{"id":226,"date":"2005-06-20T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2005-06-20T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2005-06-20T09:17:39","modified_gmt":"2005-06-20T13:17:39","slug":"patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/","title":{"rendered":"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last time I touched the book of James I was taking a small
\nlook at personal patience (or perseverance) and the joy a believer can have in
\ntrials<\/a>. Today I’d like to look at corporate patience in the work of
\nthe Lord and what that has to do with the individual.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Of course, before we touch on James we must consider some of
\nour own preconceptions. Very often when we think of the “work of the Lord” we focus
\non the whitened ear of corn as portrayed so beautifully in {{John 4}}. You know
\nwhere Jesus was speaking to his disciples about food and the recent encounter
\nwith the Samaritan woman by Jacob’s well? As he spoke he told them to lift up
\ntheir eyes and to look at the fields white for the harvest—ready for the
\nreaping. That field was the Samaritan heads swaying back and forth coming
\ntowards Jesus upon the woman’s testimony. <\/p>\n

So we say “ah, the work of the Lord is that work before the
\nworld! The preaching of the gospel! Saving souls!”<\/p>\n

Don’t get me wrong, this is an important work and one
\nmandated by the resurrected Lord for every believer. We are to go out into the
\nworld and make disciples of men baptizing them in the name of the Father, the
\nSon and the Holy Spirit ({{Matt 28:19}}). That is our mandated duty!<\/p>\n

But we often overlook that whole “make disciples” bit and
\nwhat that all implies. As if the gospel is to fill up the halls of heaven
\nwithout bothering to train these spiritual babes. There is a great work to be
\ndone, an internal strengthening, of making spiritual infants mature Sons in the
\nhousehold of God.<\/p>\n

Thank God then that James decides to focus on the maturity of
\nthe believer ({{James 1:4}}). This is neither a maturity to be attained on this
\nplanet nor even a maturity that will be finalized in this lifetime. But it will
\nsurely be developed here. In this effort, James makes it a (repeated) point to
\nproperly adjust the believers thinking. <\/p>\n

James puts the believer in remembrance of the future judgment
\nof all things. For instance {{James 1:12}}, the crown of life promised by the
\nLord; {{James 2:13}} Judgment will be merciless to one who shows no mercy; {{James
\n3:1}} …knowing that [teachers] will receive the stricter judgment; {{James
\n4:11-12}} Don’t judge the Law for there is only one Lawgiver and judge; I mean,
\nJames, why not just exhort us to live as Christ lived? Why all this talk of
\ncoming before a Judge?<\/p>\n

I once was driving behind this moving school bus with
\nflashing red lights. As a young driver, I waffled at the proper protocol (stop
\nif it’s not stopping?) even while noticing a cop passing me on the opposite
\nside of the road. He pulled a U-Turn and came after me meriting me a ticket and
\na day in court. Let me tell you, when I went to court I didn’t go in my
\nschool-wear, no way. I went in my Sunday best…a two piece suit with a sober tie
\nand a clean ironed shirt. This judge sat behind the bench, fraternized with the
\ncop (who told a nice story very unlike what had happened that day) and
\nbrusquely sent me off on my way with a two hundred dollar ticket and four
\npoints on my license. That’s one of our worldly, temporal, imperfect judges…how
\nmuch more important is our standing before the perfect, eternal, judge of
\nhearts and minds?<\/p>\n

So when we get to {{James 5:7}} and James exhorts us to be
\npatient until the coming of the Lord, he’s not saying “take it easy” or “relax
\na bit”.  Notice the illustration. The
\nfarmer waits for precious produce of the soil being patient about the needed
\nrain and the precious crop. It will surely come and his life is banking on the
\nproduce of the field…in that same way the mature believer is to be patient
\nuntil the coming of the Lord!<\/p>\n

What does the farmer do? Bite his nails and cry? Takes it
\neasy?  No, rather he continues to
\nwork. He gets the wagons ready for picking up the harvest, he prepares the
\noxen. We are to strengthen our hearts, says James, for the coming of the Lord
\nis near ({{James 5:8}}). These words put our thinking in the proper perspective
\nfor it is not a fearful expectation but an eagerly anticipated hope…while
\nsimultaneously resolutely focusing hearts.<\/p>\n

What of the naysayer? “Get your head out of the clouds, man!
\nWhy focus on the possible return of the Lord…you’re being so heavenly minded to
\nbe of no earthly good—forget all that stuff and be practical”. Oh James has no
\nproblem with being practical but he makes sure that our practicality is
\ngrounded. Don’t complain about one another—very practical. Why? So that you
\nyourselves may not be judged for behold, the Judge is standing right at the
\ndoor ({{James 5:9}}). <\/p>\n

I’ll tell you, when guests arrive at my front door I’m of
\nthe mindset that they are here. Once that doorbell rings, my door has to open.
\nNo vacuum cleaners going, no bickering or fighting in the background, food on
\nthe stove—everything has to be set. What of our action towards each other in
\nlight of the Ruler of the Universe ready to make his glorious appearance?<\/p>\n

James directs our eyes to the prophets who spoke in the name
\nof the Lord…noting their patience and suffering and endurance. And to Job going
\nthrough so many trials and hardships and in the end realizing that the Lord is
\nfull of compassion and mercy…did that slow him down later in life or did it
\nmake him a stronger, more mature man? How much more now that our reconciliation
\nis near at hand? How much more that the Messiah has come, that the Holy Spirit
\nhas been poured out, that the gospel has spread far and wide and the Judge of
\nthis world must come to judge with righteousness and with equity? ({{Acts 2}},
\n{{Psalms 98:9}})<\/p>\n

Oh live in light of the Lord’s return my brothers, my sisters.
\nJames encourages us in the practicality of this thinking—not to make oaths but to
\nspeak the clear truth so as not to fall under judgment. To pray for those who
\nsuffer, to sing praises if we are cheerful, to call the elders together to pray
\nof the sick—in faith and constancy. To realize that Elijah, that great prophet
\nof old with various problems of faith was able to pray to God in heaven and
\nstop the rain for three and a half years, was a man in like temperament to us.
\nTo help those who are fallen in sin, to lift them up and to restore them.
\n({{James 5:12-20}})<\/p>\n

Look at Nehemiah and his fellow workers building the walls
\nof Jerusalem.
\nThey had a very public testimony in the eyes of the world and yet they had a
\nserious work before them. Their ground littered with rubble, the work needed to
\nbe done and there was no end near in sight. And yet, Nehemiah and the people
\nprayed, as they worked and remained ready to move at the sound of the trump. ({{Neh
\n4}})<\/p>\n

So perform your duties in the world before men but
\nalso in the church, making disciples and building each other up with patience
\nand endurance, helping each other, waiting for the final trump of the
\narch-angel where we will be caught up to meet the Lord. The day is nigh upon
\nus. Work and Watch! ({{1 Thes 4:16}})<\/p>\n

-r- <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last time I touched the book of James I was taking a small look at personal patience (or perseverance) and the joy a believer can have in trials. Today I’d like to look at corporate patience in the work of the Lord and what that has to do with the individual.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-study"],"yoast_head":"\nPatience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last time I touched the book of James I was taking a small look at personal patience (or perseverance) and the joy a believer can have in trials. Today I’d like to look at corporate patience in the work of the Lord and what that has to do with the individual.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"rey\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"headline\":\"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20)\",\"datePublished\":\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1326,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"articleSection\":[\"study\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Rey Reynoso and The Bible Archive\",\"description\":\"Notes and Thoughts from An Unabashedly Plymouth Brethren Blogger\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa\",\"name\":\"rey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\",\"width\":\"1000\",\"height\":\"288\",\"caption\":\"rey\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.biblearchive.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/reyreynoso\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/reybeez\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/biblearchive.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/biblerey\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","og_description":"Last time I touched the book of James I was taking a small look at personal patience (or perseverance) and the joy a believer can have in trials. Today I’d like to look at corporate patience in the work of the Lord and what that has to do with the individual.","og_url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/","og_site_name":"Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","article_published_time":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","author":"rey","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"rey","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/"},"author":{"name":"rey","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"headline":"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20)","datePublished":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/"},"wordCount":1326,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"articleSection":["study"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/","url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/","name":"Patience in Work -tmp(James 5:7-20) - Rey Reynoso's Bible Archive","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/patience-in-work-tmpjames-57-20\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/","name":"Rey Reynoso and The Bible Archive","description":"Notes and Thoughts from An Unabashedly Plymouth Brethren Blogger","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e8c55a4aab6df13bed13eae5edfab9aa","name":"rey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1","width":"1000","height":"288","caption":"rey"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/cropped-tba_banner.jpg?fit=1000%2C288&ssl=1"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.biblearchive.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/reyreynoso","https:\/\/x.com\/reybeez"],"url":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/author\/biblerey\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbR50-3E","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/226\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblearchive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}