure the crown of thorns to receive the incorruptible crown of life, righteousness, glory, etc. {26} I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air: {27} but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage (The race is to bring the flesh under servitude to the spirit.): lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected (Greek: Adokimos, meaning, "reprobate; rejected by God".). {Heb.12:1} Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.... The race must be run with patience with ourselves and for the promises to manifest. {Jas.1:4} And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. Patience in our faith brings perfection and everything. We must believe we have received all that Christ did. That is the Gospel. The race has nothing to do with being swift or beating others to a finish line. {Ecc.9:11} I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. The race is against the clock or the time we have to receive the prize. The race is to lose self and gain Christ and His fruit before our time runs out in various ways; through God's limited grace for each goal, like the Bride, or our death, or being alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, etc. The race is not optional for Jesus said we had to lose our life to gain our life.

I had a dream where I was in a race that started on a ridge top. The path or course was in a large rectangular circle. Most of the people there were from 30 years old up to 60 years old and no one knew the other runners. (Could this mean this race speaks of those who range from 30-fold fruit to 60-fold fruit but running toward 100-fold fruit?) We did not all start together, but each one of us left about five minutes apart from one another. I was the last person to run. (Some have been running this race longer than others but it doesn't matter, for we are not racing against each other.) There were two very tall men there dressed in white. I thought they were two angels because they were about 12 to 14 feet tall. One man or angel was the timekeeper for each person running the race. He always had a solemn, stern look about him during the whole race. (Because he represents an enforcer of the time laid down by God.) The other man or angel was nice and had a beautiful smile and would give good advice or counsel. (Because he represents grace and mercy in counsel. We must run with God's guidance, by word or Spirit, or it will all be in vain.) {Gal.2:2} And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain. {5:7} Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth? {Php.2:16} holding forth the word of life; that I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labor in vain.

My turn to run finally came around as I walked up to the starting line. The timekeeper raised his hand and said, "Go". I started running down the hill. (The beginning of the race is easy, down hill.) As I got to the bottom and on the straight path, I tried to pace myself, running fast, but trying to save some energy to run up the high, steeper slope back to the finish line. (The steeper slope uphill represents that God is asking more as we receive more grace through faith in the promises.) When I got there and started up, the ground was loose, so I would slide back down. So I went up on all fours, hands and feet. (Our works [hands] and walk [feet] being in Christ will cause us to overcome.) As I got up the steep part, it leveled off and I ran to the finish line. The timekeeper shook his head and said, "No, you took too much time. You'll have to do it again, after you rest a bit".

I was very tired and sat down to rest and the other man or angel walked over to me and smiled, saying, "This time run with patience". I thought, "Run with patience?" I ran as hard and as fast as I could and didn't make it. What does he mean "run with patience"? (Patiently enduring because of faith in the promises of the Good News that all is accomplished by Jesus.) By the time the thought was ended, the other angel called me to the starting line. He raised his hand again and said, "Go!" So I was off again, running. But I kept hearing those words "run with patience" over and over, so I slowed down and ran slower. It didn't seem to me that I had made a better time. Now I was finally back at the steep part; again using all fours, I got up there a lot easier and ran across the finish line again. The angel again shook his head, saying again, "No, you'll have to run again". So I sat down again.

The friendly angel came over and asked me, saying, "Hey, did you see all the beautiful flowers and big lake that's down there or did you hear all the birds singing in the trees?" (Running in the rest through faith is pleasurable and restful; no competition.) "No, sir, I replied. "I didn't see or hear anything like that, sir". "Well", he said, "this time, run with patience and you'll see and hear all the beautiful things around you. Try and keep that in your mind this time, ok?" "Yes, sir. I'll try". (Keep your mind on the good and beautiful things, not on the grueling trial, and God will be with you in peace. {4:8} Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. {9} The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Once more, I was called to the starting line again and the timekeeper angel raised his hand again and said, "Go". So I was off a third time. I quickly ran down the gentle slope to the running path. This time, I was listening and looking for birds singing, the flowers and that big lake the angel told me about. I first came upon the flowers. They were all kinds of colors, then the big trees with the birds singing, and on around was a big lake with crystal-clear water shimmering with a soft glimmer of sunlight. (Pay attention to the big lake, which is the Word, the sun/Son, the light.) I thought, "How did I not see all this before? It is beautiful down here". Looking ahead at the path, I was at the steep slope, so I went upon all fours again and ran across the finish line.

The timekeeper angel said to me, "Turn around and come back to the starting line and then run straight toward that solid rock face there, and don't stop running". (We run with the solid rock face in view. Jesus is the solid Rock and His face is what we see in the mirror by faith to make bearing His fruit possible. We run INTO Him. {2Co.3:18} But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. The other angel said, "Run with patience". "Yes", I said, "and thank you; thank you so much". The timekeeper said, "Go!" I started running straight toward that solid rock face. I closed my eyes (not running by sight but faith) and then opened them to see the rocks part, and I ran right through the narrow opening (i.e., the narrow road) to the other side. And I kept on running. The path would curve to the left, then straight, and then curve to the right, many times, for about a mile, going up in grade all the time. (This uphill run is now made easy through faith with patience.) The path was about two feet wide and on each side it was three feet wide. (The narrow path is to be conformed by the limitations of the Word.) I could look down on either side and see for miles because I was so high. (Running up the mountain called Zion.) Then I came around a right curve and suddenly there was no more path.

I found myself falling and looking down. I saw a huge body of water. (Finally the baptism unto death to self.) Fear came over me because I can't swim; but I was thinking, "I have to try to take a deep breath just as I start to enter the water", so my focus was only on the water. (Our focus must be only on the Word of His promises.) I took a deep breath and hit the water feet first, going down close to the bottom. I started pushing my arm down, trying to get up to the top, with no success. (We have no power for resurrection life.) I had let out the air that I had and I was needing to breathe. Then I heard a voice telling me to "Breathe. You can breathe under water". (There is life in death. The Word only puts to death the old man. The new man has life.) So I took a big breath of air and thought, "I can breathe under water". Then I noticed I was moving through the water, as if I was being pulled (by God's power), so I just relaxed and was enjoying the ride for a while. (There is JOY in the new life.)

Then I began to hit the sand and rock, so I stood up and walked to the land where I saw the two angels standing, waiting for me. As I left the water, my hair, clothes and shoes were dry. The angels took me to another starting line and said, "Go. Run". And I said, "With patience", and they both said, "Yes!" And I was off again. This path was also like the last one: narrow and slowly going upward (Heavenward). I was running and looking at all the sensational views. The higher I went, the more views I could see in every direction. (More discernment, more wisdom.) And I was enjoying running with patience when I ran out of any path again, but I wasn't falling. I was flying, so I put my arms out and was soaring like the eagles. ("Faith is the victory that overcomes the world".) I flew across the United States. I saw mountains, rivers, grasslands, farmlands; then I woke up.

I got this feeling that no matter what I have to go through, two angels will be there also because in Psalms 91:10,11 we are told, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. For he (God) will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Amen.

After Linda shared the dream above with local UBM, she had an update dream below.

Running Some More
Linda Smith - 05/04/2014
(David's notes in red)

I woke up early this morning. I turned over and laid there a few seconds and went back to sleep and had this dream: I was standing in a very large, green, grassy field. I began to run across this field and there seemed to be no end. (Jesus said, "The field is the world".) As far as the eye could see in all directions was this green field and it was beautiful and peaceful here. There was nothing but blue sky above me and the beautiful green field in front of me. I just kept running, as if I were being drawn to something that was still farther away, so I kept running with a great awareness of something great that was up ahead. I ran and ran and each step was effortless on my part. When my feet landed on the ground, I stopped and found that in front of me was a huge waterfall. (She had been led to the source, the rivers of the water of life.) It was so high I could not see the top of the waterfall. There was a mist of water up high, falling down on me. The water looked so pure that it was clear as crystal and I could see through the water and see big boulders and rocks that the water was falling or cascading over. The mist that was falling on me was refreshing and I cupped my hands together and started drinking the water. I was at peace and in total rest, and I felt complete and whole, totally satisfied. (The rest of faith in the promises brings death to self and the completeness of the new life in Christ.) That's the only way I have to explain it. It is something you would never want to depart from. I had a thought; it was like {Eph.5:25} Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it, {26} that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of the water with the word, {27} that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Then, suddenly, I was being pulled back to the place where the dream started. (She went back to the beginning to observe where many lose their way and not finish the race.) I found myself back, only this time there was a humongous tree there and I was being drawn feet first into this tree. (The walk at the beginning is plagued with failure until faith comes.) My left foot was inside the tree and I was trying to keep the rest of me from being pulled in. I cried out, "Lord, help me! I don't want this. I resist this in your name, Jesus", and it stopped. (A simple prayer of faith brought relief and deliverance.) I laid there on the ground with my left foot still caught in this tree. (The left foot speaks of a walk of self will and rebellion through bondage to the law, which brings condemnation, destroying faith.) My thought was, "Everyone has been caught in this tree". (Everyone passes through this trial that we might know that the power is not of ourselves but is a gift through grace by faith alone.) I said, "Lord, is this the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?" (The tree of the knowledge of good and evil only brought the knowledge of sin but like the law it had no power against sin which left man torn between good [the right] and evil [the left] with no rest. Only by grace through faith do we overcome the power of sin.) My foot was released from the tree and I woke up. Praise the Lord!

Setting the Eagle Free
Bill Steenland - 05/04/2014
(David's notes in red)

I dreamed I was watching a cloud unfold in Heaven. {Heb.12:1} Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses (of the faith-filled people mentioned in chapter 11), lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This cloud was white (purity), grey (age), blue (Heavenly) and had various stages of those colors. (Colors are bands or attributes of the light, Jesus.) The cloud was unfolding up and up. On the cloud was a monument that had two pillars. {Mar.1:14} Now after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, {15} and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel.

The pillars read "Yeshua, Jesus Christ" on each one. The pillars were letters (founded on the Word, Jesus); they were both white pillars. In between the pillars was a white staircase with a little platform. (I believe the stairs represent working out your own salvation with fear and trembling; and the platform is arriving on the solid ground.)

I saw walking up the staircase an elderly man with an eagle in his right hand. The elderly man had white and grey hair and looked like he had been through a lot in the Lord. As he walked up the staircase, he let the eagle go. {Isa.40:31} but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint. (The stamina of the eagle, saints, is as in Linda's dream above.)The eagle took off and flew in the heavens. {Mat.24:28} Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. (The old man here has been going through crucifixion and the flesh dying. The eagle released is the spiritual man taking over, as in Linda's dream above.)

I saw this happen about three to five times all from different vantage points. The Word of God came to me as I dreamed it: {Heb.12:1} Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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