Patience - Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is a time of waiting, the climax of the "process" of Christmas. God has arranged all of creation to operate in processes. Mankind generally doesn't like process. We like instant gratification. God, who is without limit in His vision of infinite time, is never that concerned with the destination He is taking us to...He is sure of it. We, His kids, are constantly asking "are we there yet?" We are continually concerned with the destination, and in the process often miss out on the conversation, which is most important to the Father. He has arranged the events to draw out the conversation with His kids.
It seems that as part of the fall, one of the biggests costs was our loss of true patience. It seems that the more rooted a person is in the physical realm...the less patient we are with Heaven...with God. But God IS patience, it is a fruit of His presence! Patience simply does not exist outside of the presence of God. Whatever patience I am feeling today is a gift from Him.
Impatience is a crippling emotion. Impatience can cause me to rebel against the entire process God is working out. Impatience causes offense and turning away. Impatience, and a fear of having to excercise patience, will actually keep me from responding to God in a meaningful way, instead, putting off costly choices to agree with God until it is REALLY necessary. Impatience costs much.
Impatience actually prevented the majority of Israel from seeing Jesus for who He was....the very family selected from the time of Jacob to be Israel, the people who respond to God...who would wrestle and prevail...were offended by impatience. Israel was looking for a physical king to do some physical butt-kicking...but God had a selected process for defeating His enemies and displaying His glory first in the heavenly realm and then in the physical realm. Impatience kept most of Israel fruitless, even to this day. Patience is what it takes to enter in to the plans of God and start bearing fruit:
Luke 8:15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
This same impatience kept Thomas from entering in to the fullness of the blessing available to Him. In His impatience, he REQUIRED seeing with his eyes the risen Lord. Jesus said those unlike Thomas, those with patience to believe without seeing, would inherit a great blessing:
John 20:27-29 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
It was the patience of Jesus, the One who has the most to wait for, the One who will be king of all physical kings, that kept Him in the center of the Father's will:
John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now (right this second) My kingdom is not from here.”
Acts 1:6-7 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
Jesus trusted that, while even He did not know the day or hour this process of the Father would be complete, patiently walking out this hard plan would bear much fruit:
I Corinthians 2:7-9 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
The Christmas story is mostly the story of the rewards of patience. I'm not talking about patience for kids on Christmas morning, but the patience of heaven, and all the people who would agree with heaven enough to, by faith, start responding in COSTLY ways to the process of God:
A patient Mary, waiting to see how God would make sense of the bizarre plan she was adopted into. A patient Joseph, willing to move forward in patience, hauling a wife pregnant with someone else's baby, to see how God would work out a plan that may seemingly cost him much. A patient group of men willing to travel afar to see what this obvious sign in the sky might mean. A patient Jesus, willing to set aside the privilege of power, become a man FOREVER, so that he could make a way for any who wanted to enter back into the physical presence of God. A patient Anna, the only one recorded as interceding day and night for the savior who's sign of His coming were plain to see for this sensitive one:
Luke 2:36-38 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
But, the greatest patience is the patience of God the Father himself, who, out of the fullness of infinite love created a garden to let love expand and abound toward the object of that love. Creating all of mankind to live with Him face to face in a perfect garden, developing creation with God as partners forever as they explored the infinite and fascinating fullness of unending love and power. God placed mankind in front of the perfection of beauty, gave us hearts to respond or reject him, and, as the objects of His perfect love rebelled, perfectly executed, in great patience, a plan to allow anyone, at GREAT cost to Himself, a way back into the garden. This is God. This is patience:
II Peter 3:9-13 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Jesus isn't a baby in a manger anymore. He's not a broken man on a cross. He didn't stay in the grave, and He's not staying in heaven forever. He's alive, and He's coming back for what is His. Right now, by the signs of His coming, He is FIERCE in intensity. Yet, He still abides in perfect patience. He is patiently watching for any who would respond and take their place on the wall before it is obvious to everyone else...the problem with impatience is that it only gets harder to respond to Jesus with time. The first fruits of response are the easiest on us in the long run, and the sweetest to Him. There is grace to respond in this hour, before the response is driven by sheer fear.
Right now, the signs of His coming are vividly evident all around us. There will be a great accusation against the Christians of our day who, in their crippling impatience, continue to wait and see even though the signs are vivid. They won't give themselves wholeheartedly to God's stated and obvious plan due to impatience. They quietly think that not until fire falls from the sky will they change their course and agree with the coming king. They approach the Day of the Lord from a completely selfish position, feeling too impatient to live all-in before it is obviously necessary. For them, the day WILL come as a thief, and their impatience will cost them much. There will be great cost on that day. On one day every eye will be on Jesus and from then on ONLY his opinion will matter. On that day the patience of the wise to actually change course and steady themselves before anyone else saw the violence coming with their eyes will be plainly revealed. On that day, the foolishness of the impatient will be equally evident. For they knew the prophecies, had the Spirit, heard the watchmen, saw the same signs, and still said "not yet. Not until I am sure will I patiently watch and ready myself for the unseen King in the clouds, perhaps tomorrow when the coming storm is more clearly seen."
A storm always breaks on the horizon with little warning. You don't watch for the rain to know a storm is coming, you feel the wind shift, and quietly gain strength, you feel the air get heavy and the temperature drop, you hear the thunder in the distance and the occasional flashes of lightning, then you ready yourself to patiently endure the storm. Friends, the storm will certainly break. This is the tribulation, the patience, and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. All three come as a package that every true friend of God has lived all-in for:
Revelation 1:9-11 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” ....
He's not a baby in a manger anymore...
It seems that as part of the fall, one of the biggests costs was our loss of true patience. It seems that the more rooted a person is in the physical realm...the less patient we are with Heaven...with God. But God IS patience, it is a fruit of His presence! Patience simply does not exist outside of the presence of God. Whatever patience I am feeling today is a gift from Him.
Impatience is a crippling emotion. Impatience can cause me to rebel against the entire process God is working out. Impatience causes offense and turning away. Impatience, and a fear of having to excercise patience, will actually keep me from responding to God in a meaningful way, instead, putting off costly choices to agree with God until it is REALLY necessary. Impatience costs much.
Impatience actually prevented the majority of Israel from seeing Jesus for who He was....the very family selected from the time of Jacob to be Israel, the people who respond to God...who would wrestle and prevail...were offended by impatience. Israel was looking for a physical king to do some physical butt-kicking...but God had a selected process for defeating His enemies and displaying His glory first in the heavenly realm and then in the physical realm. Impatience kept most of Israel fruitless, even to this day. Patience is what it takes to enter in to the plans of God and start bearing fruit:
Luke 8:15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
This same impatience kept Thomas from entering in to the fullness of the blessing available to Him. In His impatience, he REQUIRED seeing with his eyes the risen Lord. Jesus said those unlike Thomas, those with patience to believe without seeing, would inherit a great blessing:
John 20:27-29 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
It was the patience of Jesus, the One who has the most to wait for, the One who will be king of all physical kings, that kept Him in the center of the Father's will:
John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now (right this second) My kingdom is not from here.”
Acts 1:6-7 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
Jesus trusted that, while even He did not know the day or hour this process of the Father would be complete, patiently walking out this hard plan would bear much fruit:
I Corinthians 2:7-9 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
The Christmas story is mostly the story of the rewards of patience. I'm not talking about patience for kids on Christmas morning, but the patience of heaven, and all the people who would agree with heaven enough to, by faith, start responding in COSTLY ways to the process of God:
A patient Mary, waiting to see how God would make sense of the bizarre plan she was adopted into. A patient Joseph, willing to move forward in patience, hauling a wife pregnant with someone else's baby, to see how God would work out a plan that may seemingly cost him much. A patient group of men willing to travel afar to see what this obvious sign in the sky might mean. A patient Jesus, willing to set aside the privilege of power, become a man FOREVER, so that he could make a way for any who wanted to enter back into the physical presence of God. A patient Anna, the only one recorded as interceding day and night for the savior who's sign of His coming were plain to see for this sensitive one:
Luke 2:36-38 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.
But, the greatest patience is the patience of God the Father himself, who, out of the fullness of infinite love created a garden to let love expand and abound toward the object of that love. Creating all of mankind to live with Him face to face in a perfect garden, developing creation with God as partners forever as they explored the infinite and fascinating fullness of unending love and power. God placed mankind in front of the perfection of beauty, gave us hearts to respond or reject him, and, as the objects of His perfect love rebelled, perfectly executed, in great patience, a plan to allow anyone, at GREAT cost to Himself, a way back into the garden. This is God. This is patience:
II Peter 3:9-13 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Jesus isn't a baby in a manger anymore. He's not a broken man on a cross. He didn't stay in the grave, and He's not staying in heaven forever. He's alive, and He's coming back for what is His. Right now, by the signs of His coming, He is FIERCE in intensity. Yet, He still abides in perfect patience. He is patiently watching for any who would respond and take their place on the wall before it is obvious to everyone else...the problem with impatience is that it only gets harder to respond to Jesus with time. The first fruits of response are the easiest on us in the long run, and the sweetest to Him. There is grace to respond in this hour, before the response is driven by sheer fear.
Right now, the signs of His coming are vividly evident all around us. There will be a great accusation against the Christians of our day who, in their crippling impatience, continue to wait and see even though the signs are vivid. They won't give themselves wholeheartedly to God's stated and obvious plan due to impatience. They quietly think that not until fire falls from the sky will they change their course and agree with the coming king. They approach the Day of the Lord from a completely selfish position, feeling too impatient to live all-in before it is obviously necessary. For them, the day WILL come as a thief, and their impatience will cost them much. There will be great cost on that day. On one day every eye will be on Jesus and from then on ONLY his opinion will matter. On that day the patience of the wise to actually change course and steady themselves before anyone else saw the violence coming with their eyes will be plainly revealed. On that day, the foolishness of the impatient will be equally evident. For they knew the prophecies, had the Spirit, heard the watchmen, saw the same signs, and still said "not yet. Not until I am sure will I patiently watch and ready myself for the unseen King in the clouds, perhaps tomorrow when the coming storm is more clearly seen."
A storm always breaks on the horizon with little warning. You don't watch for the rain to know a storm is coming, you feel the wind shift, and quietly gain strength, you feel the air get heavy and the temperature drop, you hear the thunder in the distance and the occasional flashes of lightning, then you ready yourself to patiently endure the storm. Friends, the storm will certainly break. This is the tribulation, the patience, and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. All three come as a package that every true friend of God has lived all-in for:
Revelation 1:9-11 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” ....
He's not a baby in a manger anymore...
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