Experiencing Christ Teachings: Recent Episodes
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Freedom Experience is a Teaching ministry of the word that is driven by the purpose (“that believers may Subjectively realize the Full Knowledge of the Truth”1 timothy 2:4 Amp), experiencing God in the incarnated word (Christ) to be life and light to man with grace and reality for man’s enjoyment. We believe that total freedom in Christ comes by Attaining & Experiencing the acquired truth in doctrine (Objective Truths in the Bible), Subjectively/practically for enjoyment and reality for Expression and Dispensing. Email: experiencingchrist5@gmail.com
When natural hope reaches its limit, faith discovers a deeper hope in God.Join Pastor Denis Matovu for a powerful Experiencing Christ message revealing how God brings us beyond circumstances, limitations, and impossibilities into Christ as our living hope.Discover how to believe God when you cannot see, experience Christ when natural strength fails, and allow God to use your journey for His eternal purpose.
God’s intention is to join us to Christ to have an organic union between us and Christ, making us one with Christ, that His history might become our history (His Experiences are our Experiences). His history is our story, and our story is His history. We have been identified/recognized with Christ to experience/practice what He has gone through. In union with Christ, His experiences become ours.
Faith Must become active, powerful, productive, and effective in bringing the realities of Christ into every area of your life.Faith is never meant to remain silent. Faith is never meant to remain hidden. Faith is never intended to be a doctrine stored only in the mind. Biblical faith is living faith. It speaks because it believes. It acts because it trusts. It perseveres because it knows the faithfulness of God.
Even in exile, God is preserving His purpose.The storms will come, but the Rock stands firm.What seems finished is only the beginning of His greater work.
In the midst of Eden, the place of delight and fellowship, there Is a river flowing out. A Prophetic image of the Spirit of life in Christ flowing from the presence of God to refresh and sustain His creation
The Lord should change our perspective completely, so that we see every Trail & Suffering as an opportunity for faith to be revealed and patience to be perfected in us.
Unlike other creations that God spoke into existence, man was formed by His hands and filled with His breath. God not only created man, He personally fashioned and indwelt him. Christ shapes us spiritually even from brokenness. He makes something glorious from fragile beginnings.
Before man lifted a finger to work or sweat, God gave. The first expression of divine economy is not demand—but provision. We live not by striving, but by receiving and stewarding what He provides.
We ought to recover the heart to Christ as the present reality who can keep, preserve, and build us together. Christ is not distant or historical—He is the living Lord who is available now to be enjoyed, obeyed, and expressed in our spiritDegradation comes when grace is misused and when the natural man remains untouched, the Spirit must become our inward reality, strengthening us to abide, to discern, to love, and to stand for the faith in a living way.
The Lord makes His promise sure in us by rooting us in grace and training us in faith. All insecurity comes from relying on ourselves. Yet assurance rests on grace—God’s unmerited provision, God’s life supply flowing through Christ by the Spirit into us—is received by faith.
Today in the New Testament Church, our speaking should be Spirit-filled, cross-filtered, and building-oriented, until the gospel in our mouths results in church edification. The work of the Holy Spirit is to make our speaking a supply of Christ. The work of the Holy Spirit, is to show us what our supply is and he makes us faithful to supply it as a joint in the Body.
Fellowship is not a small matter; it is the central flow. a living communion in which God is enjoyed as life This fellowship is not emotional excitement; it is the divine life flowing in the divine light. To be in fellowship is to be in the flow of the Spirit, in the enjoyment of Christ, and in the reality of God’s presence.
Resurrection is not just an event—but a realm, a Person, and an experience.Joy is not found in circumstances, but in discovering Christ as resurrection life within us.true joy is not found in outward success, but in discovering Christ beyond the cross, as the living One who dwells within. Through spiritual insight and experiential truth, we are led from the pursuit of God into the enjoyment of God as life.
There is a great difference between being repaired and being built. Many believers are seeking God to fix situations, restore losses, and heal wounds, yet God’s deeper intention is not merely to repair what is broken outwardly, but to build Christ into us inwardly. Even after failure, scattering, dryness, and loss, His purpose has not changed.
God does not establish His people by what they see, but by what they believe—and boldly speak. Faith doesn’t deny facts; faith refuses to let facts cancel God’s promise.Everyone sees something. But only faith sees through what is seen into what God has said.
Abiding in Love and Keeping the Lord’s CommandmentsJohn 15:9“As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”Lord Jesus, I receive Your love as flowing from the Father’s love to the Son—divine, eternal, unchanging. Make me remain, continue, abide in this love, not dipping in and out according to feelings. Let the Spirit shed this love abroad in my heart until it becomes my atmosphere and my strength. Let the cross terminate unbelief that doubts Christ’s love. Make the church a love-abiding people, continuing in Christ’s love together. And build the church by love as the divine element that holds the Body, preserves oneness, and supplies fruit-bearing.John 15:10“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”Lord Jesus, teach me the pathway of abiding in love: keeping Your commandments in living obedience. Make my obedience not legal but relational—obedience that keeps me in the enjoyment of love. Just as You kept the Father’s commandments and abode in His love, train me to follow You in this pattern. Let the Spirit make me sensitive to Your inward commandments—Your present speaking and leading. Let the cross terminate selective obedience and hidden rebellion. Make the church an obedient loving people, abiding in love by keeping the Lord’s word. And build the church by obedient love that preserves fellowship, strengthens oneness, and releases fruit.
“The Spirit That Discerns All Things” unveils the vital role of the Holy Spirit in granting believers divine discernment beyond human reasoning. This message reveals how spiritual understanding flows not from intellect, experience, or emotion, but from the Spirit who searches all things—even the deep things of God.In a generation filled with voices, appearances, and spiritual mixture, this sermon calls believers to live and serve by the inward sensing of the Spirit, learning to distinguish life from energy, truth from imitation, and God’s move from human effort. It is a timely word for believers who desire clarity, maturity, and accuracy in walking with God.
Believers are called not just to live on the plains of the ordinary, but to soar into the heights, where the air is clear, the view is wide, and the presence of God becomes unmistakably vivid
As we step into the new, we must understand that we are not merely advancing in time; we are advancing in divine expectation. Every new season in God begins with uncertainty, not because God is unclear, but because He is inviting His people to move beyond dependence on sight, memory, and routine, into a deeper reliance on Himself.
As we step into this new year, we must understand that we are not merely advancing in time; we are advancing in divine expectation. Every new season in God begins with uncertainty, not because God is unclear, but because He is inviting His people to move beyond dependence on sight, memory, and routine, into a deeper reliance on Himself. The children of Israel did not leave Egypt with a map, a timeline, or a full explanation of what lay ahead. They left with a promise, a word, and the Presence of God. Likewise, as Pneuma Freedom Experience Ministry journeys into this new year, the Lord is calling us to walk not by familiarity, but by faith that substantiates.
He is Emmanuel, the presence of the Divine Trinity. This presence is always with us in our spirit, not only day by day but also moment by moment.
God was first born into Mary through the Holy Spirit, before He was Born to the World. This is the divine Principle upto now. Matthew does not begin with the manger; he begins with a mystery of conception.Before they came together… she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. We are today's Mary's before we contact anyone or anything, we must be found with Christ formed into us
In a world where religious systems often elevate titles, ranks, and human hierarchies, God continually calls His people back to His original design. From the beginning, His intention has never been to divide His people into spiritual classes, but to raise a kingdom of priests who serve Him in intimacy, authority, and unity.Scripture reveals that through Christ, every believer is called into priesthood—not a select few, but the whole Body. Yet history shows the rise of systems that contradict this divine purpose. One such distortion is reflected in the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which promoted a separation between clergy/priesthood and laity/congregation. This teaching subtly stripped ordinary believers of their God-given responsibility, access, and authority, placing spiritual power in the hands of a few.
Now that the dry land (Earth) has been named and revealed, God speaks to it and commands it to become fruitful. The power of Christ’s creative word is now aimed at bringing forth life, vegetation, and multiplicationGenesis 1:11 opens with the familiar rhythm: “Then God said…” But here, the recipient of His Word is no longer light, sky, or water—it is the Earth itself, symbolizing our lives. When Christ speaks to us, He expects a response of growth and production.
Esau’s decision becomes a picture of an entire class of believers who despise spiritual things for natural cravings, while Jacob — though flawed/imperfect — represents those who value God’s inheritance even when they don’t yet fully understand it.
The first Epistle to the Ephesians tells us that for the church life we need to be strengthened into our inner man that Christ may make His home in our hearts, that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to know the knowledge-surpassing love of Christ, that we may be filled unto all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:16-19); and it is for the church life that grace is with all those who love the Lord Jesus (Eph. 6:24). Now this second epistle to the Ephesians reveals that the degradation of the church begins with our leaving the first love
God doesn’t just call—He sets. And when He sets, He gives purpose: to give light. Christ has been set in the heavens, and now we, in Him, are seated to shine. This is not the season to drift—it’s the season to stand in your divine positioning and illuminate your world.
Our ability to hold fast is not rooted in our own feeble strength, but in the unshakable character of God. Doubt, fear, persecution, unmet expectations, prolonged suffering, and the seductive whispers of the world may bombard our minds and Emotions But we are commanded to Hold Fast Our Faith Confessions.
Blessing always has a purpose—it pushes you into productivity. Blessing begins with God’s initiative, not human effort. What God creates, He blesses—and His blessing releases power and identity. In Christ, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, and that blessing transforms barrenness into fruitfulness.
True, vigorous faith is not the absence of fear or struggle, but the active, resilient trust in God's character and promises that allows us to stand firm through it all. steadfast faith is not a single action but a posture—a way of positioning ourselves before; God, ourselves, and our enemy.
In the third day, God completes the formation of the Earth’s structure and fruit-bearing potential. Likewise, in Christ, the third day is the conclusion of purpose, the emergence of life, and the shift into resurrection power.
We all live in a realm. The realm of our jobs, our families, our daily worries, and our physical limitations. It’s a realm defined by what we can see, touch, and reason. But God invites us into a higher reality, a different dimension of existence: The Realm of Faith.
Authority is not only functional but throne-like, rooted in the manifest glory and presence of God. This is the highest dimension — governing by habitation of His presence.
Christ gives names to our identity, calling, and foundations. If He reveals it, He also defines it and directs it. He assigns names to what He brought into view. Naming is not casual—it is prophetic designation. When God calls something by name, He releases its identity, function, and destiny.
Prophecy is not optional; it is part of our kingly dominion. silence empowers the enemy, but Spirit-filled prophetic speech enforces victory. Every believer must rise in prophetic utterance, refusing idle talk and learning to release divine decrees.
When the Spirit of Christ gathers the chaos and uncovers what has been buried, hidden, or dormant. He now speaks again—not to create something new, but to gather what already exists so that something hidden can emerge.
From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals His government through His spoken word. The earth was created by prophetic utterance — “God said… and it was so” (Gen 1:3). Christ is revealed as “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14), and believers are commanded to speak forth His word in power.Prophecy is not fortune-telling; it is the testimony of Jesus (Rev 19:10). To prophesy is to release God’s perspective into the earth. Prophecy establishes order, reveals hidden things, confronts darkness, and builds up the Body of Christ (1 Cor 14:3).The prophetic word is not merely descriptive; it is creative and legislative. To speak in alignment with heaven is to decree God’s will into manifestation on earth
God not only speaks into existence—He builds, forms, and sustains. What He declares, He brings into form. Christ is not only the Word but the One who makes and maintains what is spoken. This is your confidence: what God began, He is now forming and establishing
God is moving to separate the chaotic waters, forming a firmament in your life—an expanse or atmosphere. This firmament acts as a barrier & a bridge, separating the waters above (heavenly realms) from the waters below (earthly chaos). It is a prophetic picture of Christ, who is both the One who separates & the One who sustains.
God doesn’t leave things undefined—He gives meaning to what He makes. By naming the Day and Night, He creates the foundation for time, rhythm, and prophetic cycles. “evening and morning” reveals the divine order of progress: God works through darkness into light, not the reverse.
The first act of divine speech in creation was not to form the sun or stars, but to release light—the spiritual light that brings order, understanding, and life. This Light is not natural but eternal, for Christ Himself is the Light
From Genesis to Revelation, God's central desire has always been to dwell with man—to make man His home and to build a corporate expression of Himself in humanity. This building is not physical but spiritual, constituted of living stones—believers who are transformed and built together through the life of Christ.
The issue of Christ being life to man is the church. What then is life’s multiplication? In chapter twelve we see a small church. It is small in number, in size, and in the growth of life. How can this church be multiplied? It is by the multiplication of life. The issue of life is to produce the church, and the multiplication of life is to increase the church in size, in number, and in the growth of life. As we study the Gospel of John, we must see the difference between religion and Christ as life. The Lord Jesus came to earth in His incarnation not to be a religious leader but to come into man and to be man’s life.
The rocky places that do not have much earth signify the heart that is shallow in receiving the word of the kingdom, because deep within are rocks--hidden sins, personal desires, self- seeking, and self-pity--which frustrate the seed from gaining root in the depth of the heart. The good earth [Matt. 13:23] signifies the good heart that is not hardened by worldly traffic, that is without hidden sins, and that is without the anxiety of the age and the deceitfulness of riches.
In this parable we see that Christ establishes the kingdom of the heavens not by fighting or teaching, but by sowing Himself as the seed of life into believing people so that the kingdom of the heavens may grow up. The establishment of the kingdom of the heavens is absolutely a matter of growth in life. Beside the way [Matthew 13:4] is the place close to the way. Because it is hardened by the traffic of the way, it is difficult for the seeds to penetrate it. This kind of wayside signifies the heart that is hardened by the worldly traffic and does not open to understand, to comprehend, the word of the kingdom.
Today we have before us a brief sketch of the whole Bible showing the two lines of life and building. Satan has been constantly frustrating and damaging God’s building as His habitation on earth. This Brings us to Speak For God To His Lovers, the Believers to know that The Life they Have Received is for the Purpose of God's Continuation of the Work Of Building. we need to see this as a Vision in Our Church Life Today.
It is important to understand accurately the meaning of stewardship. The Greek word rendered stewardship here, oikonomia, is the same word rendered economy [dispensation Day by day we need to fulfill our stewardship by dispensing the Triune God into Other
After forty years of his life had gone by, Moses could no longer wait to deliver the children of Israel. He had received the highest education, and he had become a man powerful in words and in deeds (Acts 7:22). According to his own estimation, no doubt he thought he was qualified and ready to act on behalf of his people. But God set Moses aside for another forty years, until he was fully prepared according to God’s standard. In this we see the patience of our God. God had to wait until Moses was born. Forty years later Moses was there, and had grown up, but God still had to wait because Moses was so natural. God had to wait because there was the lack of a prepared one.
We do not need regulations or teachings-we need to be infused and saturated with Christ as the all-inclusive One. This Christ is already in us, but we need to see Him, know Him, be filled with Him, be saturated with Him, and become absolutely one with Him.
We need to have an overview of the Bible as a whole. Many times in the past we have stressed that the Bible covers two main matters—Christ and the church. However, considered from another angle, the Bible is a book of life and building. Christ is life, and the church is a building. When we speak of Christ and the church, we must realize that Christ is life and that the church is a building. This Should be at the back of Our Mind whenever we Approach the
Through Christ, God has been brought into us, and we have been brought into God. Praise Him for such a mingling! When we were born again, simultaneously Christ was born into us, and we were brought into God.
The Lord as resurrection gives life to the dead. He is the resurrection and the life. In resurrection, this life is imparted into the dead to raise them up from death. This is life’s resurrecting. After Lazarus came out of the tomb, there was still the need for human cooperation. Lazarus’s hands and feet were bound with the burial clothes and his face was bound about with a handkerchief. Therefore Jesus said to them, “Loose him and let him go” (John 11:44). They had to remove the bandages from the resurrected Lazarus. They did it and the work of resurrection was completed. We too must work by cooperating with the Lord to release others from the bondage of their bandages.
As the Son of God, Christ has passed through two births. The first birth took place at His incarnation, and the second, in His resurrection. Through the two births of Christ, divinity has been brought into humanity, and humanity has been brought into divinity. Now, through Christ's resurrection, man has been brought into God. What a transaction! What marvelous two-way traffic!
Christ is the firstborn of all creation. This means that in creation Christ is the first. Christ as God is the Creator. However, as man, sharing the created blood and flesh (Heb. 2:14), He is part of the creation.
How long will the light of a candle last? Of course, the light will go out when the candle burns out. But if we light another candle with this one, the light will double in intensity. When the Son of God was on earth, he lit the first candle. After that, more candles were lit one after another Until today more candles more shining.
In 11:1-4 we see the dead and his need. Lazarus was not only sick but also dead (11:14). Thus, he did not need healing but resurrecting. In the Lord’s salvation He does not merely heal the sick; He also gives life to the dead. So He remained two days until the sick one had died (11:6). The Lord does not reform people or regulate/control them(Like Religion does); He regenerates people and raises them out of death. But on the Negative Side, religion, even the Jewish religion of Judaism, is very much against Christ as life. Religion opposes Him, rejects Him, denies Him, and persecutes Him and All His true Ministers. But thank God Christ is Our Life With Regeneration and Resurrection.
The mystery concerning Christ and the church had been hidden from eternity and from all times until the New Testament age, when it was manifested to the saints, the believers in Christ. Today we focus our attention upon Christ as the mystery of God and upon the church as the mystery of Christ.
that besides the opposition of religion, human opinions are the strongest frustration to life. WHAT ARE OPINIONS? a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. As we have seen, in every chapter life was opposed by religion. However, there is no religion in John chapter eleven. But there is another kind of frustration—the frustration from human opinion. human opinions frustrate the Lord’s resurrection life. Once human opinions are subdued, resurrection life is manifested
We need to have Our Lives According to the Spirit, This is the Highest Peak Of God's Revelation in Several Scriptures. we should by the Grace endeavor to Turn from our Self, and Soul Life to the Mingled Spirit. Two Spirits Are Now Mingled as One for Our Spiritual Experience and Enjoyment. God's Righteousness is with those who walk According to the Spirit. Even today the Spirit Says Come!! Remain in the Mingling.
The Woman's Assuming the Headship. Now we must see the inward cause of man's first fall. The inward cause of man's fall was the woman's assuming the headship Although she had a husband, she nonetheless stood on her own. The significance of the woman is that she represents man before God. Isaiah 54:5 says, "For thy Maker is thine husband." God is the unique, universal man. Whether we are males or females we are all a part of His wife. Man's position is not the position of the husband; it is the position of a wife. God is our husband. The headship is with God, not with us, not even with the men.
Although we cannot participate in Christ's suffering for redemption, if we are faithful to Him, we must share in His suffering for the producing and building up of His Body. Paul was a pattern for us in this matter
As long as we have eternal life, we have eternal security. What can be more secure than eternal life? I have the real insurance policy in my spirit. Not only do I have eternal life, but I have two hands—the Son’s hand of power and the Father’s hand of love. These two hands embrace me, and Satan is unable to snatch me out. I am eternally secured by the divine life and by these two divine hands. Praise the Lord! These hands are always on the alert, and no one can kidnap us. Christ is the all-inclusive pasture. The sheep enjoy the pasture as the resting place, the food, the water, the life supply, and as everything else. You too must come out of the fold and go into the pasture
In Colossians...of all the negative things that [Paul] deals with, one stands out as especially serious--The worship of angels, which is a form of idolatry. To worship anything other than God, including such creatures as angels, is idolatry. There Is One God and One Mediator Between God and Man, The Man Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Just as the good land was the portion of the children of Israel, so Christ today is the portion of the saints. Colossians 1:13 reminds us of the way the children of Israel were delivered out of Egypt and transferred into the good land.
We have seen that Christ is the shepherd who calls His people out of the fold. He walks before His sheep, and His sheep follow Him. As the shepherd, He takes the sheep out of the fold through Himself as the door and to Himself as the pasture. Whenever you live by your human life, you are no longer a sheep but a stranger. A sheep is a regenerated person with the divine life. We all must live by the divine life and thus become genuine, real, and pure sheep. Then we shall all be in the flock. As long as we live by our human life, we will resemble a wild animal, perhaps a devouring lion or a wild horse. If we do not live by the divine life, there can be no flock. The flock is produced, kept, maintained, and formed by the divine life
We have seen that the authority of darkness is the kingdom of Satan and that Satan himself is darkness. The kingdom of Satan is a system. Not everything in this system is evil. On the contrary, many things are good, or at least are considered good by society. Satan uses various things, both good and evil, to systematize people and to keep them in his system. We may still be under the authority of darkness in our married life. When a brother is exchanging words with his wife, both he and his wife are in darkness. Because they are in darkness, they accuse and blame each other.
The Lord is first the door, then the shepherd, and finally the pasture. The shepherd takes all of the sheep out of the fold through Himself as the door and brings them to Himself as the pasture. He is the shepherd who brought the sheep out of the fold; He is the door through whom the sheep are brought out; and He is the pasture to whom the sheep are brought. He simply brought the sheep out of Judaism through Himself, unto Himself, and for Himself. He is everything—the exit, the shepherd, and the pasture.
In Christ, the Son of God's love, we have redemption and forgiveness. When we believed in Christ as our Redeemer, God immediately delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of light. Here in the light we are qualified for a share of the portion of the saints.
In contrast to many Christians today, Paul did not give thanks for things such as healing, health, housing, family life, or a job. Rather, he gave thanks to the Father for qualifying us "for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light."
As fallen human beings, we are constantly troubled by sin, blindness, and death. Blindness actually means darkness. When you are blind, you are in darkness, for nothing causes so much darkness as blindness. Blindness, darkness, and death come from sin. Sin is the basic factor of blindness, darkness, and death. If we are sinful, we are surely blind because blindness always accompanies the sinful things. Sin brings in death, but between sin and death there is always blindness. After you have sinned and before you reap death, you have darkness. Therefore, sin, blindness, and death are the three negative things that the Lord must deal with. The only way these negatives can be dealt with is by the Lord becoming our eternal and heavenly life
Within us we have Christ as a dynamo that continually empowers us "according to the might of His glory." This is the might that expresses God's glory; it glorifies God in His might.
God ordained this feast of Tabernacles so that the children of Israel would remember how their fathers, while wandering in the wilderness, lived in tents (Lev. 23:39-43) with the expectation of entering into the rest of the good land. Hence, this feast is also a reminder that people today are still in the wilderness and need to enter into the rest of the New Jerusalem, which is the eternal tabernacle (Rev. 21:2-3). While the people were being dismissed on the last day of the feast, the Lord stood up and cried, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink” (7:37). The people were not satisfied. The things that they were enjoying during the past seven days had failed to quench their thirst. If they would come and drink of Christ, they would have rivers of living water flowing out from within their innermost being. The living water is the Holy Spirit who will flow out of the smitten rock...
From Autobiography of George Muller, the Life of Trust "...it is as plain to me as anything, that the first thing the child of God has to do morning by morning is, to obtain food for his inner man. As the outward man is not fit for work for any length of time except we take food, and as this is one of the first things we do in the morning, so it should be with the inner man.
If you see the thought concerning these two feasts, you will see the two phases of man’s condition and the two aspects of Christ as our supply of life. On one hand, He is the bread of life while we are laboring; on the other hand, He supplies us with the living water while we are resting. Once you see this thought, you will understand the whole of John 7. Although it is a long chapter, it is brief in thought. The thought is that when you have succeeded in all of your achievements, when you have enjoyed all of your possessions, when you have rejoiced in all of your best circumstances, you will then realize that your thirst has not been quenched. Nothing is adequate to quench your thirst. Only the Lord can quench your thirst by affording you the living water.
The Full Knowledge of the will of God here in Colossians 1:9 is not focused on things such as marriage, jobs, prosperity or housing; it is concerned with the all-inclusive Christ as our portion. The will of God for us is that we know the all- inclusive Christ, experience Him, and live Him as our life.
CHRIST BRINGING THE FLOW OF LIVING WATER TO QUENCH OUR THIRST. Now in chapter seven we come to the sixth case—the need of the thirsty. This case is in contrast with the fifth case, the need of the hungry. In the previous case the Lord is clearly revealed as the bread of life to satisfy our hunger, but in this case the Lord brings the flow of living water to quench our thirst. In the fifth case the people are hungry, but in the sixth case they are thirsty. The fifth case presents the living bread, and the sixth case introduces the living water. The bread of life is for hungry people, and the rivers of living water are for thirsty people. For the thirsty, Christ is the quenching life. He is the very life that is able to quench man’s thirst.
The truth of the gospel is the reality, the real facts, not the doctrine of the gospel. The word, not the truth, may be considered the doctrine of the gospel. In our preaching of the gospel there must be not only the word of the gospel, but also the truth of the gospel, which is Christ Himself. Christ, the reality of the gospel, must be the reality in our preaching.
The grace of God is what God is to us and what God gives to us in Christ. Actually, grace is Christ Himself. Truth is Christ as reality, and grace is Christ as our enjoyment. As we experience Christ and enjoy Him, Christ as the truth becomes our grace
The Word is outside of us. When I receive the Word into me, it immediately becomes the Spirit. When I speak the Word out, the Spirit once again becomes the Word. When you receive the Word into you, the Word becomes the Spirit once more, and when you speak the Word out, it becomes the Spirit again. When we receive the Word in spirit, we are receiving Christ Himself as the abundant supply of life. Now, day by day, we are participating in this wonderful, resurrected Christ as our food, life, and life-supply. He is the Spirit that gives life and He is the Word of life
We have been regenerated and, day by day, we may contact the Lord, the living Spirit, for our satisfaction. In addition to this, we need healing. We are all sick, Fragile and dying people. We are fallen people, weak and fragile, who are dying and who need the Lord’s healing. If you have the healing of the Lord Jesus, your dying will become living. How do we tap into life in an overcoming Way? We need to be sensitive and responsive to the spirit’s working towards our need of healing through his word. He sends His Word and Heals Our Spiritual, Mental, Emotional and Physical Diseases
We have seen that incarnation is the first step and that crucifixion is the second. Resurrection is the third step by which the Lord has made Himself available as our life. the Lord had to be resurrected that He might abide in us as our life and life supply. The Lord could not have abode in us before His resurrection. He could only abide in us after His resurrection. Thus, John 6 verse 56 indicates that He was going to be resurrected and become the indwelling Spirit.
In verses 22 through 31 we find the seekers after the perishing food. They were seeking satisfaction. Regardless of the kind of food people are seeking, they all are seeking satisfaction. These people were trying to do something and to work for God. They were also seeking for signs and miracles. The concept of fallen man toward God is always that he must do something for God and work for God
God wants us to sing in the midst of our trials and to praise and bless His name in the midst of our pain because all these are expressions of fine feelings. God uses many hardships, difficulties, and slanders to create praises in His people. He causes them to learn through difficult circumstances to become praising persons before the Lord.
We live in a troubled world. The world is altogether troublesome. Family life, school life, and every type of occupation—all are troublesome. Who is at peace—the president, the Rich, the Royal ones? No one is at peace. Regardless of whom you are, you are troubled. We all have troubles. We all Need the Peace Giving Christ to Enter into our Troubled Small world
Why should we not abandon the assembling together? Because God dispenses His grace to us through the assembling together. God's grace to man can be divided into two categories--personal and corporate. God gives us not only personal grace but also corporate grace. This corporate grace can be found only in the assembling together or the meetings
It is interesting to note that the five barley loaves and two fishes came from a small boy, not a big man. This is very meaningful, because the Lord wants to indicate to us that He is our life, not as someone big, but as someone small. Both barley loaves and fishes are small items, signifying the smallness of Christ as the life supply to us
Christians often make the mistake of separating believe from its base you have received. They place it before the expression you will have them. They pray to the Lord thinking that it is a matter of great faith to "believe...and you will have them." However, this is to move believe away from you have received and to place it before you will have them
In this message we shall consider the slavery of the children of Israel. The Israelites were born in Canaan. Because of a food shortage, they were forced to go down to Egypt, where they eventually were enslaved. By this we see that people become enslaved primarily out of the need to maintain their living/income, out of the need to make a living. Worldly people are drawn to various entertainments because they desire a better living. Likewise, people today pursue higher education or technical training in order to secure a good living, even the best living. Throughout the world, whether in developed nations or in backward countries, people are enslaved due to the need to earn a living. This was also the situation with the children of Israel in Egypt.
In Genesis 2:9, Christ was typified by the tree of life. The tree of life, belonging to the vegetable life, is good for producing and generating, but has no blood for redeeming. At the time of Genesis 2, man was not yet involved with sin and thus had no need for redemption. However, in Genesis 3 man fell. Immediately after man’s fall, God came in to deal with that fall by slaying sacrificial lambs to redeem Adam and Eve and to make coats of skins to cover their nakedness (Gen. 3:21). Thus, the vegetable life itself is no longer adequate for fallen man; there is the need of the animal life.
In this world mankind is hungry and has no satisfaction. In this world mankind is troubled and has no peace. The scene/part in this chapter portrays all of humanity living in the world corrupted by Satan. They are not living on the land created by God. In the world corrupted by Satan there is no real satisfaction; there is always hunger. Neither is there any peace, for the wind and the waves are always on the sea making trouble for man.
Faith is to realize and receive what is in Christ, love is to experience and enjoy what we have received of Christ, and hope is to expect and wait for the glorification in Christ. Every genuine Christian has faith in the Lord Jesus and love toward all the saints [all believers].
In the book of John we see the Son’s fourfold testimony: the testimony of John the Baptist (vv. 32-35); the testimony of the Son’s work (v. 36); the testimony of the Father (vv. 37-38); and the testimony of the Scriptures (vv. 39-47). It is possible to have these four witnesses and yet not have Christ Himself.
The early morning is the time for us to gather the manna (which is Christ). What does it mean to eat the manna? It means to enjoy Christ, to enjoy God's Word, and to enjoy His truth early in the morning every day. After we eat the manna, we have the strength to journey in the wilderness
Although God’s work in creation was finished (Gen. 2:1-3), the Father and the Son were still working for redemption and building (John 5:17, 19-20). The religious Jews kept the Sabbath of creation. They did not know that because of man’s fall the rest of that Sabbath was broken. Neither did they know that the Father and the Son were still working for fallen man’s redemption in order to fulfill God’s original purpose, which is the building of God’s eternal habitation. What God did was the old creation. What the Father and the Son are doing is the new creation through redemption for God’s building.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
When Paul wrote the Epistle to the Colossians, a number of isms were exerting their influence: Judaism, asceticism, mysticism, Gnosticism. These isms were among the highest products of both Jewish and Gentile cultures. Being good things, they spontaneously became replacements for Christ. Therefore, Paul’s purpose in the book of Colossians is to show that in the church nothing should be allowed to be a substitute for Christ. The church life must be constituted uniquely of Christ. He should be our only constituent and our very constitution. This is the reason that in this short Epistle a number of elevated expressions are used to describe Christ. For example, He is called the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, the firstborn from among the dead, and the body of all the shadows. In 3:10 and 11, Paul says that in the new man there is no possibility of having Greek or Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian, slave or freeman. Rather, in the new man Christ is all and in all. This means that Christ must be everyone and in everyone.
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In the morning period or the first half of the early morning reading, we should meditate, praise, and pray as we read the Word, mixing our reading with meditation, praise, and prayer. This period of reading is for receiving spiritual food and for strengthening our spirit. Do not read too much during this time; three or four verses is sufficient.
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
In verse 18 Paul goes on to say, “Let no one purposely defraud you of your prize, in humility and worship of the angels, standing on things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.” The prize spoken of in this verse is Christ as our enjoyment. It is possible to be defrauded of this prize through humility, a very positive human virtue. This mixture of cultures flooded the church at Colosse. The church should be a house filled with Christ and constituted with Him. The constituent of the church should be Christ and Christ alone, for the church is the Body of Christ. Therefore, the content of the church should be nothing other than Christ Himself. Nevertheless, the good elements of culture, especially philosophy and religion, had invaded the church and saturated it
There was the means of healing in the law-keeping Jewish religion, but it did not profit the impotent man at the pool, because he had no strength to fulfill its requirements. Religion’s law-keeping depends upon man’s effort, man’s doing, and man’s make-up. Since man is impotent, religion’s law-keeping becomes inadequate. The holy city, the holy temple, the holy feast, the holy Sabbath, the angels, Moses, and the Holy Scriptures—all of these were the good things of that religion, but they could do nothing for this impotent man. Until Jesus Came.
Every Christian should read the Bible. It shows us many things that God has done for us and the way He has led men in the past. If we want to know the riches and vastness of God's provision for us, we must read the Bible. If we want to see God's step-by-step guidance for men, we must read the Bible as well.
In Col.1 verse 28 Paul says that he announced Christ. Here Paul does not say that he taught Christ or preached Christ, but that he announced Christ. As he announced Him, he was “warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom” in order to “present every man full-grown in Christ.” Paul’s ministry, whether in announcing Christ or in warning and teaching every man in all wisdom, was to minister Christ to others so that they could be perfect and complete by maturing with Christ unto full growth. To become full-grown in Christ is a matter of life. Christ must be added into us. Then we need to grow in Christ and gradually gain more of the stature of Christ. Eventually, as Christ is wrought into us, we shall become full-grown in Christ.
The purpose of creation is to produce a receptacle/Vessel to receive God as life. All the living things on the earth are for man. Man, for whom all these things are, is for God, receiving God and fulfilling His purpose. Without creation there would have been no way for God to be incarnated. Creation prepared the way and afforded Him the means to be incarnated.
...please remember that immediately after being redeemed by the blood, we must move and go out. Do not think that we can buy a house and dwell in Egypt after we are redeemed by the blood. Those who are redeemed by the blood must set out that very night.
John 3 Verse 30 says that Christ must increase and that we all must decrease. Why? Because Christ is unlimited and all-inclusive. These verses reveal an unlimited Christ. He was the little Jesus who was born in a manger and raised in Nazareth in the house of a poor carpenter. He had no outward beauty or attractiveness and He was very limited Isa.53. Nevertheless, He is all-inclusive, immeasurable. He is higher than the heavens and broader than the universe. See Ephesians 3:20 He is everything, and everything is for Him. Let us read these verses and see what they unfold of the immeasurable Christ.
we see that all believers are one in Christ, and all of their distinctions have been abolished. This is the basis upon which the church is built. If we bring all our earthly distinctions into the church and into the Lord, we will corrupt the church and spoil the relationships among the brothers and sisters.
In the eyes of God, we all have become serpents. Like the ancient Israelites who became serpents and needed a brass serpent to be lifted up as their substitute, we also needed Christ to die on the cross as our substitute. On the cross Christ was not only the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (1:29), but He was also in the form of the serpent that He might deal with our serpentine nature and destroy the old serpent. When Christ was lifted up on the cross, the serpentine nature within fallen man was dealt with.
In the eyes of God, we all have become serpents. Like the ancient Israelites who became serpents and needed a brass serpent to be lifted up as their substitute, we also needed Christ to die on the cross as our substitute. On the cross Christ was not only the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world (1:29), but He was also in the form of the serpent that He might deal with our serpentine nature and destroy the old serpent. When Christ was lifted up on the cross, the serpentine nature within fallen man was dealt with.
Christians have been told that they will go to heaven to live in a mansion and walk on streets of gold. But the pure revelation in the Bible tells us that our ultimate destiny is much higher, richer, and more profound. It is the New Jerusalem. We must see three crucial aspects of the New Jerusalem as our eternal destiny.
In the book of Exodus, which is a book of pictures, we have a remarkable picture of baptism. The New Testament speaks in various places regarding the significance of baptism. However it is exceedingly helpful to ponder the picture of baptism in the book of Exodus.
God asked David two questions: “Are you the one who will build Me a house?” and “When did I ever ask someone to build Me a house of cedar?” The answers to these two questions give us a clear understanding of what God desires for His dwelling place.
God gives significant attention in His word to an evil city that stands in direct opposition to His purpose with His people. This city’s name in Hebrew is Babel (Gen. 11:9) and its name in Greek is Babylon (Rev.17:5). Although the city possesses a prestigious reputation of strength and splendor, the Scriptures reveal Babylon as a place that captures God’s elect and seizes their pure and single-hearted worship toward Him. For this reason God makes a call to His chosen ones, saying, “Come out of her, My people...for her sins have accumulated up to heaven” (Rev. 18:4-5).
Regardless how many times a person could be born out of his mother’s womb, he would still be flesh because flesh begets flesh. So, the Lord told Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (3:6). Flesh here denotes the natural man with the natural life. Regardless of how many times we could be born of our parents, we still would be a natural man with a natural life. It can never change our nature. To be born anew is not to be born again of our parents, but to be born of God the Spirit that we may have His divine life with His divine nature, a life with a nature absolutely different from our natural life with its nature.
When God poured His Spirit upon Christ and endued Him with the Spirit, God did not pour the Spirit upon Him individually. He poured it upon Him as the Head of the Body. God's anointing is on the Head.
We must let Christ increase. We all must decrease. The entire following must go to Him. If all of today’s Christian preachers and leaders would say, “Lord, let my following be Yours that You may increase and that I may decrease,” there would be no problem. Some people seem to say, “He must increase, and I must decrease, but I must hold my following.” As long as you hold your following, you will never decrease and He cannot increase. The increase or the decrease all depends upon the following. To whom does the following belong? This is the problem today: every preacher has his own following. Many think that we are the same as they are because, according to their concept, every worker must maintain his following. When we say that we do not keep a following, they do not believe us. May the Lord have mercy upon us. We need His mercy not to keep a following under our hand. If we do, sooner or later, we shall be cast into prison. Let the following go to Him. He must increase, and we all must decrease.
When we were saved, we had a sense of the sweetness of Christ. Deep within, we realized how enjoyable Christ is. Then...many of us were distracted and led away from the enjoyment of Christ. We turned from the inner sense of the sweetness of Christ to religious duty. This brought us into darkness again, and the inward shining ceased.
Life is for God’s temple. In other words, life is for God’s building. The Reason why the Lord is changing water into wine, we saw the principle of life, that is, to change death into life. Now, in the case of the dealing with the temple, we see the goal, the purpose of life, that is, to build the house of God. So we emphasize Life & Building in our messages
Many things in our environment of daily living are also shadows of Christ. For example, the food we eat is a shadow, not the real food. The real food is Christ. Christ is also the real drink. The clothing we wear to cover us, to beautify us, and to keep us warm is also a shadow of Christ. Christ is the One who truly covers our nakedness, who keeps us warm, and who imparts beauty to us
Often we are exactly like the mother of Jesus. We are today’s Mary, praying as a natural man according to our natural life. Frequently the Lord will allow the wine in certain situations to run out in order that He might have an opportunity to change death into life. Even in a local church, the Lord may allow the situation to go into death. Even in Marriage, in Business, etc the Lord may allow the situation to go into death
By our natural life it is not possible for us to be the kingdom people. This fact is made abundantly clear in 26:31- 75. Here we have a picture of the arrest and judgment of Christ. This record reveals that no one can follow Christ on the pathway of the cross by the natural life. The King can take this pathway, but we in our natural life cannot. Therefore, the Lord must die for us and enter into resurrection for us.