Tag: prayer

Letters

Asking the Lord for the Promise

Peter

Waiting Quietly for the Lord

Blessed be the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ for the mercy given to the church He has called.  Peace and grace to the brethren, and may these words encourage all.

All faith is proven by the Lord, as faith without works is dead. All members of the Body of Christ, regardless of their status of baptism or maturity, are commanded to act in faith and pray for the Lord to come. We pray for more of what we already have, and if we wait for the Promise, we pray fervently for the Lord’s kingdom to come. This is indeed the purpose of the daily prayer the Lord has given.  The Lord’s will is for all men to be saved from their sins by His coming to dwell within them.  Thus, we come to know the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

Learning to wait for the Lord to come is an immediate test of our faith.  As we wait for the power of the Promise, we struggle against the works of the flesh, which include covetousness and envy.  The Lord commands us not to covet what another man has been given.

Deu 5:21  Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s. 

We are commanded to be content with our pay and where the Lord has us, always asking for more of what we have.  Godliness with contentment is a great gain.  It is unwise, as Paul tells us, to measure and compare ourselves to others [see 2Co 10:12 and this study here].  We are not to concern ourselves with others’ talents, be they less or more than we have.  Ultimately, every man gets the same prize, the mind of Christ, and we are to run the race set before us and not worry about others standing in the Lord’s order.

Joh 21:21  Peter, seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man [John] do? 

Joh 21:22  Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. 

The parables of the talents and the Minas both reveal the Lord’s ways, which reward those faithful with what they are given with even more, and take away from those who are unfaithful with their portions.

Luk 19:15  And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 

Luk 19:16  Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. 

Luk 19:17  And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. 

These parables warn us to be faithful with our gifts and not lose what we have by comparing ourselves, leading to sloth, envy, strife, and many other works of the carnal mind.  Such thoughts lead to less abundance of fruit.

Mat 25:29  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 

Desiring more is hungering and thirsting for righteousness, which is a blessing.  But the way is narrow to walk.  Desiring more, the Lord tells us to pray persistently for the Promise to come. Christ guarantees us that if we do this, with persistence, He will come.   We need lots of bread, the Living Commandments, to endure the journey to the end.  Persistence in asking yields success, says the Lord.  Here is the parable that reveals this, teaching us to persistently ask for all the Living Bread we need.

Luk 11:5  NKJV And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 

Luk 11:6  for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 

Luk 11:7  and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 

Luk 11:8  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. 

The Lord gives us as much bread as we need when we believe with our whole hearts and ask persistently.  Praying persistently proves our faith and is rewarded with answered prayer.  An earthly father does not fail to give good gifts to his children if they ask for something they need. Our heavenly Father, the Lord from heaven, is even better than any father of the earth.

Luk 11:9  “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

Luk 11:10  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 

Luk 11:11  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 

Luk 11:12  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 

Luk 11:13  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” 

We need to ask the Father to give us the Holy Spirit. How many of us have been asking persistently? Every day or even multiple times a day? How long has one been praying for the Lord, the living bread of life, to come?  If one thinks they already have something, they are unlikely to keep praying for it. Ask daily, in faith, and it shall be done for you. Remember that all faith is tested; thus, a wait is also required.  Pray and be patient, waiting on Him to come with the rain that is the Promise.

Jas 5:7  Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 

Jas 5:8  You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the Promise. 

Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 

Order and Process

The will of God we do first is our sanctification [1Th 4:3], which is being washed by the water of the Word, meaning the completion of John’s baptism. As we are sanctified, the Lord comes and glorifies Himself in us by the coming of the Promise.  We have been prepared, made ready as the Bride for every good work.

2Ti 2:21  Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 

There is an order and sequence to the Lord’s plan.

Rom 8:30  Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 

Waiting for the Lord is the same as waiting for salvation to come. The Lord’s ways have not changed, and even the Old Testament tells us to pray and trust that the Lord hears us and comes in the Father’s perfect timing.

Mic 7:7  Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. 

Lam 3:26  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

None of our waiting is wasted.  In fact, it is needed time,  as the Bride of Christ needs time to prepare herself for the wedding of the Lamb. John’s baptism prepares the way for Christ’s coming and is completed before He comes with the fire and grace.  Truth and Grace come by way of Jesus Christ.

We grow into the knowledge and Wisdom of Jesus Christ, not the man, but the Living Word of commandments. We are blessed to be instructed on the Commandments and then wait at the Lord’s gates for Him to come. He shall come, and we are finding great favor with the Lord as we wait in faith.

Pro 8:34  Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 

Pro 8:35  For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. 

Everybody is Waiting for Something

Everyone in the flock is waiting, those with the Promise and those still waiting for their baptism of Christ.  Everyone has to wait and be patient. Some wait for the Promise, and the rest wait to be established for the fullness of the purchased possession when we depart the clay.  Our whole life in these clay vessels involves some waiting as we groan within ourselves, even after the Promise comes, as we wait for the fullness of our redemption.  With or without having the Promise, we are being saved by our hope in the Lord to fulfill all of His precious promises.  All brethren are to hope in the Lord’s promises and patiently wait for them to come.

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

Rom 8:23  And not only they [waiting for Christ], but ourselves also [who already have the Promise], which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

The Scriptures tell us that some waited patiently and in accordance with God’s instructions. Many did not, creating strife, envy, and sedition in the congregations, causing hardships that Paul and the other Apostles had to confront. Let’s look more at both extremes and learn some lessons of instructions preserved for us in the Scriptures.

Making Ourselves Ready

The Lord spoke many words about waiting for Him to return with the Promise.  Many miss the Lord because they are not ready or watching when He comes for them.  Do not miss the Lord; be ready and watch. The Lord tells us of His second coming and contrasts those who are ready and waiting with those who are not.  Here is the parable.

Luk 12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Luk 12:35  Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 

Luk 12:36  And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 

Luk 12:37  Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat and will come forth and serve them. 

Luk 12:38  And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 

Luk 12:39  And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 

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

The Lord comes as a thief when our carnal minds are not expecting Him.  Therefore, one is always on guard and reminded to watch until the Lord enters our heaven, as flesh leads us away into other pursuits.  Focus on the things of God, the commandments that light our path, is how we watch and prepare ourselves.  Our treasure is the wisdom of the Lord, in which we meditate day and night, watching for His return.  The Lord comes in different watches to the brethren.  We are to stay focused, avoiding envy, following our instructions, and wait for our watch to arrive.  If we disobey, we begin to walk naked and sin.

Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 

Not Watching nor Preparing

The Lord also spoke about those who do not wait properly in another parable.

Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

Mat 24:48  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming;

Mat 24:49  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

Mat 24:50  The Lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

Mat 24:51  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The temptation of the carnal mind after hearing the Gospel and being told to wait is to revert to the old ways.  This causes some to revert to the old ways, that is, drinking the older wine, which tastes better to the flesh.  This is drinking the wine of knowledge and not focusing on the Living Commandments in our studies and meditations.  The result of excess wine is that we get spiritually drunk and, as the parable shows, begin to smite our brethren. Spiritually speaking, this means accusing and excusing them [carnal arguments, strife, throwing stones, etc.] under the law of sin and death.  Doing so makes no one righteous, and is us having only a form of godliness.  If the Lord comes and we are not ready, we cannot enter through the door that is the Living Christ.  Paul cited this happening in the “last times”, being the time just before the Lord comes.  Do not miss the Lord, be ready, and turn aside from such.

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth

It is the spiritual Jews who have walked a long time seeking Christ who have the hardest time receiving the Gospel.  It is because they are already rich and think they need nothing, as the parable of the rich young ruler declares.  Most of the contention against the Gospel and those who preach it came from the circumcision, meaning the Jews, with all their knowledge.

The disciples in Samaria are an excellent example of Gentiles who prepared themselves and waited for the Promise, without envying others.  The Samaritans received the two Apostles the Lord sent them to lay hands on them [to preach and teach the Gospel], which completed their baptism of water [John] and brought the baptism by fire, that is, the Holy Spirit, coming.

Act 8:14  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 

Act 8:15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 

Act 8:16  For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [baptism of John]

Act 8:17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. [received the baptism of the Spirit]

When we see the laying on of hands, the Scriptures read as if this happened instantly.  But the Scriptures are parables speaking to the process of tarrying together in fellowship, while being taught by ministers of the Gospel that the Lord establishes and sends to us.  We do not know the time or how long; it is all in the Father’s hands, but we pray for it to come as we do now for the Lord’s flock.  Faith comes by hearing, both our faith in John and also the faith of Christ that comes with the Promise.  We need to hear the Gospel preached till the Lord comes.

Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 

Rom 10:15  And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 

It is helpful and reassuring to see this waiting in the New Testament Scriptures, which confirms we are where the Lord has us and that we just need to have faith and wait on Him to perform.  The early church in the Scriptures portrays gatherings of brethren, some having the Promise and some not having.  This is how we gather today, with one another, tarrying for one another, all working together until we all come to the unity of the one true faith in the Living Christ.  We all have a role or are in the process of being prepared for our role as we grow together in faith.

Eph 4:12  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 

A review of the various churches described in the New Testament reflects the variation in the makeup of the baptisms and the level of maturity.  This is all written for us to learn the lessons and gain understanding.

Corinthians:  The church at Corinth had not received the Promise and was still waiting, having only John’s baptism.   They were yet carnal and struggled, not eating the Lord’s supper worthily, and being puffed up one against another.  Paul wrote to encourage them as they waited and rebuke them for their errors.  This is all part of the process of learning and growing together as one church, to be made into One Spirit when the Lord comes.  Here is some encouragement and an example of a rebuke.

1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;

1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here is a rebuke.

1Co 3:3  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

Thessalonians: The assembly in Thessalonica awaited the Promise, as the Lord had not yet come. Paul encouraged them and complimented them on the example they showed other churches on how to wait and be prepared. They had turned from idols and were now serving the Lord, waiting for Christ to come in power.

1Th 1:9  For they themselves [the other churches] 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; 

1Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. 

2Th 3:5  And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ. 

Paul encouraged them to walk in love and wait for the Lord to perfect them when He comes in the power of the Spirit.

1Th 3:12  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: 

1Th 3:13  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. 

 At the end, Paul provides a great list of activities that are necessary and helpful to perform as we wait. It is worth considering these carefully.

1Th 5:15  See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. 

1Th 5:16  Rejoice evermore. 

1Th 5:17  Pray without ceasing. 

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

1Th 5:19  Quench not the Spirit. 

1Th 5:20  Despise not prophesyings. 

1Th 5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 

1Th 5:22  Abstain from all appearance of evil. 

Finally, Paul reminds them of the Lord’s Promise and His faithfulness to fulfill it if they are patient.

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1Th 5:24  Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. 

Philippians:  The church at Philippi was waiting for the Promise; they were waiting for the day of Jesus Christ, another phrase for the Promise coming.  Paul encouraged them to wait and be joyful in waiting.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

Php 1:10  That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 

Paul teaches them to adopt the mindset of Jesus Christ while they wait for it to come in the power that is the Promise.

Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 
Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Paul had labored much to have Christ formed in these brethren and was looking forward to rejoicing in the day of Christ, meaning the day Christ comes to them by way of the Promise.

Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 
Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 

Galatians: The church at Galatia had already received the Promise, Christ had come to them in the Spirit. They had been released from the law and the schoolmaster and now were walking in the faith of Jesus Christ. Much of the book warns against false gospels, where they had begun well with the Spirit but were being led astray and back into bondage of the carnal law by some who had come into their assembly. Paul was none too pleased.

Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 

They had the Spirit to walk in the Spirit, and the concern was their falling away and not making their calling and election sure.

Gal 5:7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? 

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

In all these letters, there is talk of the Gentiles who are joint heirs of the Promise who were yet to come into the assembly. What this means is that in every church, in every generation, there is going to be a new influx of lost sheep being found.  Therefore, our assemblies are expected always to have a mixture of brethren with differing degrees of baptism.  This creates trials, and we need to be on guard so we always walk the more excellent way.

Ephesians:  Many at Ephesus had the Promise, as we saw their Pentecost moment when we looked at Acts 19 a while back. Paul addresses them in the past tense, describing how they used to walk before the Promise came.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of Promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 

Colossians: If we look at the words in this epistle,  they had received the Promise.  Christ had come to them and was risen in them.

Col 1:5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 

Col 1:6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: 

Those given the Spirit are exhorted to walk in the power

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 

Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 

Hebrews:  The Book of Hebrews was written to those having the Promise and had the power of the Holy Spirit, the throne of grace established within them.  Jesus had passed into their heaven already.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 
Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 
Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. 

The bar is raised when the Promise comes. The Lord is not speaking from the earth anymore; He is speaking from our heaven. The day of the Lord has come when Christ is speaking from heaven.

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

John’s and Peter’s Letters:   John and Peter’s epistles were written in a tense showing the intended readers had already received the Promise.    Those born of God have been born again, completing both baptisms of John and Christ, and have the Living God, the Father and Son living in them.

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

When the Promise comes, we have the annointing which is another term for the Promise.  We now have the Living Truth living inside and are being made perfect.

1Jn 2:20  But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 
1Jn 2:21  I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 

The anointing we receive is the Holy Spirit, which teaches all men in the right ways of the Lord.

1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 

A Key Principle:  The Lord always speaks of things that are not yet as if they already were accomplished.  Therefore, the Scriptures apply to both those who wait and those who have already received.

Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 

The ways of God are higher than ours.  We are credited with righteousness just for having faith.  We walk by faith in what we do not yet see, believing in the Lord to bring it to pass.    The witnesses to support this principle are endless in the Scripture.  Abraham [YOU], believed God and it was credited him for righteousness.

This is to be our attitude [as we are to be like God]  while we patiently wait for the Promise to come.  We are to reckon ourselves already dead, even though we wait for the power of salvation.  Those with John’s baptism of repentance are to act as if they have received the indwelling Christ.

Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Rom 6:12  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

Peter referred to this reckoning, that we already have Christ while we wait, as hastening the coming of the Lord. We know the old heavens and earth will be dissolved when the power comes, and thus, we hasten its coming by striving to be holy right now, the best we can, while we tarry. The day of the Lord begins the day we receive the Promise.

2Pe 3:10  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 

Those who are not watching or are unprepared, meaning they did not complete the baptism of John [learning all the true doctrines and the commandments],  fail to answer the door when Christ comes.  They are not ready for their hour of visitation and do not recognize Jesus Christ coming in the forms of His servants and angels.  Christ and His Christ weep when the Gospel of good news is rejected by those not given eyes to embrace the Living Words that save them.

Luk 19:41  Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 
Luk 19:42  saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 
Luk 19:43  For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, 
Luk 19:44  and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” 

It is by the Father’s choosing to whom mercy is given.  Blessed are the eyes of anyone given to see these things, as they will not miss the hour of visitation when the Lord comes.

 

Letters

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Peter

Temptations and Trials Bring Salvation

The Lord tells us to pray His prayer daily.  The prayer asks for the Father to come via Christ, the living commandments.  This is the living bread that enters into our hearts, into the kingdom of God within, and brings deliverance from sin.

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 

Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread. 

Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 

In this prayer, we ask the Lord to lead us not into temptation but to deliver us from evil.  This is asking for deliverance from all our carnal thoughts and lusts that define the world and bring forth the wages of sin.  The prayer is asking for more power unto salvation, more of the commandments, more rain for our earth, so the righteousness of Christ may spring forth.

Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

Christ is commanding us to pray this prayer daily.  This prayer asks for more of the daily bread [the commandments] every day.  This is the Gospel being shed abroad in our hearts.  The same is known as the love of God, meaning our obedience [1Jo 5:3, Joh 14:15], now being made manifest by the work of His Spirit.

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

This is how our deliverance from evil is accomplished.  The kingdom of God within us is being built up in righteousness as we pray daily, asking for the commandments to come forth to deliver us from evil by the power of the Gospel.  Part of the prayer confesses our sin and asks for forgiveness in the same way we forgive all those who trespass against us.  We ask for more of the Father’s Spirit, which He put into the Son, to come daily.  We are asking for the truth we already know in our mind, our heaven, to manifest in our earth, which is our body and walk.  Paul says to pray without ceasing, as this hastens the coming of the Lord to our inward parts with the power to save us.

Understanding what tempts us, how temptation works, and how to overcome our temptations, through God’s power, is essential. Let’s cover key topics related to common temptations we face.

Who is the Tempter?

Satan is the tempter.  The carnal mind is the tempter, and this spirit lives in all flesh until the work of God is completed.  The tempter comes to all of us and is used of God to work righteousness in us and prove our faith.  The first test was in the Garden of Eden when Eve was deceived by the serpent when the commandments of God were questioned.

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

All temptation is temptation to sin and break the Lord’s commandments.  The devil tempted the Lord, and for this reason, this spirit was created by the Father of all spirits.

Mar 1:13  And Christ was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 

The devil is the instrument of God’s creation and is used to work salvation in us by tempting us and causing us to err from the way.

Isa 54:16  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 

Job 26:13  By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. 

The Lord sends Satan to try Job [YOU], accusing Job before God.  Satan walks up and down on everyone’s earth, looking for weakness to tempt us to sin against the Lord.

Job 2:2  And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 

Job 2:3  And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 

Job 2:4  And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 

Job 2:5  But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 

Job 2:6  And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. 

Satan is sent to tempt us and thereby prove our faithfulness to the Lord’s Word. Peter warns us to remain vigilant because Satan is always around the corner, even if we are not aware.  This is why we are to remain steadfast in the faith, always looking to the commandments, as opportune times often come in the carnal world in which we live.

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

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

Satan, also known as the devil and is the father of all that are carnally minded.   This spirit is the carnal mind and easily provokes us so that an accusation can then be made.  We battle the tempter daily in our own minds and our walk in the world, and dialogue with the people of Israel.  We see this in all the interactions with the Pharisees, who were tempting Christ but who never sinned or acted on the temptation. How we answer is always with the commandments.

Luk 11:53  And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things: 

Luk 11:54  Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him

Luk 20:23  But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? [We are Christ in the world]

The devil is a murderer [a hater in spirit] and is called the father of all lies.  Those who walk by the flesh, having not the Spirit, cannot hear the words of truth as they are bound to the father of all lies, as Christ tells them.

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

All the lusts of our flesh are lusts of the devil.  The reason Christ comes to us is to destroy the works of the devil.  All of our sin comes from the spirit of Satan that is in carnal flesh.

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God [the living commandments] was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

Satan is also known as the father of death because to be carnally minded, having that mindset IS DEATH [Romans 8:6].

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 

Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 

Only through the living commandments, the Gospel, which is Christ, are we set free from this bondage and saved in our appointed time. This spirit of Satan loves to accuse the brethren.  Salvation begins when this spirit is cast out of our heaven, and we no longer walk by the spirit of the carnal mind.  We are freed from that bondage, the grip that sin has on our lives.  The power of the Gospel, the commands have come to us.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

God Tempts Nobody to Sin

Christ is not leading us into temptation to sin. Christ, the living commandments, the Gospel, now lives in our hearts, and this Word sits on the throne of the heart.  The Spirit of Christ does not tempt anyone to sin, so we cannot blame the Lord.

Gal 2:17  But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 

We are tempted by our own lusts to do evil.  James correctly states that the Lord, meaning the Holy Spirit living within us, tempts nobody to sin.  We are tempted when we are led away from the commandments and do not look upon them.  The lusts [the carnal thoughts in man] are the spirit of satan in our flesh and what tempts us to sin.  Embracing the commandments is the only way out.

Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 

Jas 1:15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 

Jas 1:16  Do not err, my beloved brethren

John says the same but differently.  When we stand in Christ, meaning the living commandments that are the Word, we cannot sin.  Whatever is born of God cannot sin.  Thus, the true litmus test for who is born of God can be determined by looking at the fruit of our walk.  If we continue in sin, we are not walking in the Spirit, and remain children of the devil, being led by our lusts [our father the devil].  We need to pray for more bread and more rain.

Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

Our instructions are always consistent, and there is no variability in how we walk or the consequences of straying. Paul agrees and attests.

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit [the living commandments], and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Gal 5:17  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

Gal 5:18  But if ye be led of the Spirit [the commands], ye are not under the law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

The Lord, the living Word, does tempt us, but His temptation is for us to do good or obey Him, not to disobey.  These are also known as trials of our faith, which is different than temptations to do evil brought by Satan.  The Lord is proving to see if we are faithful to the commandments.

The biggest trial our faith is being asked to lay down the newborn life within us, after the commandments come by becoming a living sacrifice.  This was the trial of faith given to Abraham in the shadow of the Old Testament.

Gen 22:1  And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. 

Gen 22:2  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. 

Proving our faith and having us do good is what the Lord does.  Satan proves our faith by tempting us to do evil.  Both types are the trials of our faith that work together for the greater good of salvation.

Trials and Temptations are Teaching Us:

The temptations that test our faith are how we are taught the fear of the Lord, and our heavenly Father chastens and scourges us [Heb 12:6] when we disobey the commandments.  The chastening is needed to learn how to do righteousness and be holy in all of our behavior.  It is the giving of the commandments to one another and Israel that we need to hear so that we sin not.

Exo 20:20  And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. 

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

One cannot enter the promised land until we are tried and proven, falling down seven times and are fed the true manna from heaven, the living commandments.  The Scriptures must be fulfilled as we live by every Word. All our successes and our failures have already been written.   All things are indeed ours to fulfill on the journey.

Deu 8:2  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. 

Deu 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. 

We tarry with the Body prepared for us until the power of the living commandments comes.  It will come; we need to wait for it.  Waiting and long-suffering with one another is teaching us patience.  But believe the Lord and His promise to bring us the indwelling power unto salvation.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 

Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 

We rejoice in this gift, but know the road gets harder as the day of the great tribulation has come.  The more we pass the many temptations, the more Jesus Christ is revealed in us until His work is finished and we are saved from our sins.

1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Those with the Spirit of God in them are in a war against the tempter and his many lying spirits that come to tempt us into sinning [straying from the commandments]. We can do all things through Christ, by standing in the power of the commandments.  This is how every battle [temptation] is won and eventually total victory in the war as the salvation of our souls comes.

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [The commandments are the power]

Our Disobedience Tempts the Lord:

We tempt Christ when we disobey the Lord.  He is a jealous God.  All the lessons of Israel dying in the wilderness and being struck with many plagues are there for our admonition to remind us to walk in obedience, to walk in the faith of the commandments.  When we tempt the Lord by disobeying, He sends more of the things we don’t need to turn our hearts back to the commandments.  He sends more serpents, even more temptations to put us in bondage, so our hearts are turned back to the commandments.

1Co 10:9  Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 

1Co 10:10  Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. 

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

Our disobedience tempts the Lord to chasten and scourge us so we may learn how to obey His commandments.  Here is the message in the shadow of the Old Testament.

Deu 6:14  Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 

Deu 6:16  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. 

Deu 6:17  Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

Our willful disobedience, knowing to do right and still not doing it, brings the most severe punishment to turn us back to Him.  Having received the Gospel, the ante is raised for our disobedience.

Heb 10:26  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 

Heb 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. 

We quickly learn not to tempt our Lord when judgment has fallen on us.

Resisting Temptations and Getting the Victory

When we are tempted, we follow the example of Christ, who resisted the temptations of the devil, always by answering with the commandments.

1 – Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 

2 – Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

3 – Luk 4:12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

When we resist the devil by answering the temptation with the commandments, the devil flees after a little while.  We win the battle but have not yet won the war, so we fight on.

Luk 4:13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 

James gives a second witness to the path to victory.  We submit to the commandments, resist the devil, and he flees from us.

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 

When we look to the living commandments that dwell in our hearts, which are testified in the Scriptures, we overcome our sin.  Jesus Christ, the Living Word, is the high priest sitting on His throne in our heart.   It is to Him, the very image of the Father, who is the Holy Commandments, that we are finding both the mercy and the grace that save.

Heb 4:14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Mercy is the opening of spiritual eyes to see the commandment and the instructions unto godliness.  The grace is the chastening by our Lord to learn to obey them.  When we follow the Spirit, the angel living within us, we are kept in the way of life.  We are to take heed and follow the commandments. If we do that, our inward adversary, the devil, is no match for the power of the Holy Spirit working mightily within us.  Greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world.  The devil is cut off from our promised land.

Exo 23:20  Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. 

Exo 23:22  But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. 

The way of overcoming is always the same; it is spoken of in many different words, symbols, and parables.  It is the mystery of the Gospel, now being revealed.  When we are tempted by our lusts, which are the lust of the devil, those thoughts, the fiery serpents come out and bite and devour us.  The plague of serpents is stayed by our lifting up the commandments, the living Christ, and looking to them.  When we do this, we overcome and enter into eternal life.

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 

Joh 3:15  That whosoever believeth in him [the Gospel] should not perish, but have eternal life. 

Disciples of Jesus Christ are given the power through the Gospel.  With the indwelling Spirit of commandments, we are given power over all of Satan’s army of liars through these commandments.  We rejoice knowing we are the beloved of God, a blessing and honor given to precious few.

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. 

Luk 10:19  Behold, I give unto you power [the Gospel] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 

Luk 10:20  Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. 

The end of the devil in our life happens in the lake of fire, which is also the second death.  This death of death is the last enemy to be destroyed.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 

1Co 15:26  The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

When the tempter, the devil, is no more, death is swallowed up in the victory that is Jesus Christ, the living and abiding Word of God.

1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

These many trials of our faith and the resulting scourging when we miss the mark are more precious than gold because they create the rare gold of Ophir within the temple of God, which temple we are.  As our obedience is proven, the temple walls are lined with this gold from which the shadow of the true temple [Solomon’s temple – 1Ch 29:4] was built.  This is the true riches of God, not the knowledge.  We earn this gold only by these heavy trials of our faith that include being tempted by the devil to sin.  Without this gold, we remain poor, naked, and blind.

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 

Final Exhortation:

We learn to be content with our pay, the wages, the commandments the Lord gives us.  The pursuit of tongues and more prophecies ends as we grow into this understanding of the Gospel. Godliness with contentment is great gain, and the pursuit of more spiritual riches becomes a temptation and snare, versus just doing the commandments.

1Ti 6:8  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

1Ti 6:9  But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 

The time of our salvation is now.  We are to watch, look to the commandments, and pray the Lord’s prayer daily.  We only have the earnest deposit of the power now and still abide in weak flesh.

Mat 26:41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 

Once we have received the power of the Gospel, we always have a way of escape.  Our escape is to access the living commandments that is the throne of mercy and grace.  That is where we go to escape the temptation.

1Co 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 

We shall overcome and hasten that day as we earnestly look to the Lord and the power He is bringing to save us from our sin.