LUKE (Chapter 17) - The purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 6)

.

In and by Christ, we must (be willing to) be cleansed of all sinful words and actions which may be exchanged from man to man. We must live in that abundant love of God, whereby we, too, become merciful and gracious towards our neighbor.

This new chapter discusses the irritations and temptations our old nature can cause in the heart and life of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In and by Christ, we must be (willing to be) delivered from our old nature, especially from all actions and/or words which give cause to irritation and temptation; wherewith we may offend our brothers and sisters, and whereby their progress (or growth) in God's Kingdom may be hampered or prevented.

Luke 17 verse 1-2: "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, then that he should offend one of these little ones."

By "one of these little ones" the Lord Jesus means a sincere child of God; a person (large or small, young or old) who, like a child, knows that he is dependent on the Father in everything. The Lord Jesus not for nothing depicted His greatest Gospel preachers as little children: "And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me" (Matthew 18:5). "Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, re-ceiveth not me, but him that sent me" (Mark 9:37). Compare also with Luke 9:48. "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Matthew 10:42). "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10). By "their angels" is meant "the born-again spirits, of God’s children which serve God" All being well the believing person who is truly born again of God, must be just as humble as Him, Who said: "...and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29). When Jesus, our heavenly King, was here on earth, He did not walk as a Prince in Palestine (the present-day Israel), but as a humble Servant of God the Father, with as His only and greatest desire: to save sinners for eternity. How very differently, strayed far from this divine example, many Christians and preachers, who preach God's Word, walk among their fellow believers and neighbors today! Let us not bring to irritation and temptation our neighbors, and certainly not those "little ones" (namely our brothers and sisters); whereby we, as it were, bring them to resentment and sin. That is also the reason why God says that for such believers it might be better "that a millstone were hanged about their necks and they be cast into the sea"; whereby is meant that it would be better that such unbelievers (possibly by force) be removed from the fellowship (the congregation of brothers and sisters; the church), that they no longer hinder or block the others' way to salvation, holiness and justice. Not for nothing God says: "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm" (1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). "For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye" (Zechariah 2:8b). Christ would rather see the opposite of the (sinful) attitude which causes sin and temptation in the Church; namely the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which must grow to fullness in the NEW MAN; this is the true fellowship! For love towards our brothers (and sisters) is the characteristic of being children of the Lord Jesus. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an-other" (John 13:34-35).

In and by Christ, we must (be willing to) be delivered from all spitefulness.

According to the Lord, the first attitude which causes sin among fellow believers is spitefulness or implacability in spite of the fact that the other, guilty party possibly already asked for forgiveness.

Luke 17 verse 3-4: "Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."

For the Lord proclaims a gospel of reconciliation. "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). He, Who paid for us an unpayable debt, wants us to live in the same spirit towards each other. He wanted to express this in the parable of the unmerciful servant; which we can read in Matthew 18:23-35, and which ends with these words: "And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Does not "the Lord's prayer", the model prayer the Lord gave us, teach the same thing? "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12). The Scriptures then continue in the verses 14 and 15 with: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, our heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." We serve a merciful God, Who wants His children to be merciful as well as a result of the mighty, inner workings of His Spirit. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" we are taught by one of the basic rules of Jesus' sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:7). This is why He also gave us the parable of "the good (merciful) Samaritan" in Luke 10:25-37. His express demand with regard to His children is: "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful" (Luke 6:36). Returning to our subject we see the reaction of the disciples, who, on hearing His teaching, answer with:

Luke 17 verse 5-6: "And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you."

Indeed, no man can fulfill this rule for living in his own strength. By his faith in God, he must be justified in such a way, that he can do this, for "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). Faith in God and in His wonderful promises make possible the impossible!

In and by Christ, we must (be willing to) be delivered from all conceit/vanity that we ourselves are quite something already.

If there is something that upsets the relationship between brothers and sisters, it would certainly be the irritating sin of pride: namely thinking we are a lot more than others.

Luke 17 verse 7-10: "But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? and will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow (think) not. So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done (only) that which was our duty to do."

When we, by the grace of our high God, may serve because He called us (personally and for that "special" task), let us then not imagine to be better or more spiritual than the other, "common" brothers and sisters; thinking to be "bood buddies" already with our God, and already belonging to the group of His "chosen confidants"! It would suit us, saved sinners, to "condescend to men of low estate" (Romans 12:16b); for how easy "the old man" within us, if he is not yet completely destroyed by the inwardly working power of the Spirit, would rise again, and destroy all the spiritual work of the Holy Spirit in us. Let us therefore follow the advice of Jesus, and say to ourselves: "We are unprofitable servants; for we have only done that which was our duty to do." One day all weakness and all our sinful "flesh" will have died (off) by His workings in us (1 Peter 2:24), and we then could live and walk entirely in His resurrection power. Even, or especially, when we are truly humble of heart and expect everything from Him, then we, by faith (and that correct state of the heart), could now already say jubilantly: "...we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). All glory to God for this!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 17) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 16) - The purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 5)

..
















In and by Christ, we must be willing to be delivered from all unholy desires for earthly things (such as: money, unholy sex, fame).
This chapter, too, we are to see in the light of the veil (i.e. the curtain that separated the Holy Place and the Holy of holies) of the Israeli Tabernacle: hereby is meant the breaking off of all (powers of) sin in our flesh – by the union with His body that was broken for us, and His blood that was shed for us – in the strength of the Holy Spirit.
We will now have a closer look at those sins, which will always reveal the (sinful) flesh by the unholy desire for (much) money and property; for unholy and unrestrained sexual experience and for receiving fame and honor (thus applause) from people.

In and by Christ, we must be willing to be cleansed of all Mammonish idolatry.
The Scriptures start with the greatest and most committed sin: namely the desire for (much) money, riches and possessions. It is the dance around the gold calf, the worship of the mammon, which is done in many ways and in all intensity in this world... The Scriptures warn us emphatically for this: "For the love of money is the root of all evil..." (1 Timothy 6:10).
Luke 16 verse 1-8: "And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light."
The Lord here pictures the way of life of a dishonest steward. He was a man who had no difficulty using his lord's money for himself. But these dark practices of his were discovered, and his lord dismissed him and asked him to account for his stewardship. But, being self-centered and unjust, he looked for a way to still be able to provide for himself, after his dismissal, if in a dishonest way... He even made his lord's debtors accessories to his dishonest practices, that he might blackmail them later, when he would be pressed for money, with the papers they themselves signed in hand. He did this for the purpose that these debtors might not deny him the necessary money as part of the loot, for fear to be accused by him of being accessories to the deceit. And that lord praised the well thought-out action of that dismissed steward, whereby he insured the future for himself.
The Scriptures then make a comparison and compare the action of the children of this world regarding their future, with that of the children of God. And the Scriptures conclude that worldly people insure themselves more carefully of a "good" (earthly) future than the children of God do regarding their eternal future. Children of God should manage their finances as carefully and honestly as possible, yet with a "loose hand" as well; that hereby neither the "100 measures of oil", namely the 100% ministry in the Spirit they owe their heavenly Father nor the "100 measures of wheat", namely the 100% ministry of the Word, are influenced unfavorably. The child of God should rather spend his money on the labor of the Lord. And those who receive this money will thank God for the (generous) gift and pray for the mercy and blessing of the Lord for the (generous) giver. This last thing is said in different words in the following verse:
Luke 16 verse 9: "And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."
According to the Lord the being of the mammon (as it is the god of the money) is unrighteous and in practice we also notice this to be so. Often "trade" in essence is swindle; one often competes with one another in a dishonest manner, and one recommends things as being "fantastic", while one would not want to buy them oneself. The stain of unrighteousness clings to money... Therefore the Lord advises us to rather make friends with this "unrighteous mammon". Whereby is meant that we had rather, by means of gifts from a loving heart, act in such a way with our money that, if we should be in need (this is: when we, spiritually seen, are lacking towards the Kingdom of God), God will be gracious towards us to call us (again) to repentance and to His mercy. It goes without saying that such a child of God could still be lost if he does not want to respond to God's gracious call to repentance.

Luke 16 verse 10-13: "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant 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."
God here compares two things with each other, namely the earthly possessions and the heavenly (and thus divine). Money and goods on the one hand, and the divine, heavenly gifts on the other. He then calls the gold (or money), thus everything that is meant by the unrighteous mammon, "least" in the life of a child of God! And so it has to be! God, His Word and His labor, working in and through us by the Spirit, must be for us "much" (namely the most important) in our life, and finances "least" (namely the least important). If, however, we are unrighteous (thus dishonest) in finances, then we are clearly (still) bound to mammon, and the Lord then cannot (and will not) let us share His spiritual gifts and riches. The Lord has also made us stewards over all the money he entrusts us with. The money belongs to this world, because it is necessary for buying and selling; it is not something special which belongs to the Kingdom of God. Therefore the Word says that money is "that which is another man's"; that we, who subjected our heart and life to Him and His Kingdom, must spend well. If we are dishonest in money matters, then He will not give us the portion in Him, He already gave to us in His Word. For if He would entrust those heavenly and divine matters to us, then we – because we have not yet been delivered from this mammon, from the unholy desire for (more) money and possessions – would use these (divine) powers for ourselves, and not for the good of His Kingdom. If we still have such a wrong (namely self-centered) condition of the heart, then another (in this case satan) will be ready to give us his spiritual powers and anti-anointings. Let us therefore heed this warning! Therefore it is very necessary that we, as children of God, show our preference, strongly and keenly, with regard to our God Who blesses all, with regard to our Savior; while we must use "the filthy lucre" with a loose hand. We cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 16 verse 14-15: "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
"Love of money", as we already saw, is "a root of all evil!" For it is an all-controlling longing for (more) money... With the Pharisees this dark desire was firmly rooted in their heart, because of which they were a bad example as religious people and leaders of the Jews of that time. But God is not to be linked up to the gold (with the love of money in a human heart), because the darkness has not a single part of the Light (2 Corinthians 6:14).
Woe that servant of God who falls by the stealing-in of the mammon. For, when one has received special gifts of the Spirit, such as that of healing, then great amounts might be paid in collections. And instead of spending these collections, with a wise heart, on the building up of the Kingdom of God, such "laborers of God" build themselves villas (with all the frills), and also see to it that they have large bank accounts... They began in the Spirit, but they clearly end (up) in the flesh... Let us not follow them. Let us watch ourselves that we do not long for (more) money, for this is an idolatrous and magical power. Only when we are sincere and steadfast in the Lord, the mammon (i.e. the [idol] god of money and possessions) cannot get us in his power.
When a religious leader (clearly) is guilty of an idolatrous form of love of money, and is accused thereof, then his reaction may often be like that of the Pharisees in Jesus' days: "They derided (scoffed at) Jesus!" in answer to His accusation, in an attempt to justify themselves (verse 14). And "self-justification" is a form of pride..., which was the reason the Lord said: "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 16) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 15) - The purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 4)

.

A threefold parable of God's redeeming love.

In and through Christ we must be willing to be delivered of every spiritual mistake and self-will in the service of the Lord.
How often children of God follow their own sinful heart, and that they act willfully while serving their Lord and Savior. Many Christians often do not ask themselves, whether they do walk and act in and by the Spirit of the Lord. How often is the Lord not saddened by the stubborn actions of many a child of God, because, tempted by one's own deceitful heart, one over and over again tries to justify oneself before God and men.
Strikingly the Lord Jesus Christ tells us in this chapter, by means of three parables, of a spiritually mature laborer, and child of God, who also acts so willfully (and thus wrongly), but – we must give God alone all thanks for this – also of His redeeming love, whereby he is found again and brought back home (with God and His Church), because he let himself be found by that divine love!

The first parable: The lost sheep.
Luke 15 verse 1-7: "Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
We read here about the redeeming love of the Son of God. In this parable the relationship between shepherd towards sheep is discussed. Some two thousand years ago the Savior gave His (earthly) life on the cross at Calvary; but now, by His resurrection in the NEW (divine and eternal) LIFE, He is united in the spirit with His spiritual Body, namely the Church, and all its members. He now is, for all eternity, united with humanity in the spirit, with all who have accepted Him in their heart as their Lord and Savior.
What is a shepherd without sheep; what is a head without the body? By (physically) dying and rising the Son of God, by His (Holy) Spirit, has become the Head of the Church, His (spiritual) Body. What is a vine without its branches? What is a bridegroom without his bride? By His death and resurrection, which brings us (and all who are willing) redemption – He forever entered into this wonderful relationship with those who sincerely believe. He sought this union with the (believing) person; this union is given Him (by the Father), and the joy over this must have been so immensely great that He was fully prepared to suffer the shame and death on the cross; and because of which He was able to meet this suffering courageously. He is the Prince of Life, but He put Himself under the heel of the prince of death to save mankind. He (voluntarily) surrendered to the power of darkness, to satan. Satan is (and remains) His enemy, but He voluntarily put Himself under his heel to save you and me, His Church, His Body and His Bride, by sharing the human body, vulnerable to sin (He, as the Son of man on earth, had a will of His own). The joy of these (spiritual) riches, He knew, would be great for Himself as well as for His Bride(church)!
The sheep in this parable is not a lamb, but a mature sheep in a (special) group of a hundred! This has a deeper meaning, for the number 100 can be divided in 2 x 50, whereby the number 50, seen in biblical light, is God's code for the infilling with the Holy Ghost. These two groups of 50 sheep refer to God's children and laborers of the so-called "Former Rain" (whereby is meant the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; see Acts 2:1-4), and those of the so-called "Latter Rain" (whereby is meant the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the end-time), which now is about to break through. Therefore, to keep it brief: this sheep belongs to the Bride-church. Thus, it is a Christian, filled with the Holy Spirit of God; a Christian belonging to the "elite corps" of Jesus! What made this sheep withdraw from the flock (the Church) and from its Shepherd? It had tasted the sweet relationship with Jesus; it had the sweet guidance to the green pastures of God's Word, to the very quiet waters of the comforting communion with the Holy Spirit. What made it draw away from Shepherd and flock? What was the reason? Slowly, ever so slowly, and undetected by the unwatchful eye, the poison of sin penetrated little by little the heart, once purified by the blood of Jesus. By the cleansing in the blood of the Lamb of God, this heart used to live in fervent devotion for Jesus and His Kingdom. Clearly a fiery "first love" was present. But by the almost imperceptible penetration of sin that (spiritual) fire was quenched... Because of it the sheep inwardly went through a straying from the only and right way, so that it did not feel at home with the Shepherd and the flock. The self-willed ego-life again flourished... and because of it, it reached the point that it separated itself from the Shepherd and the flocks... All kinds of causes could be mentioned for this, but in fact they were all caused by a three-headed monster, namely by the (sin)monster of lust. This monster tempts with... a beautiful man and/or woman, and sinful enslavement to sex; with (pursuing) riches, or the worries and many activities of (daily) life; a self-willed labor for Jesus or pride; a desire for honor, fame and the applause of people.
We are not told why this sheep drew away from the Shepherd and the flock. What we do know, is that this three-headed monster will try carefully and resolutely to sneak into hearts which are devoted to God. And if it is successful, the self-centered life, in different areas of life, will surface again, and before one realizes what is happening, one (again) is a prisoner of some lust which leads to sin! Slowly, but surely, this force of sinful lust will then come and dwell in that life, and will force the human spirit to satisfy this lust; because of which the person, who at first was a servant of justice, now again has become a servant of sin.
One could also become disloyal to the Lord by following (the will of) another person, while that will in essence is contrary to the will of God. And that person could be: an essentially apostate minister, a friend, one's own husband or wife. One could also idolize the minister, one's own husband, wife or child, or another person, with the sad result that one automatically strays from the Savior because of this. For, if we no longer love Jesus Christ above all and everything (else), if we no longer give him the (seat on the) throne of our heart, but give that place to something or someone else, then all mercy will (have to) leave us, and we will lose the bond with His Holy Spirit and His Word. Then we will separate from the Shepherd and from the flock.
Nowadays we see many separate from the flock; they no longer visit the congregations. And, most assuredly, even if they claim the opposite, they have left the Shepherd. Their heart no longer is the property of Jesus; their heart does not have the first love for Him anymore, for if that were so, they, in spite of everything, would be found in the circle of the flock and, above all, at His feet.
Drawn away by lust and self-will the sheep strays further and further from the Shepherd and the flock, and becomes increasingly more entangled in the thorns of the wilderness of this life. But, alleluia (praise ye the Lord), there is One, Who came to seek that which is lost; the rescue operation initiates from Him, from Him personally. It comes forth from the compassionate heart of the Shepherd: "He leaves the ninety-nine and goes after that which is lost, until He finds it!" The Spirit of the Lord seeks for the lives of those who once belonged to His flock. He seeks them with His searching love: He calls them with a wonderful Word of grace. He goes to them, He approaches them, He calls them; He calls those whose hearts have almost been totally destroyed by sin. Blessed that sheep that responds to the call of the Shepherd. So many believers were lost in the wilderness of the earthly life. Some used to preach the Word full of fire themselves; namely the news of Him, Who died for us on Calvary, in order to give us a NEW LIFE here on earth, and ETERNAL LIFE in the Kingdom of God. But many did hear the call of the Shepherd (again), but did not respond; they stayed away and were lost forever! But this sheep was blessed, because it responded to the call of the Shepherd! It bleated, it called for help! Glory to Jesus! "And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).
Beloved, that is how it is when we respond to the call of that almighty Shepherd of Love. When we do, and in all sincerity say: "Yes, Lord, here I am, the lost and strayed sinner!", then He will put us upon His shoulders. We do not have to take care of the homecoming, He will do that for us. He will rectify what we have spoiled (botched), without any reproach, if we confess our sins to Him (Proverbs 28:13). He it is Who will take us back to the safe circle of the flock (the Church of the Lord), whereby we will be one of the 100 (2 x 50) again. Glory to God's great mercy! He it is Who carries us upon His shoulders, Who fills our heart with new joy and courage, whereby we receive strength to fight in the life of the cross (i.e. the dying process of our old life), and to enter into His Kingdom. It is Jesus Who will restore all things for us, when we again accept Him in our heart, because for Him all darkness must disappear. Then that same first love will be kindled again which made David exclaim: "For by Him I have run through a troop (with Him I will defeat [the army of] the enemy); and by my God have I leaped over a wall!" (2 Samuel 22:30; Psalm 18:29). It is God's mercy when this first love is kindled (again) in our heart and life, but this first love must burn in each laborer of Jesus! O, that first love, the love for Jesus, that love that is so needed and necessary, also for the labor for Him. But, this first love must go together with the "fear of God", whereby is meant the fear to again stray from God into the desert of sin of this life; the fear which keeps us alert to shut every little door and chink to satan that might cause us to stray again.
Beloved, let us maintain that first love. It burns in the hearts of those who have just discovered the great love and mercy of Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross. But do you still have this first love? For with all, who are not alert enough, who do not walk in the fear of God, this first love will gradually disappear, because of the powers of those monsters of lust and self-will. Therefore we must see to it that we remain in this first love, in the ardent love for Jesus. We must continue to feel this burning longing for Jesus in our heart and life. Even after thirty, forty or fifty years. For, however long we have walked (in faith) with Jesus during our earthly life, this first love must lead us, and must be the basis of our everyday life. This first love must be the motivation of all our labor, of all our speaking. It is the love wherewith we love God with all our heart, with all our mind, and with all our strength. It is by this love that we can reach the final phase of our sanctification and our justification; whereby we will also experience that perfect love towards our neighbor; yes, even towards those who hate us! It is by this love for Jesus that we will stand as conquerors on the shores of the crystal sea (see Revelation 15:2).
This sheep then again returned to the flock; this child of God fortunately came back again in the circle of his brothers and sisters; in that circle where he can love his Lord and Master and can serve Him, because he has been delivered from all self-will and sinful lust!
Glory to Jesus!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 15) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 14) The purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 3)

.

In and through Christ we must be willing to be delivered from the noxious terrestrially and worldly minded view(s) of life.
This new chapter deals with the fatal, worldly influence(s) in the life of Christians; an influence which is experienced by the body (verses 1-6), the spirit (verses 7-11), and the soul (verses 12-24). It is the influence which is exercised on each worldly minded person (and thus also on each worldly minded Christian) by the spirit of this world; by the (demonic) forces in the air, whereby, in our human nature, from birth, there is rebellion against God and His will. And because of this influence by the tempting and deceiving forces going forth from satan, many Christians are reduced to spiritual death, to a life without God and without rules, because the power coming from satan fills them.
But God wants to cleanse us from every sinful lust in our natural spirit, soul and body, which this demonic worldly spirit seeks to manipulate by means of its temptations and deceits. That is also the reason why He says to us: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, 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..." (2 Corinthians 6:17-18; compare also Isaiah 52:11 and Revelation 18:4). And, if we really do what He asks of us, He will fill us with His nature and Spirit, so that we will be (or become) truly children of the almighty God.
At the end of this chapter (verses 25-35) He advises us to, carefully and with discreetly, accept the purifying and sanctifying working of His power of grace, because it is solely this way of the cross – namely the way we, in and through Christ, must go in order to (completely) die to (the powers of) sin within ourselves – which will lead us to the blessed presence of the fullness of His Spirit in us.

The spiritual death brings sickness in the body.
Luke 14 verse 1-6: "And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, that they watched him (closely). And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy (or oedema). And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; and answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day? And they could (or rather would) not answer him again to these things."
The spiritual death reveals itself here in the dropsy (oedema; this is a sickly [abnormal] accumulation of fluid in the body) of that person, who was also invited into the house of the chief of the Pharisees. The same way the spiritual death can reveal itself in all kinds of sickness in our body, and weaken it, sometimes unto death. But Jesus came to deliver us (completely) from this spiritual death and from all its effects in our body, soul and spirit. And He will heal us, if we surrender to Him (completely), so that we will experience that wonderful rest (of the soul) which is in Him (see Matthew 11:28-29). But, in order to be (completely) healed by Him we must have completely mended our ways and turned away from all the old and sinful things in our heart and life. Also there must be, besides faith in Him, the desire to be (completely) delivered from all influence(s) of the spiritual death, which also causes sickness.

The spiritual death brings pride and the desire for honor and/or fame in our spirit.
Luke 14 verse 7-11: "And he put forth a parable to those which were (also) bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
The Lord here tells us a parable of someone, who was invited to a wedding feast. So are we all invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb of God (Revelation 19:6-10). Every worship service or (public) expression of our faith must be seen in the light of this spiritual feast.
Man finds himself, by nature, and thus under the influence of the spiritual death, very important and, at any occasion, loves to assign himself an important place. This, unfortunately, is also the case at all religious occasions, where one loves to be seen, and heard. Positions in the Church, which were taken this way, whereby one was driven by pride and the desire for honor and/or fame, unfortunately disturbed and/or ruined many gatherings already; sometimes to the extent that congregations were torn apart thereby... When do we learn to subject to that mighty guidance of God's Spirit? When will the sincere plea live in our heart which only asks: "Lord, what would You have me do?" On the other hand many spiritual leaders are also guilty of stubbornness (self-will); of the (often strong) tendency to rule and of short-sightedness, whereby they, and not the Spirit of God, have the say-so.
All those, who by their willfulness, and thus driven by pride or the desire for honor and/or fame, have taken in (or even won [by fighting for it]) positions in the Church of God, or who were called by people or by themselves (and so not by God!) to hold certain positions in the Church, and thus act in their own will, always oppose the Spirit of God, and by doing so harm the Body of Christ! Is it not Christ alone Who is the only Builder of the New Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:10; Psalm 127:1-2)? Therefore we all are to be called by Him alone, in order to be used as living instruments in and by His building Hand (1 Corinthians 3:10)! Is not Christ alone the only Good Shepherd (John 10)? Therefore all, who are called by Him to the pastoral function, should only be living extensions of His shepherd heart!
The satan, who is the cause of the spiritual death within us, always holds out the false hope to us of a great ministry in the Church and in the world. Let us therefore learn to recognize the voice of satan, and rebuke him, in order to (be able to) take in a lowly place at His feet, giving Him all the glory; to (be able to) hear His loving commands there concerning our ministry in Him, that we perform those in His strength (Romans 12:3). This way we shall learn to honor each other; namely the anointing which (also) works through our brother and/or sister. We shall also learn to esteem others more than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). If we have the sincere desire in our heart to serve Him, and if He has also called us personally thereto, then He shall lead us also personally to that position (appointed by Him) in Him. He will personally prepare us to (be able to) do good works (see Ephesians 2:10). As Christians we should not use our elbows; but God will remove all obstacles personally! In this way He also put David on the throne of Israel. The Word of God is applicable here: "He that believeth shall not make haste" (Isaiah 28:16)!
Should we, however, fill a position in the Church of God while we have not been called to it, and led by the Spirit of God, then we could, if we have a winning human personality, draw many to us and captivate them, but because of us these will, during their earthly life, not become "citizens of heaven" (by which is meant a life of complete subjection and devotion to God). For this is something only the Spirit of God can do. And if we are not called, we miss the so needed anointing of God, because only His anointing can work strongly and with power in the hearts of the audience, whereby they, should they really want this, could be (completely) delivered and renewed by His power. "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Because of the spiritual death our soul will crave worldly possessions.
Luke 14 verse 12-14: "Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors: lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
Here the Lord describes what the motives of the soul are, that is ruled by the spiritual death: such a person is looking for a reward. Such a person likes to receive in return, in some form or another, what he gave the other. Only when we act in the opposite way, will we be deemed holy by the Lord, because it is proof that we have been renewed by Jesus and His Gospel. The NEW LIFE within us is not looking for a reward, but, prompted by the love of God, will give without any desire to receive something in return.
From the above it becomes clear what an enormous difference there is between the desire for (more and more) worldly goods, and the sincere desire for more and more of the Bread (i.e. the spiritual food) of the Kingdom of God. As we can read in the following verse, one of the listeners to Jesus made an allusion to this during the meal in the chief of the Pharisees' house.
Luke 14 verse 15: "And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God."
And, as we can read below, Jesus took up the remark and showed, how all desire for the Bread of the Spirit could disappear gradually, even from the heart of the children of God, when they, by not being alert (enough), have allowed the spiritual death into their life. Then the possession of (many) earthly goods may seem more important to them than eating of this divine banquet, whereby is meant the union with the Lamb of God at His Marriage feast.
Luke 14 verse 16-24: "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 (in agreement with each other) 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 (try them out): I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed 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 these men which were bidden (first) shall taste of my supper."
With the supper described above, the great Supper of the Marriage of the Lamb is symbolized by the Lord. It is a prophetic type thereof. Here the appalling fact is expressed that those that were invited to this supper, at the time that the Marriage of the Lamb will be celebrated, will have more interest in their possessions in this world, than in the partaking of this (divine) banquet. They give greater priority to worldly goods than to the spiritual and divine.
Those that are (will be) invited to the Supper of the Marriage of the Lamb are children of God; they are the ones who were cleansed in His blood and filled with His Holy Spirit. But we see what will happen in the end-time under the influence of the (ever) increasing unrighteousness: the love for their Lord and Savior, with many, will cool because of the (often unconsciously) permitted intrusions of the spirit of this world (Matthew 24:12). Therefore, especially in this end-time, we must fight sin in all its forms, so also worldly-mindedness, with fire and sword; in order to keep those outside the gates of our heart! (James 4:4). The prophecy of the parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) tells us, that the spirit of this (present) world will have such a great effect on all of the Kingdom of God (namely on all ten virgins), that it will entirely fall asleep (spiritually)!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 14) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 13) The purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 2)

.

The rejection of unrepentant Judaism – until the time of the end.

The majority of the Jews and their leaders in Jesus' time lived an unrepentant life.
Luke 13 verse 1-5: "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the (other) Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all (other) men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Here the Lord reproached the Jews in His days for their un-repentance... Not only the Galileans, that were slain by the sword of Pilate, but all Galileans were sinners. Not only were those inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were buried by the fallen tower of Siloam, sinners, but all inhabitants were! This does not mean, that the Jews of Jesus' days were not religious. They most certainly were! But their religious practices and actions came from their (sinful) flesh; they did everything by following their self-will. And, even if the works of the flesh seem right in the eyes of men, they are always diametrically opposed (and thus contrary) to God's will. For God wants us to turn to Him with all our heart (and soul), so that we may be open to His works of grace; that we come to the true purification and sanctification of our life and inner being. If this is a spiritual truth today, in the days when Jesus walked on the earth and lived among men, it was exactly the same! We must therefore be willing to be delivered from our self-will! For this self-will is always at war with the will of God; even if sometimes, superficially, it seems to agree with God's will (Romans 8:5-8)!

A life without sincere repentance is unfruitful for God's Kingdom.
Luke 13 verse 6-9: "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."
In above text God the Father is pictured as the owner of a vineyard, and that vineyard is the world. And in that world He had planted a fig-tree, and that fig-tree is God's symbol (of the twelve tribes) of Israel. The dresser of the vineyard here is the symbol for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The three years that the owner (i.e. God the Father) waited for the fruit of the fig-tree (i.e. Israel), are an indication of God's offer of grace to Israel. In the Old Covenant time this happened through the shed blood of sacrificial animals; and in the light of the New Testament it is an indication of God's offer of grace (in the first place to the Jews – see Note 1 on page 3) in and through the sacrifice on the cross (and the shed blood) of the Lamb of God. All bloody sacrifices of the Old Testament pointed to the perfect Lamb, and thus the perfect sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. After all, He was to spend three days and three nights "in the heart of the earth", when He fulfilled that offering (see Matthew 12:40).
Our conversion and our belief in God's perfect sacrifice and in the omnipotence of Jesus, His Son, is a necessity for God, and the only way to bring about a NEW LIFE of spiritual fertility within us (and to develop it). His works of grace had to do that for the Jews in those days, and must do it for us also today. However, this is only possible when there is a sincere longing in us to surrender all self-will to Jesus Christ; a desire to be completely delivered from our self-will. Just as Jesus Christ was killed on the cross (and had to be killed) for our sins, so too must we covet (and pray for) this process of the cross in our thinking, heart and life, whereby we express the will that we too are prepared to completely die to our old and sinful ego, to our sinful "flesh". When the Lord sees this sincere desire in us, then it shall be done in our life, so that all thoughts and desires, all our actions and walk, etc. which are not according to His will and pleasing, be de-stroyed, over and over again.
The fig-tree (type of a religious Jew) bore no fruit, but only leaves. And leaves only serve the life of the tree itself; but fruit serves the reproduction, and serves the life of others. A religion according to one’s own view therefore is always ego-centric, and will always seeks one's own advantage and honor, even if this is often hidden under beautiful show moti-vations. It is only the love of God, planted in the purified heart of man, which brings forth eternal fruit.
We also see from this parable, that our Savior is very patient, and that His sole purpose is to grant us grace (still). That therefore was the reason the dresser of the vineyard (type of the Lord Jesus Christ) requested another year's respite of the owner (type of God the Father). He wanted to give extra care to the tree (type of the religious Jew) by digging around the tree, and fertilizing it. As you can see, we have a wonderful (and very gracious) High Priest, Who prays and intercedes for us with God, and Who wishes to bring us to repentance by allowing trials in our life, and Who wishes to put His pre-cious Word in our heart. These trials and this Word of God must convict us of our un-repentance, and of our self-willed attitude; they are to cause us to repent and surrender to Him, that He cleanse us of all dead works, and of all sinful thoughts and desires.
We see the same patience with regard to the Jews of those days in Israel. The judgment of God did not follow immediately after the rejection and crucifixion of the Son of man. God waited approximately another forty years, and during that period the Gospel of His grace was proclaimed among the Jews. It was only around the year 70 B.C. that God's judgment was fulfilled over this nation. Then the city of Jerusalem was burned down by the Roman armies, and many were killed by the sword. The survivors were exiled from their country... and were scattered over the whole earth!

The Pharisee, the false laborer, came into being by the unrepentant life of the Jews at the time.
Luke 13 verse 10-17: "And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day. The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter (of the line) of Abraham, whom satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years (already), be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him."
We see a woman, who, because of a decease in the muscles, had become very crooked, and had been bent down for eighteen years already, and was not able to straighten herself. It is the same with sin within us. It can bind us in such a way, that we cannot but sin. The same way the drunkard is driven to his strong liquor; the junkie to his needle; the whore-hopper to the whores; the adulterer (and thus married man) to his mistresses; the gambler to the gambling house! It (sin) then has become such in that life, that one cannot do without it anymore (and often does not want to either). How far a person who follows (likes to follow) his own will, in whichever way of life, can be driven away from the (complete) freedom of sin and bondages we (can) have in Jesus Christ, our Savior. Therefore, beloved, it is important that we obey Him in all things! Let us therefore seek Jesus at all times, that He, through our faith in His sacrifice on the cross, make it possible for us to – in and by Him – be completely free from every sin and every bondage. He will deliver us from all bondages, just as He did that for that woman on that Sabbath. It was Sabbath, when Jesus delivered her. The same way we, too, will be (completely) delivered by Jesus, when we are and remain in that Sabbath of faith – by the which are meant the rest in faith and the subjection wherein we expect everything from Him – because by His death on the cross He brought about eternal redemption from all works of darkness for us (Hebrews 9:12).
Just as Jewry by its un-repentance brought forth Pharisees, so you and I will be hypocrites in all labor for Jesus if we do not repent to the depth of our heart (and soul) in order to (be able to) receive from Him all the necessary works of grace in our heart and life. The Pharisees occupied themselves, zealously, with useless religious acts, whereby they eventually ruined themselves more and more, because these religious acts had nothing to do with (the service and subjection to) the LIVING God; with the result that they were kept in bondage of (the power of) sin. The Pharisees were, and continued to be, money grabbers and were desirous of the honor (and appreciation) of people! You can see how dangerous a religion can be when one follows (or likes to follow) one's self-will; for one only deceives oneself!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 13) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 12) - The cleansing/purification of the holy place in order to come to “the end of all flesh” (Part 1)

.

Seven "Christian" demons or "holy" devils.
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26).
Through faith in the Word of God and in the shed blood of Calvary a man (re)turns to the Lord Jesus with all his heart, and by the Word of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, the demon dwelling in him, which he had mostly obeyed, is cast out. Alleluia! So this man's inner being was completely cleansed in the blood of Jesus, and, in due time it was garnished with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This man became a Christian.
But this exorcised demon of worldly lust, of worldly desires (1 John 2:16), that used to dwell in him, returns because it longs to live in its former "house" again. But this person, in whom this demon used to dwell, now has been cleansed spiritually; he now is a Christian obedient to the Word, and even baptized with God's Spirit! And, one would expect that such a worldly spirit like this demon, which is very rebellious and hostile towards God, would find no more entry into the life of this Christian. But, if it would succeed, it could defile this life again with its presence, so that the Spirit of God would eventually have to leave this person. But then this demon would have to act very, very cunningly! For this person does not want to behave in an unchristian way. And, because this demon knows it, it will tolerate that Christian behavior. But, it goes away to get seven other demons to help it to stalk and repossess the "house" (namely the heart) it used to live in. These seven other demons are more cunning that the first one. The first one is very rebellious towards God, but the others act in a sneakier way. All seven of them wear a white, "Christian" robe. And this robe gives them a "Christian" look, whereby they are accepted easier by Christians. In this way the old demon returns to this Christian, hidden amongst these seven "Christian" demons.
Unfortunately (too) many Christians think that, after the (inward) renewal by the Word and the Holy Ghost, nothing can happen to them anymore. God Himself delivered them from the "old man" after all, they think. Let us study more closely the work of these seven "Christian" demons, one by one. God's Word revealed them in Luke 12.

The first demon: the "Eye of men".
The first demon is called "Eye of men", and it is all too eager to point out fellow brothers and sisters, neighbors, or people we work with at the office or at the factory, and it whispers in our ear:
"Now that you have repented you must behave like a Christian, for it is written that as a Christian you must labor worthy of that repentance. So, especially see to it, that the people you see daily, do not see you play around. Wrong words and/or deeds, you tend to do in weakness. Therefore cover these carefully, and show yourself as a tough follower of Christ. If you are alone or in strange surroundings or abroad, where no knows you, then it does not matter."
Brother and sister, do you hear these whisperings in your ear too? Then rebuke this demon "Eye of men". Bind it in the Name of Jesus, and cast it out in that same Name, in outer darkness where it belongs! Have nothing to do with "Eye of men". You only have to heed the (all seeing) eye of God! You have not repented unto people, but unto God. It is not your attitude towards people which is decisive, but it is your attitude towards God. We should please our Lord Jesus Christ in everything.
This demon distracts us from our wonderful Savior, and draws our attention to the people. If we let ourselves be deceived by it, then our Christian life will be a game of hide-and-seek between you and your acquaintances, between you and your brothers and sisters. Therefore God's Spirit will have to leave you, because you cannot hear His divine voice, which wants you to focus your whole being on your Redeemer and Savior, anymore. And this Christian demon of hypocrisy will take possession of your heart and will dwell in it in the place of the Holy Spirit. This "Christian" demon in us will see to it that we wear a "Christian" mask when we are near acquaintances, but especially in the presence of the leader, and in the (congregational) meetings. You will behave just like the Pharisees and the lawyers. And because you have become so keen on what people think of you, it goes without saying that you will seek the honor, and thus the appreciation, of people, for in their eyes you want to be a good, blessed Christian. And this praise of people will see to it, that deep in our heart, the old pride we have come to detest so when we repented, will rear its head again. It was because of pride in the Pharisees that they took the prominent seats in the synagogue and loved the greetings in the markets.
Again, brother and sister, do not let yourselves be deceived by "Eye of men", for one day, on the day of judgment, every person will know what you thought in the depths of your own heart; or what you spoke, even if it was in your inner room.
Luke 12 verse 1-3: "In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, in-somuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven (symbol of sin that spreads) of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops."
Let us see to it that we be delivered from "Eye of men", before we are called to justice; otherwise it shall be our accuser before God and let Him know that you have always obeyed and served it!

The second demon: "Fear of men".

Luke 12 verse 4-7: "And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings (coins of little value), and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."
The second demon is called "Fear of men". It will see to it that you will see your unconverted neighbors as giants, having a finger in many pies; whom you are to fear. This same demon influenced ten of the twelve spies of Israel (see Numbers 13). It also is all too eager to incite our tongue, that unruly evil, to gossip and other evil (see James 3:1-18). Let us see what all it whispers in our ear:
"Be very careful to whom you proclaim the gospel; for you know that God's Word speaks of "casting pearls before swine", and that these swine can turn around and tear you to pieces... Such people do not understand you anyway, and you will become an object of mockery and scorn, and surely you don't want that; what a disgrace that would be! Be very careful that you do not talk too much to people about the gospel; they might call you a fanatic (namely a religious fanatic), or even religiously deranged! Imagine them telling your boss. You most certainly would come into his bad books! No, always be sober about witnessing for Jesus. The Holy Spirit will send people to you, who (like) to listen to you, and ask you to tell them more about the gospel. I think it would be better to be quiet about it yourself. For this way you will always be accepted by people. Why should you make more enemies than is necessary? The Lord chose you to hear, and accept, the gospel... and you are saved thereby. That is wonderful! Certainly the Lord will also draw others He has chosen thereto. After all He said: "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit will it happen!" So leave it to His Spirit, do not do it yourself... Rather testify, if that is what you want, in the church, among your brothers and sisters; they at least will understand..."
This way "Fear of men" will draw away your attention from (the ALmighty) Jesus; and will show you the power and might of the worldly people; and also their unrepentant attitude. But, my brother and sister, do remember this well: our testimony of Jesus should not in any way be dependent on that. We are to completely focus on the Holy Ghost! We must labor according to His will, and testify in His strength. He (i.e. the Holy Spirit) will then glorify the Lord Jesus through us. He will not bring people to us, but will lead us to people and places where we must speak in the Name of Jesus, and testify of Him. Even if this person is our boss at work or at the factory; even if they are highly placed people. We must not (and may not) be ashamed of the gospel! Shame for Jesus and His gospel message is the deceitful poison "Fear of men" pours into our hearts. For we (must) know that the Holy Spirit, in all circumstances and with all people, will give us wisdom and thus the right words in our mouth; but for this our attitude must be like that of every Christian, namely that we are saved to save others. We must learn to understand the gentle prodding of the Spirit at this point, and learn to develop the gifts of ministry given to us. So He will lead us on our way (of life) in the first place to always be a witness of Jesus through our conduct, but also, at His command and with His guidance, testify of Him.
Finally, the demon "Fear of men" can put so much fear to testify in our heart that we, because of this fear, not only will be quiet about our faith, but that we even will deny our Savior, when the people ask us about our religious denomination!

Luke 12 verse 8-9: "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."
Let us therefore never again look to people, but only focus on the Lord Jesus. We should not (want to) be men pleasers... but God pleasers! Let us plead with Him prayerfully to fill us so with His Holy Spirit, that God's Word be in us like a fire that will blaze up in us into an unstoppable flame of love unto salvation and healing of souls. And, if we are thus on fire for Him, He will make us irresistible witnesses by the great compassion for souls He has poured out into our hearts. All power and love to witness, all gifts of ministry come from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is because of that that He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they would have received the power to witness from above; and this power and gifts (of ministry) we will only receive when we are truly filled with His Holy Spirit.
When we have received the baptism with the Spirit – and this is only really so when the biblical seal of new tongues proves it – then let us not leave it there, but ask God's Holy Spirit for more anointing and power to testify of Jesus, that we, without resisting Him, can be send out into His field of labor on account of the loving urge of the indwelling Holy Spirit. And this, purely and solely for the salvation of lost souls and for the edification – namely increase, in numbers, but especially in spiritual depth – of the Body of Christ.
Not only will "Fear of men" keep us from speaking, so that we hardly or not dare to testify of Him to this humanity which is becoming increasingly more sinful; but it may get to the point that we deny our beloved Savior, when socially higher placed persons inquire after our denomination; most certainly if this may cost us our job (or worse). We also may be so filled with intense fear by it towards people (who think differently), that we finally may join the mockers of the gospel. At first we will join in the laughter, but in the long run we will mock as well... It is something the Lord will never forgive, because this is an unforgivable sin: namely the sin against the Holy Spirit! In the light of the grace of Jesus one will then have trespassed in the Holy of holies...

Luke 12 verse 10: "And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven."
A permanent hardening will take place in such a heart, and there will not be the slightest form of remorse, and in his heart no desire will arise for a restored relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Fear of men" will be especially active in times of persecution. Before these difficult times will begin, let us already have learned to walk in His fullness and according to His wonderful Word and infallible guidance, expecting everything from Him. So that, when, and in whichever way, earthly or spiritual foes make our life miserable for us, He will deliver us out of these troubles.
Luke 12 verse 11-12: "And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."


CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 12) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 11) - Our life must be a lovely fragrance (namely as of incense) before God’s countenance

.














In the light of the Israeli Tabernacle we must see this chapter in the sign of the altar of incense. For the altar of incense is the place where we, in prayer and worship, come to God and His Christ.
When we have read all chapters so far, we have seen the divine ascent (by the which a higher spiritual level is meant) in the heavenly Tabernacle. We went from the sevenfold candlestick, which typifies the revelation of God's Good (Gospel) Message in the power of the LIVING Christ, to the table with the twelve show loaves, which speaks of communion with this powerful (and LIVING) Word of God, whereby the sinner changes into a child of God, into a show loaf of and for God, in this sinful world. By this experience of the indwelling Christ and His mighty, inner workings, the child of God comes to true worship of his great Redeemer and Savior; of his great Lord and God, with which we then (in the spirit) have come near to the altar of incense. And every time the revelation of His Word in us becomes more wonderful and glorious, we come to a deeper experience of communion with Him, which goes together with an increasing dying to self; whereby we come to glorious worship of our Savior and God.
In this way we become acquainted, over and over again, and in increasing measure, with this divine triangle in the holy place of His spiritual tabernacle: namely with the candlestick, the table of show loaves, and the altar of incense. It is this divine triangle which sanctifies us by the power of His blood, His Word and His Holy Spirit. It is also this divine triangle which – when we will have finally been completely freed of all flesh (namely of all our sins and our sinful nature) – will let us, through the veil, into the perfect life of God's Holy of holies. And this perfect (and thus holy) life God's Bride(church) must already have here on earth in order to be able to experience the wedding feast with her heavenly Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Part I: How we must come to God in prayer
11 verse 1-2a: "And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."

1: We must come to Him in absolute acceptance of His Fatherhood, in obedience and respect for Him. In the very first place our altar of incense (in the spirit) must be characterized by worship of our great God and His, for us, so lovely Name.
In those days, when Israel's high priest had to enter the Holy of holies once a year, at the Great Day of Atonement, he was to do this with in the one hand the blood of sacrificial animals (for the atonement of sins), and in the other hand the smoking censer (Leviticus 16:12-14). This incense is symbolical for our worship. Before everything else, we must come to Him with praise and worship!
We will not look at seven points in total, to see how we can come to Him in (and by) our prayer-life. We saw that the first point was: come to Him in worship, namely in surrender of our sinful being on the basis of the shed blood of Lamb of God.

2: We must come to Him with absolute acceptance of His divine lordship.
11 verse 2b: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."
We do not come to God to, in the first place, ask Him for something, but we come in the first place to Him to give ourselves to Him. "Thy Kingdom come." Where? Deep within our own heart. "Thy will be done." Where? Again, deep within our own heart, in our own life! For, God must be able to, after His will and pleasing, be King (and thus Lord – Ruler) in our own heart and life, that He fulfill His will – in and through us – just as He can do this in heaven!

3: We must come to Him pleading upon His blood.
11 verse 3: "Give us day by day our daily bread."
We know that this "bread" does not only refer to the bread in the literal sense, wherewith we feed our body, but also and in particular, to the spiritual food, which is the "Bread of Life". For this "Bread of Life" is His flesh – the true spiritual food – and His blood –the true spiritual drink– (see John 6:51-58). And this is called the Word of the cross, by the which is meant His sacrifice on the cross for us (for the atonement of sins). Therefore we must look upon His finished work on Calvary, and plead upon His (atoning) blood, but we also must form one planting with this atoning sacrifice of His, whereby is meant that we, too, must be willing to completely die (off) to our old, and thus sinful, life (Romans 6:5; 2 Corinthians 4:10-11).
As we now know, Israel's high priest was not allowed to enter the Holy of holies without this atoning blood (of sacrificial animals), just as he was not allowed to enter without incense. If he did, he would be killed – just like Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons (see Leviticus 10:1-2), were slain by God's judgment.
"Give us day by day our daily bread". So we must come to Him, daily cleansed by His blood, and daily sharing, in the spirit, His dying on Calvary. This is what we need from Him day by day.

4: We must come to Him confessing all our sins of the past (and with all our needs).
11 verse 4a: "And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us."
As well as confessing our sins God must be able to find in our heart the willingness to forgive others, who are indebted to us. And it must be such a willingness, that when they come to us for forgiveness for their crime, we (in the same moment) will be able to do so with all our heart. As children of God we should not harbor any grudges and/or hatred against anyone, whatever they may have done (or still do) to us. We must have forgiven them in our heart already, so that when they come, we, urged by God's love, will be able to grant them that forgiveness (Mark 11:25-26).

5: We must develop a sincere desire to be (completely) purified and sanctified by Him.
11 verse 4b: "And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."
Herewith are meant the needs of the future; the time lying before us. Prayerfully ask the Lord to put a deep longing in your heart for complete purification and sanctification; it is a prayer very pleasing to God. This will lead us to a life wherein we will be completely free from (the power of) the evil one, whereby we also will be completely free from sin, and from the power of our sinful flesh and our sinful lusts! The plea: "Deliver us from evil" means: "Father, deliver us (completely) from all dark desires, so that the evil one and his temptations will have no hold over us anymore; because our sinful flesh and our sinful lusts will be dead completely through Your works of grace." Then our flesh can be no playground for the evil one anymore! He wants to take us there; and this will also happen if our heart is sincerely aimed at this.

6: We must come to Him with perseverance and boldness.
11 verse 5-8: "And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."
We must come to Him with the same perseverance and the same boldness as this shameless friend. God will then give us what we desire (after His will and pleasing). We may come to God and boldly claim His promises, given in His Word.
This friend asked shamelessly for three loaves; and these are symbolic for the perfection in God! He is the type for the sinner who comes to God and claims His promise of perfection in Him... in order to, in the fullness of His nature and being, be able to serve others in the midnight hour; in the hour when the dark forces will rule (as never before)... He asked for the three loaves in order to stand (and persist) as a pillar of God in the midst of the storms of this age – storms of unrighteousness, because the majority of humanity live without norms and values, without God and His law – to be for others in this world as God's channel of salvation and NEW LIFE!

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 11) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm

LUKE (Chapter 10) - Like a divine shewbread in this world (Part 2)

.
















Communion with the Bread of Life brings mission in divine holiness
We see here that unity with Jesus results in holy labor. The number 70 (10 x 7) topologically stands for “perfect holiness”. Thus spiritual labor in perfect holiness is involved here. If, in the first shewbread (Chapter 9:1-11), we saw that our labor must be in the strength of the Holy Spirit (and this, of course, goes for ALL labor in Him), expressed there in the number 12; here we see which spiritual level our labor, in the power of the Holy Ghost, must reach; namely that of perfect holiness.

The number 7 in God’s Bible always points to the end-time, namely to the moment the period of God’s grace (a 2000-year period), wherein we are (still) living now, will be closed. Prophetically this tells us that during the last worldwide revival of God’s latter rain (this is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the end-time), of which we now already have received “the first drops”, a service in such holiness will be revealed; a service in God’s full justice and power, to which Obadiah 21 refers: “And Saviors (namely God’s anointed) shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau (herewith are meant: worldly Christians); and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.”

Luke 10 verse 1-2: “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest."

Let us reflect for a moment on this “therefore” of the Lord. There are only few believers who are willing to work for Jesus with complete dedication of self. It is written, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few!” As a result of His saints’ prayers, Jesus could bring about a change in this. He could make devoted laborers of repentant sinners, should they really want to; and draw them out of their social jobs to come and work in His Vineyard. Please note: we should not emit ourselves! We should not imagine that we be called, for such an imaginary calling never brings us Jesus’ nec-essary cooperation, namely the anointing of the Spirit, Who must do the work through us. We must be called by Him! And even if we are called and sent by Him, then we still must scrupulously follow his guidance through prayer contact with Him.

There are also different kinds of calling. The one is called to be an evangelist, the other a teacher, yet another a local shepherd, and the next a prophet; and, in the near future, during the worldwide revival of the great latter rain, we will see again apostolic callings. Apostles are the pillars of God’s Church here on earth; “all-round” laborers who will have the general leadership in the power, wisdom and love of the Holy Spirit.
Besides these five great callings we also find the smaller callings of “help” in the spiritual Body of Christ; these are helpers who, amongst others, must help the local shepherd to fulfill his pastoral service, such as: elders, deacons, youth group leaders, Sunday school teachers, choir members and leaders, musicians, typists and printing assistants, etc. We cannot push ourselves into such a calling. Should we do so, we would find out that it does not “work”, because God denies us the necessary anointing and devotion! It is God’s Spirit alone, Who can make us fruitful, in whichever spiritual labor; it is also God, Who determines for us the nature of the calling, because He, as no other, knows our heart. We may have a desire to serve the Lord in a certain calling; but a desire is not a calling (1 Timothy 3:1). However, each calling basically knows the human desire to be able to work for Jesus. But it always is the Lord alone, Who sends (forth) His laborers into His Vineyard (Mark 4:13).

Luke 10 verse 3: “Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

In this short command “Go your ways”, which the Holy Spirit gives, and will give, to His “emissaries”, lies a mighty force to send out, which urges the called to work for Jesus, irresistible drawn by His divine love; even if this labor takes them into circumstances which are not pleasant or comfortable, yes, which even might be dangerous! “Lambs” need the Shepherd; they do not have strength in themselves; their strength is that Shepherd. For when the wolf comes, then it is up to the shepherd to resist and chase off the wolf... Do not imagine that you are strong or clever enough to defeat the wolf, the satanic power, which reveals itself in the worldly person. It is God’s anointing in you which must do it through you! Never forget that you, as Jesus’ laborer, are up against a well organized, spiritual power of darkness, of spiritual evil (demonic forces) in the air which have the present world in their power, and which (in greater or lesser measure) lead all worldly people (Ephesians 6:12). But on the other hand we should also never forget that the Lord Jesus said: “...be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). In and by Jesus we will win the victory over the powers of the world and of hell! But this also shows us how important it is for this spiritual battle, to be equipped by Jesus with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20). The stronger God’s servants are clothed with God’s Spirit, the stronger the resistance of hell will be revealed in the attitude of the worldly person. This is the reason that Jesus warns us for the danger of wolves.

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 10) – that is to long for the Blog.

By E. van den Worm