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Committed to the.
4/1.
Does 51 and 52.
For justice the thought that.
The Lord brings out to his disciples in Matthew the 13th chapter.
And the 51St verse.
Matthew 1351 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yay, Lord, then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the Kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that isn't householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
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Like unto a man that isn't householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
Our God and Father.
Our God and Father.
Mode, as we're in this morning have come to thee for guidance and our God and Father. It is not a ritual. It is not something that we merely do because we've done it before. But we recognize the.
Divine intervention of the power of Thy spirit that is necessary for poor hearts like.
To us.
If we took up.
A second Thessalonians and go as far as we can in that epistle.
Some don't know what your thoughts are. It's been on my heart.
Read the first chapter.
Chapter One.
Paul and Sylvanus and Themotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Grace unto you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is me, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of everyone of you all toward each other abounded, so that we are selves glory in you in the churches of God.
For your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations, that ye endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer, seeing it as a righteous thing with God, to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.
In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, when he shall come to be glorified in His Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day? Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness.
And the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and me and him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The old things and the new things.
Or that Christ came and that he's coming. That's old news. He came during this age that she's coming. We're living in between. We could say it's the Old Testament. It's the New Testament. What a marvelous book we have to look into. There's no limit to it.
And nothing will cheer our hearts like looking for the Lord Jesus. Perhaps today, perhaps today.
What a marvel it is, that God in the world in which we live.
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That we think fully developed in wickedness and violence and corruption, that he keeps his people down here. He keeps it kept by the power of going through faith under salvation, ready to be revealed. That's what we'll get at his coming. If we went to the first epistle to Thessalonians, we'd see that right in the first chapter, and I believe in every chapter.
Yes, he came. Yes, he is coming. Meanwhile, he has something for his people down here to enjoy, and that's Christ himself and the glory that awaits us.
And the joy of the Lord to walk with him called by his name, met together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with him in the midst.
This fellowship with God.
I wish I'd gone ahead.
That's first Peter chapter one, verse five, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. That's where we are right now. We are in the last time, and that's what Paul has to say to the Thessalonians.
The.
Wonderful hope that we have of the eminence when he was living.
He was anticipating the return of Christ. We which are remained alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the cloud to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Paul was in Thessalonica 3 Sabbaths. That's as far as the record goes. That's all we know of. And yet in the second chapter of Second Thessalonians, in the fifth verse, he says.
Remember ye not, when I was yet with you, I told you these things.
Before I got saved.
I was told that the things regarding the coming of the Lord in the future, events and so forth were not for new Christians.
Therefore the beginners.
It's the blessed hope, Peter says.
Of the soon coming, glorious appearing. Both of them soon coming for us the glorious appearing.
For all of us, including Israel, but.
This is a marvelous portion of the scripture that we have here in the of good news, and yet of extremely solemn warnings.
How far we would get in the second epistle. We only have two reading meetings. It would be nice if we would have time to spend some time in the second chapter, which is very important. Maybe if we would not repeat ourselves.
We maybe we could get into the second chapter because it contains very important truth.
That is undermined and misrepresented in our day. Maybe we can hope that we will get into the second chapter as well.
Actually more strongly than any other part of the epistle the second chapter, but I thought we would start and at least briefly scan it the first chapter anyway.
Last time in general, let's look at a verse in Ephesians 6.
To find another description of the time in which we live. The time in which we live is between the coming of the Lord the first time and the coming the second time, and that's called the Evil day in Ephesians 6.
Verse 13 where we all are exhorted to take unto us the whole armor of God.
That you may be able to withstand in the evil day. Satan has succeeded in putting Jesus out of this way.
World, we may say. At least God has taken him out and the world thinks they've gotten rid of him.
And the whole of this time is the evil day, and we need to be prepared for it.
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And having done all to stand in a position, now our assembly here in our first verse we read.
Now, Thessalonica.
Is in a very secure place, the same place the assembly is in today.
In a most secure place.
The Lord had said when he announced the church. I will build my church and the gates of hell.
Shall not prevail against it. The assembly stands. Christ does that work.
And here where Paul had gone and written the first Epistle, both in the first Epistle and then the second pistol, he begins this way. The Church of the Thessalonian in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that comforting In the evil day in which we live, who think that she is impregnable, Satan got into Eden.
He'll never defeat the church. She gets up to heaven. Christ comes and brings her there. He came to purchase her, to get her out of this scene and we're just about ready to go. But to have that security go on from day-to-day, realizing that the church is in the position of in God our Father, that relationship of Father was not known.
Much in the Old Testament, at least.
But it's there all the time. In the new when Christ comes and reveals the Father, he mentions the Father.
I think many, many times in John's Gospel.
And.
Money gives Mary a message when he's standing there in resurrection. The 20th of John the Lord says to her, Go tell my brethren I ascend into my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. There it is, brethren. God is our Father. The Church is put in God the Father.
Our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, what a position to be in. And then he says grace to us.
Well, this is good for us.
We see too that.
Say a frontal attack against the assembly. He would try to work in a subtle way. And so we see that these Thessalonikins were disturbed in connection with the Lord's coming in the first epistle. They needed correction about those that had already passed on, and it's made clear that God would bring them with him.
So, But then we see in chapter five of First Thessalonians that the Apostle gave them credit for understanding these things perfectly. But did they? You know, the point of it is he didn't have much time, as you mentioned, to be with the Saints in Thessalonica. And we may assume that they're getting truth correctly, but it is so important to keep repeating things. Is that not true?
To just keep repeating things, Paul spent a year and six months in Corinth, and you can be sure that he repeated the truth again and again and again.
And in Asia 2-3 years, so many things were rehearsed again and again. We have found that very important, to continue to repeat things and to express it perhaps in a little different way. And sometimes it just suddenly registers with the person. You know how that is. Well, when you get into the second epistle to the Thessaloniken, Satan had achieved A deception here and got them all muddled up.
About that which they should have known perfectly, Paul thought they understood it clearly, but they didn't. They thought the day of the Lord had already come.
Because of the trouble and trial that they were passing through. Clever of the enemy to use that. But Paul's style is so good here. Because he brings out the positive side of the thing. He expresses the truth of it before he brings up this correction in the second chapter. He brings a clear correction in the second chapter. But first of all, in this first chapter he lays out the facts of it so nicely, you know, and I believe it's lovely to see that.
Keep the truth of the Lord's coming before us, like you say, but not not merely as a doctrine that we hold and understand, but that it be something that it really, truly effects our hearts. Brother and I don't suppose that anyone here really holds the doctrine that the church will go through the tribulation. But, brethren, if it is true that at any moment the Lord Jesus is going to.
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Rapture its home to glory. It should have a practical effect on our lives and it should be evident. There should be unworldliness. There should be heavenly mindedness. Just to think that we're going to step at any moment onto the cloud and face to face of Jesus. It's got to affect our hearts and that's what's so important in it. And so the enemy tries to get the wedge in in any way to take away.
The present enjoyment of the Lord's coming. That's exactly what he did. Like you mentioned, Brother Don, I'd just like to read, just put the two epistles in contrast in First Thessalonians chapter one and verse 3.
It says, remembering without ceasing your work, of faith and labor, of love and patience, of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the sight of God and our Father, the three fundamentals of the of Christianity, faith, there was the work of faith, there was the labor of love, and there was the patience of hope. Now go over to 2nd Thessalonians, chapter one and verse three, he says. We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is me, because that your faith is the faith, and it grows exceedingly, that's that's precious.
To see faith growing exceedingly and the love charity is love of everyone, of you all toward each other abounded. Their love was growing too. But.
Where is the hope?
Talks about patience in verse four and faith, but where is the hope?
According to chapter two, they had been told that they had to go through tribulation.
That the day of the Lord was already upon them, and they had lost that present hope. So the enemy uses anything he can to get away from us, that present hope. And I must say, rather than I feel in my own soul the importance of when we're speaking about the Lord's coming to let it sink into our souls. Just to think, is this just a fantasy we're talking about, brethren? Is this just mere doctrine, or is this something that's actually going to take place one of these moments?
Rather, it's going to take place, and it may be in a moment when we least expect it, busy with the cares of this life and the call comes and we're going home. Ready. Or even if you're not ready, you're going home. If you're a believer in the Lord Jesus, to meet him face to face, oh, to let that sink into the soul, the practical reality of that truth, so important, brother, not to lose the hope of it.
Is it not the spirit of that precious truth front and center before the soul?
This book is a book of parallels and now thinking of what we have in Luke's gospel in connection with the Lord Jesus when he appeared the first time.
How many were really looking for him when he came? Well, we have Simeon, we have Anna, and we can we can trace it out there. That beautiful story of those who were looking. You notice how the spirit of God is mentioned in connection with Simeon, how it mentions that he was there, and the spirit of God also had him in the right place at the right time. I think it's very instructive. Maybe just turn back there for just a couple of verses. I just want to touch on that because it's so beautiful.
Luke's Gospel, the second chapter.
And we're just going to touch on this quickly, their brother and want to get through chapter one.
Verse 25.
Beholder was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. Notice this, the Holy Ghost was upon him and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lords Christ. Notice verse 27, He came by the Spirit into the temple when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him after the custom of the law and so on.
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And you can see his response. He took him up in his arms, and blessed God and said, Lord, now let us thou, thy servant, depart in peace according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy people. Israel. He was in the right place at the right time. But we have a much greater hope even than this. You see, Simeon was looking forward to as soon as he see the child to pass on in death. We're not looking for death, brethren. We're looking for that one who's the resurrection.
And the like, of course, we notice Anna too, some, you know, some sadness in her life. She'd spent the greater part of her life in widowhood and so on. But it's lovely to see with this dear woman what she was speaking about. She was occupied with Christ in the end of revelation. Three times it's brought before the church. Behold, I come quickly. No response in the first two instances. In the last one it says, and the Spirit capital S and the bride say, come. And then she says, Amen Even so come, Lord Jesus. It's the Spirit of God.
Oh, brethren, may we value this because we're closer now than we were this time yesterday.
And we're getting closer every day.
Some more general thoughts about the Lord's coming, the difference of coming for his own and then coming with his own. Much of the epistle to the Thessalonians is connected with his coming with his own, and even the verses that our brother Don has read in chapter 5, the Times and Seasons brethren that has nothing to do with the Rapture.
Times and seasons have to do with him returning to this world, with his holy angels and with all his sayings as we have it at the end of chapter 3. You know, there's quite a company that comes out of heaven as we have it, even in Revelation, the armies and the holy angels and all the Saints. And it's interesting that they didn't need any further instructions on his coming back to earth. They had been instructed already.
In this truth, although this first epistle was written only five weeks after their conversion.
That shows that we should be interested in that aspect of his coming. Why?
Because it will be to His glory, you know, He will be glorified in the very place where He was put to shame and crucified. That's why that truth is of such interest to us, and even when what we have read in chapter one, that he shall be glorified in His sayings.
And be admired in all them that believe. Beloved, He is glorified. He is admired in his sayings. It's not so much the thought that they will be glory for us, although we will be glorified with him. But the main thought in our minds should be it will be for his glory when he comes back with us as trophies of his grace. What the grace of God has made out of sinners, that in trespasses enemies of God.
Now we come in his company back and will be for his glory. And that is a truth that should be very much of concern to us. Of course, as already said, the coming for his own How can he come with his own, with all the Saints, not only the New Testament Saints, all the Saints from the Old and New Testament, if he hasn't first taken them home to be with himself?
And he comes back with them, and they were not clear on what would happen to those that had fallen asleep. Would they miss out when he comes back? No, He will bring them with him. They will be raised 1St, and we, the living will be changed. And then we will go forever be with the Lord. But then He comes back with us, and that truth should be of great interest to us. We tend to always emphasize the Rapture.
And that is for our hearts.
And that is certainly a wonderful, most wonderful truth. And to be a comfort, to be forever with the Lord, with all the Saints, what a comfort it is. But we ought to be very much interested in that coming with his own because of the glory that will be brought to him who was so dishonored and put to shame here in this world.
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Important what you say because.
We've often heard that the coming for His Saints is a comfort, and the thought of coming with His Saints brings the thought of responsibility. But it brings comfort to our hearts too, because we've often heard it said that the Lord's Prayer. We don't say it Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, but there is something that longs in our hearts to see things set right in this world, and it's really the coming with His Saints when we by faith see that, that we have comfort as to what is going on in the world and the spirit of trying to set things right in the world is subdued in our hearts.
So many Christians getting taken up with politics and trying to set the world straight and fix things up is because they don't see that side of the truth. But he is going to come in glory not to set to make the world a fine place without the Lord, but to wait until that day of manifestation when he will be glorified. So I think that side of the truth is so important and we'll keep our hearts from trying to go about in the world and trying to set it right because it's in a certain sense it's a right spiritual instinct to long to see his will done on earth as it is in heaven.
Scientists put together in the second chapter in the 13th verse, looking for that blessed hope. That's the rapture and the glorious appearing.
The new translation reads The puring of the glory of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.
Both things are the proper hope of the believer. Both things. When you look into Scripture in general, you're going to find the second part is what Scripture deals so much about. An awful lot about it in the Old Testament and a lot about it in the New Testament as well. And really what deals with the rapture at the beginning of the tribulations Scripture speaks not that much about. There are quite a few places in the New Testament.
But it was something that was just revealed to the apostle Paul and.
It is something presented for our enjoyment. Just to think that we're going to be with them, but to leave it just there would be kind of selfish brethren. No, God has his interest in this world, and he is going to put the man of his counsels into power and authority, to reign supreme from sea to sea. And like you're saying, Brother Neil, it's something that our hearts should long for when we see the misery, the terrible confusion in the world around.
Is there an answer to it all? Yes, there is an answer to it all. God has the answer to it all.
And the more we get into God's counsels and think his thoughts about it, it will liberate us from popular movements to get into political movements to change things that are not right. Brethren, I think it's because they've lost the truth practically that the Lord is coming at any moment that they get into those movements. And we can't say that we're not apartment to go in that same direction if we lose the president. Enjoyment of the truth of the Lord's coming. That's why it's so important to keep it.
Vividly before our hearts.
A crown of righteousness being laid up for those that love his appearing.
There in Second Timothy. So that's the right love, isn't it? Because we see that the world is in opposition to God, and so that's the right love. But it's sad to see the other side of the picture, a wrong love where it says Dimeth hath forsaken me having love this present world or should be present age. He may not in a sense have gotten off into worldliness, but.
He hankered to have the things of this present age, as it were, that appealed to his heart. It caused him to turn away from the apostle. It's a sobering thing to consider.
That statement it might be help back to what was read in the prayer meeting this morning in Acts 7 to see the effect upon Steven.
Told out there in Acts 7.
55.
He was at his stoning.
And says in verse 55 he, Stephen being full of the Holy Ghost, there was a man full of the Holy Ghost looking up steadfastly into heaven.
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And here it says and saw the glory of God tells us that he saw that.
And Jesus the person is mentioned standing on the right hand of God. Then he begins to talk, and when he talks, he doesn't say anything about the glory.
He talks about the person. Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. We need this for our hearts. It's the person that's coming. He is coming. And there are not two comings ahead of us, just one. He gets us first, Then he begins to take possession down here. I try to understand that. I have to look at it this way.
That are his coming, you and I.
Are taken up to heaven, soon to heaven.
The new body and we enter into eternity.
We're no longer in time. People in heaven are not in time.
They are in heaven, in eternity.
So there we get into that. And then the rights of Christ are being taken by God in power and glory to change this world and bring that blessing. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. That will begin to take place, and people on the earth will still be in time, but Christ will be brought back at his peering and admired in them that believe This is all in our.
Chapters here.
Now, the Lord said.
In Acts chapter seven, we know that in Hebrews he is presented as the one that has sat down.
Why is he standing here? Two thoughts have been expressed.
The one is that he was there to assist Steven in his hour of trial, which is nice, but I believe the correct thought is that he was standing had they accepted?
Stephens message he would have come. You know, like we have earlier in Acts. The statement that times of refreshing would come from on high. Of course they had not only rejected the Lord Jesus, they had rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit in Stephen. So this concludes you might say the dealings of God.
In connection with his earthly people.
You know the Lord Jesus is standing coming to fulfill the promises had they accepted the testimony, but they rejected Him. And so from then on we see more and more the Spirit of God directing the activities of His servants to bring in the Gentiles together, a people for his name from among the Gentiles, but in the coming day.
Even for this earthly people, the blessings that are yet outstanding will be fulfilled. He will come back.
Even to bring blessing to his earthly people, the people of Israel.
Of Christ it's good that we realize now it is in two installments, That is the Rapture and the appearing. Now we had read that a scribe instructed brings out his treasury things new and old. The truth of his appearing is not a new truth. It was mentioned in the Old Testament. The Lord cometh with 10,000 of his Saints Jude speaks of and we read it in Zechariah and in other places too. So his appearing is not a new truth, But the Rapture is a brand new truth, and it was given to Paul to unfold the truth of his rapture. He brings it out in detail. And 1St Thessalonians 4.
And he introduces it as a mystery in one Corinthians 15. And so it is important to see that there are those two installments now of the second coming of Christ, the Rapture and the appearing. And I appreciated an illustration that you've heard no doubt and was given out many times before. And that is that we have an example of a rebellious city, and so this king.
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It has to deal with these rebellious subjects, and so he lays siege, as it were, upon this city. But before he goes into overpower the city, he sends his scouts in among the city and said to any faithful subjects, come out and get out of the city. And so the faithful subjects are taken out of the city and join this king, and then they come with him in the destruction of this city. It's a simple illustration.
But that's the point will be taken out of this world before the judgments fall, and when they do, we'll be with him. The the work of judgment, of course, is all his own, but we follow him, as it were, upon white horses in Revelation 19. He comes out of heaven as a warrior king first, before he sets up that sessional judgment and Kingdom. But we're with him for his own glory. That's the point, and what an honor and privilege to think of it.
In connection of.
Would you make a comment or two on Revelation 18 four as to whether it's a timely thing now or not? Seems to me it just portrays exactly what you're saying.
Well, that's probably good for all ages, is it not you? Go ahead, read it and tell us about it.
And I heard another voice come from heaven saying, come out of her, my people.
That she be not partakers of her sins, and that she received not of her plagues. Well, we see what a horrible state is described to us there in that 18th chapter of Revelation. It is what characterizes ecumenical Christianism in its most corrupted state. And so this is a voice for all, for all times, I believe. I don't know how far you could go with it, but I believe it is good for all times.
Out of this state of things.
Well, it applied to the whole age of the church.
But it seems to me that the Babylonians system of things is fully developed here, and it's a present day right here in 1997. Exhortation for anybody who's caught in the systematized error, this vast thing that that person who's living here now doesn't.
Partake of her sins.
Well, what's a simple thing? It's worse than the world seems to me like. And then receive of her plagues, and to still be here and caught for eternity in this, in that vast judgment.
Oppose this, your steward. As we look at it in connection with an ambassador, we're ambassadors and ambassadors don't vote. They don't become involved with the affairs of this life and so on. I mean, I'm a Canadian. I have no rights as an American citizen because I I wasn't born in this country. And so it is in connection with heavenly things. We're heavenly people. What's the first act of war? The ambassadors are recalled. Right. You and I are going to be called out of this world one of these days, and then God is going to be at war with this world.
So how in the world could we ever be occupied with its affairs and so on? When we think of it in that light? We're going to be taken out of here, brethren. And then the Lord is going to be at war with this world. And we know what the outcome is going to be. It's going to be, it's going to be judgment, overwhelming judgment for this world.
Two parts of the Lord's coming are mentioned in each of the chapters of Thessalonians of being interesting, perhaps for the young and for us all, just to notice them in chapter one of First Thessalonians, the last verse.
The Thessalonians turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven. That's evidently the rapture. That's what we wait for at any moment in chapter 2 and verse 19. For what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing, or not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?
At his coming.
In chapter 3 and verse.
13.
Last verse as well, Establish your heart's unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His Saints. That's definitely the revelation at the end of the tribulation. The manifestation or the appearing in chapter 4 is the well known portion and it really deals with both parts of the Second Coming.
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Because he says in verse 14 if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring?
With him that's the coming of the Saint of the Lord with his Saints.
And how did they get to be with him?
Then the last verse of the chapter describe how they get to be with him so that they can come with him.
And then in the 5th chapter you have the Day of the Lord mentioned in verse 2.
The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. That's the Lord's coming as well, but this is it is appearing.
It is something that's connected as you were mentioned, Brother Heinz said. The times and seasons the Rapture has no time and season, no earthly sign, will announce his coming to take us home. We need to be alert and ready at any moment. But there are times and seasons definitely connected with his coming in judgment, with his manifestation is appearing at the end of the tribulation period.
And at that time, he's going to come as a thief in the night. Sometimes, they say to the brethren in South America.
There's two things that you can say about a thief. Do you want him to come? And of course you say no. Do you wait for him to come? No, you don't wait for him to come either. But I ask every believer, do you want him to come? And they say yes. Do you wait for him to come? Yes. Then he will not come for you as a thief. When it speaks about coming as a thief, it is Speaking of those who do not want him to come nor wait for him.
It's definitely the.
Ones that are of this world that do not want him, that he will come as a thief. Now in chapter one of Second Thessalonians we have his coming.
In flaming fire in verse 8, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is coming. It's mentions in verse seven with his mighty angels.
It's definitely the end of the tribulation period as well, when he's going to be manifested in power and glory. In chapter 2 it says we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him. That's definitely the Rapture, isn't it?
All believers are going to be gathered. Isn't that nice? Sometimes we talk about gathered Saints, Brethren, all believers are going to be gathered at that moment. Tremendous to think about it.
But then he goes on to speak of things that relate to the tribulation period and the appearing of the man of sin in chapter 2, whom the Lord will destroy with the power verse 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. There's this coming mentioned again. That's definitely at the end of the tribulation period.
Then in the third chapter we have In the fifth verse the Lord directs your hearts into the love of God.
Then into the patient waiting for Christ, or into the patience of the Christ. It's definitely connected with his coming as well. So every chapter of the two epistles speaks in some way of his coming, and I think it's so tremendous to let the truth of it get into our souls in a practical way, brother.
We have a further contrast of the two events in Hebrews Chapter 9.
In verse 28.
And unto them that look for him.
Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto salvation and.
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And then in First Corinthians 15, as was alluded to earlier.
In verse 52.
Tells us that.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. So there's no grandeur about it.
It just happens and we can compare those two verses with.
Matthew 24.
Where I I believe it's Speaking of the latter stage of his return, the second coming.
The time when he becomes as it was said to make war.
Matthew 24.
Verse 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even under the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be there will there will be a manifestation there that that all will be able to see. Matter of fact, the Revelation chapter one, verse 7 tells us every eye shall see that second part of the the return of Christ. But I was.
I've been sitting here thinking and examining my own heart as we've been talking about the coming of the Lord and Brother Bob, what what you brought up many times about how that basically should stir our hearts. Why should it stir our hearts? And I, you know, as Brother Neil brought up about how people get discouraged and get involved in this world's matters. And that's simply because.
They're they've stopped looking for that return. But am I looking for the return of the Lord so that I can escape this world's troubles? Or am I looking for the return of the Lord? For the Lord? Does he capture my heart and make me want to be with him? Or is it that I simply want to escape? So if I'm faithless or if I'm getting discouraged, I have two options. One is to get involved in this world's politics and systems and try to change it, or two, seek for an escape. But either way, it's a sign that my heart is probably getting discouraged.
Chapter And I think we see that there's a tendency in our hearts to want to fix things in the assembly, in our hearts, in our circumstances. And we see this even in brotherly love. Brotherly love that says and Peter were to add to that divine love. Brotherly love, as my brother is its object, and divine love has God as its object. And we see that the brethren were going on happily and well here together, and yet tribulation and sorrow and trial came in.
And it was really to turn their hearts and look for the Lord. That's what the Lord does. We see that with Smyrna is that they left their first love. So persecutions and trials and difficulties came in. And so these difficulties and trials were to show that we settled down in the world. We the tendency of our hearts is to think it's not such a bad place. We'll just fix it up a bit, but it's really destined for destruction. And so the Lord allows these difficulties to see that the.
That these are just the manifest tokens, That the only way to correct this is judgment.
And so the difficulties will become so difficult and so severe that we realize that the only solution to it is that God should judge it. And even in our situations is that a person may be going on with religiously in a wrong system and so on. And they seem to get along happily with it as long as things are going on peacefully. And then God just sort of it seems as allows more and more difficult until they realize that the only separate solution to it is to separate from it and to really seek the Lord's honor and glory. And that's really what we come to in the end of the chapter. And that's really the object of what the Lord is allowing is that.
We really have our hearts set on the Lord's glory and not just simply our comfort and peace and happiness here in this world.
Matter of fact that.
Our patience and our faith. In these difficulties we have an opportunity to manifest patience and faith, and we speak in Revelation. We read of the patience of our Lord Jesus Christ. He Himself is patiently waiting for the day when he will be able to straighten out the mess in the world. And in the meantime we might be called on to suffer. And that God's judgment, righteous judgment for us He will.
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Erect. Bring judgment upon those who cause.
Problems for his people, but not necessarily at this time. You know, we have to wait for the future day and find grace in the midst of the difficulties that God allows to come our way. We can be thankful that we are not living in Muslim countries or in China, you know. But many of God's people are dying for Christ in this world today, you know, and they patiently.
In faith.
To continue under the circumstances that God puts them under, God gets a crime.
World. Then I'm taking a Psalm 84. It gives us the two reasons why we will want the Lord to come. Very strong reasons. Psalm 84. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts? Are you thinking about the glory? Stephen got to see it. And then the second verse, Psalm 84, says my soul longer.
Yeah, even faint it for the courts of the Lord.
Two things. My heart and my flesh.
Try it out for the living yard. Our deliverer from the coming wrath is the last words of first Thessalonians, the last verse of the first chapter. Our deliverer from the coming wrath. He's going to get us out of this place. No matter whether you're lying on a bed or living in a palace, you're going to be glad to go.
And Brother Clinton enjoyed the principle that is brought forth in that 84 Psalm. That is, as you've already mentioned, the trouble brought upon them causes the longing over their hearts. And so we see that grace and glory comes before the psalmist here in verse 11. Well, that principle runs very strong in the New Testament. As an example, turn over to Romans chapter 5.
And here we see the combination of that principle.
We have.
The grace in verse two and the glory of God rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And then we see tribulation is brought into it because it works patience and experience and so forth. And the love of God shed abroad in our hearts with the Holy Ghost. Now notice also how Peter takes up that same.
Line of principle, where we have the grace that instills in us the hope of that coming glory, and in the meantime the trouble that comes upon us to brighten that prospect. So we have it in chapter five of first Peter and verse 10. But the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus.
After that, she have suffered a while. Make you perfect, Establish, strengthen, settle you to him. Be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. So that principle holds true in all of our lives. Just keep it in mind.
Will rest with us, because Paul practically and morally displayed that in his life there he was and the jail of Philippi, and he was seeing him, and then you find him in writing to the Philippians. Everything could naturally burden it and crush his heart to look around and see Men were preaching Christ in contention and supposing to add afflictions to his bonds. And what was he doing? He rejoiced in here, and he did rejoice. He wasn't troubled by the by this. And so we can get very way down and troubled even by the condition of things in Christendom.
Around us and troubles and so on and way down by it. But he said rest because God, it's just a manifesting token of God's righteous judgment and so just a look for the glory of the Lord.
That causes patients and there's faith required for that.
So important.
Who are troubled? Rest with us. The basic word is innocent.
In the original language, well at the drugstore you can get a non prescription drug called Anesin. And so in connection with our lives we can in some cases certainly be thankful for medication. And that's not my point, but so many times if we just had the rest that came from scripture, we wouldn't need the Anisein that the drugstore.
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Human rights are made such a point of, and it affects us in our thinking, brethren. And I don't know of anything that really delivers us so much as thinking that there will be no human rights, Properly speaking, until Christ has His rights. When He has His rights, then everything will be right. Until He has His rights, nothing can be right.
And So what he's bringing forth in these chapters is just to rest. And that till that time I think it's good to realize, like it's been brought out, that we have a nature that loves righteousness and hates iniquity right now, brethren. And it should bother us when we see the terrible moral issues that afflict the country we live in. It should bother us bad. But we need to realize that nothing can be right until Jesus is in his place.
And that's what we get. Rest with us. And when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed with his mighty angels.
O brethren, we're going to be eyewitnesses of this most glorious time in the history of this world when God is going to introduce his man into power and going to replace all the structure of government that exists in this present day in this world, he's going to replace it with his man, his government. You think of all the powerful armament that.
The technology and warfare that there is today, it is stupendous. But think of it when the Lord comes writing out of heaven on the White Horse and the armies of heaven, we with them there, the mighty angels accompanying him. They can use all their rockets they want, and and guided missiles and whatever they want to call them. It will have no effect whatsoever with the word of his mouth. One army after another is going to fall before him.
And he's going to reign supreme. Oh brethren, we're going to see it. We're going to be eyewitnesses of that time, and then things will be right. Until then, nothing can be truly right. So it's right that we should love righteousness. We should be bothered by moral issues in this world. If we're not, something's wrong with this. But we should wait for that moment when God brings his man into this world, and this is what we have in these verses.
And notice how it says in verse 10 when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints. Isn't this beautiful to think of it, that he's going to be glorified in US sometimes, Brethren, down here in this world, he doesn't get a whole lot of glory from our fleshly actions. But in that day, real will have passed by the judgment seat of Christ. The fire will have consumed all that is dross.
All that is wood, hay and stubble. Only that which is gold, silver and precious stones will remain. And when He comes, He will be glorified in His Saints. The people here in this world will look. Perhaps they will remember that used to be my neighbor. I knew him. Look at him. Come now with Jesus. Tremendous to think of that day. And that's our hope, brethren.
What did the 7th man from Adam prophecy?
The first prophecy, as far as I can get, a hold of that God has given us in the Bible, and it comes in the last epistle. It's determined from God, from way back before anything else was behold.
The Lord cometh Enoch also. The 7th from Adam prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord.
Cometh with 10 thousands of his Saints. This is God demonstrating the victory he gets in a man in the man Christ Jesus, with all this company coming in his as his attendance in glory.
A scripture, and I just can't put my finger on it that the desire of the nations will have come.
You know, many, many millions grown under unrighteous government. And so even not only for us, the world as a whole is looking for righteous government. You know, I don't think there will be any billionaires in the Millennium, you know, amassing fortunes.
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From the unrighteous labors of their underpaid laborers, you know there will be a fair distribution of wealth. You know, I read just this country in Zir that the former ruler amassed billions of dollars and the people were starving. You know, that kind of a thing will not take place. There will be righteous government, fair distribution of wealth, no more.
Discrimination and inequities.
Wonderful time that will be for the whole world.
101St Psalm.
It's only a short chapter of Psalm of eight verses, but it's extremely significant in regard to that which we are discussing right now.
I'll read the whole Psalm. I will sing our mercy and judgment under the old Jehovah.
It is the Lord will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.
Oh, when wilt thou come unto me, I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will sit in a wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside. It shall not cleave unto me. A forward heart shall depart from me. I will not know a wicked person who so privily slandereth his neighbor. Will I cut off him that has a high look and a proud heart? Will I will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land.
That they may dwell with me. He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house. He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early May I quote Brother Glendine early in the morning. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of Jehovah. This is.
A picture of.
The coming day when we are with the Lord Jesus in heaven.
Over the earth that is ruling, the earth he is, and he's ruling in righteousness. Today you sin, tomorrow you're judged.
Mike is haggy I chapter 2 I believe. Thank you kind of interesting. Thank you. And it's better in the translation in Spanish. But Haggai chapter 2 is very very interesting. Talks about shaking.
The Heavens and the earth in verse 26 Haggai. And then 27 says, I will shake the nations and the desire of all nations shall come in Spanish. It's the desired one. It's a person. I think it's so nice to get it that it is a person who's coming. He's going to come and he will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord.
Him number 3.5.
We wait for the.