“To Wait for His Son from Heaven” [podcast]

Waiting for His Son from Heaven

“For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; 10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

“Settled on their lees”

“And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.” Zephaniah 1:12

The phrase or idiom “settled on their lees” refers to…..

“That are settled on their lees – Those who are careless, satisfied with the goods of this life; who trust in their riches, and are completely irreligious; who, while they acknowledge that there is a God, think, like the Aristotelians, that he is so supremely happy in the contemplation of his own excellences, that he feels it beneath his dignity to concern himself with the affairs of mortals.” Adam Clarke

“I will search – God speaks after the manner of men, who searches dark places with candles. He will fully discover and punish. Their lees – In allusion to liquors, which not being poured out from vessel to vessel to refine them, grow thick and foul.” John Wesley

Marks of a counterfeit:

The counterfeit is the person who at some time in their past repented and believed on the LORD Jesus Christ, was saved, walked with Him for a time, then waxed cold, also known as forgot God.

“The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” Psalms 9:16-17

How is God known? – “The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth” … upon those “that forget God.”

Jesus foretold that “the love of many shall wax cold” …

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:10-13

The sure sign that someone is serving the god of self instead of the Savior is that they want assurance in their current lukewarm state instead of fearing God and simply searching and embracing what He plainly stated and obeying Him (2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 9:28). Scripture reveals that it’s only the counterfeit preachers who assure them in their sin instead of disclosing the LORD’s warnings which the Bible is full of (Amos 9:10; Jeremiah 23:17; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3, etc.).

PWT: Christ’s apostle Paul did 3 things to prepare the body of Christ to meet the LORD Jesus. Can you find those 3 things here in Colossians 1:28?

“Whom we PREACH, WARNING every man, and TEACHING every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:” Colossians 1:28

Say it out loud:

PWT = Preach, Warn, Teach

This lack of diligence in serving God has always been condemned by the LORD. The lukewarm posture His people were tempted to settle into would cost them their eternal souls. All it takes to go to hell is to get saved and then become “lukewarm.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

What does the Bible mean by “at ease in Zion”?

“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!” Amos 6:1

“At ease – That neither fear nor believe the threatened judgments of God. In Zion – That is put for the kingdom of the two tribes, and principally the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Samaria – Woe to them also who rely upon the strength, wealth, and policy of the kingdom of Samaria or Israel.” John Wesley

“The Second Woe (Chap. 6)
6:1-8 Their luxury, ease, complacency, and security would be disturbed by violence. ‘Woe’ is pronounced on those who lie on beds of ivory, stretch out on their couches, eating all they want, sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, drink wine abundantly from bowls, anoint themselves with the most expensive perfumes and colognes, recline at banquets. God’s reaction to their attitude of ease and complacency is: ‘I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces.’ Samaria would be delivered up to the Assyrians.” Believer’s Bible Commentary

Sitting around doing little to nothing while claiming to have “the assurance of salvation” is a recipe for eternal disaster.

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” 2 Peter 1:10

Read Matthew 25:1-13; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 John 3:3; Revelation 19:7-10.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” 1 Peter 5:8

“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:40

Where in God’s Word do we see an inclination toward camping on supposed “assurance” of salvation which sounds very Laodicean? In Scripture we see no posture of lukewarmness other than with those who are getting ready to be spewed from the mouth of Christ! See Revelation 3:15-16.

TO THE UNREPENTANT SINNERS, THE MESSAGE OF REPENTANCE PREACHED BY NOAH WAS ALL A BIG FAIRY TALE, A CONSPIRACY THEORY …. UNTIL IT STARTED TO RAIN. WHEN we reflect upon the days of Noah when he preached the Word to over a million people and how only 8 souls were saved… then reflect upon Jesus’ bringing this to the forefront for us in this last hour before He soon return….

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:37-39

How is it that so many today who’ve been saved are “lukewarm,” are now “settled on their lees,” are “at ease in Zion”? What was Noah’s posture of heart? See Revelation 3:15-16; Zephaniah 1:12; Amos 6:1.

Do you know better than God’s servant Noah? Let’s take a peek into Noah’s relationship, his heart posture and obedience to the LORD:

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Hebrews 11:7 

Real “faith” lives under the fire of “being warned of God” and moves “with fear,” preparing for judgment in order to be “heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

At the time of Noah’s flood, it is estimated that 10 million people were alive on the earth. Yet only 8 were saved. Do the math. Frightening. Does this not give new meaning to Jesus’ warning words, when He stated “many be called, but few chosen”? See Matthew 20:16.

Choosing the Fear of the LORD

“God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.” Psalms 55:19 

Those who refuse to “choose the fear of the LORD” have no changes in their lives.

“For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:” Proverbs 1:29

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:36-39 

From David Taylor (pastor):

“Let us pray: for us in our faith to stand unmoved to the end even to the loss of life and even so, come Lord Jesus! I sense we are in and around REVELATION chapter 13. The old guard power saints of the Lord’s kingdom are dead, the next old ones grow tired, many of the young ones have departed for the world, walked away from the Word of God unto another gospel which is not a gospel, many have forsaken the living Word for a mere man’s theology called isms. Pray for strength and new young ones to be standing strong for Jesus.”

Take heart beloved of God. He assures us that He is the LORD Almighty and is in full control of the unfolding of the events of the final days of this earth as we know it, and how things will play out – for His glory.

PRAYER: Holy Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ my LORD. Here and now I ask You to break me, to touch with Your holy finger the innermost part of my being and unite my heart to fear Thy name. Have Your perfect way in me please dear LORD. Purge and cleanse from this vessel all that does not please You. Rid all defilement. Please fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit, multiply Your grace in me, do Your good pleasure, perfect that which concerns my life, and work in this life both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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