INDEX TO VOLUME 3(7)
77. The Eternal Gospel.
78. But we see Him.
79. Sir we wish to see Yashuah.
80. Judgement and Criticism.
81. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
82. The restoration of all things.
83. The Sons of God.
84. Let us go on to perfection.
85. The Birth right in Christ.
86. Do you just everything that is imperfect.
87. The Resurrection.
88. A staff before the face of God in the night.
77. The External Gospel.
“6Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people
7saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (Rev 14: 6-7).
We have arrived at “Chapter 12” and we have the grace and privilege of hearing what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Rev 2: 7: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Blessed are you if you have such an ear that can hear and eyes that can see. Matt 13:13-17: “13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; 15For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’
16But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Blessed are you if there is still a chance for you to hear and see because for many it is already too late.
Looking back at the 11 chapters you have already read, do you feel that the Holy Spirit is achieving something in you by reading them? Did those“11 Chapters” bear fruit in your spiritual life? Or are you going to put it on your shelf now and feel you are actually glad that this is now also completed? Is there at least something that anchored in your heart — a lasting Living Word? Are you sure that in the days to come you will not regret that there weren’t more things that should have been living in your heart? Will you perhaps not also be one of those to whom the prophet Amos refers in chapter 8:11 “Behold, the days come, says the Lord God, that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread, not a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” Verse 12: “But shall not find it”. That it might be too late then, because “the door was shut” (Matt. 25:10). Gen 7:16: “And the Lord shut him in”? When Noah and his family entered the ark, the door was shut by God. The Scripture does not say how many people knocked at that door and pleaded with Noah to open it for them! But it does tell us: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Luke 17: 26-27). And now you must look up and read the following passage of Scripture yourself — provided you first pray that God will prepare your heart for it: 2 Peter 2: 3-10.
At the beginning of this Chapter 12, I quoted Revelation 14: 6-7. Did it also strike into your heart like it did into mine? When the judgments of God came upon the earth and its inhabitants, there was an angel flying through the air with an “everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people”. There has been much debate about this Scripture: The big question has always been: In the end, when God’s judgments come upon this earth and its inhabitants, will there be another opportunity for the people to repent? Will that eternal gospel with which the angel will fly through the air, be only a reminder by God to personally say to all over whom His wrath comes: “This is the gospel you have ignored and therefore My love through which I have wanted to save you, has now turned into anger and revenge”? I do not want to give my opinion here, but I want to warn you to not listen to Satan who is “a murderer from the beginning” and a liar “because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44) . What is the lie he wants to tell you? There are many lies he declares, but one big lie you have to watch out for is: “There is still a lot of time and there will always be an opportunity for you to turn to God and repent”. This is not true! There will come a time when it will be too late, but I do not want to scare you with fear, I would rather pull you into Yashuah through our Father’s great love. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). Col 3: 3: “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God”. And it is also my earnest prayer to my God and Father, in Yashuah’s Name, that He will draw you “with bands of love” until you lose yourself in Yashuah!!! (Hosea 11: 4).
Can you already say after these 11 Chapters: “I have grown in my relationship with my Father and with Yashuah”? I personally can say this, and I also see it in quite a few others’ lives, for which I thank my Father.
The Gospel, the Glad Tidings
Of all the good news that can be brought to us — good news of any kind — it is the best news anyone has ever brought me! It is better news than that of a large sum of money we inherited — if that would ever happen! It is the glad tidings of a wealth that cannot be compared to any money, gold or silver, or earthly treasures of any kind. This is “the glad tidings” (2 Thess 2: 13-14) of eternal salvation from the eternal damnation in hell! This is the good news that we have inherited eternal life in Yashuah — completely free and without working for it! You only need to go to the giver of it and receive it personally from Him (Matt 11:28). Also, you must surely believe it otherwise you will not bother to go to Him for it (John 5:40; Mark 1:15).
And if you believe the gospel, there is a powerful working of the Spirit of God going on within you. God promised that He would fulfil every work of faith with power: “and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power…” (2 Thess. 1:11). The gospel is not just the belief of an ideology. No, “it is a power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes.” (Rom 1: 16). I want to repeat it: If you accept and believe the glad tidings, the good news of salvation through Yashuah’s blood, there is an immediate working of His power within you. You may not feel it right away, but it is there because the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it. But before you can believe the gospel, you must turn to God and believe this gospel (Mark 1:15).
78. But we see Him.
The English Bible says in Isaiah 45:22: “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other”. The Afrikaans translation says: “Wend julle tot My en laat julle red, alle eindes van die aarde! Want Ek is God, en daar is geen ander nie”. Scripture therefore says that the very moment you turn to God and behold Him you are saved! But to behold Him involves a definite, wilful decision and action on your part. You must first turn away from all the things that you have seen as an outcome and a solution in the past: “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” (Ezek. 14: 6). This is what repentance means: It means to turn away from all that displeases God and to turn to Him as your only righteousness (1 Cor 1:30).
Heb 2: 6 “What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you take care of him 8-10 “You have put all things in subjection under his (man’s) feet. For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honour, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. 10For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”
Yashuah said in John 14: 16-19: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. 19A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.” Why can the world not receive the Spirit of truth, the Helper? Yashuah tells us why: Because they do not see Him and do not know Him. But because we see Yashuah, our soul lives, because He lives. Do you see Him?
The mere “seeing” or “beholding” of Yashuah causes His life to flow into us. To believe that you were crucified with Him and died with Him is absolutely important. To then also further believe that you were buried with Him is just as important. But you will not experience the life of Yashuah until you see Him and behold Him. “whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood” (Rom. 3:25). So therefore when we look at Him, we first see Him in His blood: “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). You must first behold the Son and then believe in Him in order to receive life. John 6: 40: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
We always wanted to believe first, without seeing Him, and we could just never get it right. We could believe it with the mind, but the faith that works through love (Gal. 5: 6) —the faith that the Holy Spirit works in us — was lacking. Why? Because we did not first behold Yashuah! 2 Cor 3: 17-18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Do you understand what role the “beholding” or “seeing” of Yashuah plays? And to behold Him not only in His blood but also in His glory. Do you see Yashuah? Do you behold Him when you are in prayer before Him? After His resurrection, Yashuah appeared to His disciples and showed them His wounds. He told Thomas to feel His (Yashuah) wounds with his finger and put his hand in His side so he could believe. Thomas’ seeing and experience made him believe. Then Yashuah said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). This word gives us the impression that we do not need to see before we believe: “seeing is believing” says the proverb. But Scripture tells us to believe without seeing. It is true! But we are now dealing here with a much deeper experience than seeing Him with our physical eyes:
Let us read again John 6:40: “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” In Isaiah there is a Word that says: “Look at Me and live”. I want to ask you a question regarding your prayer life: When you become silent before God, do you see Him, God your Father, with His Son Yashuah at His right hand? Do you believe that you are sitting in His Son at His right hand — with Yashuah and also in Him? Do you see the heavenly multitude of angels with glorious glory, praise, and worship of God? Do you see yourself in those moments of prayer where, in Yashuah, you are sitting at your Father’s right hand and rejoicing in Him and His words? Do you then thank Him that He has given you this extraordinary privilege and grace when He told you in Heb 12: 18-24: “For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched… 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
If you have now read the passage above, you might say to me: “But I do not experience it that way when I pray. I see nothing when I pray. I do not see Yashuah! ” Yet you see many other things in your imagination.
I would like to ask you a question — a very personal question: Have you ever sat and daydreamed or fantasized about a woman / man. Seen yourself in his / her arms and even lost yourself in that dream. Yes, when you woke up from that dream, you were shocked to realise that many minutes had passed while you were in “another world”. That section (or faculty) of your soul and spirit life should be used not only in human fantasy dreams but also in your loving fellowship with Yashuah and your Father. And, as you sit there meditating and fantasizing about falling to the feet of Yashuah and worshiping Him in those moments, it’s not only a glorious dream but a reality! That mental image is reality!
We sing “The Victory Song”: “I see in my spirit the glory and the omnipotence of the Lord …”. Do you then, when you sing it, see it in your spirit? Or do you only sing dead words? Is your prayer a wonderful experience whereby you behold Yashuah in your imagination? If you manage to do this, you will eventually get a clearer picture of Yashuah and the Father when you pray! Thus it will grow in you. Listen to the words of a very old song:
“Face to face with Christ my saviour
Face to face what will it be
When He comes I will behold Him
Jesus Christ who died for me
(Chorus) Face to face shall I behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky
Face to face in all His glory
I shall see Him by and by
Only faintly now I see Him
Through the veil that hangs between
But a blessed day is coming
When His glory shall be seen…….. etc.
But, there is another question I need to ask you: Do you have time for Yashuah in your life? Or do you shamefully have to answer “No” to this? You may have time to fantasize and dream about a holiday, or perhaps a new home or car, or about a new romance in your life, but you do not have any time to day-dream and fantasize about Him who loves you so much! We read in Gen 24: 63: “And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening”. David says in Psalm 63: 6: “When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” I would like to make a request to you: Would you please read Psalm 77 and then note how many times the Psalmist quotes how he meditates on God?
As children we had a great imagination when we played. With sticks, twigs and fish cans we played wonderfully well-behaved until our mother called us in the evening to come back in and take a bath! With a stick we drew a car for ourselves on the ground and sat on a brick and we imagined how we were driving our car. Made all sorts of sound effects as we changed gears and accelerated. We drove far. To the Cape! Everything in our imagination! But that is no longer the case today, because all the toys that are now being imported no longer requires any imagination. Our poor children are largely unimaginative and it is not their fault nor their parents’, because in the previous generation it was already lost! TV has greatly contributed to this suspension of the human imaginary world. In earlier years, when we only had a radio, we saw the whole story unfold in our imagination. But now you no longer need imagination. TV offers you everything, but without it our imagination played a big role even when reading a book: We saw, for example, in our imagination how the rider rides his horse and how the villain lurks in the bushes waiting for him. And that put us in a state of such tension that we could not put the book down until we knew the outcome of the story.
But modern life has not made the image of Yashuah and His Father stronger in our spirit. Rather weaker! Our eyes see thousands of things we never even knew or heard about before. Moment by moment, countless impressions flow into our eyes and ears through social media. And, whether you want to know it or not, your brain “saves” it, and processes it. What indescribable computer did the Creator not build into you? But this “computer” also has its limitations: It becomes full!
But if you read 1 John 5:20 you will realise that He gave you this “computer” (mind) to know Him: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” And then the apostle gives good counsel, serious advice and admonition, in the following verse: “21Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. ”
Is it not precisely the “idols” that erase the image of God in our lives? Is it not because our eyes are turned to strange gods and listening to their voice, that we cannot behold Yashuah and hear His voice?
And, as for music, we say, “But I’m listening to Gospel.” How sure are you that it is not perhaps the “other Jesus, the other spirit and the other gospel” to which 2 Cor 11: 3-4 refers? “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
Are we not perhaps now coming to the main reason why you cannot behold the image of Christ and the Father: “Image worship” —not the image of Christ but other images, for example the image of the king of Babylon (Dan 3: 1-6)? You must understand me clearly: I am by no means saying that all Gospel singers sing without the anointing of the Holy Spirit just for the sake of royalties from CDs, but there are those who do. Listening often at how others are singing, prevents you from singing to the glory of God yourself. Many saints are hesitant to sing because they are afraid of singing off pitch. If you however, when you are alone, trust the Holy Spirit to lead you in songs of praise, you should not worry about singing off pitch. Your Father looks at your heart and not how beautifully you sing! It may matter to unbelieving people, but not to the children of God, and certainly not to our Father. So sing in worship, praise and joy, devotion and glory to God and to Yashuah! He is waiting to hear your voice (Songs 2:14).
I personally, like many other believers, experience a great urge to sing songs of praise to God. I myself want to sing as Ephesians 5: 19-20 and Col 3:16 say: “singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”.
If you really want to behold Yashuah you have to watch out for the many other things you behold. There are those who make an in-depth study of Satan’s weapons in this world. We certainly realise that he is using all his weapons to distract the saints from Yashuah, and it is good that we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Cor 2:11), but us making such a deep study of Satan and his evil works can also be another scheme of Satan, so that we never sit with our Great King and Commander to behold His face and listen to His words and commands.
You can pray to God that He will open your eyes. I prayed for a long time because I realised I was blind. And this was also my salvation: The fact that I said that I realise that I am blind (Read John 9: 35-41). Then He could start opening my eyes. And daily my eyes just open more and more. For that I thank Him in all humility!
79. “Sir, we wish to see Yashuah”.
I wrote in the previous chapter about this same passage in Scripture but now I want to emphasize that “the fullness of the Gentiles” that must first come in cannot happen without the Gentiles seeing Yashuah. Where will they see Him except in us?
You need to read this moving passage in John 12: 20-24 again in prayer! Today, just as in those days, there are Gentiles — that is idolaters — who desire to see Yashuah. These Gentiles, who were Greeks in that case, heard a lot about Yashuah because the rumour about Him spread throughout the world at that time. Likewise, today there are many Gentiles, even numerous idolaters from Christianity, who would like to see Yashuah. Many of them sit in their churches where ”the other Jesus” (2 Cor 11: 4) is served. But they remain thirsty for the true Jesus (Yashuah), because the “other Jesus” cannot give them the water of life. They want to see the true Yashuah because, even though the Bible is read in their churches, they do not see this “true Yashuah” in anyone’s life — not even in the preacher who speaks of Him and preaches about Him!
If you are filled with His Spirit, you are His witness (Acts 1: 8; Luke 24: 46-48). The word “witness” here means: “the living proof that Yashuah rose from the dead”. They see Him alive in you! God’s plan was not for you to take those who would like to see Yashuah along to church. What do you want to have them see in your church? A nice service with nice sermons that stir the emotions? Or your preacher who preaches so well and stirs your emotions? Or that special preacher who comes from overseas? (Ref. Deut. 30: 11-16).
Why do they not see Yashuah in you? And then not how pious you are in church, but how you are at work, and in your house and on the street? The reason for this is that the grain of wheat has not yet fallen into the ground and died, as Yashuah says in John 12:24.
But we cannot wish away the word in verse 23: “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.”
How much we have written and talked about the death of the grain of wheat, our Father alone knows! But that it is also this passage in Scripture that is much talked about, but little practically lived, is certainly true. When I look around me at how few people truly live this Word of the cross, it seems to me that the seed of the Word rots and does not germinate! The eye of the layman will not know the difference between germination and rot of seed, but the eye of the expert will know that soon roots and leaves will sprout from the grain of wheat which at the moment gives the impression that it has failed. But is that not exactly what the Father told us years ago? When He brought to us the Word about the “grain of wheat that must fall into the ground and die so that it may produce much grain” (John 12:24)? He told us then that there would come a time when it would seem to us that none of His promises would come true. If we were to dig up the seed now, we would definitely get the impression that it is rather rotting than germinating.
As was the case with Abraham. Please read. Rom 4: 13-25. Notice that there was a working of faith within Abraham. This was so, because Abraham’s great desire was to know God as a friend engages with a FRIEND. James 2:23 “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.” He could believe God because he knew God as his FRIEND. There was a relationship of love between the Two of Them.
If you abide in My love
Please read John 15 prayerfully. Is it a great effort for you to read an entire chapter in God’s word? If you now got a new car, and you had to read the manual carefully before switching it on, would it be worth your while? You can read John 15 with much greater excitement than over a new car! Of this I assure you.
The section deals with the “True Vine and the branches”. The fruit is not produced by us as the branches, but only borne. Yashuah, the Vine, produces it and we only yield it. He is our life (Col 3: 4) and He is our fruit. The fruit that people are looking for is not your beautiful life. They are looking for Him. They want to see Him! They also want to experience and encounter Him.
A few mornings ago I cried like I had not done in years. Why? Yashuah spoke to me so directly and personally in love about CRITICISM and JUDGMENT in my life. He told me that this was the main reason why I was struggling to get a clear picture of Him. I see too many other things: Even though I have not read newspapers for years, “Social Media” drums the news into our ears and eyes every day! We listen to this with criticism and judgment. Do you also look at other people with criticism, which is nothing but judgment? Do you look at your wife, your husband, children, friends and family like that? Do you have such a spirit or attitude of criticism and judgment?
In Romans 1: 18-32 Paul tells of many heinous sins that God handed the people over to (Verses 24, 26 and 28) because they did not glorify and thank Him as Creator, but honoured the creature above Him as the Creator. Yes, even their pets received more worship and praise than God (Verses 22-23)! I shudder when I see how pets are being kissed by them. Did I ever tell you about my “dear and faithful old dog” who burned to death in the wildfire? When I sadly asked my Father about my dog that night, why it happened, He answered me: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exod. 20: 5; Exod. 34:14). Psalm 2:12 says, “Kiss the Son …” not the dog!
After the passage in Romans 1: 18-32, the apostle Paul begins to write about “judgment”. This is an extremely important Word to you and me. If you and I want to see Yashuah we will have to take this Word to heart. I have already taken this to heart thoroughly.
80. Judgement and criticism.
If you now read Romans 2: 1-5, you will see that in whatever you judge another, you judge yourself, because you do the same things (Verse 1). Even if you have not done the same things up until now, God will soon make you do it just because you did not realize that it was only God’s grace over you that you have not done it so far. Yet you have done many other things that, even though they are not as bad as the other sin according to the people’s standard, are just as bad before God. Sin is sin — big or small. Whether you steal one cent or a million Rand, stealing is stealing. Whether you commit adultery with a woman or just look at her with desire in your heart, it is the same before God. Read Matt 5:28. In addition, James 2: 10-11 says that if you stumble in one aspect of the law, you have become guilty of the whole law.
Judgment stems from a proud, arrogant heart: you consider yourself superior to others and therefore have the right to criticize and condemn him. But you may not realize that the same standard by which you measure him, you will also be measured (Luke 6: 38). When you measure, you use some rule or law for it. If it is “the law” by which you measure, you will be measured by the same law. If you measure with grace, you will be measured with grace.
The worst thing is that criticism in your heart makes your heart harder and you literally become a cynical “bitter-mouth” who constantly criticizes, bickers and argues. Your heart is getting harder. Ephesians 4:18: “having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” When someone else speaks you are already ready to say something that condemns or criticizes.
It all stems from lovelessness. If you are going to read what the Scriptures say regarding love and what love does and does not do (1 Cor 13: 1-13) then you realize that this is the cause of all our whites’ fears in South Africa!
When you look around you and see how people protect their loved ones, and not even through divine love but through a human, humanistic love, then you wonder what the love of God will be able to do? If we love our fellow man with God’s love, will we judge them? Wouldn’t we rather, if we notice a sin in them, pray for them? Is that not what 1 John 5:16 tells us?
Seeing something that someone is doing is not judgment but what you do with it is the question. Do you blame him and accuse him? Do you despise him? Is the experience in your heart towards him that of love and the desire that he will be delivered from his wrong deeds, so much so that you pray for him knowing that you are just such a great sinner? This matter is a very important one and it is important that you do not let it slip by.
If only you could look at your brother with the eyes of your loving heavenly Father, if you see him as God sees him: through the atoning blood of His Son? Won’t everything change then? Yashuah lives only to intercede for us. Read Heb 7:25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” This is the Spirit of the Great Intercessor! If only we could have the same attitude! (Phil 2: 5). But Yahweh surprised Him that “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor” (Isa. 59:16). It still surprises Him now that there are no intercessors in all our Christian churches. Yet there are so many who criticize and judge, but where are those who see their brother commit a sin and then go and pray for him according to 1 John 5:16?
Here we must now look at two things, namely “Judgment” and “Two kinds of love”. I have written in previous chapters on both of these topics but I am now writing more in-depth about it:
Read 2 Peter 1: 5-9 and note that you may already have certain loves but still fall short in other areas of love. Do you read it that way too? But all the kinds of love he writes about here are still the divine love. However, there is another kind of love that is not God’s love, but a human / carnal love. It comes from man: passion, lust and selfish love for my own family, church, people etc. But all kinds of human love are selfish, self-centred love. It seeks your own advantage and not that of others. In fact, it is worth the name “self-lover”! It wants to receive and not give, unless by giving, you again have some additional motive because you are able to benefit from it (2 Pet 2: 3). Both of these types of love draw to its core: The carnal / human love (Phileo) draws to the “Self” while the divine love (Agape) draws to the heart of God. It is the absence of God’s love that causes you to fear. Then I also want to make a harsh statement: Because the Christian people here at the southern tip of Africa are so full of lovelessness and judgment towards their fellow Christians, those in their own church and even more, in other churches — not to mention the many house churches that are being built nowadays, this is why they are so full of fear! Read 1 John 4: 18 prayerfully: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love”. Lovelessness is thus the cause of fear!
I then realize that many people are dissatisfied with the ministry in their own congregations: they realize that they need faith to go through this crisis in South Africa, and they do not get it from their pastors. Now they become bitter and full of condemnation. What is the difference between criticism and judgment?
81. Who will separate us from the Love of Christ?
The things that the people— especially the people who adhere to “the rapture theory” — fear, are described here by Paul in Rom 8:35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Yet these are not things we must flee from, for it is precisely in these things that we are more than conquerors! : “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Rom. 8: 37)
“The rapture” — if there was to be a rapture — would deprive us of this wonderful opportunity to be great conquerors, yes, “… more than conquerors …” (verse 37) in all these things. It is precisely these things that give us the victory in Christ! If we missed these things because we were raptured away, we would never be able to taste the glorious victory, “… more than conquerors …”! Nor would Christ be able to show through us that the darkness cannot overwhelm the light. Notice that He says: IN ALL THESE THINGS and not IN THE MIDST OF ALL THESE THINGS. All these things that people fear so much that they have even designed for them a believe that will make them escape all these things, all the things WHEREIN they are “more than conquerors”! This is the day that Yashuah is looking forward to, of which He says, “I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” (Luke 12:49). Yashuah wishes that the day will come when He will prove that … “IN all these things we are more than conquerors” (Rom 8: 37), IN “…tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword” (Rom 8:35).
Now people will ask me if I think that “the sword” —these are the murders that take place daily in our country, as well as wars and killings in various ways across the world — can enable us to be more than conquerors? They ask: “If you now come across your murdered family, it’s just blood wherever you look, will you Eugenius, be more than a conqueror in such circumstances?” Now I have to be careful because God may test me in this! But I answer: If the Word of God dwells in me richly and I am filled with the Spirit like Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55), I will have the same triumph and victory that Stephen experienced when they stoned him to death. Even if I possessed the same ability that Yashuah had for suffering, thus “the patient endurance of Christ” (Rev. 3:10), I would be able to experience the same triumph and victory that was brought about by the resurrection of Yashuah. All this to the glory of God and only by His grace and nothing of myself! I boast not in myself but in His grace and in my weakness. The darkness cannot overwhelm the light (John 1: 5). “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13). “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Cor 10:13). “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me” (Ps 23: 4). Phil 1:20: “…according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.”
Death has a sting for humanity. It is in the case of death that most people tremble. It’s so final. What is the sting? 1 Cor 15:56 says, “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.” The law accuses you of sin; it makes you aware of sin (Rom 7: 7). It also makes you fear the punishment that comes with breaking the law (1 John 4:18). The punishment is death (Rom 6:23). When you are free from the law, your accuser of sin is removed (Rom 7: 6) and you serve God in the newness of the Spirit and no longer in the oldness of the letter (of the law). When you have partaken of the rebirth and the filling with the Holy Spirit, you are in Christ and His body (1 Cor 12: 12-27). You experience that His love now reigns in your spirit (Rom 5: 5). And this love of His in your heart casts out all fear (1 John 4: 18, also the fear of death — not only your own death but also the death of your loved ones.
I said above that your accuser of sin has been removed. When you are no longer under the Law but under grace, God draws you into such perfect love for Him and Yashuah, that this love pours such faith and trust in Him into your heart, through the Holy Spirit ( Rom 5: 5), that it casts out all fear (1 John 4:18. Your accuser is Satan (Rev. 12:10; Zech. 3: 1-2), but he uses the Law for that. Oh, if only we could get rid of the LAW once and for all (Rom 7: 6)!
Lovelessness separates us from God
But is it not because we have become so bankrupt with regard to God’s love in us, that we are so full of fears. We fear different things, all of which I cannot name here right now, but God will show you your fears as time goes on. However we are now at the reason for our fear: Lovelessness. If any fear arises in you, you only need to look for one cause of it, and that is lovelessness. You must first read 1 John 4: 7-21. Have you read it? Not yet? Then I’ll simply wait until you have done so. Did you fully understand what your Father wants to say to you? He wants to tell you that you are a liar when you say that you love God but not your brother (Verse 20). But who is my brother?
My brother is certainly not just my fellow member of the church to which I belong. In all the churches through which I have moved over a period of 50 years, I have encountered at least one sincere person. Even if that church was a so-called sect or cult in terms of their doctrine. And I know that at some point that sincere spirit will be drawn to Yashuah by the Holy Spirit and he / she will truly repent, because God knows that he / she will want to do His will. If the repentance has not yet taken place, it will happen in the time to come. That is why I can call him a brother, especially if God has already written his / her name in the book of life (Rev 20:15; 21:27; 3: 5; Phil 4: 3). Then, if this is so, I have to love him / her right now. Even though he / she is my enemy at the moment. This is why Yashuah says that we must also love our enemies (Matt. 5: 44). This is why Paul says in Rom 11: 28 “Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.”
Ask your Father to show you how many believers / saints there currently are that you do not love. Is not this perhaps the reason why you are so full of fear? Do you still remember that love for your brother is the second commandment (Matt. 22: 37-38), which hangs on the first commandment — namely, to love God — as the crossbeam of the cross hangs on the vertical leg? Your love for your brother therefore stems from your love for your Father and for His Son (1 John 4: 11). 1 John 4: 20-21: “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
Have you perhaps been given over by God?
Because you honour the creature above the Creator who is to be praised forever (Rom 1: 25), God may have given you over (Verses 26-32). The Creator of heaven and earth and everything on it: People and animals, food and clothing, cars and planes, houses and farms. If you honour these things without seeing the Creator of them as the One through whom and to whom all things are: “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” (1 Cor 8: 6), Rom 11: 33-36 you just need to read and note verse 36: “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” John 1: 3: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” How many Scriptures do I still have to quote to prove that all things, yes, ALL THINGS were made through Him? He is the Almighty, Creator of the ends of the earth and of the firmament (Isa. 40: 28).
Now I have to share with you a very great statute of God, because it may bring about your deliverance and salvation. Perhaps this is a big reason why your beholding of Yashuah is blocked so that you cannot see Him. Now here it is: If you honour the creature above the Creator who is to be praised forever, God eventually gives you over to sin. There are many such sins to which people are being given over, and we read about them in Romans 1: 21-24. PLEASE READ THIS!
Perhaps you have been given over to slavery among your children who just demand more and more of you. Perhaps in your eyes they were the most wonderful children and you looked at them with idolatrous love and admiration. But you did not honour and glorify the wonderful Creator above them. And now you have become their slave! Worst of all, you may also be so proud that you will not easily admit it, not until you are completely done and come to your end!
Have you become a slave to food in the same way? Your health and healthy food have started to dominate and enslave your mind and through this you have now become a slave to healthy food. You were so busy eating healthy and your children having to eat healthy, that you never got a chance to honour and glorify the Creator who made everything! Have you ever read that Scripture says, “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:17).
You always talked about the miracle cure that makes you healthy and strong, but the God who made all those things you did not honour and glorify. If there is any cure that heals you, surely it is He, your Creator who made it. Is it not He who made the leaves of the tree to heal the nations? Read Ezek 47: 12; Rev 22: 2.
82. The restoration of all things.
If you have truly met Yashuah and also His Father, the Creator of all that is, you will come to love His handiwork because you love Him. You will first love the one who was born of Him: “…and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.” (1 John 5: 1). Therefore, in addition to the love of God, the second commandment: “You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself”
“Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matt. 22: 35-40).
Then you also come to love every work of God. You love the whole of Creation: the earth and all that is on it because you see your Father in it. If you love Creation without first loving God, you will always miss something great and important, namely the One who made it all: “Did My hands not make all these things?” (Isa. 37:16; Isa. 40: 12-26; Isa. 45:12, 18, etc.). Once you begin to see the Creator, your Father, in all things, then you begin to delight in His creation — so it’s a pleasure for you to see it! (Ps 111: 2-3). And now a very important principle: You now delight in the Creator and in His Son through whom He made all these things (Heb 1: 2; John 1: 3), you do not delight in nature itself, but in the Creator who created nature. When you see the beautiful mountains and the beautiful sunset, then you praise God, the Creator for it! There are many people on earth who see all the beautiful and wonderful things in nature, but do not know the Creator and His Son at all! It is sad!
Yes, then it is also heartbreaking to see how this nature is ravished. The news media is jam-packed full of this every day, but with the wrong motive. They do not see the works of their Father as Creator being damaged and destroyed, they fear that life on earth will come to a standstill should all these things be destroyed, polluted and exterminated by man. They therefore try with the wrong motive to prevent the destruction of nature: not a love for God as its Creator, but a love for creation itself. Against this the Scripture clearly speaks: “…who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” (Read the entire passage in Romans 1: 18-32. It is very important). God is a jealous God!
But Yashuah comes to “raise up the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down” (Acts 15:16; Amos 9:11). This means that He will fulfill the word that all nations — the Gentiles as well as the Jews — will be blessed in Yashuah, as He promised to Abraham (Gen 12: 3). But that does not mean that God’s blessing is universal. This is not for anyone outside of Yashuah. The blessing is located in Yashuah only. Although He gave rain and favourable times all over the earth (Acts 14: 16-17), the full blessing can be found in Yashuah only (Ephesians 1: 3; 1 Cor. 1: 5; Col. 2: 11-12).
Yashuah comes to restore everything. The Apostle Peter refers to this in his speech: “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3: 20-21). In Dan 8:14 he foretells how God will restore His sanctuary. He will also restore the fallen tabernacle of David, as I have already mentioned above: “After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; 17So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things.” (Acts 15: 16-17). I cannot speak about this separately now, but you can go and consult your Father about it. This will be a wonderful revelation to you!
What will all be restored by Yashuah? We know about this only in part: Will species of animals that have already become extinct, such as the Dodo in Mauritius, make their appearance on this earth again? Yes, definitely! I prayed about this and our Father confirmed it to me. Do you think this is impossible for God? Matt 19: 26: “But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Job 42: 2: “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” Jer 32:17: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”
What will further be wonderful is that the carnivorous animals will no longer eat meat but grass like an ox: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; 8The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isa. 11: 6-9). Will we still eat meat? Leave these questions, which may arise only from carnal curiosity, now be for the time being. There are many more important things to know!
The breaking down of all things came from the same God from whom Creation came. He created it all and He also allowed for it to be destroyed by Satan and his evil forces and people: “Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. 5And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,” says the Lord. “But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.” (Jer 45: 4). Does God who created everything so wonderfully break it down again? Yes! But He also promises that He will restore it again, more beautiful and lovely than ever! How could He allow wicked people to enjoy and exploit His wonderful creation for so many centuries? They did not acknowledge that it was He who gave them rain (Hos 2: 8; 11: 3): grain and food, oxygen to breathe, the sun shining over them, health and strength to work, eyes that could behold the greatness and glory of their Creator, a mouth with which to praise Him… and many more privileges that they did not appreciate. Rather, they praised the creature above the Creator, as Rom 1: 25 also says. Therefore, God gave them over to a bad attitude to destroy and waste everything they should have enjoyed and thanked God for. “And you, even yourself, shall let go of your heritage which I gave you; and I will cause you to serve your enemies in the land which you do not know; for you have kindled a fire in My anger which shall burn forever.” (Jer 17: 4).
But He also comes again in love and glory to restore everything, but first He must drive out His army (Joel 2:11) —the swarming locust — that He sent to destroy, devour, and consume everything. Read Joel 2 the whole chapter and you will get a divine blessing from it! Yashuah will restore to us all the damage done by the swarming locust (Joel 2: 25). Yes, a whole return of our captives awaits us! (Joel 2: 18-32).
But all this awaits the revelation of the sons of God. I promised in Chapter 11 to Write about this and it is now also necessary. First read Ps 82: 6-7 as well as Rom 8: 14-21.
83. The Sons of God.
Already in Chapter 11, I briefly wrote about the sons of God and promised to discuss this in more detail later. If this subject has struck a chord with you, you might have prayed about it, if the Spirit had led you in this way. Be that as it may, there comes a time in some children of God’s loving relationship with the Father and His Son, when you begin to sing, “Nearer and nearer, near to Your side, draw me my Saviour, full of love for me”. You then desire to be more than just a child of God on earth, you desire to be a son or daughter to Him in the true sense of the word — special to Him as Yashuah was to Him, and still is.
The apostles were truly chosen by Yashuah, even Judas who betrayed Him (John 6: 70). Yet there were some among them who were more special to Him, such as John of whom Scripture says in John 13: 23: “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” He loved the others too, but John had a special relationship with Him. See also John 19: 26; John 20: 2; John 21: 7 and verse 20. Peter also loved Yashuah, and you see this clearly when you read John 21: 15-25, but there was an emphasis on the love between John and Yashuah. I have a desire, which is getting stronger by the day, to love Yashuah that much.
1 Cor 8: 1-3 draws a difference between knowledge and loving God: “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Verse 2: “…If anyone thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know”. Verse 3: “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.” Now I want to quote the Amplified Bible here: 1 Cor 8: 2-3: “If anyone imagines that he has come to know and understand much [or divine things, without love], he does not yet perceive and recognize and understand as strongly and clearly, nor has he become as intimately acquainted with anything as he ought or as is necessary.
3 But if one loves God truly [with affectionate reverence, prompt obedience, and grateful recognition of His blessing], he is known by God [recognized as worthy of His intimacy and love, and he is owned by Him].” I hope the Scripture I have quoted here from the Amplified Bible will make you realize that there can be a much deeper relationship between you and your Father than you currently have. This is the Father-son relationship. Yashuah quotes Scripture in Ps 82: 6-7 while the Jews were picking up rocks to stone Him (See John 10: 34-36): “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” Was it not because Yashuah said that He is the Son of God that they condemned Him to death? Yes, it was: Mark 14: 61-63: “But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?”
Also read Luke 22: 69-71 and note that Yashuah, although He has so often referred to Himself as “the Son of man” here acknowledges that He is the SON of GOD. And upon that they said that they needed no more witnesses. According to the law, they could then crucify Him.
If you declare that you are a “child of God” (Greek; “teknon”), that is probably the most wonderful thing you can declare. And that because you have accepted Yashuah as your personal Saviour. Based on John 1: 12 you can say it: “I am a child of God”. But the day when you say, “I am a son, Greek: ‘huios’ of God”, it is much more special. The entire holy people will describe themselves as children of God according to Hosea 1:10: “In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ there it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.” But that which all creation awaits, is the revelation of the sons of God (Rom 8:19). And now we have come to a mystery which your Father in heaven alone will be able to reveal to you by His Spirit only, this what I am going to name very vaguely here: Rom 8:19 refers to the creation’s anticipation of the revelation of the children of God. This morning I went to look up in different Bibles and Greek dictionaries and it is very clear that the word “children” should actually be “sons” So huios and not teknon! My one explanatory dictionary, “Expository Dictonary of New Testament Words” by WE Vine clearly explains the difference between the two words. So does Spiros Zodiates’ “The Complete Word Study – New Testament”. Also in 2 Cor 6:18 the apostle Paul uses the word “sons” together with “daughters”. The word therefore refers to the female gender as well. And here the original Greek word for sons is again “huios” and not “teknon”. Why is it so important that the Holy Spirit urges me to mention it here? So that those whose eyes will be opened to this can see it! Blessed are you if your eyes can see (Matt. 13:16).
The difference between huios and teknon lies in the fact that teknon refers to a carnal birth, while huios refers to a spiritual relationship, from which the characteristics of the Father in His son (and daughter) are revealed. “The apple does not fall far from the tree” and “aardjie na sy vaartjie” are Afrikaans proverbs for the English: “Like father like son”. This means that the characteristics of the father are also revealed in the son. The child’s actions therefore lie in the genes— “it is genetic”, we say. To be a son (huios) of God does not mean that you will never be able to sin again as some deduce from 1 John 3: 9. But he who is born of God, he who is a huios of God, can no longer make a habit of sin. If he sins he is deeply unhappy about it. He therefore cannot bear it to sin wilfully, but that does not mean that he cannot yet sin in weakness, by accident. “For we all stumble in many things” says James 3: 2. Phil. 3: 12: “Not that I am already perfected,” says Paul, “but I press on, that I may lay hold of that”. Verse 15: “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind”. So when you realize that you are not perfect yet but you pursue it as if you can get hold of it, God sees you as perfect, even if you are not perfect yet. God is pleased that His son / daughter does not want to displease Him by wilfully sinning — they hate sin and feel sad when they sin again. And after confessing, they continue to pursue perfection. But they realize that there is a war going on between the sinful nature inherited from Adam and the Holy Spirit they received at rebirth. Therefore, they put on the “full Armour of God” (Ephesians 6: 10-20). They sleep with it, and get up with it, and walk with it all day long. Although the battle against sin is a struggle, God sees you as perfect in His Son, Yashuah Messiah.
84. Let us “go on to perfection” (Heb. 6: 1-3).
Will one ever be able to become perfect? God alone is perfect, of man He says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Can a sinful person stand before God as a perfect person? Yes! But not by his own doing. All that sinful man can do is to be willing to believe the perfection that God has wrought for him through the death of His Son. So even faith is something that God must work in man, he cannot believe out of himself. He can only be willing to accept God’s work of grace in him. The work of grace includes faith. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2: 8).
I said you have to be willing. But you can be fairly passive and sluggish in your willingness, or you can be excited in your willingness. For example, you could storm God’s throne of grace. Read Matthew 11:12: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Are you that willing? Are you storming the throne in your prayer? This is how Jacob was, even though he was a deceiver, he wrestled with the angel: “Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” 27So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Gen 32: 24-28). Jacob’s name, which meant “deceiver”, was changed to “Israel” – “Prince of God” after his struggle with God. Does that tell you something? Go and pray about this. But if you have not yet gone through this struggle with God and with yourself, you are still Jacob, the proud, conceited deceiver. Read Amos 6: 8. We see Jacob everywhere in our land and in the world, but we do not see “the prince of God” (Israel)! Why? Because the people of the saints have become slow to enter into this struggle with God and themselves. Their “Own Self” lives and they want it that way! They refuse to partake of the death with Christ. Nor do they realize what the struggle is really about: It is about the blessing of God. It is about the “Birth right in Christ”.
85. The Birth right in Christ.
What is the “birthright” about? On the night of the exodus from Egypt, God caused all the firstborn of the Egyptians to die, both humans and animals. But the firstborn of the people of God were spared. But then God said, “All the firstborn are Mine” (Num. 3:13). The firstborn of a man and woman had the right to a double inheritance. Read Deut 21:17. In Heb 12:16 we read that Esau sold his birthright for one dish: a pot of lentil soup! He did not realize that he had actually exchanged Yashuah, in whom the true birthright would be (Col 1:15 and 18), for what his flesh coveted! He could also have been sitting in “the church of the firstborn” (Heb. 12: 22-24) —where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the deceased saints now sit.
Esau is for us now in New Testament times an example from the Old Testament that we should not, like him, sell our birthright in Jashuah for what our flesh desires, as Esau did. This is a sad piece of history that we read in Heb 12: 16-17. When He refers here to a “fornicator” it means spiritual fornication, i.e. to fornicate away from God to other lovers. Hosea 1: 2 says, “For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord.” Do you realize how often Yashuah is waiting for you and me so that we can sit with Him for a while just to love Him and listen to His words? But perhaps you, even working for Him like Martha, are too busy to serve Him. Read Luke 10: 38-42 and then you confess with shame together with me towards Yashuah. Oh, I do not want to exchange my birthright in Yashuah for what my flesh desires! I desire to obtain a “double portion” as Isaiah 61: 6-8 promised. Read it and decide for yourself if all the grasping for the wind is really worth it? (Eccl. 1: 14 and 17). Do you realize that what Yashuah inherited from His Father is also our inheritance that awaits us? We are co-heirs (Rom 8: 17). But we, like Esau, can miss this inheritance by considering our own pleasures, and even responsibilities, more important than our loving relationship with Yashuah and the Father.
86. Do you judge everything that is imperfect?
There is nothing perfect on earth. Only Yashuah is perfect. This is what most of us believe. But now we judge and criticize all that is imperfect! Yashuah does command us to be perfect as His Father in heaven is perfect (Matt. 5: 48). But very soon you discover that nothing good dwells in your flesh (Rom 7:18). Then you will see Yashuah the Perfect, and your eyes will be opened to the glorious truth that He is your righteousness (1 Cor 1: 30); that He justified you by His blood (Rom 5: 9), and that you just have to believe it (Rom 3: 28). And if you believe it with a faith worked by the Holy Spirit, you begin to strive for perfection. Phil 3: 12-15: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
Verse 15: “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” The above Scripture first gives us the impression that we are not yet perfect (verse 12). Then verse 15 gives the impression that we are indeed perfect. But the truth is that all who strive to be perfect are already perfect in God’s eyes on the basis of Yashuah’s redemptive work. But REMEMBER: Perfect in YASHUAH and NOT in yourself!
But, if you are one of those people who realize that you are imperfect but are pursuing it, how can you condemn another imperfect person? I hear so many people say, “I know I am not perfect, because no one is perfect, but that man or woman…” And then they condemn and criticize that imperfect!! Why does God say to us through Paul: “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.“ (Rom 2: 1). But you will immediately say, “Father, I do not do those things.” Yes, you just do it in a different way. For example: If you do not physically commit adultery but only look at a woman, or man, to lust after him / her (Matt 5: 27-28) it is the same! I have said earlier in these Chapters that James 2:10 says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” Have you read it? Read it again and never forget it! NEVER!
Do we realize that criticism and judgment are driven by a spirit? And it is certainly not God’s Spirit! It is the spirit that works in the children of disobedience. Ephesians 2: 1-3: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Read Luke 9: 55. I opened on this Scripture this morning when I asked Him if it was really a spirit that made us judge and criticize in this way.
Yes, we do not know what kind of spirit it is that judges and criticizes through us in this way, but it is certainly not the Spirit of God, the Spirit of “power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1: 7). Is not this perhaps the reason why we are so powerless and full of fears. If the same spirit that works criticism and judgment is also the spirit that works unbelief, fear and lovelessness, the access we give to one spirit will also give all the others the right of access (Luke 11: 26). So you will experience that you will never be able to get rid of fear, lovelessness, unbelief and powerlessness while still allowing the spirit of judgment and criticism into your heart. Instead of “keeping our eyes fixed on Yashuah, the Author and Finisher of our faith…” (Heb. 12: 1-2), our eye is constantly fixed on people and things that are imperfect — just as we are imperfect! And no wonder we constantly feel incapable and unworthy to enter into God’s sanctuary and into His presence. Hebrews 10: 19-20 has the key: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh…” The veil blocked the way to the sanctuary. The way was opened when Yashuah’s flesh was torn on the cross (Matt. 27: 50-51). Now also read Hebrews 10:20 and then you will realize that it is your flesh that has been torn apart in Yashuah — for Yashuah has come into our flesh (Rom 8: 3). And it is this flesh of yours that causes you to have never been able to enter into God’s sanctuary. And also never could behold Yashuah. Our eyes are constantly fixed on imperfect humans and the things they do, or do not do.
God made all things, the light and the darkness, peace and calamity (Isa. 45: 7). Eccl. 7: 13: “Consider the work of God, for who can make straight what He has made crooked?” If I can tell you how in my life I have sat and criticized walls and cupboards and building work in my heart… Now I just say: “Father, forgive me because I have criticized Your handiwork”. And the old “Drunkard” we laughed at? If it was not for God’s grace it was me! But perhaps it is a matter of “the splinter and the plank”. Read it in Matt 7: 1-5. Notice that He says: “Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly…” Did not the “splinter sin” of your neighbour become a “plank sin” in your eye? He may drink too much but you commit a greater sin: you judge!
But while we judge and criticize and our eyes are fixed on people and everything they do on this earth, there is the greatest and most glorious work that Jashuah has done on our behalf, which we continue to overlook. While God’s word says: …“looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him…” (Heb. 12: 2-3). Instead of doing this, we fix our eyes on people and become obsessed with the imperfections of others! And, the worst: Instead of praying for them, as 1 John 5: 16 says, we condemn, criticize and slander them! And then we wonder why Yashuah does not take shape in us, why we are so full of fear and do not grow in faith! Are you still wondering after this harsh admonition?
I want to repeat this: It is important that if the Spirit of God shows you your brother’s transgression, you should pray for him. Read 1 John 5:16 again. That’s why God makes you notice your brother’s sins — not to condemn or criticize him but to intercede for him! “If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.” Have you done it thus far? No? Then do it from now on, after you have confessed it before your Saviour.
87. The Resurrection.
Tomorrow is Good Friday and yes, it’s a holiday! But do we know what this holiday is all about? Do you still remember it? Christ died for the sins of this world and we commemorate this tomorrow. Then follows the two days in the tomb during which He went to hell in order to pay for our sins and be punished. He bore our punishment! This means that He was punished by His Father for our sins (Isa. 53: 5). And then on Sunday, the first day of the week, He rose from the dead. He became the firstfruits of those who rose from the dead: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Cor 15: 20). If He is the firstfruits from the dead, who are those who follow Him, the second and third and fourth… and the thousandth… and millionth? No matter which you and I may be, God knows this! But where He leads, we follow Him: On the cross, in His death, with Him in the grave and then also in His resurrection Gal 2:20; Rom 6: 4; Ephesians 2: 5-6: “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
There are Christians who believe that this death and resurrection with Christ is something that will only take place on the day when Yashuah will return to this earth and the tombs will be opened and the dead will be resurrected. This is the day of His return! We also believe in the day of His return, and that the dead will rise eternally, as the Scripture says in 1 Thess 4: 13-18. But we realize that the people who believe that we will receive the resurrection life of Christ only on that day, are living in the greatest spiritual poverty. They can therefore not experience the resurrection life of Yashuah right now. What a pity! My heart goes out to those who are so badly deceived by the shepherds who overlook this great truth. And not only do they miss it themselves, but they also cause their sheep to miss it. Without the rebirth and resurrection life of Yashuah now already in their lives — not one day eventually, but now already — they must try to do good works by their own efforts. These are the works against which Paul speaks in Col 2: 12-13, verses 18, 20-23: “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—21“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.” Col 3: 1: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
You must pray to your Father that He will open your eyes to the wonderful truth, namely that after you died with Yashuah, you were also already raised with Him. This is the rebirth! Then your contact with your “Heavenly Head office” will come naturally, automatically. Also your good works will come spontaneously because it is now your new nature—the nature of Christ in you.
You wonder what the Creator of everything is doing right now — what is going on in His mind. You see that there is much turmoil on earth but also see His smile, yes, how He mocks them (Ps 2: 1-4; Ps 59: 9)
The New Covenant
Early this morning, already before 3 o’clock, Yashuah made me get up, and He made me read in Heb 7 and 8. And what a feast! He made me read in Heb 8: 6-13. You MUST read it! If you would allow the Holy Spirit to make this Scripture a living Word in your heart, your life will never be the same again.
If you belong to a church that believes you are a “child of the covenant” what does that covenant mean to you now? What do you believe with regard to it? Especially now that darkness is coming upon this earth and God has promised that He will let His light arise over us as the darkness falls (Isa. 60: 1-2)? What comforts you now in these days, where daily we hear the news of more whites being murdered? Well, if those who were killed were believers in Christ, they are now in a better place: they are in heaven! It was also their time to die because Yashuah has the keys of death: Revelation 1: 17-18:
“I am the First and the Last. 18I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Are you just sitting there waiting for the day when they will kill you too? Or are you making preparations to flee to… somewhere? Yashuah has good news for you, “Good Tidings”, that is “The Gospel of Yashuah Messiah” which teaches that He died, and we with Him. But also that He rose, and we with Him! This means that the same thing that happened to Him during His resurrection from the dead by His Father is NOW ours also. Rom 8:11: “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Will this happen later only, when Yashuah returns to this earth? Or now already?
This is a very important matter that you will have to settle with your Father. As Jacob wrestled with God in order to obtain the birthright, and the blessing of God vested in it, you will also have to settle the matter with God — even wrestle! Not only with God but also with the people, as Scripture tells us in Gen 30:28 and Hosea 12: 4-5. (I already wrote about this in Chapter 11).
However, if you have clarity in your heart that we can already share this resurrection life with Yashuah, you will seek a guarantee for it. Yashuah then says to you: “I am your Surety, the Surety of the New Covenant (Heb 7:22). I live for one thing always, namely to make intercession for you with the Father and present My blood to Him all the time (Heb 7:25), the blood of the New Covenant (Matt 26: 28). Also I am the Minister of all that the New Covenant offers you, Yes, I minister it to you (Heb 8: 1-2), as long as you abide in Me (John 15: 4-7) you will bear the fruit of the New Covenant (John 15: 5, 16). I write My law on your heart and put it in your mind (Heb 8: 10-11), you do not need to try to do it: I am your righteousness (1 Cor 1:30), your faith and love and peace. I am also your “Full Armour” (Ephesians 6: 10-20). You have the fullness in Me (Col 2:10), yes, now already! Believe it with the faith I want to work in you now, if you will only allow Me. I guarantee it for you! I am your Surety, My blood before the throne of My Father is your proof.”
Now already we ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS by Yashuah who loved us (Rom 8:37). And nothing will be able to separate us from His love because He says: “I AM YOUR GUARANTOR” or your Surety (Rom 8:35, 38-39).
To be able to obtain a better resurrection
Your question may be: “Are all these things discussed in these 12 Chapters then really necessary in order to be saved, can I not be saved without them?” There are certain things I have mentioned without which you will not be able to be saved, but many of the truths are essential if you are to obtain a “better resurrection,” as Heb 11: 35 says.
So there will be a difference in the “degree of glory” in the resurrection. Many Christians have truly accepted Yashuah as their Saviour and can then, on the basis of Scripture in John 1:12, claim to be called a “Child (teknon) of God.” Read it and then decide if you are also a “Child of God”. But there is something more: “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.” (Heb 6: 1)
I referred earlier to those who strive to be perfect because Yashuah said, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5: 48). Then I also explained who the perfect ones are. They are the ones who are in Yashuah, because in ourselves we can never be perfect. Only in Him can we be perfect, if we pursue it as Phil 3:12 also says. Read it again. So as we progress to perfection, we are actually striving to be perfect in Yashuah — our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3: 3) —therefore no longer in our flesh but in Him. So we strive to be a son (huios).
One big reason why we pursue it is because we desire a “better resurrection”. We desire it firstly because God wants us as sons and daughters (huios). Then we also desire the maximum glory in the hereafter. Do you also desire it or are you just, as a believer once said to me: “I am satisfied if I can but enter through the back door of heaven”. Yes, the back door will also be glory, but there is greater glory, and I am not audacious if I pursue the better resurrection. John said, “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.” (2 John 1: 8).
The saints referred to in Hebrews were involved in a choice. They could choose to be saved or not. They were being tortured. Please read Heb 11: 32-40. You must not miss it! Read it. And in the situation of torture to death, they did not want to accept liberation. Why would they have been so stupid? No, they were not stupid. They knew about something that the children (teknon) of God do not know about today. But the huios (boys) do know this, namely that there will be degrees of glory in the resurrection. And it’s important to them, because this pain is only until you are dead. But the glorious resurrection after death cannot be measured in terms of earthly glory. And then we wonder if Stephen, when he was stoned to death, truly felt the pain that a normal person would have to endure during such a stoning. Read Acts 6:15 again and Acts 7: 55-60.
88. A staff before the face of God in the night.
Read Num 17: 6-13. Here it was about which tribe was to serve the sanctuary. They had to take a staff (stick) and put it in the tabernacle of meeting all through the night. The next morning all the sticks were the same dry piece of wood as the previous evening when it was left there, but Aaron’s staff blossomed and bore fruit, ripe almonds! This was then the way in which God showed that the tribe of Aaron (Levi) should serve as the priesthood for God. But what is the Living Word to us at a time when there is no longer a carnal tribe that should be His priests?
The message is clear: When we are going to be silent before God in this state of darkness, which will be coming over our country and also over the whole world, and as much as possible only be in His presence where we drink from the fountains of salvation, worship and honour Him, breathe in His presence, love Him, leave all your destinies in His hands knowing that all things work together for your good because you love Him (Rom 8:28), then you will bear fruit! Yashuah says, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.” Read John 15: 3-9, 16. If you abide in the flesh, you will bear only the fruit of the flesh, or the natural man (Gal. 5: 19-21), but if you abide in the love of Yashuah, you bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). When He tests you, you will appear like gold (Job 23:10).
Have you ever learned that the Word in Psalm 46: 10 truly works? “Be still, and know that I am God.” Also Ps 62: 5: “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.” This is what God wants to do for you when He says, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.” (Isa 26: 20-21) Verse 21 says that God is actually now dealing with the wicked over the earth and visiting their iniquity upon them. But for us, who also still have the nature of sin, but came to Yashuah to save us by His blood and to fill us with His divine nature (2 Pet 1: 4), He has in His love provided a refuge from the storms: IN HIM and IN HIS SON. In THE ROCK that does not falter!
What I experienced personally during the writing of these 12 Chapters
You may ask me: “Eugenius, you have now written these 12 Chapters over a period of a little over a year. What happened within you, as the author. I then first of all want to say that I did not stand apart from it. The gospel is part of me — it is my own heart! 1 Cor 9:23 “Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.” Like Paul, I want to speak of “my gospel” (Rom. 16: 25). Even if there was no one who benefited from what I had to write, it fed me. Paul tells Timothy, “If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.” (1 Tim 4: 6). He also says: “…and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar…” (1 Cor 9:13). And after all is said and done: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor 9: 16). All the mornings I got up at 3am to pray and write was a personal privilege for me, and to spiritual growth in Yashuah. Many mornings I could not contain the tears of gratitude as the Word flowed through me to you. Now I will have the further compulsion for the necessary “aftercare” as I continue to pray for you “…that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jashuah Messiah” (Phil. 1: 6). Amen.
“The grace of our Lord Yashuah Messiah be with you all”! (Rev 22: 21) Amen.