There is destruction coming upon the whole world that will drive humanity to horrific shock and the depth of unimaginable despair. We can spend hours discussing what will cause the destruction and even longer following the world in useless preparation or we can seek the risen Lord. As we seek the risen Lord through deep prayer and meditation, then we learn what’s been lost for a millennium. We learn that the patience of the saints will be our sure defense against the Antichrist spirit. The patience of the saints will give us the inner strength to maintain our spiritual integrity and a peace that truly defies understanding. We will be unmovable as our brazen face confronts the raging storms ahead. Our hearts and minds will be captured by the radiant bliss from heaven allowing us to look beyond all that is falling upon a world gone mad. Sadly to say, this is a world that has pathetically turned to evil in mass. So, how can we, living in the Twenty-First Century, recapture this amazing gift, given to our ancient forefathers, the patience of the saints? We will accept this gift one step at a time by allowing God to bring us into a deeper walk with Him. Our deeper walk with Christ, will allow us to stand firm in the patience of the saints as we are tried with the fires of affliction.

Before exploring this amazing gift, it will be necessary to understand that it’s impossible to have the patience of the saints without first becoming a true saint. This sainthood is not bestowed upon us by the Catholic Church or any other denomination. This sainthood comes directly from the risen Lord, Jesus Christ who has chosen us since the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:3-5). Our sainthood is confirmed through our spiritual growth in Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Step by step we realize that we are no longer our own, but we have been bought with an incredible price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary. In time, we learn to experience the joy of our new life in Christ as we must put off the old life and put on the new life in Christ (Ephesians 4:22-32). In time we learn that we can no longer be conformed to this world, but we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2). This renewal will allow us to see everything completely different from the fallen world. This is an amazing journey that will lead us to have the patience of the saints. How glorious it will be to experience the light of God’s glory shining through us.

The first stop in our journey to acquire the patience of the saints is to grasp the measure of time. We typically live and die in the realm of about a hundred years or less to experience all that God has so graciously given to us as His amazing creations. Our whole scope of time is measured in the twinkling of an eye, which seems like a very long time for most of fallen humanity. They suffer, they cry, and they complain as time seems to drag on and on, feeling like an eternity. As the planet experiences one convulsion after another, then anxiety and despair have taken their toll causing most of fallen humanity to dwell endlessly on their unsolvable problems. When the aches and pains of old age set in, then time seems to slow way down repeating the same drama over and over again. For the Christian, however, who is called to be a saint, his entire mindset has been changed. His grasp of time is completely different. Instead of having our time consumed by the worries and fears of this world, the Christian can enter the sanctuary of his own heart allowing God to fill our minds with our loving service to others. Perfect love truly cast out fear along with other worries in the world bringing forth great joy and peace (I John 4:18). Furthermore, in our loving service to others it brings us to the feet of our Master, Jesus Christ, where time seems to stop, no longer casting us in one direction then another.

The second stop in our journey to acquire the patience of the saints is to understand that all that we have belongs to the Lord. This is a hard pill to swallow for most because they have allowed their material possessions to become a part of who they proclaim themselves to be. Many will spend endless hours buying everything they see even when they know they can’t afford it. Their possessions have become so prized that they have rented storage units to store all of their excess belongings. Many will stress for many days to maintain what they have even if they are plunged deeper and deeper into debt. The great horror for most is losing their possessions from having them repossessed to being destroyed by some catastrophic event. Most will fight and kill to keep what they have. On the other hand, the saints have a completely different mindset knowing that their wealth is not measured by the number of their possessions. They have learned how to cast their affections above to the glories of heaven (Colossians 3:2). Jesus Christ confronted the rich man who desired to follow Him, and Jesus knowing his heart told him to go and sell all his possessions and give to the poor, but he would not part with his possessions (Matthew 19:21-23). When all is lost, then we are not unsettled or diminished in any way, but we remain complete, retaining all that God has given to us through the Spirit. We retain true riches by allowing God’s love to flow through us to others.

The final stop in our journey to acquire the patience of the saints is to give up our life on this planet, which is only a momentary affliction compared to the bliss of eternity in heaven with our Lord. To lose one’s life is a most difficult thing to grasp for fallen humanity. This is growing more difficult every day with so many turning away from their faith in Christ. It’s becoming more difficult with so many rejecting Jesus Christ as the Anointed Son of God. When tragedy strikes people with no hope beyond this life will face unchecked pandemonium, lawlessness, and insanity, which will crush them beyond what words can explain. I have heard many say among believers that they would be willing to give up their life for Christ, but they have not yet faced the real prospect of facing the lions in the arena. So, it is necessary to train ourselves to look beyond this very short existence in comparison to eternity. This can only be accomplished by immersing ourselves in the Spirit, to get a foretaste of things to come. It’s also important to remind ourselves that the passing from this world will be quick and relatively painless in comparison to the heathen. Every step of the way Jesus Christ will be with us through the indwelling Spirit allowing us to focus on the things to come.

In conclusion, we will take our stand in the days ahead with a new mindset believing that Jesus Christ is standing with us in the Spirit, so we can fill up the sufferings of Christ (Colossians 1:24). Many of the saints of old showed remarkable courage as they continued to demonstrate love while on the stake. Some tormentors have witnessed the face of saints glowing as if it was glowing with the glory of God. Others heard the saints continuing to witness to their persecutors in genuine love. The time left on this planet is growing shorter every day, so we must allow Jesus Christ to prepare us for the days ahead not by storing up more food and ammunition but by preparing to stand firm in the patience of the saints. Let us pray together that we will be an example for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Let us pray that we will be pleasing to our Master in heaven awaiting our arrival in heaven. Let us look forward to the angels singing in a grand chorus upon our arrival. Let us pray that we hear Jesus Christ say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). We will finally understand that being a servant to others has freed us from all the tragic losses in a fallen world. It has enabled us to truly have the patience of the saints. Oh, what a glorious day that will be when we finally sit down with our spiritual family in heaven, having overcome every fiery trial and tribulation to the glory of God. Amen