Are we revealing The True Gift of GOD?
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In this series of presentations, it has been the focus of this study to reflect on The Revelation GOD has revealed to men, according to HIS Word, Who has confirmed that GOD'S Revelation to man has been manifested, or revealed to those, who have receive HIS Word. The question the members of His church should answer for themselves is this, "Are we glorifying The NAME of The LORD by representing to the world The Revelation HE has revealed to us through HIS Word?" or "Are we adding and taking away from HIS NAME by presenting a teaching that has blinded us from seeing and receiving by Faith The Witness of HIS Word?"
In the introduction to this series, we read the report of John's witness in vision, of The Book that was sealed in the hand of HIM, WHO sits upon the throne. No one but One had the ability to open The Book, Which was in the hand of HIM, WHO sat upon the throne, and to make The Things of HIM known to both men and to angels. It is He, Who came from among the angels in heaven above, to be born among men in this world, to live, die and be buried in this earth, to prevail against the darkness of the enemy, by being resurrected to Life again, to bear Witness to all, that The Father, WHO created all things by Him, is The ONE, WHO sent Him to do HIS Will. Jesus made it clear, saying, "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
"Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than [that] of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape" (John 5:31-37).
The gospel, or the teaching that says that The Father and The Son is the same person playing different rolls, is a teaching that goes against The Witness of The Son, and of The WITNESS of The Father, WHO sent Him. For Jesus said that there is "another" that bears witness of Me". The word "another" has a meaning that informs us of "one more, or one other than the one, an additional, a different one, or one more of the same kind". In His testimony, Jesus testified that the works, which The Father has given Him to do bears witness of Him, that it is He, Who received from The Father a work to accomplish in HIS NAME. If men say that He is not The One doing The Father's Will, then they are denying The Testimony of The Son, and The TESTIMONY of The Father, WHO sent Him.
From His Testimony, Jesus made it clear that the works, Which The Father has given Him to accomplish bears witness of Him, just as the creation of all things from the beginning bears witness of the work He has done in His Father's NAME. The Father HIMSELF bears WITNESS of HIS Son, Who has glorified HIS NAME throughout the universe, both in heaven and on earth. It was The Father, WHO said by HIS Word through His servant Isaiah saying, "Behold, I have given him [for] a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people" (Isaiah 55:4).
As testified by John, Jesus came from heaven above to testify to men of What He has seen and heard, but as he said, "...no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true" (John 3:32,33). For The Testimony that must be seal in our hearts is The Everlasting Gospel of GOD, Which is revealed and received by faith in HIS Word, who is The Gift of GOD to men. And because the enemy is out to keep the hearts and minds of men from receiving The Testimony of GOD in our hearts, The True Witness of GOD has testified through His servant Isaiah, saying, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts [are] not your thoughts, neither [are] your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:7-9).
From The Testimony of The Word, John has revealed to us that The Word has revealed to us The Thoughts of GOD and The Way of GOD in and through Himself. And if The Thoughts and Way of GOD have been revealed to men by HIS Word, Whom He has sent, then we should all know and follow HIS Will, but this is not the case. The thoughts of men are not all according to HIS Thoughts, and the ways of men are not all following HIS Way. Through His servant John, Jesus revealed a problem that the church was facing then, and is facing even to this day. And because of the lack of faith, many having ears to hear have the ability to hear, but they can not hear The Witness of The Father through HIS Word. They having eyes to see can see, but they cannot perceive The Things Christ came to reveal of GOD. What GOD has given to reveal HIMSELF, men have sought to change to fit into their own thoughts that they might promote their own ways.
Without receiving The Gift of faith, men are unable to see the evidence in creation that confirms The Truth of What GOD has revealed to us by HIS Word. The things HE has created by HIS Word were made to help reveal The Things of GOD, but they have become as a veil to blind the minds of men, who believed not The Truth of GOD. Many are without understanding, because they believe not HIS Word, Whom HE has sent. And if men believe not HIS Word, then they will follow the thoughts and ways that are not leading The Way to HIM.
Speaking of The Gospel of Christ, Which is of The Things He has seen and heard, Paul said, "...it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16,17). If men are unrighteous because of the thoughts that are darkening their minds, to lead them away from GOD to death, then by receiving The Righteous Thoughts of GOD through HIS Word, men would receive Life through receiving The Everlasting Gospel of Christ. But many of the sayings of Christ, or of The Thoughts of GOD to men through HIS Word were hard for them to understand, because of their own unrighteous thoughts, which blinded their minds from receiving HIS Word of Truth. To this day, many of the people, who study The Word are dull of hearing The Truth, and have closed their eyes from seeing and receiving The Truth, Whom The Father has already revealed.
Paul testified of this dilemma, which is still taking place and said, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away" (2 Corinthians 3:12-16).
In plainness of speech, Paul has made it clear that The Old Testament, including the books of Moses, which many hold as the core of their belief, is like a veil through which The Things of GOD are revealed; including The New Testament and The Book of Revelation. If men had the eyes to see, they would have discerned that it was Christ The Word of GOD, Who was revealing to them The Things of GOD through the prophets, who proclaimed What The Father has revealed to their hearts through HIS Word. It is He, Who moved upon the hearts of men to do The Will of The Father, WHO sent Him. He does not hover and remain distant from the hearts and minds of men, but seeks to come close, to open and reveal to men The Things He has seen and heard of The Father through those, who have received Him. For Jesus said of The Father through His servant David, saying, "Many, O LORD my God, [are] thy wonderful works [which] thou hast done, and thy thoughts [which are] to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: [if] I would declare and speak [of them], they are more than can be numbered.
"Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation" (Psalms 40:5-10).
With this understanding, Paul went on to say, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:17,18). It is only by The Spirit of GOD that we can receive The Revelation of GOD, for He has not concealed in Himself The Things, Which He has come to reveal of The Father.
As Moses reflected to the people, The Light of The Spirit of GOD, Who revealed The Glory of The Father to men, we by HIS Spirit will also reflect His Glory to men, who are in darkness to The Truth of HIS Word. We cannot change into and reflect The Same Image of Glory, if men are able to replace The Treasure and Gift of GOD with the wisdom and cultures of men. For this reason, GOD by HIS Word through His servant Moses said as he stood before HIS Image, reflecting The Light of HIS GLORY to the children of Israel, saying, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and [how] I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth [is] mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him" (Exodus 19:4-7).
Moses did not change The Word given to him, to give to the people, for while he spoke to them by The Spirit of GOD, Who came to them through him, "...it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. And [till] Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel [that] which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him." (Exodus 34:29-35).
For years, many have come before The LORD with their minds and hearts in darkness to The Light revealed to them through The vail of The Old and New Testament of the written Word. And He, Who came to reveal The Things of GOD to the darken hearts of men, have remained locked out from the hearts of many, because their lack the faith to hear and obey The Voice of GOD, WHO is revealed and heard through The Vail of HIS Word, Who said, "...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father..." (John 14:9) Because it is important that men see and hear The Word of GOD, Paul testified and said, "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you" (2 Corinthians 4:1-14).
If The Life of Christ was being manifested through the lives of those, who proclaimed The Word, then The Glory of The Father was being manifested through The Word to the hearts of those, who received HIS Word. Yet the gospel of Christ has been hidden from many within our churches around the world, because the teachings from GOD'S Word are being presented in error to the hearts of men. To protect His church from the deception of man's wisdom, Jesus said through Paul, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now [are ye] light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord [is]. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:6-20).
As it was in The heart of Christ to come into this world, to reveal Himself as The Image of The Father, likewise, we as the church of Christ are to go into all the world, to reflect The Light of Him, Who is The Image of The Father's Glory, to all, who are willing to awake from darkness and death to GOD'S Gift of Light and Life found in The Truth of HIS Word. And by receiving HIS Word of Life, we would avoid HIS Wrath by receiving HIS Gift of Eternal Life.
Again, to protect those, who will be saved at His coming, The Word of GOD through His servant Paul said, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12).
Christ our Righteousness has revealed Himself to us as He, Who came down from above to bear Witness to the glory of The Father, WHO sent Him. But through the unrighteousness of men, many have fallen away from The Light of Truth, as revealed by GOD through HIS Word, and had fallen into an age of darkness and confusion of The Gospel of GOD by HIS Word. The Father through HIS Son had made man to reflect His Glory, but the enemy of GOD and HIS Word has deceived man into his work of being a false witness of GOD and HIS Word. Being a true witness of The Word, John testified of Christ and said, "...what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure [unto him]. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:34-36).
The disciples have testified that they having The Same Spirit of faith, according to What is written in The Word, they having believed have spoken. We, who believe What The Father has revealed to us by HIS Word, we also shall be raised together with them by Jesus Christ at His coming. But many hold not the same belief, or The same faith of Christ, because men through their unrighteous thoughts have preached their loved ones straight into heaven, which is different from the teachings of The Word. As it is written, The Word said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:25-29).
Notice that both good and evil, which are in there graves will hear HIS Voice; those, who have done good will not come from heaven, but will come from their sleep in their graves, to rise on to Life. But those, who rejected and obeyed not HIS Voice, Whom HE has sent, they will rise to face the wrath of GOD, because they rejected The Gift of HIS Son. In His warning of the coming wrath of GOD to the unrighteous man, who believe not The Testimony of Christ, The Word made The Thoughts of GOD known to the church of Rome through His servant Paul, saying, "...the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:15-20).
The wrath of GOD is against the unrighteousness of men, because HE has manifested in us, and has shown to us The Truth of HIS Eternal Gospel, revealing to us The Invisible Things of HIM through the things that have been made. But many do not believe in the work HIS Son has revealed to them in HIS NAME. Paul said, "...my speech and my preaching [was] not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:4-8).
Paul has testified that they, who have preached The Hidden Wisdom of GOD, have done so, because they have received The One, Who speaks the words of GOD. It is of Him that they have received The Things He has seen and heard from The Father. But many are saying to this day that we will never know the hidden things of GOD until Christ comes again in the clouds of heaven. Jesus said to His disciples, "...I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:15,16).
John testified and confirmed The Truth of The Word, Who being The True Witness of GOD, testified and said "The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand" (John 3:35). It is this WITNESS of The Truth That The Father has given to men, Which many are denying that they have received. But those, who received HIS Word, will acknowledge The Truth HE has revealed to them through Him, Whom HE has sent. For it was true then when Isaiah spoke of The Things of GOD, saying, "...since the beginning of the world [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, [what] he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isaiah 64:4).
But now Paul has acknowledged The Truth he and the other disciples had received, and had shared with us, pointing us to the same words of Isaiah when he said, "...as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed [them] unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).
If The Mind of Christ is The Testimony He has revealed to us of The Father and of The Things He has seen and heard, then has He given to man the right to add, delete, change and apply different meanings to fit the wisdom of men? According to What The Father said by HIS Word, It is written, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book" (Revelation 22:13-19).
If there are men in this world preaching things that are different from The Word of GOD, then they are preaching the wisdom of men, which will amount to nothing. May it be the desire of our hearts to receive The Gift The Father has revealed to us from above, that we might reflect The Light of The Word to the hearts of men, who remain in darkness to The Truth as seen and heard of GOD by HIS Word. Amen.
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