The hope of divine glory

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Ephesians 1:17-20 "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."

When Jesus starts to work in our sinful human nature with His Spirit, we shall first be born again of God and will experience a divine relationship with Him. Then the first spark of life will be ignited in our sinful nature. Thereafter He will baptize us in His Spirit. Generally we then will speak "in tongues" when He has made His abode in us. Scripture also teaches that He first will come and live in our body.
1 Corinthians 6:19 "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
But man does not only exist of a body; he especially is soul and spirit. Thus, God's Spirit must be able to take possession of our inward man, and this is a sanctification process.

1. The first Work of the indwelling Spirit
Now the point is that we should put our old nature continually and willingly in the baptism of fire of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that our old nature may die at His hand, and the new nature of Christ may grow freely to maturity. This is the first work of the indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 3:11-12 "I (John the Baptist) indeed baptize 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 baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
This divine fire must purify the threshing floor of our heart of all sin, of al the old, sinful life, of all the chaff (the old man), that the pure grain of the new life remain. This is the first work, that the Spirit of God will do after the experience of the baptism in the Spirit, if we submit willingly to Him; we must want, desire, this.
Romans 6:3 "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" (this applies to the baptism in water as well as the baptism in the Spirit)
John 16:8 "And when he (the Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove the world (the worldly mentality, also that of the convert) of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement."
This chastening (purification) work of the Spirit must result in our absolute sanctification (see the sixth work of the indwelling Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ).

2. The second Work of the indwelling Spirit
He not only wants to cleanse us of sin, He also wants to strengthen us against satan's[1] further attacks and temptations.
Ephesians 3:16 "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man."
Isaiah 9:5 calls Him "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God."

3. The third Work of the indwelling Spirit
He also wants to give you new divine life.
Titus 3:4-7 "But after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith."
Ephesians 3:17-19 "That Christ (the New Life) may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
This New Life must grow (as all that lives grows) to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13). (See the fifth work of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.)

4. The fourth Work of the indwelling Spirit
He also wants to share with us His anointing, that we might help Him with the proclaiming of the Gospel to the salvation of others.
Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Then He shall give the ones He called ministries and gifts to the edification of His Church, that they might help Him therewith, as He Himself will build His Church. These gifts and ministries must increase and result in the perfect ministry. In Scripture this is taught in the increase of the talents (Matthew 25:20-23).

5. The fifth Work of the indwelling Spirit
The Spirit will further make His faithful perfect here on earth already.
Colossians 1:27-29 "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily."

6. The sixth Work of the indwelling Spirit
He shall also sanctify His faithful disciples here on earth that they could sin never again, although living in the midst of a sinful and angry generation.
1 Thess. 5:23 "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the presence (literal translation) of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born (and bred) of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born (and bred) of God."

7. The seventh Work of the indwelling Spirit
Further the Spirit of Jesus Christ shall glorify His faithful disciples here on earth already; He will clothe them both inwardly and outwardly with the glory of the Bride.
Revelation 12:1 "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven (i.e. the kingdom of heaven, namely the Bride[church] here on earth); a woman (i.e. the wife of the Lamb) clothed with the sun (type of the Father), and the moon (type of the blood covenant of the Son) under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (type of the Holy Spirit)."
Romans 8:30 "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
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."

8. The eighth Work of the indwelling Spirit
The Spirit of Jesus Christ must also grow in us until we are completely submerged in Him (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Ezekiel 47:1-5 "Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over."

9. The ninth Work of the indwelling Spirit
He is given to us by the Father as an eternal indwelling Friend, Counselor, and Lord.
John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever."
Isaiah 9:5 calls Him "Wonderful, Counselor, everlasting Father".

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 hope of divine glory

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

LUKE (Chapter 2) - The birth of Jesus Christ and our NEW LIFE

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The birth of the NEW LIFE
The previous chapter ended with the circumcision of John the Baptist, the symbol of a willing entering (on our side) of the Blood-covenant with Christ: a willing surrender unto God, that all of the process of God's work on the cross, unto the annihilation of our old life, might be done unto us. After the promises without repentance of God's Word the NEW LIFE of God, which will then be poured into us, will follow such faith and attitude of life. In this light it is understandable, that in this new chapter the NEW LIFE of God is depicted in the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. God's profound wisdom lies herein: John the Baptist had to be born earlier, and only thereafter God's Christ: first heartfelt repentance and surrender must be born in us before NEW LIFE of God can be produced in us; because, as we saw, this NEW LIFE could only develop within us on the pure and holy foundation of Jesus Christ.

The birth of Jesus Christ.
Luke 2 verse 1-3: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria). And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city."
Here is a brief report of the first census in the Roman empire. This census had taken quite a lot of doing: everyone had to be registered in the town or place of origin of the family. This most probably had to do with civil rights. In any case, this registration was done in connection with taxes, that were to be charged. Thereafter such censuses were to take place once every 14 years in the Roman empire.
Luke 2 verse 4-5: "And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David); To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child."
Obeying the command of the emperor of Rome, because Israel in those days was under the dominion of the Roman Empire, Joseph, too, went with Mary to whom he was to be married, to Bethlehem, the city of the origin of the entire house of David, unto which Joseph as well as Mary belonged. Mary then was in an advanced state of pregnancy of the Child Jesus: it was about the time that she should deliver. One understands how difficult that must have been. This gives us a striking idea, how a Christian who is truly full of Jesus, often has to suffer painfully the things of this world. Here Mary already stood in the adumbration (the most central, darkest part of the shadow)(or foreshadow) of the cross, which would also crucify her own life, her "I"/self, completely. Quietly, and without grumbling, with a patient heart, Mary must have gone this for her difficult way beside Joseph.
Luke 2 verse 6-7: "And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger (i.e. a feeding trough for animals!); because there was no room for them in the inn."
He, Who is the NEW LIFE, the Resurrection Life, Himself, was born in a manger, in a stable for animals. He must be born there. God had determined that. That stable was the place predetermined by God. In that dirty stable for animals, where also was dung, He must be born; because the human heart into which He must be born in the Spirit, is also dirty, like a stable for animals, because of all the sins of the people. This explains why He had to be born there, exactly there. He was laid in a manger, because He was to be food, the Bread of Life, for us. When we eat Him in the spirit; i.e. when we open our heart unto Him, and allow Him (access) into our heart and life, then we will receive NEW LIFE. I repeat: Jesus Christ can only really become the Bread of Life for us, when we, in answer to the call of the preacher unto repentance (in those days John the Baptist), repent sincerely. If we thus have communion with Him, as our Prince of Life, by accepting His Word and by having all His promises in our life fulfilled by Him, then we know, by our faith, that the ETERNAL LIFE, the Kingdom of God, enters into our heart and life.

The witnesses to His birth.
Now we shall have a close look at the witnesses at His birth. Projected unto the inner life of our heart, the birth of the NEW LIFE knows similar witnesses. God's Word is unfailing and wonderful. As He came among witnesses in those days, so it is with the coming of the NEW LIFE into our heart.
God's Word mentions three kinds of witnesses around His birth. Shortly after His birth: the shepherds. Forty days after His birth: two old, faithful souls: Simon and Anna. The third group of witnesses are the three wise men, who came to witness to the birth of the "born King of the Jews" about two years after His birth. Alleluia! And so it is in the deep center of our own being. Let us learn to see this, as we study the relating Scripture parts in the light of the birth of the NEW MAN in us. For you already know that the Gospel after Luke is the Gospel which announces the NEW MAN in God, who as a matter of course is a priest of God; all this because this Gospel mentions Jesus Christ as God's NEW MAN and High Priest. By Him alone we could be a NEW CREATION, and priests of the most high God.

CLICK HERE if you want to read this study (Chapter 2) - that is to long for the Blog - further.[1]

By E. van den Worm

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[1] For part 1, see our Blog at 10 November 2009

Bible studies, available on our website www.endtime-messenger.com

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1. A closer look at Christ's Second Coming
2. Called by the Spirit of God to take part unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God and unto the Divine Marriage.
3. Called to be made up to God’s purpose with mankind: an eternal sanctuary of our almighty God and Father.
4. God shall shake the Church and the world in the end-time.
5. Jesus our Guide, Redeemer, Saviour, Sanctifier and Complete and Perfect maker.
6. JOHN – The book about the life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
7. LUKE – The book of the NEW MAN in Christ (about Jesus, the High Priest, and how we, as priest of the most high God, must serve Him).
8. Our earthly Divine calling: “And you shall by My witnesses”.
9. Sanctification.
10. Soon there will be a Divine Wedding here on earth (namely, a great latter Rain, a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in these last days).
11. The 5 wise and the 5 foolish virgins and their destiny in the end-time.
12. The 7 phases of the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
13. The 7 Spirits of God and of the Lamb of God (Revelation 4:5 and 5:6).
14. The 7 thunderclaps of Revelation 10:3.
15. The 10 fulfilled (perfect) laws of the Kingdom of heaven on earth (the Church), given by our Lord Jesus Christ.
16. The Day of YaHWeH (and the development of the Church during that “Day”).
17. The Divine healing work in the Church of the end-time.
18. The false state church of the last days (a co-ordinate institution of Christian Churches in the end-time.) The great harlot of Rev.17.
19. The ladder of God's blessing bringing grace.
20. The New Jerusalem, the Bride of God's Lamb, the Body of Christ.
21. The perfection in Christ on earth, in the end-time.
22. The sermon of the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount (the constitution of the Kingdom of heaven on earth – part 1, 2, 3).
23. The shed Blood of God’s Lamb, Who now sits on heaven’s throne, Who overcomes all satan’s (sin)power.
24. The tabernacle of Israel (God’s prophetic model of the spiritual developments of a true child of God unto all perfectness).
25. The ultimate, Divine GLORY of the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the end-time, which is GREATER than the glory of the first Church.
26. The victors; over (the power of) sin and satan in the last days.
27. The wonderful works of the Holy Spirit in the end-time.
28. Thou, people of Israel, wake up! (A prophetic Bible study with relation to the political repair and the complete return of the whole of Israel to Canaan).
29. What God has prepared for those, who love Him.
30. What Scripture teaches about the Millennium of King Jesus (the porch of the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem).

The study: “What Scripture says about our almighty God” is not yet ready.

A. Klein

PS:
On our Dutch website – http://www.eindtijdbode.nl/ – we have a lot more Bible studies (from different writers/Bible-teachers), as well on the website as on our Blog. If you can read Dutch, you can take a look.

Bible studies about the endtime and Second (2nd) Coming of Jesus Christ