No Waiting! - That was then, this is now.

[ScottA]

The whole "waiting upon the Lord" thing was part of looking forward to Christ's first coming:

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.

...Thus, Jesus Christ's coming 2,000 years ago, was to be the end of the Israel's waiting for Messiah - not the beginning of our waiting.

On the contrary, when Jesus Christ (Messiah) came, He did not say "wait upon the Lord", He said "today is the day of salvation."

So...when we hear about "waiting upon the Lord" today, it either means one of three things:

1. There is some particular thing that someone is waiting on, perhaps that they have been praying about, or:
2. The person has not taken to heart that "today is the day of salvation", or:
3. The person is applying that Old Covenant scripture of "waiting upon the Lord" to explain why the sky did not part the day they came to believe in the salvation of Christ, and therefore look for another day when Jesus will finish what He started...against His telling us that "today" is that day, and "Behold I come quickly" and not in the distant unknown future.

It is #3 that has literally become the "strong delusion" foretold by the apostle Paul about our time...because, Christ did come, He said "It is finished", He laid out the next phase of world history under the New Covenant, explaining that it was a matter of being born again of the spirit of God, and clarified the timing, saying "today" and "behold, I come quickly."

Then came the teachings of men.

Shortly after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into the kingdom of God, the apostle John received what we read of in the book of Revelation. Therein, Jesus reports on the status of the seven churches and indicates that He had somewhat against 5 out of 7 of the churches even during that first generation after the cross. And now the children of the 5 are greater than the children of the 2...meaning most have been teaching an imperfect gospel for 1,900+ years, and almost everyone you know did not get the truth, but rather, got an erroneous translation of the truth now commonly believed among the church. As a result, every end times scenario from prophecy has been skewed by that first generation not believing in the simple truth that "today is the day of salvation" and that Christ said He was coming "quickly." And now there are 40-some generations of people including scholars, theologians, priests, pastors, teachers, and popes who will argue in support of the 5-churches errors, and literally team up on any who speak against the error with accusations of heresy.

So...good luck. I recommend you do your own homework and consider everything you hear as being 5 out of 7 wrong, or worse.

And for those who have an ear to hear what the spirit says...listen to the Spirit instead.

[Heleadethme]

Let me know your thoughts on this, but it seems there is a second baptism to undergo after coming to faith in Christ.....the children of Israel went first through the Red Sea, and then a wilderness of testing, and finally followed the ark across the Jordan River in order to cross over into the Promised Land of rest.  The Jordan River was at flood stage and the Lord held the water back all the way to a town called Adam so they could get across.  That seems to speak of one's heart/life being cleansed to the very roots.

[ScottA]

10 minutes ago, Heleadethme said:

Let me know your thoughts on this, but it seems there is a second baptism to undergo after coming to faith in Christ.....the children of Israel went first through the Red Sea, and then a wilderness of testing, and finally followed the ark across the Jordan River in order to cross over into the Promised Land of rest.  The Jordan River was at flood stage and the Lord held the water back all the way to a town called Adam so they could get across.  That seems to speak of one's heart/life being cleansed to the very roots.

There is a lot of parable language in all that. But, yes, in a manner of speaking there is a second baptism. However, I wouldn't call it that, because that might give the idea that we all go through two baptisms, when we do not. The first is Jacob (coming out of Egypt), and the second is a parable on the gentiles of wandering in the desert, then we all, the dead and the living (Israel, and we who are alive and remain) enter the promised land, which is the rest of God.

[Christine]

1 hour ago, ScottA said:

The whole "waiting upon the Lord" thing was part of looking forward to Christ's first coming:

 

Hello @ScottA,

The Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the promises made to the Fathers (Romans 15:8) as you say. Following His resurrection, and during the period of approx. 40 years covered by the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles written during that time confirm the fact that the believers of that day were expecting His imminent return, which depended on the repentance of Israel.

'But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:' (Act 3:18-20) 

* This did not happen, Israel did not repent, they rejected the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ at His first advent, and the opened door and ministry of Christ Jesus the risen Lord, performed through the Apostles of the circumcision, and Paul, following His resurrection. Then at Acts 28:28, following the quotation of Isaiah 6, in Acts 28:25-27, salvation was sent to the Gentiles, for they would receive it.

* Today is indeed the day of salvation and the church of the One Body, of which Christ is the Head, is being called out, a united, spiritual company who are ONE in Him, they now await His appearing in glory, when they too will appear with Him. ( Col.3:4 & Eph. Phil.)  

'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;'
(Tit 2:11-13) 

In Christ Jesus

Christine

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Christine

[Willa]

I never thought of waiting on the Lord as waiting for the the Lord.  It is an act of service or of a servant, such as a waiter.  I wait for His guidance or His requests of me.   

[ScottA]

26 minutes ago, Christine said:

Hello @ScottA,

The Lord Jesus Christ came to fulfill the promises made to the Fathers (Romans 15:8) as you say. Following His resurrection, and during the period of approx. 40 years covered by the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles written during that time confirm the fact that the believers of that day were expecting His imminent return, which depended on the repentance of Israel.

'But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled.  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;  And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:' (Act 3:18-20) 

* This did not happen, Israel did not repent, they rejected the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ at His first advent, and the opened door and ministry of Christ Jesus the risen Lord, the Apostles of the circumcision, and Paul, following His resurrection. Then at Acts 28:28, following the quotation of Isaiah 6, in Acts 28:25-27, salvation was sent to the Gentiles, for they would receive it.

* Today is indeed the day of salvation and the church of the One Body, of which Christ is the Head, is being called out, a united, spiritual company who are ONE in Him, they now await His appearing in glory, when they too will appear with Him. ( Col.3:4 & Eph. Phil.)  

'For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;'
(Tit 2:11-13) 

In Christ Jesus

Christine

 

 

 

Thank you. Even some of that would seem to indicate that Jesus did not and does not come "quickly" as He said. But the one line of teachings do not contradict the others. They both are true, but "each in his own order."

Nonetheless, the correct testimony according to John's test of all spirits, from those who confess to have Christ "in" them, is that Jesus has indeed come [again] in the flesh - their's. Meaning that we do not "wait upon the Lord", but "are alive and remain" as "to live is Christ."

[ScottA]

2 minutes ago, Willa said:

I never thought of waiting on the Lord as waiting for the the Lord.  It is an act of service or of a servant, such as a waiter.  I wait for His guidance or His requests of me.   

Which is great - that is yielding to "Christ in you." As it should be: "To live is Christ", for those who are "in Him."

[Christine]

Hello @ScottA,

I do not deny that Christ came in the flesh, for it is a matter of record that He came. He fulfilled the work of Him that sent Him, and destroyed the work of the devil by His death and resurrection. The potential for His return was there, and could have been fulfilled quickly, had Israel repented, but they did not, and the kingdom purpose is now in abeyance.

Have you not heard of the patient waiting of Christ? (Matt.12:36; Heb.10:12,13; 2 Thess.3:5) The suffering of Christ took place at His first advent, the glory of Christ is yet to come at His second advent. 

Luke 4:16-21, records a day when the Lord stood up to read from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue, and he closed the book after reading just a few verses, at which He said, 'This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears', if He had continued He could not have said that, for what followed referred to a yet future day, in which His ministry would take on a very different form.  A gap of time would elapse before that would take place, and we are still awaiting it.

Do you deny, Scott, that the Lord will return?

In Christ Jesus

Christine

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by Christine

[frienduff thaylorde]

1 hour ago, Christine said:

Hello @ScottA,

I do not deny that Christ came in the flesh, for it is a matter of record that He came. He fulfilled the work of Him that sent Him, and destroyed the work of the devil by His death and resurrection. The potential for His return was there, and could have been fulfilled quickly, had Israel repented, but they did not, and the kingdom purpose is now in abeyance.

Have you not heard of the patient waiting of Christ? (Matt.12:36; Heb.10:12,13; 2 Thess.3:5) The suffering of Christ took place at His first advent, the glory of Christ is yet to come at His second advent. 

Luke 4:16-21, records a day when the Lord stood up to read from the book of Isaiah in the synagogue, and he closed the book after reading just a few verses, at which He said, 'This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears', if He had continued He could not have said that, for what followed referred to a yet future day, in which His ministry would take on a very different form.  A gap of time would elapse before that would take place, and we are still awaiting it.

Do you deny, Scott, that the Lord will return?

In Christ Jesus

Christine

 

 

Dear Christine let no man take our joy of waiting for the LORD .     We know HE will return and on HIS day all who kept watching and did as their Lord bid

them shall be rewarded.      Be blessed sister .  you praise the LORD ,  praise the Lord with the shout of thanksgiving . 

[Heleadethme]

15 hours ago, ScottA said:

There is a lot of parable language in all that. But, yes, in a manner of speaking there is a second baptism. However, I wouldn't call it that, because that might give the idea that we all go through two baptisms, when we do not. The first is Jacob (coming out of Egypt), and the second is a parable on the gentiles of wandering in the desert, then we all, the dead and the living (Israel, and we who are alive and remain) enter the promised land, which is the rest of God.

Well, that is hard to understand, I will have to think on that.  I have been thinking that since Israel is our example, it is a picture of our journey, whoever is following Christ, Jew or Gentile.  But possibly there are more layers to it as well, so I'll give it a ponder, thanks.  That's like waiting on the Lord too, of course His word is eternal so it applies now, but there is the other aspect that it was fulfilled in Christ, the waiting and looking for Him was over when He came.