Letters

In Patience, We Possess Our Souls

An Inheritance Reserved in Heaven

Peter and Rohnel, servants of Jesus Christ,  to the scattered pilgrims in the faith. Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

This letter is written to encourage the brethren to remain faithful and to endure their continuing struggles and a seemingly inability to overcome their sins.  We are in the last days, and our man of sin is being revealed to us as the Commandments shine a bright light upon our earth.  We continue to grow daily through trials in the understanding that only the Lord can heal us.  Jesus Christ and no other is the Spiritual Physician.  Our hearts and minds are surely being turned unto the Living Christ, who is now leading us to be holy in all our behavior.

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 

1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. 

We are the chosen of God, having been marked for salvation.  The fact that we cry and bewail our sins is proof of the inner fight we are now engaged in fighting full-time.

Eze 9:4  And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 

Only the Lord can deliver us and save us from our sins.  We wait on Him and cry out for Him to come and heal us.

Psa 147:2  The LORD doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel. 

Jer 17:14  Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

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

As the elect of God, we possess the power of the Living Christ in us, yet we await the Lord to teach us and mature us how to walk in the anointing.   Through the Holy Spirit, we can do all things, even overcome our sin.  The gift of faith grows quickly once planted in our hearts and minds, but it still takes the times and seasons the Lord ordains.  Young disciples are given power over the unclean and all manner of sicknesses [See Mat 10:1] yet need to learn patience and hope through many tribulations. Some victories come easy, some require prayer and fasting as we later learn from the Lord.  We are growing in the faith which is growing in the Spirit and the power to overcome sin and cast out all devils.

Mat 17:19  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

The anointing those chosen of God receive is what teaches us righteousness and, in due time, causes us to obey all the Commandments, bringing our salvation from sin.  This is the promised inheritance in Christ that we are now realizing and pressing towards daily.

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.

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 

1Jn 2:29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 

The Lord has declared that it is done, and thus our salvation comes to pass.  We merely wait for the Lord, who is faithful, to finish the good work He has begun.  The waiting is our big trial, the many tribulations we now endure, and through it all, the Lord is teaching everyone patience.  We are looking to Christ, lifting up our lives to the Commandments, asking to be taught to obey Him as David prayed before us.

Psa 25:1  Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 

Psa 25:2  O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. 

Psa 25:3  Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. 

Psa 25:4  Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 

Nobody has arrived yet, so we run to the finish line and get the prize at the end. We are always pressing onward to the mark of perfection, forgetting our past failures but learning the lessons.  The Apostle Paul wrote of the struggle and the ongoing engagement to be diligent and always pressing towards Christ.

1Co 9:24  Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 

1Co 9:27  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 


Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 

Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The growing and appearing of Christ in us, our bearing spiritual fruit, is likened unto the growing of crops.  It takes time for a seed to be sown, take root, and then grow into maturity.  During the growing season, it takes the coming of spiritual rain, that is, the Spirit of the Lord, to accomplish salvation and bring forth the crop.  We, as the land tillers, wait patiently for the early and the latter rain, keeping busy, working in the kingdom of God.

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 are promised an incorruptible inheritance that is reserved for us in heaven, meaning in the spiritual realm. We have a down payment now and the fullness to come once we depart the clay.  Our light or compass that guides us is now the Commandments, which is the power unto our salvation.  We are kept on the narrow road, falling down, getting back up, all by the power of God, who has us in His hands.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. 

We rejoice in this promise, yet learn it requires enduring much heaviness in various tribulations that reveal our sins and bring the necessary chastening to write the Commandments into our hearts and minds.  For what we do not yet see, we hope in the promises to come, and the appearing of the glory of Christ in all our behavior.  Salvation, our overcoming, is the end of our faith.

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: 

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

1Pe 1:9  Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

The Lord is faithful even when we are not.  He is not forsaking us, and His judgment shall not fail to bring forth righteousness.  We are commanded to wait for it and believe.

Psa 94:14  For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. 

Psa 94:15  But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it. 

Our inheritance is Christ, and the further we walk, the Commandments become our most prized possession.  The love of God, our focus and obedience to the Commandments, is being shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  We are being taught to possess our lives in righteousness, and Christ begins to be seen in all of our thoughts and deeds.  Sons of Aaron and Zadok symbolize the elect of God in the shadows of the Old Testament.

Eze 44:28  And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 

Num 18:20  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel. 

When the Lord comes and puts His Spirit in us, we have been begotten and are Sons of God. Our righteousness all derives from the faith of Jesus Christ that is given to us.  We find peace with God through our obedience to the Father.  Thus, the planting of love, that is, our obedience to the Father, is put into our hearts and minds.  It then grows and, in time, makes its way to the outside of our cup.  Our hope and patience continue to grow through the many tribulations we experience.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

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. 

As Sons, anything we ask in His name is given to us, and we are taking possession of the Promised Land, gaining dominion over sin.  The strongholds of flesh that kept us in captivity are broken as we are instructed in righteousness and begin to judge our earth by the Commandments.

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

Psa 2:9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. 

Psa 2:10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 

Our gift of the Spirit is only an earnest deposit.  We await the fullness to come, and yet have many things to learn and grow in understanding.  Thus, the purposes of the Lord are to bring us many trials and cause us to err from His ways.  It pleases the Father to disciple and chasten us.  We are the beloved sons of God and are being made holy and blameless.

Heb 12:6  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 

We walk by the faith of Christ that is now given to us.  We are not inheriting the promised land based on our works of the flesh.  We are learning to wait, to tarry, and have patience for the fullness to come.

Gal 3:18  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 

Disciples inevitably advance themselves further along in the process of maturity than they have actually obtained.  The Lord has a way of humbling us and showing us the work [the sin] that we yet await His deliverance and remaking.  We are fulfilling all the signs of the end spoken of, and through it all, the Lord tells us to be patient, meaning to wait on Him.

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls. 

Overcoming our sin, our salvation, goes hand in hand with the appearing of Jesus Christ in our lives.  They are opposite sides of the same experience.  When we obey the Living Word that now dwells in our hearts and minds, Jesus Christ is seen.  Thus, the mystery of salvation is being revealed and seen more and more, little by little.

Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Each day, the path gets brighter until we are perfected.

Pro 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 

We are bearing more fruit, increasing in knowledge, and growing in His grace as we abide in the measure of the Spirit we are given, waiting for more to come.

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

2Pe 3:18  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 

Our waiting entails suffering and patience, and there is no avoiding it.  We are being saved not by what we see now, but by the hope of the promises of God that now live in our hearts.  Happy are we knowing the faithfulness of our Lord and the Spirit that now guides us in all our behavior.

Jas 5:10  Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 

Jas 5:11  Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 

The Lord wastes nothing and is using our sins, revealing the abomination of desolation, all for the purposes of delivering us from those sins.  All things happening in our lives are working together for the greater good of our salvation, right on the Lord’s schedule.

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. 

Flesh does not want to wait on the Lord.  But all farmers know, it takes many seasons, hard work, and patience to bring forth a bountiful crop.  So it is, therefore, also in the Spirit as Christ takes time to be fully formed and seen in all of our behavior.  We do not understand it until we fulfill it.

Mar 4:26  And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 

Mar 4:27  And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 

Mar 4:28  For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 

The Lord does not come before we exhaust our own efforts and see the futility in striving to save ourselves.  We learn we are chief of sinners and that no good thing dwells in our flesh.  The Lord knows when we come to the point of being at our wits’ end, and then He delivers us.  These are the wonderful works of the Lord to His children.

Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 

Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 

Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 

Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 

With God, all things are possible, even the overcoming of our sins.  He is the deliverer and we wait upon Him to come and bring us into the spirit of the New Covenant

Isa 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. 

Isa 59:20  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. 

Through the Spirit of Christ within us, we wait for the hope of our faith.  Hope does not disappoint as Christ appears more in our walk, life, words, and deeds.  We are overcoming, as our faith in the Spirit of Christ waxes stronger in us as we mature.

Gal 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

Coming out of spiritual Babylon, which has fallen within us, begins the final workings of salvation.  All flesh worships themselves, their beast, and their carnal thoughts and reasonings.  Thus, we are all most certainly going to be drinking the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out in indignation to save us from our sins.  This season of torment is our many tribulations by which we are entering into the kingdom. Enduring the bowls of wrath against our flesh, we are taught patience as we seek and are caused to obey the Lord by the chastening that is our judgment.

Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 

Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. 

Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. 


Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

What we know in heaven is now being tilled and spread into our earth. His Kingdom is coming to us little by little as we are growing into trees of righteousness.  We are being set free, our prisons of bondage to the flesh are no more.  The waste places are being destroyed and rebuilt.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. 

It takes longer than our flesh desires, and thus we all cry out asking the Lord why we continue to see our sin and why salvation seems far off.  These are the words we are all asking for in our time.

Hab 1:2  O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 

Hab 1:3  Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 


Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 

This is the same as Paul, trying to obey, but not being able.

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 

The Lord’s answer to Habakkuk is that the holy city within us needs to be trampled upon by the Gentiles, made desolate by our enemies, and then the end comes.  The Lord is a God of vengeance and takes vengeance for His Temple, which Temple we are.  We are just waiting for it to come to pass.  The Spirit of the Lord is setting us completely free from the law of sin and death that had ruled in our members.

Jer 50:28  The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple. 

Those risen with Christ, having the indwelling Commandments working righteousness in them, are looking on things above and not of the world.  Our hope and desires are all to please our heavenly Father, and we persevere in the hope of these promises being fully manifested in the appointed time.

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. 

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 

We never take comfort in our sins or turn grace into justification for lasciviousness. The Lord is showing us areas of our lives that need to be repented from and turned away from.  But also, do not lose hope, know that the Lord is working and causing all things, even your very sins, to teach us all things and make a new heaven and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells forever.  Take all lies and unbelief captive and stand strong in the faith and the hope of the promises yet to be revealed in you.  Christ shall appear, and we are learning patience in waiting for Him.  We often remind one another to stay the course, remain steadfast, and to keep working in the Kingdom, as our flesh is indeed weak.

Heb 6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 

Heb 6:12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.


Rom 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Be encouraged, Saints.  The Lord is good.  May the Lord direct your hearts into His love and to patiently wait for Christ to appear.

Letters

Asking the Lord for the Promise

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 had received the Promise, as they knew how the day of the Lord comes upon them.

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

When the Promise comes, we need no man to teach us as the Spirit teaches us all things.  Yet we often remind one another of the Commandments and the way in which we are to walk.

1Th 4:9  But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 

We still have to grow unto maturity, grow in the grace and knowledge of the Commandments to become mature sons of God and holy in all our behavior.  The seed of Christ takes time to work its way through all aspects of our lives.  We still await the appearing of Jesus Christ in the power and the hope of overcoming our sin.

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. 

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.