Parousia
April 1, 2023
“Then said He unto him, " A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper."
(Luke 14:16-24)
I was thinking about Mary’s Parousia thing – the vision of it.
The concept behind Parousia is the 2nd coming of Christ, from the Greek word, and Mary’s parousia group is about serious Christians gathering together to get deeper into the Word of God, to get serious about the Lord, to fellowship in Him, knowing He is coming soon. It is a sober, somber prospect.
For The Christian Worker
Many read the above parable told by Jesus and they think the focus of it is the servants running out and bidding people to come, and that is wrong. It is clear that the point of the parable is to COME, not the bidding!
They were ALL bidded, but not all came. The point is to obey God and His Word, to take the time to come to Him as He is asking of them, to do what He wants, rather than the things we think we would like to do in ourselves, of or own desires or imaginations. How shocking that they did not heed the Lord of Glory, the Lord of Lords, their Creator, to listen to Him! Appalling and grievous!
The problem with focusing on the bidding is that you think that the message Jesus is giving in this parable is that your job is to run out and do the bidding, and you miss the command to come, the whole point that the parable is making is lost on you.
We need to remember that in the parable, people did not come because they thought they were “too busy” to be bothered with doing what God was saying to them – not because they did not believe He was having a supper nor because they did not believe that they were invited – it was because they would not honor Him to come, they did not honor Him with their “precious” time.
People say their time is so valuable, yet they won’t give that to God as a living sacrifice unto Him, they are so busy with so-called “God’s work” but yet won’t COME to Him, to honor Him with their time, to do what He is really asking of them. Our own selves (our desires, not His) become an idol before our eyes, we treasure our time- and Scripture says, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.
God wants our time NOW, He is bidding us “Come”. If you may also notice, the “Come” command is now, not later. It is not, ‘OK, I’ll see you at the supper next week’ – they were bid to come now. This parable is about more than believing upon Jesus, it is about walking with Him NOW, every day, every moment, its about Romans 12:1-2, “our reasonable service”, its about “my life is not my own”, its about “Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it”.
One of the biggest distractions from Jesus in our present time, is the so-called “work of God”, the things Christian workers busy themselves with, instead of Jesus Christ Himself, personally. All Christian work is supposed to be done by and through the leading of the Holy Ghost. But instead, the “work” becomes the idol, the thing that stands between them and Jesus Christ, and the being led by the Holy Ghost is abandoned in place of one’s own mind and will. He (Jesus) is not first and preeminent in this situation, nor in them, but instead He is only the means, not the end, not the focus. Such idolatry, masked with so-called “Christian work”!
There is great danger in focusing on the work instead of Jesus personally – the Lord. Not aflame and ablaze with our love and devotion for Him, we run around “doing His work”, when it is not His work, it is of our own imagination, our own desires, our own drive, not His. He says “Come” and we say “I’m too busy doing Your work”, when it isn’t His work at all. Or, the Lord sends someone to talk with the Christian worker, but they don’t have time to listen, and they refuse to take the time, because they are so busy doing “God’s work”, and their own time is so valuable. The problem is, that, the Christian worker is habitually and systematically denying not men, but rather the Lord that sent them.
The technical term for this is the “regulatory principle”, meaning that it is God alone, the living God, who lives in us, who regulates what is acceptable worship unto Him (not us)- and our whole life is supposed to be that worship unto Him (Rom 12:1-2). We cannot give our life as a living sacrifice unto Him, if it is done our way, by our own imaginations and desires! No, it’s not acceptable nor pleasing to God if done that way! That’s why in Romans 12:2, it says to “find out the will of God”, to do that, and only that is pleasing and acceptable unto Him. Brothers and Sisters, we are not our own, we were bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus, and God is worthy of all our affections, life, the highest value, not just in words, but in every part and way we live our life.
For Everyone
Where is the mind and heart of Christians today, is it towards getting prepared? Is it towards storing up oil?
The questions are:
1) What would we do different now than in times past, what is different now than in times of the more recent past, and another one is how do we know that this time is very different than times past, unique?
2) Would the amount of time and dedication we have given unto preparation for the coming of the Lord it times past… would it be the same as it should be now? Why or why not?
3) Are we really prepared for the 2nd coming of the Lord?
4) What is our view of the 2nd coming of the Lord? Do we correlate this, with the Day of the Lord or not? If not, why not? And, do we understand the implications of the Day of the Lord? These are nearly always mentioned together (the Day of the Lord, and His second coming) in Scripture.
5) Do we have a sense of urgency about getting deeply rooted into Jesus Christ and His Word, so that we can stand in the evil days that are here and coming?
6) Are we at the end now? Or are you one who thinks it is still some time off, out in the future? Doesn’t the way you live life, in every way, prove what you actually believe about that timeframe (not just say)? Yes it does!
7) Do we recognize the season we are in now? If God’s judgment fell upon the Jews who did not recognize the hour of their visitation by knowing the season of the first coming of Christ (Luke 19:42-44), how do we think we will escape the same, for the visitation soon to come (1 Pet 2:11-12, 2 Pet 3:10-15, Micah 7:4-6) – the second coming of Jesus? — This time, for vengeance against sinners and the final redemption for the righteous in Christ Jesus (our promised salvation)?
8) And If the level of deception in the end is such that if possible, even the elect would be deceived (according to Scripture), why aren’t we making our calling and election sure (2 Pet 1), and anchoring all the deeper into our relationship with Jesus Christ Himself?
9) Do we recognize that such heavy deception is everywhere, which is a major sign we are at the very end, it even at the doors?
10) Do we see the deceptions, do we recognize it when we see it? Or are we a part of it?
11) Are we being and staying watchful and in prayer and supplication with the Father, as Jesus told us to do, so that we are not deceived? Are we staying in the Word of God daily?
I see a majority of those who call themselves Christians, largely unaware of the season we are in, and unconcerned with preparing for the coming of the Lord.
This is more than in times past because they are more involved with the things and cares of this world than ever before, speaking of what they would like to do in the future, such as careers and future plans, not discerning that the Lord is soon to come, not discerning the times, not discerning the season. Even though Scripture tells of the time of the very end being like the days of Noah, whereby people were making future plans, things like marriage and business plans, not realizing that they would be dead the very next day, drown in a world-wide deluge of water; should Christians be caught unawares like those people were?
Shouldn’t Christians know the season of the coming visitation, so as to prepare? Would we be making all those plans, if we really knew? Doesn’t God reveal things of the future to Christians? If we were living in Noah’s time, would we also be unawares, so as to drown, perish with the rest of the world? Would we know that the flood would come in 100 years time, like Noah was told by God? Are we aware of the season we are in? Are we always prepared, even now? Are we more serious than a heart-attack about this? Is it possible for Christians to be caught unaware or unprepared? – Yes. “"Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."” Rev 3:2-3. This was written to a church full of believers in Christ!
Noah was not about his normal business before the time of the flood, because God warned him and told him to build a boat (even giving him detailed specifications, not of Noah’s own imagination) – and Noah believed God, and prepared according to God’s Word to him. Noah, for the first 500 years of his life, was about his normal business. He was a righteous man in a time of great wickedness, when the imaginations of the whole world was continually evil. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah, being warned by God, no longer went about his business as usual – the time of the end of the whole world was coming. By faith, that is, believing God’s Word, Noah adjusted his activities according to the Word of the Lord:
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Heb 11:7)
These were not normal times anymore, for Noah – they were end-of-days for the old world, the world that perished by water. Our days are not normal anymore either, these are end-of-days, whereby the world that is now, will perish by fire this time, not by water. Why are people, no, why are those who say they are Christians, living as though time has no end, while we are at the very end? How do I know we are at the very end, not just many decades or more away from the end? God told Noah. Will God not also tell Christians? Hasn’t He given us signs of the times in the Bible? Are we not now seeing these? These are NOT normal times! When I was a kid, a person could drive down the road, and enter into 95+% of churches, and hear the unpolluted Word of God preached from the pulpit – they were solid churches of various flavors, but almost all of them good. Now, the inverse, probably more than 90% of churches are preaching false doctrines right from their pulpits, and those sitting under them gladly hear it and like it — undiscerning most are. The rise, proliferation, and condoning (affirming) of hom.os.exu.ality, as well as the crisis of identity that the young people are going through today, is another major sign. These are a sign of doom to the world we are now living in. Let’s quit acting like we are in normal times, when we surely are not.
Let’s quit fooling ourselves and those around us, repent of our lukewarmness, dullness, and sin, and deepen in the Lord – for we are at the time of the end, even at the doors. Our generation will not pass away until it is all fulfilled – all of it, including the time of the Great Tribulation and the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matt 24:32-36)! Let’s quit taking about our future dreams in our head, career plans, college plans, marriage plans, building buildings plans.. we are at the end of time now, not normal times, let’s get serious about Jesus now.
When the Lord tells us to occupy until He comes (Luke 19:12-15) in the parable, He did not mean simply to “stay busy”! People are so very busy, but they don’t have time for God, or they are so busy with the “work for God” but not for God Himself. People don’t even have time to listen anymore. We are to occupy until He comes – He meant it like Luke 2:49, where Jesus was about His Father’s business, that which the Father would have Him do. That is different than just being busy with whatsoever you would busy yourself with, it is a busy-ness about the things of God, as God directs by the Holy Ghost. We are soldiers of the Lord, 2 Tim 2:3-4 (not to be confused with a physical army or kingdom-now/dominionism stuff, but in the spiritual sense). We are not of this world, just as Jesus was not of this world, and now we are in Him. We are new creations in Christ Jesus, waiting patiently, with endurance, for the final redemption of our bodies, when the Lord Jesus Christ comes the second time. We are not to get entangled with the affairs and concerns of this life (2 Tim 2:4). Let’s set our minds on things above, rather on things below (Col 3:1-3). Let’s dwell in tents, so to speak – like Abraham did, looking for a country, a city, whose Maker and Builder is God (Heb 11:9-10).
Many Christians are so earth-bound, so earthly-minded that they are not only of no Godly use, but are also not prepared to leave this Earth. Like Lot’s wife, they are fixated with this world, their heart is here – not above – and they love their own life. This is why they have no faith either. So many today falling away from the faith – not institutional faith, but faith in God. It takes faith to see these things (by faith…. (All of Hebrews 11)). These will perish instead of enter into the kingdom of Heaven, in a similar manner that Lot’s wife perished instead of escaping.
"Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left." Luke 17:32-34
We Christians are escaping the wrath to come, the Day of the Lord, through faith upon Jesus Christ.
“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Rev 18:4-5
The “Come out of her, my people…” is not the rapture! It is an action taken by God’s people in departing from the wickedness of their age, that’s why it says “that ye be not partakers of her sins…” . “And that ye receive not of her plagues” indicates a direct connection, correlation, consequence, with “not being partakers of her sins”.
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor 6:16-18
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 1:20-21
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the Word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him” Heb 2:1-3
“See that ye refuse not Him that speaks. For if they escaped not who refused him that spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from Him that speaks from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” Heb 12:25-27
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” Col 3:5-7
“For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ” 1 Thess 5:7-9
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” 1 Thess 5:2-5
“For they themselves show 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; And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess 1:9-10
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and has given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” Eph 5:1-8
“If God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?” Rom 9:22-24
“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” Rom 5:8-11
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Tim
2:3-4
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then
shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Col 3:1-3
“By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Heb 11:9-10
