LUKE (Chapter 8) - Like a sevenfold candelstick for God

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Part II:

The life in the HOLY PLACE of the resurrection person

Introduction
In the previous chapters of the study of luke, we saw how the priest of God was formed; namely out of sinners, lost in sin and guilt. For Jesus was willing to cleanse us, who were sinners, in His blood, and to renew us in and by His Spirit. In Chapter 7 we saw, that in Christ we may be resurrected into NEW LIFE.
In this Chapter we shall have a close look at the different kinds of priestly labor we may perform in and by Him after having been anointed for it by Him. We will discover that we have been saved by Him in order to save others! We will also discover that this labor, in its totality, makes God's light to shine as by a sevenfold, gold candlestick which was also to be seen by those who, deliberately coming out of the Forecourt, entered that Holy Place.
This candlestick consisted of a shaft (one arm with a foot on which the whole candlestick rests) in the middle, and of six branches, which come out of the shaft by twos. That shaft and those branches together give a sevenfold light. The same way the spiritual candlestick of God (namely our testimony in and by the Holy Spirit) today gives its sevenfold light in this dark world for the glorification of the wonderful Name of God. So a child of God, cleansed in the precious blood of Jesus, and renewed in and by the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit, must walk in priestly service in this world; in order to proclaim to that same world the sevenfold light of God's glory, and to reveal it. Let us have a closer look at this sevenfold Light, in sequence.

1. We must deny ourselves things and be prepared to bring sacrifices in honor of Jesus
Luke 8 verse 1-3: "And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."
We see here, as the first light of God's candlestick, the willingness to bring a sacrifice for the use of the Gospel of God... We see here women willingly going with Jesus, Who is the Word of God, Who proclaimed His Father's Word, namely the Gospel, the Good News. They took care of all the material and financial things He needed for this. The life of each servant of God should be like this. Everything he possesses materially, should be dedicated to the increase of God's Kingdom.
There is a clear characteristic in the life of a servant of God: he is not stingy for the work of Jesus! His purse is always open for the work of his Lord. He even put all his belongings in Jesus' hands. When you see someone who is stingy with regard to Jesus' work (think of the biblical "tithe"), then you know such a person is not yet born again. Which is not to say, that a servant of God is wasteful with his money, but the Lord has full control over it. Jesus knows that His children still need money in this world for all their activities.

2. We must dedicate our life to Jesus, and labor in honor of Him alone.
A servant of God is a revealer of the Word, a proclaimer to the world of the Gospel. God's Word must be heard from his mouth. He must be a sounding board of God, that is always ready (and thus pure); an open and not a clogged channel.
Luke 8 verse 4-15: "And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be (mean)? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the (explanation of the) parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with (daily) cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth (spiritual) fruit with patience."
Here we see a sower sowing seed. The Lord explained that the seed is the Word of God that is proclaimed to the world. The Word of God comes forth from the heart of the Father. And it is God's servant, who in prayer must be open to this and having received it must sow this Seed into the hearts of the people.
Elsewhere in Scripture we read again, that the Word is the Sword of the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is the Holy Spirit, Who must wield this Sword, and neither you nor me... Again: we should not wield the Word; it is the Holy Spirit within us, Who through us must wield the Word. Then it will be a Sword. To what purpose? For the destruction of bonds of sin and powers of sin. The Word must cause the souls of the people to want to die to bonds of sin, and must deliver them from the powers of sin. But if we are not willing to be delivered, then this Sword will be judgment to us! But when we are prepared to see the evil within ourselves – by the Word revealed to us; and when we are prepared to lay our (old and sinful) life in the hands of Jesus Christ, our Lord, then this Sword of the Spirit will kill all sin in us and... deliver us from all works of satanic powers in our life (Romans 8:2).
Seen in this light, who do you think the Sower is? It is God's Holy Spirit, Who works in and by His servants... He builds the Kingdom of God! He alone is the Builder of the Kingdom of God and of the temple of our heart (Matthew 16:18; John 15;:5; Psalm 127:1-2). We are merely channels; human channels in His hand, through which the Word may flow which must come directly from the heart of the Father; and for which we pleaded, wrestling in prayer before His throne. It is His bread, the Bread of life, which we must pass on in His Name. And this Word, this Seed, is mighty Seed, which must be sowed by Him Himself working through His servants. In this parable are mentioned four cases of reception of this Seed (namely the Word) in the heart, and only in one case this event has eternal value!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 8) – that is to long for the Blog

By E. van den Worm

The Church at Laodicea

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The apostle John’s prophecy of Jesus’ returning in the Spirit communing in the end-time in the midst of His seven Churches
In the Book of Revelation, chapters 1-3, we read about Jesus' invisible coming in the end-time, in and by the Holy Spirit, in the midst of His seven churches. He then comes to bring his Church, which has strayed and fallen asleep in sin, and typified here in seven different types of churches, unto sincere repentance, unto restoration and actual victory over satan[1] and sin.
We will now look at His Word directed to the last of the seven types of churches of the end-time, namely the church at Laodicea.

In the grip of mammon
Laodicea is a church of the so-called "rich countries", thus also of the Netherlands.
Revelation 3:14-16 "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
Jesus here presents Himself as the true and faithful Witness of the situation of the church of Laodicea, whereto we also belong.

The wandering state of the Church
1) She is lukewarm, not hot/on fire and reprehensible in the eyes of Jesus: "I shall spue you out of My mouth".
2) Wrongly, she deems herself blessed by God because of her material wealth.
Because of the temptation of being able to gather material riches this Church forgot the next Word of God, which warns us:

Matthew 6:19-25 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness (itself)! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for you body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

Who or what reigns in your heart?
Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."
What are you looking for in this life? If the mammon, the idol of the lust for money, lives in your heart, and your eyes are filled with, and are focused on, wealth; when your heart trusts in money, bank accounts or material possessions, or when it longs for them, then the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is no longer in your heart, even if you go to church regularly, perform religious acts, and speak and sing of Jesus Christ.
Your conscience has then been scorched by the mammon, and you do not recognise your real spiritual state.
Revelation 3:17 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
You do not know that spiritually you are "miserable, wretched, poor, and blind, and naked". It is God's grace if the light of the Holy Spirit comes over you, and you then discover, who you really are spiritually, and that that material wealth is not a blessing from God.

Search yourself closely: Who or what reigns on the table of our heart? Is it the Lord Jesus, an idol, or our own "I"? Which lusts reign in your heart? Is it money? Material wealth? Is it sex, or power, or the greatness of this worldly life? These then are as many idols, and we have left our first love. If we really seek eternal life, which Jesus Christ offers us, then we are to make a definite choice in this life; namely we must be willing to love Him above all, even above our own life; and we must be willing to follow Him on His road, the way of the cross, to God, our Father.
Luke 14:25-27 "And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple."
We must love the Lord Jesus Christ above all, He must fill our heart and life; and no earthly desires, no matter how beautiful, which become idols in our heart and life.

What more does the sinner have to do?
The Lord Jesus comes unto the Laodiceans with the following advice:
Revelation 3:18-19 "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent."

1) We are to buy this new life of God, and pay for it with our old, sinful life, which must be burned to ashes by the fire of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11-12 "I indeed baptise you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
We read here of the advice, John the Baptist gives us, to open our being for the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, that the threshing floor of our heart be purified of sins, and He give us, in its place, the divine life, His heavenly divine riches.
In Revelation 3:18 we read, that He does not only want to give this divine wealth, this heavenly gold, but also the while clothes of His holiness, a divine and holy life here on earth in and by His power.
2) We must also search diligently for this new life (Revelation 3:19),
3) and repent sincerely thereto of all sin, and flee the sinful circumstances.
4) We also must open the door of our heart for Him, of He knocks at its door to enter.
Revelation 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."
We see that Jesus stands outside the Church of Laodicea, and that we are to let Him in personally, because we have a free will, which He will not torpedo.
Once we have let Him into our heart and life, He will have supper with us; this means: He will share with us His death and resurrection, His victory over sin and satan. Then we, too, shall be conquerors through Him over sin and satan, already here in our earthly life.
Revelation 12:11 "And they (the victors) overcame him (satan and power of sin) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony (whereby also others will share this victory); and they loved not their (earthly, sinful) lives unto the death (until it is completely dead, already here on earth; so that they may live without spot or wrinkle, faultless; see Ephesians 5:27, already here on earth).”

The victors' reward
Revelation 3:21-22 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. e that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."
He then shall share with these His lordship/dominion in His Millennium, and crown us with authority. He will also clothe these, outwardly and inwardly, with divine glory.

Let us keep in mind this hope of glory.
Amen.

By E. van den Worm

[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

The Church at Laodicea - The wandering state of her - In the grip of mammon

LUKE (Chapter 7) - The Lord Jesus Christ, our resurrection power in every way

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In case of illness
In the light of the Israeli Tabernacle we, in this chapter, have arrived at the brass laver and the door to the Holy Place; objects, which respectively tell us of the actual dying (off) of the old man, and the resurrection in the NEW LIFE, which becomes ours through and in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit; and by the growing together in the Spirit with the Lord Jesus Christ, in His death as well as in His resurrection (Romans 6:3-12).

Luke 7 verse 1-10: "Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither hought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned him about, and aid unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick."

Here we see a case of resurrection from a sickbed of someone who was sick unto death, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a Roman centurion's faith. Today, one might translate this rank with "captain". This image, the faith of a pagan centurion, is like a prophecy (prediction) of the entering in of paganism into the Kingdom of God. He believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as being the One, sent by the Father with powers (of attorney) in the Spirit of God. This faith became obvious by the words he spoke. He said... that he, too, had a commander over him, and soldiers under him. He would receive an order, and would execute it by giving his subordinates the necessary commands.
He compares this situation with the ministry of Jesus. The Father in heaven sent His Son, and the Son defeated the enemy, the power of darkness, by His Spirit-filled Word. The Spirit of God executed Jesus’ orders for healing, which were in the Name of the Father unto wonders and signs and unto fulfillment of the whole Word of God. Jesus would also banish the darkness and the power of sickness from the life of this centurion's servant, who was very dear and valuable to him.
By God's grace this centurion had this faith, and Jesus marveled. Jesus had not found such wonderful faith, not even in Israel, God's people. He found this faith in a heathen! Glory to God!
We receive faith by grace, it is a gift from above. By this given faith the centurion saw in Jesus the Messiah, the One sent by the Father; and he saw that the omnipotence of the Spirit was available to Him. Therefore he said, in different words: "Lord, just speak, say a word, for the Spirit of God will do it!" Now this is what it is all about: We should not believe because we see wonders and signs, but we must believe in the Word of God! This must be the foundation upon which our faith rests. We should act in faith because God said so!
The Word declares to us, among others: "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!" (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Anyone, who comes wholeheartedly to Jesus and calls on Him for help in his need, and asks Him to come into his "house", will receive spiritual health and ETERNAL LIFE; he will receive resurrection power. Therefore call on Him in the day of trouble, and He will deliver you from that situation of power (Psalm 50:15).
In case of miserable circumstances.

Luke 7 verse 11-17: "And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all (here: a wave of awe went through all of them): and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and throughout all the region round about."

The death of her only son, who was also the breadwinner, caused the widow of Nain to be plunged in miserable circumstances. In that time there were no social laws in Israel, like we now know in our country, whereby such people are taken care of financially. The Lord saw her sorrow and cares, and was moved with inner compassion for her. The resurrection power of the Son of man, which soon was to be confirmed by His death and resurrection, caused a complete turnabout in the circumstances she was in. He walked up to the bearers of the bier, on which the dead man lay, and touched it. Majesty and authority went out of the Prince of Life. Moved by awe for the Man, Who performed so many miracles, the bearers put down the bier. And He said: "Young man, I tell you, get up!" He had restored her son to the old mother, and had banished all darkness from her dejected mind and life! To God be all glory!
Moved by His great compassion for sin-sick humanity, whereby it might be in such stormy and dark circumstances, the merciful God throws us His "life jacket" in His Word! "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you" (1 Peter 5:7). "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God" (Philippians 4:6). ”Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be move." (Psalm 55:22). We must learn to give Him access to all our troubles, in everything that burdens us down, and He will do all these things! Praise be to God! He not only gives us NEW LIFE, but, as we have seen, also healing and deliverance from all deep pits of life.
He saves His servants from all doubts the evil one prompts.

Luke 7 verse 18-30: "And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger (i.e. John) before thy (Jesus') face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him."

Here the evil one caused a wonderful servant of God to doubt and to come into great difficulties: he was captured by Herod and was to spend the rest of his days in the dungeon, in the midst of enemies. Some faithful disciples, however, came to visit him... The great prophet of God was caused to doubt because of these circumstances... Because of the bitter circumstances his wonderful focus on Jesus was obscured. See how powerful the evil one can work, even in the life of such a servant of God. Therefore, beloved, if doubts arise in your heart, by whatever causes, act as John did: because of his imprisonment, he sent others to Jesus. In fact, he went to Jesus with his doubts. We too should confess the doubts, with which the evil one holds us in bondage, to Jesus; that He clear our faith outlook, and keep it fastened on Him again. And He wishes nothing else, but to clear and strengthen our faith outlook, that therefore we might (again) share Him, His resurrection power and glory.
Jesus did this to John in this way, who heard the testimony concerning Jesus from his disciples; namely he heard of His redeeming and saving power, of His proclamation of the gospel to the poor in spirit, and the message that the Kingdom of God had come near.
When John's disciples were on their way back to him, Jesus did not rebuke John for his doubts, but He even confirmed the divine calling of John as a prophet of God. He certainly was no reed shaken to and fro by the wind of oppression; neither was he a bad servant looking for his own profit, clothing himself in rich garments; but he was a great prophet; the angel God sent before (or ahead of) His Messiah. Yes, of all those born of women, no one was a greater prophet than John the Baptist.
In the Kingdom of God, when it is revealed, all doubts will vanish. There even the least (the lowliest) will have a ministry, more wonderful than the one John had. What a wonderful future awaits all of God's children!
But the Lord did not only refer to the ministries in eternity, but also to the ministries of the Kingdom of God, which are hidden in the hearts of the New Testament believers. After all, if the wonderful ministries in the Old Testament were led and prompted by an outward anointing, so the ministries of the New Testament were led and prompted by a God, Who dwells IN His children. Jesus' words: "He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he (i.e. John)" count as a prophecy of a future servanthood to God which was still hidden then.
He is only the Lord of Resurrection for all sincere believers.

Luke 7 verse 31-35: "And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! But wisdom is justified of all her children (who accept this wisdom)."

The generation of Jews Jesus lived amongst, He compared with "children sitting in the marketplace..." In the marketplace one buys and sells, one seeks one's own profit... It is the spirit which also dwells in the worldly man: "every person for himself... and God for us all!" Seeking for the greatest possible profit; becoming as rich as possible! "Marketplace believers" therefore are believers who remain worldly and carnal. They, in fact, are believers whose faith is death, because God will not have anything to do with them as long as they are not willing to leave the world (behind).
Such believers remain "sitting in the marketplace"; remain in the world, and they will build their house of faith and religion in that world, which is fruitless and sinful. They are full of criticism of each other: "We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept..."; but they are blind towards their own lost cause: namely their remaining seated in the marketplace of this world... Such believers have no part in the Kingdom of God, in God's works of grace; therefore they also rejected God's prophet, John the Baptist – the forerunner of the Messiah – and called him a devil; therefore they also rejected the Son of man, and called Him "a gluttonous man, a winebibber, a friend of publicans and criminals..." This last one, in their haughty and self-deceiving eyes, was disgraceful!
But God, Who Himself is supreme Wisdom, in His actions of mercy has been justified by His real children; for the existence of redeemed sinners who have been brought into God's salvation, testify of God's supreme wisdom which He displayed in the execution of His plan of salvation.

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 7) – that is to long for the Blog

By E. van den Worm

The time of preparation for the marriage of the Lamb of God

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Matthew 25:1-4 "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bride-groom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
The parable tells us about the "kingdom of heaven", that is God's kingdom on earth, i.e. the Church. In the last days it will experience a preparation for Jesus' return as Bridegroom of His Church. Everywhere will be heard the cry "Maranatha, Jesus is coming back!"
This coming of the Lord Jesus as Bridegroom of the Churchbride is not His visible return on the clouds of heaven, for this return unto the establishment of the Millennium of Peace will only take place after the anti-christian period. This return will be invisible in and by the Holy Spirit.

God's great promises
Scripture promises us great things when the Spirit of Jesus Christ has been able to adopt us as members of the Bride of the Lamb, has been able to add us to the spiritual body of the Bride of the Lamb of God.
1. He then will make us blameless, without spot or wrinkle, and holy.
Ephesians 5:25-27 "...as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

2. This state of holiness, into which the Spirit of Jesus Christ will bring that part of the Church chosen hereunto in the last days, will cause them to escape the grave as they then have become sinless; for people die because they are sinners.
James 1:15 "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."
Romans 6:23 “Death is the wages of sin”
As this part of the Church will then have been made without sin, physical death will also escape them, and they will be changed at an appointed time, and put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This is the glorious hope of all, who have been adopted as members of the Bride of the Lamb,
3. Besides the putting on of great divine glory and strength.
But there are wise ones and fools in the Church of the last days. The wise ones, half of the Church, take with them, besides oil in their lamps (for it is a time of spiritual darkness) also oil in their vessels, namely in their hearts. Oil is the type of the Holy Spirit. Taking oil in the vessel, in the heart, spiritually means: preparing oneself for sanctification; the foolish do not do this. They do wash their sins in the blood of the Lamb, and because of this they have become virgins; but they do not seek sanctification and continue to lead worldly lives.
In this time the opposing satanic power puts the Church into a spiritual sleep.
Matthew 25:5 "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept."
The prophecy of Jesus Christ reads: "They all slumbered, the wise… and the foolish virgins, and fell asleep!" And if anyone should know this, Who better than Jesus Christ, the Divine Word of God Himself.
Joel, too, prophesied this spiritual sleep of the Church for the end-times, and of the Church's "locusts" because of the slumbering sin and tolerance due to the spiritual sleep (Joel 1).
Ephesians 5:14-18 "Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit (of Jesus Christ)."
The Word says "Arise from the dead", wake from the sleep of sin, be delivered from the bonds of your sins by the power of Jesus Christ, and by His blood; and be filled with His redeeming Spirit, with His resurrection power.
Matthew 25:6-7 "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."
This voice that calls out "Go out to meet Him" (Matthew 25:6) means, that we are to rise up from the sleep of death by God's grace, and that we must let His Holy Spirit prepare our hearts and lives for His invisible return as Bridegroom, that He might prepare us for the marriage, and make us blameless, without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).

This call of the Spirit will cause a general reveille (awakening).
Matthew 25:7 "Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps."
They all prepared spiritually for the coming of the Bridegroom, but we read in this prophecy that only half, the wise part, will be adopted as members of the Bride of Lamb, because only they will reach the state of spotlessness.

We must prepare spiritually for this Coming
A child of God once had a vision of an colossal giant. He was lying on the earth and was bound with many worldly bonds of sin by the powers of darkness, and was powerless to get up.
The visionary saw, that he stretch out first one hand, then both hands, to heaven in a cry for help to God. He then received strength and slowly stood up, while the powers of darkness around him fled. He then beat off the dust and the glory of the Lord fell upon him.
He did this in obedience to God's call.
This voice of the Spirit, calling out to us, we also find in Revelation 19 verse 9:
"Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb... These are the true sayings of God."
Partaking (in the spirit) of the supper of the Marriage of the Lamb is sharing the death and resurrection of the Lamb of God, that we might take part in the marriage of the Lamb of God, being without spot or wrinkle.

This call to participation is personal and one may hear it sooner than the other.
We also see in the prophecy of the prophet Daniel in Daniel 2:31-35 and 44-45 that complete deliverance of the power of sin takes place personally and gradually, namely in the time of the ten kings of the restored Roman Empire (the ten toes of Nebuchadnezzar's statue), in the time of the ten kings of Revelation 17:12-13.
Daniel 2:31-35, 44-45 "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom (God's Kingdom on earth), which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people (except to God's people, His divine Israel), but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain (of sin) without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure."
Here one stone is loosed, cut off, completely delivered from sin, from the mountain of sin without hands (without human help). Some think that this one stone is the Lord Jesus Christ, but this is a wrong interpretation, because Jesus Christ, in His life on earth, was never bound to the mountain of sin; moreover, this is an event of the end-time, of the time of the ten kings.
Thus, this stone has to be a sinner from the end-time, who by his faith in the finished work and in the power of Jesus Redeemer, is brought in Jesus' victory; thus overcoming satan and his power of sin, whose heart is cleansed of the chaff of the old person; whereafter he by the power of the Word shares this victory with many others: a mountain of completely delivered Christians, without spot or wrinkle: the Bride of the Lamb of God.
Revelation 12:11 "And they (the victors) overcame him (satan and power of sin) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony (whereby also others will share this victory); and they loved not their (earthly, sinful) lives unto the death (until it is completely dead, already here on earth; so that they may live without spot or wrinkle, faultless; see Ephesians 5:27, already here on earth)."

CLICK HERE if you want to read the rest of this study – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 6) - The basic principals of God’s priest-kingdom

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Introduction

(Note: verses 1-16 have already been studied in Chapter 5 - see our Blog on March 10th).

As we have already shown: God is going to establish a kingdom of priests. Each one in this kingdom will be a priest for another person. A priest who hands out God's gracious blessings to another; who intercedes with God for that other person; and who lives before God's face in honor and praise and thanksgiving. Because of a greater devotion and a more faithful dedication to God, the one priest will receive, through grace, a place closer to God than another priest. Because of this he will receive more gracious blessings from God, and passes those on to others. One sees, that therefore in this wonderful Kingdom of God, the highest placed person – this is the one closest to God – will be everybody's servant.
"But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42-45).
From high to low God's Kingdom therefore consists of priests. The one regards and prays for the other. Intercession for another is a priestly job. At the head of this Kingdom is the High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who forms the Source of all God's blessings and allocations (here: gifts, ministries, etc.). In intercession, the priests are to bring the needs of the people to the High Priest, to God. And in their turn they hand out the blessings they have received from the High Priest-God to others. Well then, everyone is doing priestly work, and thus is a priest; but he also is more or less a king, because he is a child of the great King. All are children of God, but there are princes (here: rulers) among God's children, who, because they are closer to God by their priestly function, are better "media", namely spiritual channels with a pure reception and passing-on of God's wonderful blessings and provisions.
"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). It is a glorious Kingdom, that one day – for all eternity – will stand in the glory of God. It will bear within itself that divine glory, and out of that fullness we will give to others. This way God will dwell in the midst of His children; He will dwell in His priests eternally, and especially in His High Priest. Everyone will be filled, to a certain measure, with the glory of God, and share with others of His grace and His love. In God's Kingdom the motto will be giving; giving to others that those others may be full, just as they are. So love, purity and justice will reign in that Kingdom of God. Let us now look at the basic principles of this Kingdom. Before doing this, let us first read the introductory verses:
Luke 6 verse 17-19: "And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
Here one sees again Jesus' distributing power of grace. Virtue went out of Him. Sometimes He gave that power to the apostles and emissaries, and they in turn gave of it to the people. We see the same picture at the multiplication of the loaves. He handed out the bread and the fish, after having blessed and broken them, to His apostles, and they distributed them to the people.
In the texts of this Gospel a "level place" is mentioned. In the corresponding text of the Gospel after Matthew we know, that He then stood on a mountain. Hence it must have been a mountain plateau. There He addressed a large multitude. Let us dwell on this for a moment. At several occasions He addressed a crowd of thousands of people. At the first multiplication of the loaves He spoke to 5,000 men; not counting women and children. The second time the number of people was 4,000 (Matthew 14:13-21; 15:29-39). Yet everyone could hear Him clearly, although He had no microphone and amplifier at His disposal. Do not we see here the majesty of God, and His mastery over the laws of nature?
Here we see one of the Holy Spirit's gifts revealed; namely that of power. The same gift was revealed (and clearly seen) when He walked over the Sea of Tiberias; also when He calmed the storm there. This gift, which Jesus possessed in all fullness, He also wants to give to His children, anywhere the gift is needed for the increase of His Kingdom and for the glorification (and thus the proclamation) of His Name.

I. The attitude of the priest towards God.
Luke 6 verse 20-26: "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their (fore)fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation (see also Luke 16:25). Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their (fore)fathers to the false prophets."
We learn here how the attitude of the priest and child of God must be towards his God and Father, in spite of the sinful people around him. In the verses 20-21 there is mention of a "Lazarus attitude". Surely you heard the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Lazarus was poor; he begged and asked. Anyone would understand that this is meant spiritually, and not literally: not every poor beggar goes to heaven, and not every rich man goes to hell. On the face of it this seems to be expressed in this parable. But the Holy Spirit refers here to the "Lazarus attitude", and the "rich man's attitude" of our heart. I already stated that the first two texts of this part of the bible renders the "Lazarus attitude" of the heart of a good servant of God; while the verses 24-26 render the "rich man's attitude" of the heart of a bad servant of God. This last (inner) attitude is caused by that feeling of self-satisfaction, which is sinful in God's eyes; that feeling of being more righteous and holier than other sinners; a feeling that the Pharisee had towards the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14).
Spiritually seen the rich man brought a rich meal on the table. The ones that were invited admired his wealth and generosity; and the rich man felt flattered by that admiration which he was after. But Lazarus was conscious of the wounds of his soul, and his sins, and of his spiritual poverty. Someone with a "Lazarus attitude" soon will pray: "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!" And he begs God for food, for spiritual food. A person with such an inner attitude will be saved by God; he will receive grace. However, a servant with a "rich man's attitude", someone who pretends to be one rich inwardly, is doomed (condemned to hell) by God. Why? Because he is proud of his self-righteousness, which means that he never really had any part in God and Jesus Christ.
A true servant of God will always have a "Lazarus attitude"; his heart will always sincerely long for grace and for the full relationship with that great God. In his life there will be moments of great (spiritual) refreshment, but these will be followed by periods of great (spiritual) hunger and thirst for God! This great (spiritual) hunger and thirst will always mark the true child of God. These "poor in spirit" will have the Kingdom of God within themselves and will inherit it. One poor in spirit will always ask, and will always open his heart to receive grace. But in order to receive, he must be able to give himself to God from the heart; that the Lord God, through Jesus Christ, may completely change (renew) his carnal thinking and inner being by His Word and the Holy Spirit, to NEW LIFE, after His will. He must be able to do this after His will and not after ours. The prayer, deep in the heart of such a child of God is: "Break me, make me, mould me completely after Your will, O God!" In accordance with that inner hunger and thirst, God will satisfy His hungry and thirsty child with His justice, His love, and His blessings; and will use him for priestly labor for others by means of His anointing of Spiritual power.
If you have the right spiritual attitude that spiritual hunger should be present any moment of the day; then God will give His manna (spiritual food) also each day again; not once for all, but each day anew; a new portion for that day. And the next day the hunger will be there again, which must be satisfied by God. Seen in this light, our morning prayers therefore are so important. For we are to receive through these prayers: new manna; new strength to walk the way of victory that day; to go from grace to grace; to walk with Jesus!
In verses 22 and 23 we are shown the hatred satan has towards those with a "Lazarus attitude". Satan reveals this through worldly people, but also through the unconverted and partly converted Christian. They will reject you; will separate themselves from you; they will call you a "goody two shoes". They know you do not belong with them in your thinking and feelings. Your presence alone in their midst condemns their actions, walk and speech; therefore people in society, in your office or in the factory do not like you. They want nothing to do with you. But why should we fear? The Lord overcame the world! And He has the last word! He will keep you in His omnipotence as long as He can maintain you as His child. And if the Lord has not preserved us, then something might be wrong with our kinship, and we should examine ourselves in the light of His Word.
In verses 24-26 we read about that "rich man's attitude". Such people are praised by the world (read: satan). Between the lines of verses 25 and 26 we can hear satan laugh and praise such people, saying: "Good on you, boy, you are headed the right way!" The worldly men agree with this, and one hears them say: "You are a wonderful person, just and good and very praiseworthy!" Beloved, if this is happening to you, then mostly something is wrong with you!
We read in this Scripture part about the "Lazarus" and the "rich man's attitude"; about the attitude we are to have before God. I pray God that you may always have this "Lazarus attitude"; the attitude of the "poor in spirit", that God may give you His rich gracious blessings.

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 6) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

Isaiah´s prophesy of God's offer of grace in the New Covenant, and of His forming of the Christian Church

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1. God's offer of grace in the New Covenant.

Isaiah 40:1-2 "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins."
Isaiah prophesied here more than 700 years before the New Bloodcovenant began about God's giving of grace in New Testament time. This promise of God is only fulfilled after the death on the cross and the resurrection of the Lamb of God on Golgotha, where the unrighteousness, caused by the sins of man, is reconciled, and satan[1] is defeated and conquered by the death and resurrection of the Lamb of God.
Pardoned man then is doubly pardoned by YaHWeH after his repentance unto God: His sins are forgiven, and he is delivered from them; He receives from God's hand the new Christ-life, the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:3-4 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
This prophecy then shows the way to how this divine gift of mercy is given to the sinner.
Isaiah 40:3 "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."
This divine voice tells us that we are to prepare the way to and in our heart for YaHWeH, that we are to open the wilderness of sin in our heart unto Him, and make a straight path, a road, to the wilderness of our thinking and heart. Then He shall come in unto us in forgiveness of our sins, washing us in His blood.
Psalm 24:7-10 says the same:
"Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah."
We must open unto Him the eternal gates of our body (our ears), of our soul (our will), and of our spirit (the love for God). Then He shall bring His victory over satan and sin into our thinking, heart and life (verse 8), and He shall let us partake in the Body of Christ, in so doing making us part of His divine army, of which He is the divine General; an army that will fight and win the victory over satan, and that will take from him his spoils, the sinners who are in his power.
We also read this in Luke 11:21-22:
"When a strong man armed (satan) keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he (God's anointed servant in the power of God's Holy Spirit) shall come upon him (satan), and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor (destroys all his power) wherein he (satan) trusted, and divideth his spoils (takes the redeemed souls into God's kingdom)."
Let us return to Isaiah 40:4-5:
"Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
We see here Jesus Christ's work of mercy in the thinking, heart and life of redeemed, repentant man. Verse 4 tells of His work of salvation. All that sin worked in our thinking, heart and life, will be removed by Him: the valleys and mountains of committed unrighteousness, even all that is crooked and rough (the small sins). In the place thereof He shall make a valley, a paradise.
In Isaiah 40:5 we read that He shall clothe us, inwardly and outwardly, with His own glory, the glory of YaHWeH, and all people shall see this glory in the nature and the life of the Bride of the Lamb of God.
Isaiah 60:1-3 "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
Isaiah 61:10 "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."
Revelation 21:11 "(The Bride of the Lamb) Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone (a diamond), clear as crystal."
We see here that this prophecy of Isaiah's will only be fully fulfilled in the end-time.
Isaiah 40:6-8 "The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever."
Here God's prophecy warns us that we cannot receive this deliverance from sin and satan, and the renewal in Christ, in our own, human strength or by doing our best, but that this must happen by His redeeming and healing Word, which He will speak through His called, anointed servants.
All that man does, however beautiful in men's eyes, will have no eternal value. His Spirit must Itself implant this Word in our spirit, our soul, and in our body.

2. The forming of the Christian Church.
Isaiah 40:9-10 "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid, say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rulefor him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."
He shall also form workers from among the people He shall call and anoint hereto, who will proclaim His redeeming and creating Word. These must thereto climb upon a high mountain. This mountain is the great power of the Holy Spirit, of His anointing unto the labor, His clothing with divine power; which, by His Word as a two-edged sharp sword, through His servants, will defeat satan's power; and will destroy satan's power in the body, soul and spirit of the people who will repent, taking them into God's Kingdom.
Isaiah 40:11 "He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead them that are with young."
Then YaHWeH Himself shall through His eternal Son build His Church and make her into the New Jerusalem.
Matthew 16:16-19 "And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock (petra) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Here, Peter stands for all His servants, that He called hereto, and whom He shall strengthen with the keys to His kingdom to open the doors thereof for the converts, and to lead them further inwards into His Holy Place.

Amen.

By E. van den Worm

[1] We write the word satan not with a capital, as it is not a name, but a word meaning opponent or adversary, accuser.

Isaiah´s prophesy of God's offer of grace in the New Covenant, and of His forming of the Christian Church.

LUKE (Chapter 5) - The Church, a royal priesthood, people won out of sin

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Sinners are cleansed by the Word of the cross, and sanctified to be members of the Body of Christ that they may bear fruit (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Luke 5 verse 1-4: "And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesareth, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught (of fish)."
Here Jesus Christ brought God's Word to the gathered people listening to Him. He brought this Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was like a fire that burned away the sins, and renewed man, and changed him (inwardly) according to His will. When the basic principles of the Word have also been established in us, then He will also say to us that which He said to Simon: "Launch out into the deep, and cast out your nets for the catch." For we, after we have received the basic principles of Christianity in our heart and in our thoughts, must obey the following command: "Launch out into the deep", "Give also the depths of your own heart over to the Son of the living God". He wants to cleanse of all carnal and spiritual pollution also the depths of our inner being. He wants us to come to the prayer: "Search my inner being, Lord, that by You all darkness in me be truly removed, and I be purified of all carnal and spiritual defilement(s)!" A hunger, a thirst must arise in your and my inner being to be completely delivered from all that is not from and of Him. This with the purpose to, in priestly service, "cast out our nets" to "catch" people in His Name.

Luke 5 verse 5-11: "And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both their ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him."
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is brought to (the people of) the world, and it builds a pure and spiritual body out of sinners, a new humanity, of which each person has an active part in the whole. Each member of the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ shares in the work in the divine Kingdom, great and small, from apostle to the smallest helping hand; all help with the calling, after the inner working of the Spirit of God and His gifts, to come to the fulfillment of what God wants; of that which He intends. A (large) army of witnesses must be created (here: be prepared).
Do not all members of our natural body work together for the maintenance and perfecting of this body; unto the finest muscular tissues, no matter how simple each part's function? In the same way each person in the Body of Jesus has his own work. But all and all things work – and work together – to perfect the Body of Jesus by the power and wisdom Christ gave us. Each one must come to active co-operation under the mighty leadership of God's Holy Spirit, namely to witness. In our profound joy we can't help witnessing. The verb says: What the heart thinks, the mouth speaks. Is it not the most natural thing for an apple tree to bring forth apples, and a cherry tree cherries? In the same way, by the inner working of the Spirit, this testimony life will grow naturally in a healthy Christian life, and we will bring forth fruit, and help to form the Body by the power of Jesus Christ, by the inner working of the Spirit, and by the gifts He gives. So we "catch" people and lead them into the Kingdom of God; each one after the calling and after the measure of the gift of Christ.
Beloved, let us have an active part in this Kingdom of God. Let us be prepared to lose (the power of) the old and sinful in our heart and life by the power of the Word of the living God and the blood of the Lamb. By this Word let Jesus Christ truly come alive in us. Let His Kingdom in us be formed by the justifying power of no one less than Himself! When we discover something within us which is not entirely according to His will, let us then hand it over to Jesus Christ that He may completely purify and sanctify us, and baptize us with His Holy Spirit, and fill us to all His fullness.
In the preceding part we viewed the Body of Christ as a whole; namely the Body consisting of many members, each with his own calling and work; now we will have a close look at such a member; at the justification of his soul, his body, and his spirit.

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 5) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm