Patience in Suffering

This month we are featuring excerpts from Anne Graham Lotz's book The Vision of Glory¹ which you can purchase here and watch Dr. John Ankerberg's latest conversation with Anne. 

John was patient in suffering. Early tradition records that he was approximately ninety years old when he wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ, describing himself and his circumstances this way: "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (Rev. 1:9).

Patience During Suffering

As I am writing this, my parents have not yet celebrated their ninetieth birthdays; but as they have grown older, I have become increasingly aware of the physical toll the aging process takes on the human body. While her mind is razor sharp, my mother has difficulty sleeping, difficulty standing, and sometimes, difficulty speak-ing. My father's heart to serve God seems to grow stronger with each passing year, but his body is growing noticeably weaker. He has difficulty getting up out of a chair, difficulty in hearing, difficulty in walking. The primary problem for them both is age and the physical limitations it brings. They both suffer, not only from physical pain, but from the frustration of having great ability, ideas, and resources yet being unable to accomplish all they would like because of their deteriorating physical condition.

While no one knows for sure, I would assume the apostle John, at ninety years of age, was suffering in a similar fashion. I expect he knew the pain of arthritis, the weariness of insomnia, the dullness of hearing, the dimness of sight, and the weakness of limb that comes with physical old age.

In what way are you suffering physically? Are you suffering due to the physical limitations of old age? Or perhaps suffering due to some health problem that has nothing to do with old age? One of the problems John faced was in his own physical welfare.

Early tradition also indicates that while he was in exile on Patmos, John was assigned to manual labor. While no one knows what that labor might have been, any hard, manual work for a ninety-year-old would be too much! And I doubt he received any pay for it or any encouragement in it. Undoubtedly he suffered in his work.

Do you? Are you working in a place you don't want to be? Working for insufficient pay, without any encouragement?

Perhaps you are a schoolteacher, pouring your life into your lesson plans and your students. Yet it may be that not one student has ever thanked you, and the parents either are totally uninvolved or involved only when they have a complaint.

Maybe the administration nervously seems to scrutinize every move you make, and the pay is totally inadequate to meet your needs. Perhaps you don't want to work, yet you must in order to help support your family.

Or perhaps you are in business, working hard to close a contract. But when it is finally signed, the credit and the commission go to someone else.

Or perhaps you work on a loading dock, where those whose every other word is either profane or obscene are mocking you for not joining in "the conversation." Or do you faithfully take your place in a factory assembly line, drawing less pay than those who cheat on their time cards?

Like John, are you suffering in your work?

John also suffered because of his witness for Jesus Christ. The problems began shortly after Pentecost, when he and Peter, through the power of the name of Jesus Christ, healed a man crippled from birth. He was arrested by the authorities and warned not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name. He responded by saying, "We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Although he was released on that occasion, shortly thereafter he, along with the other apostles, was arrested by the religious authorities because of the hundreds of lives that were being changed through the power of Christ. This time he was flogged, then ordered once again, before he was released, not to speak in the name of Christ. The Bible records that he and the other apostles responded with joy because they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus!

Even as John records the glorious vision, he is a "companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus." And remember, John was the great, old apostle who had seen Jesus with his own eyes, heard Jesus with his own ears, whose hands had actually touched the risen Savior.

Perhaps someone had invited him to speak to their civic club about his extensive. travels yet warned him not to speak the name of Jesus because it might be considered exclusive when there would be people there of different religions. But he didn't hesitate. He told the audience there is only one way, one truth, one life— and His name is Jesus.'

Or perhaps someone invited the soft-spoken, dignified old "apostle of love" to give the invocation at the opening of the state legislature without praying in the name of Jesus because it would be considered offensive. But he offered his prayer in the name of Jesus anyway because he knew that was a precondition for receiving answers.

Or perhaps he was asked to speak at the chapel of the local university but was told to give an inspirational speech, not a spiritual message, or the faculty would not invite him back. But he went right ahead and told them that Jesus is "the true light that gives light to every man," and, "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness."

I wonder if repeatedly he was warned not to be so bold, not to be so un-compromising, not to be so narrow and exclusive and intolerant of others' views or he would lose his promotion, lose his "job," lose his friends, lose his reputation, lose the support of influential leaders in the community. Yet he continued to give out the Word of God clearly, boldly, without compromise. And it cost him. It cost him his "job," or ministry position, it cost him friendships, it cost him opportunities of service, and it cost him the support of the leaders in the community.

When have you suffered for the sake of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus? I have been in virtually all of the situations I described above for John. I have been told not to pray in the name of Jesus, but I did. I have been told just to give an inspirational, nonreligious address, and I gave the gospel. I have been accused of being exclusive, intolerant, unloving, and divisive "because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus." I have even been removed from a church, along with the Bible class I was teaching, because I taught the entire counsel of Scripture as the truth that it is, I have suffered in my work but never as severely as John suffered. I have never been criled on Patmos!

Yet there have been even more times when my witness has not been bold and my word has not been clear, because I was afraid. Surely John knew fear too, Surely he feared the pain of torture, the terror of the lions den, the agony of the cross, But those fears didn't stop him from proclaiming the gospel.

And what do I fear? A raised eyebrow? Am I afraid I wor't be included in the social events of the ecsson? Afraid of criticism and gossip behind my back How ashamed I am of my fears when I think that the early Christians faced lions and crosses and boiling tar and exile on Patmos!

A pastor I know was invited to give a major address at an institution. The invitation was issued by a group of Christians who had made it clear he was being invited to present the gospel. Several days before he was to speak, the pastor publicly stated he would not "be offensive" to anyone in the audience; he would not name the name of Jesus in his speech because he wanted everyone who came to feel welcome and included. When I called to challenge him on his stand, he said he was hoping the audience of students and faculty would so enjoy his message they would not only invite him back but would come to his church. Then he added this revealing statement: "I make it a policy to play it safe." His fear of losing personal popularity as well as losing potential church members prompted him to deny the very gospel for which he stood.

What are you afraid of? If you have not suffered "because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus," is it because your fears have kept you silent? Have your fears been the bushel under which you have hidden your light? Let your light shine! John did. Think of the vision of His glory John would have missed had he played it safe!

Instead, John endured with patience not only his suffering but also his solitude.

Patience in Solitude

John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, an island six miles wide and ten miles long. It was basically a large, barren rock in the middle of the Aegean Sea. And John was stuck on it!

John, who had been an eyewitness to the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension of Jesus.

John, who had been present at Pentecost.

John, who had helped establish the early church, who had been an evangelist to the world, who had pastored churches and discipled believers.

John was in exile on Patmos! Cut off from his friends, cut off from his ministry, cut off from opportunities to serve, cut off from traveling, cut off from those who might pray with him or encourage him or even offer sympathy to him in his condition of suffering and solitude.

What is your Patmos? Is it a hospital bed? Is it a workplace where you are the only Christian? Is it a small house with small children? Is it a rest home for the ela-erly? Is it a new city or a new job? Being fired from your job or going through a divorce or the death of a spouse can put you on Patmos. In what way have you been cut off, exiled, and placed in solitude? There are all different kinds of Patmos, aren't there? And it requires patience to live in the solitude of Patmos.

Some time ago, my husband and I received a call from a friend —I'll call him Dave-asking if he and his wife could talk with us. We knew Dave had been fired from his job several months earlier. When we met with him and his wife, Dave shared that he was really struggling with the way he was being treated by other Christians. He said not one Christian had called to ask how he was doing. Not one member of his church had offered to pray for him. Not one Christian had asked how he or she might help. Dave said he had finally gone to one of the deacons in his church and asked the deacon to meet with him for prayer. The deacon readily agreed, and they set a time when they would get together. When the time came, the deacon did not show up! He had forgotten!

My husband and I looked at our friend and said, "Dave, you are on Patmos. You are in exile. You have been cut off from friends, from a job, and from support.

Perhaps it is because God wants to reveal Himself to you in a new, fresh way?

But Dave's focus was so fixed on what he wanted, what he expected, what he felt he deserved, that he struggled against God's will for his life when it included getting fired from his job without the close support of other believers. He refused to patiently endure the solitude of Patmos. Therefore he could not seem to see the big picture. He did not receive a fresh vision of Christ, and he lost hope.

Patience through Submission

Submission to God's will is essential, not only to receiving God's blessing, but to receiving further revelation from God. The apostle John was submissive to God's will, even when it included exile on Patmos.

John was submissive to his Lord in the way he spent his time, which is implied by the phrase, "On the Lord's Day..." (Rev. 1:10a). How about that! Who knew what day it was on Patmos? I doubt the other prisoners knew, or even cared, if it was Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, or any other day of the week. They may have marked their cell walls with a line, then crossed off the lines each week, just to keep track of how much time they were spending in exile. But I doubt anyone was aware when it was the Lord's day. But John knew! And on the Lord's day, John spent time with the Lord!

Sometimes when we are suffering in solitude, we refuse to submit our time to the Lord. Instead of remaining involved in fellowship with other Christians or being involved in Christian activities, we tend to withdraw. We get so depressed with the greatness of our problems that we isolate ourselves from the very people and activities that would help get us through the hard times. For instance, our friend Dave stopped going to church. Have you stopped going to church? Or have you stopped attending the Bible study you were a member of? Have you withdrawn from your Christian friends? Have you become so depressed that you are not spending time in prayer?

On the Lord's day, John spent time with the Lord. He was submissive in his time and submissive in his spirit. He wrote, "On the Lord's Day, I was in the Spirit" (Rev. 1:10b).

John was in a sweet spirit; he had a right attitude. If you are suffering in soli-tude, what is your spirit like? When you are cut off from friends and from fellowship, when you are cut off from your hopes and dreams and plans for the future, do you feel sorry for yourself-Do you ask, "Why me?" Do you complain, "Why doesn't anyone seem to care?" Are you offended with God because He allowed this to happen-even though you have been faithfully serving Him? Our friend Dave's spirit was filled with pity for himself, resentment toward others, and offense with God. Is that how you feel too?

Can you imagine what John—and we-would have missed had he become self-analytical, self-pitying, resentful, bitter, and offended? Instead, his spirit was sweet, and his focus was on Christ.

Jesus said if you desire to truly worship God in a manner He accepts, you must worship Him in spirit." This means not only that you and I must be indwelt with the Holy Spirit, not only that we be in an earnest, sincere spirit, but also that we must be in a sweet spirit—a right spirit—if we are going to experience genuine worship of the living God.

John was able to experience genuine worship because he was submissive to the Lord in his time, in his spirit, and also in his will. This submission of his will can be seen in that he was still listening to the voice of God. In the midst of his suffering and solitude, he was still open to instruction and direction and new thoughts. And he said he heard God's voice loudly:"... I heard behind me 2 loud voice like a trumpet" (Rev. 1:10c). Did God's voice seem loud because John had made time to come quietly into God's presence?

For you and me, God speaks, not through dreams and visions, but through His Word. When do you make the time to quietly come into the presence of God, open your Bible, and read with the expectation of hearing His voice speak to you?

This past year I drove from the Gulf Coast of Florida to the Atlantic Coast. My route took me along what is known as "Alligator Alley," an unswerving ribbon of asphalt that crosses the Everglades. Again and again, to break the monotony, I tried to tune in a good radio station, but the dial was almost entirely silent, with only two or three stations available. Because I was unable to pull in anything else, those few stations I received seemed to come through loud and clear. I found myself listening to programs I had not heard before simply because there was nothing else available.

Then, as I neared the end of my journey and approached the city of Fort Lauderdale, the radio dial became so jammed with signals it was filled with static. I heard a multitude of languages and music and newscasts and accents. No one station stood out clearly. It was confusing. I would find a program I wanted to listen to, but in a few short miles it had been drowned out by other voices crowding in.

Our lives can be like that radio dial. We can be so jammed with signals coming from every direction that even when we tune in to the voice of God, He can get drowned out by other voices crowding in. If we are to hear Him clearly and loudly, there must be times of quietness built into our daily lives. I wonder if that is one reason He sometimes places us in exile, on Patmos.

It was when John was in exile on Patmos that God spoke to him, and John lis-tened. When suffering in solitude, whose voice do you listen to? Voices from without? A professional counselor, therapist, public opinion, medical research, pop psychology, polls of human behavior? Voices from within? Your own thoughts opinions, complaints, emotions, desires, and prejudices? Has the bombardment of other voices kept you from your daily Bible reading and prayer? There are times when I think God is silent, but in reality, He is speaking; I am just not listening.

The submission of John's will can be seen in that he not only listened to the voice of God, but he opened his eyes to the face of God: *I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me" (Rev. 1:122).

In order to "see the voice," John had to be willing to turn around. It can be very difficult for a nincty-year-old man to turn around literally and figuratively. John had known Jesus and had served Jesus most of his life. For sixty years or more, he had been a preacher, an evangelist, a pastor, a discipler of men, a church planter.

He was accustomed to serving the Lord in a particular way. Now, he had to be willing to tum around- to change directions, to shift gears, to see and think and serve in a new way.

Are you willing to turn around? Many Christians are not-especially those who are either older in age or older in spiritual maturity. You don't have to be ninety years old to be set in your ways and lose your flexibility and pliability and softness to the Lord's touch in your life. How open are you to seeing something new, to doing something new, to thinking something new?

Had John been unwilling to turn around, he would have missed the work God had for him to do at the end of his life. God was changing gears in John's ministry. Whereas previously John's ministry had been that of an evangelist and exhorter, now God was calling John to a ministry of worship and writing.

What are you missing because you are unwilling to turn around?

For fifty or more years, my father has conducted evangelistic crusades all over the world. His meetings almost invariably have had the same format, which has included large choirs, testimonies of conversion by various individuals, musical solos, and the preaching of the gospel. In 1994, however, several young men involved in setting up the mectings asked my father to consider a more youth-oriented format, including contemporary musical groups, in order to attract young people. Going against the strong advice of some of his longtime counselors, my father agreed. On June 11 in Cleveland, Ohio, a mecting was held that involved several Christian "rock" and "rap" groups. Sixty-five thousand young people, all under the age of eighteen, showed up, setting a new stadium record for attendance. The music was accompanied by a light show and all sorts of modern theatrics and techniques. The audience was wildly demonstrative, standing to sing, shout, wave, and dance to the music. Then my father stood up to preach the gospel. He was introduced by the leading musical group as a hero of the faith. The entire stadium became quiet and reverent as thousands of young people heard the gospel of Jesus Christ in a personally relevant way for the first time. When the invitation was given, six thousand young people ran forward to receive Christ as Savior! And I thought to myself, Praise God for a seventy-five-year-old evangelist who, like John, was willing to "turn around." John turned around to see the voice because he knew that behind the voice, or the Word of God, was the living person of God. His desire was not just to hear the Word but to see and know the person behind the Word.

When you read your Bible, do you read to familiarize yourself with the fact? Do you read to grow in your knowledge of the truth? Do you read it so you can live by and obey it, that you might be blessed? Despite these good intentions, could it be you are stopping short of the ultimate purpose of God's Word, which is to reveal God so you can know Him personally?

Sometimes, when faced with great problems, our tendency is to focus on the hands of God-what He has not done for us and what we want Him to do for us-instead of focusing on the face of God-simply who He is. Our depression can deepen through this kind of self-preoccupation. Often, in the midst of great prob. lems, we stop short of the real blessing God has for us, which is a fresh vision of who He is. When we stop focusing on our problems and on ourselves and focus instead on our almighty and omnipresent God, our problems, as the old hymn promises, "grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

Patient endurance helps us overcome the depression caused by the greatness of our problems because it gives us the opportunity to grow in our knowledge and personal relationship with the One who is our hope.

Have you grown so impatient, wanting your problems solved now, that you are missing the vision of His glory God has for you? Stop the pity party; stop the
complaining; stop the destructive self-analysis and the impatient struggle with God's will. Get your eyes off yourself, your problems, your circumstances, and look to the face of Christ!

¹Lotz, Anne Graham. The Vision of His Glory. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.

Image: Landscape with Saint John on Patmos, 1640, Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665).