Christmas. Christmas is upon us...again...already. That means another year has come and gone in a flash. Where has the time gone? Now, contrast that to the perspective of my children and you get another story! They can't wait for Christmas. It can't come soon enough. The days drag on for eternity!
We gently step away from our mini-series on Thankfulness to consider Patience as a complement to the holidays at hand. Does anyone need patience today? I believe our world has forgotten about patience. I see impatience in our daily practices and thought processes. I even see it in our relationship with God. Instead of patience, there is unrest and grumbling. There's got to be more to Christmas than this. Keep in mind, I still promote that these major holidays are not meant to be celebrated just once a year for the disciple. These are to be etched into our daily lifestyles, namely Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
We will note two "comings" of Jesus today. The first refers to His coming to Earth as a baby human being. The second is His glorious return as King of Kings, still in the future. The patience required in waiting for both to happen is the same. The world waited 400 quiet years, with no word from the Lord between the time of the last prophet Nehemiah and the birth of Christ. Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years after God promised them a son. The Israelites wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years. The Heroes of Faith mentioned in Hebrews waited their entire lives and still didn't get to see the promises fulfilled. I waited a dreadful ten minutes for an egg to hard-boil.
Take a look at James 5:7-11. "Be patient then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers, as an example of patience in he face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." We looked at Job's story last week and related it to being thankful even in our difficult times. In the same spirit of encouragement for us this Christmas, the Lord wants us to be patient in our journeys. Stand firm and strong as we wait for the Lord. Believe that He is constantly working on our behalf, going ahead of us, working out everything for our good. He's doing more than we can possibly imagine. He doesn't give us Second Best. He's right here with us, alive and well. We need to have faith, friends! Where is your faith? Have faith in our Lord Jesus! Don't ever count Him out of the equation. He is going to come through for you, for He has already triumphed as your King!
Skip over to Revelation 5:1-8. Without ruining the surprise of our upcoming study of Revelation, allow me to 'cherry-pick' a short section for the benefit of our lesson today. To paraphrase with very little knowledge and authority on teaching this mysterious book, the scene is in heaven. God Almighty is seated on the throne. (Aren't you glad it's not Satan, or someone else, like me, for example?) He has a scroll in His hand with writing on both sides, meaning the parchment is full. The document is complete. Nothing more can be added to it. (A glimpse ahead into our study of Revelation reveals this scroll to be the title deed to us. Only Jesus is worthy to own us because He bought us with His own blood. Isn't that amazing?) It is sealed with the ultimate authority of seven seals. A mighty angel exclaims in a loud voice, "who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" Oddly, no one in heaven or on earth is found worthy to open it. John, the writer of Revelation, wept and wept. He suffered for a time before the solution arrived. One of the elders excitedly exclaimed, " Do not weep! The Lion of Judah has triumphed!" That's our Jesus! He would say the same words to you today in your situations. "Don't weep. I've triumphed on your behalf. Redemption, restoration, and reward are coming with Me. Have faith." But when John looked, he saw a lamb, as if it had been slain, approach the throne, and take the scroll from the hand of the Father. Our Jesus is both Lion and Lamb, all for our benefit. When He had take the scroll, everyone fell down to worship and praise the Lamb, singing a new song.
I want to point out a major theme that applies to this truth we are studying. There is a timelessness within the spirit world we need to catch on to. Note that in Revelation, a book known for it's futuristic nature, here's a scene portraying something that's already been accomplished in history. Jesus has already come as a Christmas baby, died, and was resurrected on Easter Sunday in the year 33ad. We know a day is like a thousand years to God and He is not restricted by time or any other physical science. We need to tap into this type of timelessness. We need this type of patience in our circumstances today. Remember, patience is one of the fruits of the what? Spirit. It's not a human fruit. It doesn't come natural to us. It's a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual patience should be intimately connected to a faith in Jesus continually working on our behalf as our Sovereign Lord. Remember, faith is believing in what you can't see. Friends, He knows what you are going through. He wants to get glory from your story. What do you want? Agree to bring Him glory, even in your suffering and pain. Tell others about what He is teaching you through this journey. It's all for Him. Put your faith in Jesus. Trust Him. He owns you. He loves you with tireless love. He proved it by sacrificing His life for you. He purchased you with His blood. Nothing can snatch you from His hand. Healing is coming. Believe it. Hang in there with a tireless perseverance. In the meantime, don't grumble. Shall you not drink the cup the Father has given you to drink? Walk it out in faith. Embrace a timeless patience as you wait for Christmas morning to arrive.
