A Bible You Can Understand

Christ’s Bride – Prepared by the Matured Overcomers

SCRIPTURE

Revelation 19:

7 Let us rejoice and exult, and let us give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.

NOTEs: "His wife" refers to the church (Eph. 5:24-25), the bride of Christ (John 3:29). However, according to vv. 8-9, the wife, the bride of Christ, here consists only of the overcoming believers during the millennium; whereas the bride, the wife, in 21:2 is composed of all the saved saints after the millennium for eternity. The readiness of the bride depends on the maturity in life of the overcomers. Furthermore, the overcomers are not separate individuals but a corporate bride. For this aspect, building is needed. The overcomers not only are mature in life but also are built together as one bride.

PRAYER: Lord, we love You. Have mercy on us. Cause us to pursue You in the best way so that we may constituted with Your life, fully matured, to become Your bride and bring You back! Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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Receive an Inheritance

Bible Verses

Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. Col 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.

Words of Ministry

As the result of having our eyes opened and of being transferred from the authority of Satan to God, we not only have the forgiveness of sins on the negative side, but also we receive an inheritance on the positive side. This divine inheritance is the Triune God Himself with all that He has, all He has done, and all He will do for His redeemed people. This Triune God is embodied in the all-inclusive Christ (Col. 2:9), who is the portion allotted to the saints as their inheritance (Col. 1:12). The Holy Spirit, who has been given to the saints, is the foretaste, the seal, the pledge, and the guarantee of this divine inheritance (Eph. 1:13-14), which we are sharing and enjoying today in God's New Testament jubilee as a foretaste, and will share and enjoy in full in the coming age and for eternity (1 Pet. 1:4). In the type of the jubilee in Leviticus 25:8-13, the main blessings were the liberty proclaimed and the returning of every man unto his own inheritance. In the fulfillment of the jubilee here, liberation from the authority of darkness and receiving the divine inheritance are also the primary blessings. In the Old Testament the twelve tribes of Israel each received an allotment, a portion, of the good land for an inheritance. The good land is a type of the all-inclusive Christ given to us as our inheritance. Therefore, Christ, the embodiment of the processed Triune God, is our inheritance.(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You for all that you have accomplished, obtained and obtained in Your human living, crucifixion, death and resurrection – our inheritance. Lord grant us a rich experience of You day by day as the reality of all these things. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.com ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Acts, p. 602. Both are Published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim.(Repeat 7/7/01)

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In 1869, Ulysses S. Grant was sworn into the Presidency and the last stake was driven into the transcontinental railroad. That same year, two men — a fruit merchant named Joseph Campbell and an icebox manufacturer named Abraham Anderson — shook hands in Camden, New Jersey, to form a business that would one day become one of the most recognized in the world and serve as a symbol of Americana: Campbell Soup Company. Originally called the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company, the business produced canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments, and minced meats. In 1897, a major milestone occurred when Arthur Dorrance, the general manager of the company, reluctantly hired his 24-year-old nephew to join the company. Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist who had trained in Europe, was so determined to join Campbell that he agreed to pay for laboratory equipment out of his own pocket and accept a token salary of just $7.50 per week.

Dr. Dorrance quickly made his mark on history with the invention of condensed soup in 1897. By eliminating the water in canned soup, he lowered the costs for packaging, shipping, and storage. This made it possible to offer a 10-ounce can of Campbell’s condensed soup for a dime, versus more than 30 cents for a typical 32-ounce can of soup. The idea became so hot with Americans that in 1922, the company formally adopted "Soup" as its middle name.

Advertising helped trumpet the benefits of soup to consumers and contributed to the success. In 1904, the cherubic Campbell Kids were introduced in a series of trolley car advertisements, as a way to appeal to working mothers. Around this same time, the first magazine print ad boasted 21 varieties, each selling for a dime. In the 1930’s, Campbell entered into radio sponsorship, using the familiar "M’m! M’m! Good!" jingle to captivate listeners. When television made its way to American homes in the 1950’s, Campbell introduced TV commercials, and some 40 years later, the Campbell Kids were found dancing to rap songs on the small screen. Today, Campbell remains one of the leading advertisers in the US.

One Spirit with the Lord:

SCRIPTURE:

1 Corinthians:

6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.
15:45 So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul"; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit.

NOTEs:

[Our being one spirit with the Lord Spirit] refers to the believers’ organic union with the Lord through believing into Him (John 3:15-16). It is a matter not only of life but in life (the divine life). Such a union with the resurrected Lord can only be in our spirit. Our spirit has been regenerated by the Spirit of God (John 3:6), who is now in us (v. 19) and is one with our spirit (Rom. 8:16). This is the realization of the Lord, who became the life-giving Spirit through resurrection (15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17) and who is now with our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22). This mingled spirit is often referred to in Paul’s Epistles, e.g., in Rom. 8: 4-6.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming, in resurrection, The Spirit. Thank You that we, the believers, have been joined to You and are one spirit with You. Lord keep us in the realm of our mingled spirit, enjoying You, touching You and living by and with You. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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Faith Not Being Feeling

Bible Verses

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by appearance) Romans 10:17 So faith comes out of hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Words of Ministry

Some people are not hoping, praying, or waiting, but they are looking for feelings. A sister said that she had surrendered and believed that the Lord was living in her, but she dared not say that she had overcome. This was because from the day she received the Lord Jesus as her victory, she had never had any feeling about it... There may be some occasions when feelings are useful. However, feelings are useless in understanding the things of God. The hand can only touch things and sense their temperature; it cannot see a picture. Spiritual things can be substantiated only by faith; they cannot be substantiated by feelings. We overcome because of the Word of God. God speaks, and it is done. This is not a matter of feeling some kind of strength or experiencing some exuberant sensation for a few days. In order to overcome, there needs to be only one word from the Lord.

God has given us a covenant which says that meekness is ours, patience is ours, and love, temperance, and everything in Christ are ours. But when you lose your temper again, and your pride, uncleanness, and failures come back, what should you do? If you believe God's Word, you should say,“God, I thank and praise You because I can be meek, patient, humble, loving, and temperate. I can be all these because Christ is living in me.” As long as you grasp hold of God's Word, the things you fear will go away.(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You we do not live by our feelings. We live by Your word and by the faith that comes when we hear Your word. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.com ) and Words of Ministry from The Overcoming Life, pp. 122-124. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA (Repeat 7/29/97)

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Willing to be Headed Up in Christ

SCRIPTIURE

Ephesians 1:

9 Making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself,
10 Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him;

NOTE: Through all the dispensations of God in all the ages, all things will be headed up in Christ in the new heaven and new earth. That will be God's eternal administration and economy...The believers participate in this heading up by being willing to be headed up in the church life, by growing in life, and by living under Christ's light (John 1:4; Rev. 21:23-25). When everything is headed up in Christ, there will be absolute peace and harmony (Isa. 2:4; 11:6; 55:12; Psa. 96:12-13), a full rescue out of the collapse. This will begin from the time of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21).

PRAYER: Thank You Lord for becoming the Head over all things, to the church. Lord be our Head today. We like to have the real experience of being subject to You in all things. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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A Qualification for Being Used by God

Bible Verses

Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord,(47) And my spirit has exulted in God my Savior; (50) And His mercy is unto generations and generations, unto those who fear Him.(51) He has exercised might with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in the understanding of their heart.(52) He has brought down potentates from thrones and has exalted the humble; (53) The hungry He has filled with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty.

Words of Ministry

Mary's poetic praise [from vs. 46-55] is composed of many quotations from the Old Testament. This indicates that she was a godly woman, qualified to be a channel for the Savior's incarnation. It also indicates that the Lord Jesus would grow up in a family which would be filled with the knowledge and love of God's holy Word. Although Mary was a young woman, she was very knowledgeable concerning the Old Testament and could quote verses from it in her praise to God. Actually, her praise was a composition of quotations from the Scriptures. Surely she was the right person for God to use in conceiving the Savior who was to be born. Mary's praise indicates that in order for us to be used by God, we need to have certain qualifications. One qualification is the proper knowledge of the Word of God. I hope that the young people in particular will learn of Mary in this matter. Do you intend to be used by the Lord to bring forth something of the Lord, even, in a spiritual sense, to "conceive" the Lord Jesus and bring Him forth? If so, then you need to be qualified by being filled with the Scriptures, filled with the Word of God.(c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we love You. Day by day fill us with Your word; constitute us with what has been breathed out of God, for Your purpose and Your glory. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (See: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, pp. 33-34. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.(Repeat 8/1/01)

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Being Saved by Calling on the Name of the Lord to Enjoy His Riches

SCRIPTURE:

Romans 10:

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him;
13 For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

NOTEs:[Verse 12] shows that God selects us, redeems us, justifies us, sanctifies us, conforms us, and glorifies us in Christ in order that we may enjoy His unsearchable riches in Christ (Eph 3:8). The secret to this enjoyment is to call on His name. Calling on the name of the Lord is the secret not only to our salvation but also to our enjoyment of the Lord's riches. Beginning with Enosh, the third generation of mankind,(Gen. 4:26) and continuing all the way down to the New Testament believers, God's chosen and redeemed ones enjoyed Christ's redemption and salvation and all His riches by means of this secret. To be saved [in this verse] means to be brought into the enjoyment of the riches of the Lord. The Lord is rich to both Jews and Greeks. All who call on the Lord's name enjoy this rich Lord; as a result, they are filled with Him and express Him.

PRAYER: Oh, Lord Jesus. Dear Lord Jesus. How we love to speak Your name. How we love to call upon Your name. It is the highest name and the only name by which we can be saved. Save us more and more today Lord Jesus. We love You. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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Calling On the Lord to Be Saved (1)

Bible Verses

Acts 2:17 “And it shall be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh...(21) And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Gen 4:26 ...then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Words of Ministry

[Part 1 of 4] Calling on the name of the Lord is not a new practice in the New Testament. It began with Enosh, the third generation of mankind, in Genesis 4:26. It was continued by Job (Job. 12:4), Abraham (Gen. 12:8; 13:4), Isaac (Gen. 26:25), Moses and the children of Israel (Deut. 4:7), Samson (Judg. 16:28), Samuel (1 Sam. 12:18), David (Psa. 86:5, 7; 116:4, 13, 17),...Elijah (1 Kings 18:24), Isaiah (Isa. 12:4), Jeremiah (Lam. 3:55, 57), and others (Psa. 99:6). All these practiced calling on the name of the Lord in the Old Testament age. Isaiah also charged God's seekers to call upon Him (Isa. 55:6). Even the Gentiles knew that the prophets of Israel used to call on the name of God (Jonah 1:6; 2 Kings 5:11). The Gentile raised up by God from the north also called upon His name (Isa. 41:25). It is God's commandment (Psa. 50:15; Jer. 29:12) and desire (Psa. 91:15; Zeph. 3:9; Zech. 13:9) that His people call on Him. It is the joyful way to drink from the fountain of God's salvation (Isa. 12:3-4), and the enjoyable way to delight oneself in God (Job 27:10), that is, to enjoy Him. Hence, God's people must call upon Him daily (Psa. 88:9). It is such a jubilant practice that Joel prophesied (Joel 2:32) for the New Testament jubilee.[continued tomorrow]

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we love Your name and we love to call upon Your name to be saved from so many things. Oh, Lord Jesus, keep us calling upon Your name in every place, today. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of Thessalonians, pp. 69-70. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim.(Repeat 11/15/00)

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Calling On the Lord to Be Saved (2)

Bible Verses

1 Corinthians 1:2 To the church of God which is in Corinth...with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours. Romans 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him;

Words of Ministry

[Part 2 of 4] In the New Testament calling on the name of the Lord is mentioned first by Peter, in Acts 2:21, on the day of Pentecost as the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy. This fulfillment is related to God's outpouring of the all- inclusive Spirit economically upon His chosen people so that they may participate in His New Testament jubilee. Joel's prophecy and its fulfillment for God's New Testament jubilee have two aspects: on God's side, He poured out His Spirit in the ascension of the resurrected Christ; on our side, we call on the name of the ascended Lord who has accomplished all, attained unto all, and obtained all.

It is vitally necessary for us, the believers in Christ, to participate in and enjoy the all-inclusive Christ with all He has accomplished, attained, and obtained. It is a major practice in God's New Testament economy that we may enjoy the processed Triune God for our full salvation (Rom. 10:10- 13). The early believers practiced this everywhere, and it became a popular sign of Christ's believers toward the unbelievers, especially the persecutors (Acts 9:14, 21). When Stephen suffered persecution, he practiced this (7:59), and his practice surely impressed Saul, one of his persecutors (7:58-60). Then the unbelieving Saul persecuted these callers (9:14, 21) by taking their calling as a sign. Immediately after Saul was caught by the Lord, Ananias, who brought him into the fellowship of the Body of Christ, charged him to be baptized, calling on the name of the Lord [22:16], to show others that he also had become such a caller.
[continued tomorrow]

Prayer

Lord Jesus, make us "normal callers", ones who call on Your name out of a pure heart in every place. We love You Lord. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of Acts, pp. 70-71. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.

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Calling On the Lord to Be Saved (3)

Bible Verses

Acts 9:14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Your name. 2 Timothy 2:22 But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Words of Ministry

[Part 3 of 4] According to 9:14, Saul had authority from the chief priest to bind all who called on the name of the Lord Jesus. His intention in going to Damascus was to arrest all those who called on the Lord's name. This indicates that in the early days calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus was a sign of being a follower of the Lord. This calling must have been audible so that others could hear. Thus, it became a sign. At the time of Saul, the believers were those who called on the name of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus, and Saul said, "Who are You, Lord?" (9:5). Later Ananias came to Saul and said to him, "Rise up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (22:16). Here Ananias seemed to be saying, "Brother Saul, you persecuted the saints for calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. They regard you as a persecutor, one who arrested the believers because they called on the name of the Lord. Now you have repented and have turned to the Lord. But how can those who consider you a persecutor recognize that you are now a brother? The only way for them to recognize you is that you call on the name of the Lord. So arise and be baptized by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. While you are being baptized and calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, the saints will be very happy to hear that you also call on this name." [continued tomorrow]

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we like to pursue You with all those who call upon Your name. Oh, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of Acts, pp. 72-73. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. See us at: www.emanna.com

Calling on the Lord to Be Saved (4)

Bible Verses

Acts 7:59 And they stoned Stephen as he called upon the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Words of Ministry

[Part 4 of 4] The Greek word for "call upon" is epikaleo, composed of epi, upon, and kaleo, call by name, that is, to call out audibly, even loudly, as Stephen did. As we consider Acts 2:21 in its context, we see that the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all flesh, that is, upon all human beings, is for the purpose that people will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. This is the reason Paul says that if one is to be saved, he needs to call on the name of the Lord.

When we preach the gospel and help others to be saved, we need to encourage them to call on the name of the Lord and say, "O Lord Jesus!" From experience we know that the stronger a person calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, the stronger will be his experience of salvation. Let us suppose that someone who has heard the preaching of the gospel and who wants to be saved prays softly and weakly, "Lord Jesus, You love me, and You died for me. I believe in You." It may be difficult to recognize that one who prays in such a weak manner is saved. However, suppose someone strongly calls on the name of the Lord Jesus and says, "Lord Jesus! O Lord Jesus! I'm a sinner, Lord, but You died for me! O Lord Jesus, I love You!" No doubt, anyone who prays like this, calling strongly on the name of the Lord, is saved. He may even be beside himself with joy in the Lord for His salvation.

Prayer

Oh, Lord Jesus! Make us beside ourselves with joy, calling upon Your name. Lord Jesus! We love Your name and we love You. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of Acts, pp. 71-72. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.

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The Spirit of Jesus Christ -- a Bountiful Supply To Us

SCRIPTURES:

Philippians 1:

19 For I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

NOTEs: The Greek word "bountiful" [in this verse] refers to the supplying of all the needs of the chorus by the choragus, the leader of the chorus...The bountiful supply of the all-inclusive Spirit enabled Paul to live and magnify Christ in his sufferings for Him. The Spirit of Jesus Christ is "the Spirit" mentioned in John 7:39. This is not merely the Spirit of God before the Lord's incarnation but the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit with divinity, after the Lord's resurrection, compounded with the Lord's incarnation (humanity), human living under the cross, crucifixion and resurrection. The holy anointing ointment in Exo. 30:23-25, a compound of olive oil and four kinds of spices, is a full type of this compound Spirit of God, who is now the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Here it is not the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7) or the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) but the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The spirit of Jesus is related mainly to the Lord's humanity and human living; the Spirit of Christ is related mainly to the Lord's resurrection. To experience the Lord's humanity, as illustrated in 2:5-8, we need the Spirit of Jesus. To experience the power of the Lord's resurrection, as mentioned in 3:10, we need the Spirit of Christ.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus; You are the bountiful supply. In You we have everything we need. Lord Jesus, spread in us more and more today. We love You. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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Living a Life without Anxiety (2)

Bible Verses

Matt 6:25 Because of this, I say to you, Do not be anxious for your life, what you should eat or what you should drink; nor for your body, what you should put on...(26) Look at the birds of heaven. They do not sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father nourishes them. Are you not of more value than they?

Words of Ministry

[Part 2 of 3] When the young people hear this word [about having no anxiety], they may say,“Hallelujah! Because the Lord Jesus has touched anxiety, the gear of human life, we don't need to study or work hard. If we are hungry, we can simply eat some leftovers.” This concept is wrong.

Does the Lord intend that the young people finish school, or drop out and be like birds in the air? It is wrong to have anxiety, for anxiety does not belong to the divine life. There is no anxiety in the life of God. However, the Lord does not mean that we should not do our duty. When the Lord brought the children of Israel into the good land, they all had to work on the land. That was their duty. Whether or not the good land produced a rich harvest depended on a number of things: the weather, the sunshine, the proper amount of rain, and the right temperature. None of these things was under the control of the children of Israel. Their responsibility was just to labor on the land. They labored not only for themselves, but also for the birds. If they did not do the work of farming, it would have been difficult for the birds to live. To do their duty was right and necessary, but to have anxiety was wrong. Likewise, we must do our duty today, but do it without being anxious about our living.[continued tomorrow]

Prayer

Lord Jesus, strengthen us to do our duty without anxiety. Be our real peace, joy, comfort and rest today. We love You Lord. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, pp. 275-277. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.(Repeat 5/7/99)

Emanna for 06/28/2005. Please visit us at www.emanna.com

WTF?

Living a Life without Anxiety (3)

Bible Verses

Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves dig through and steal.(20) But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not dig through nor steal.
Words of Ministry

[Part 3 of 3][Just as the children of Israel all had to labor on the good land], today the young people must till the ground, sow the seed, and water the crop by studying diligently and graduating from high school and college. But they must not do this because of anxiety. We must differentiate anxiety from duty. But as you are studying and completing your education, you must be different from the worldly people. The worldly ones study for the sake of their anxiety; you should not study for anxiety, but to fulfill your duty.

Do not endeavor to have a savings account of a million dollars. Rather, learn to give and lay up treasures in heaven. Transfer your treasures from the earth to the heavens. Your duty is to earn your degree and then to make riches. But do not seek to become a millionaire. Instead, be a good giver according to the life and nature of your heavenly Father.
We all have our duty to do. As we are fulfilling our duty, we should not do anything for the sake of our anxiety, because we have a divine life that knows no anxiety. And we have an almighty and all-inclusive heavenly Father who takes care of us in every way. Today's world is filled with anxiety, but the kingdom people should not be anxious about anything. Like the children of Israel who had enough to live on and who gave certain portions away for various purposes, we also should have a harvest and be willing to give a certain amount away for various purposes. Eventually, all we give will be laid up in the heavenly bank, and all our riches will be there.

Prayer

Thank You Lord. Because of You and in You we have the divine life that knows no anxiety. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org ) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, pp. 278-279. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.(Repeat 5/10/99)

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Emanna for 04/03/2007

The Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus (1)

Bible Verses

Acts 16:6 And they passed through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.(7) And when they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, yet the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Words of Ministry

[Part 1 of 2] We need to pay careful attention to two divine titles in verses 6 and 7: the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus. The interchangeable use of the Spirit of Jesus with the Holy Spirit in the preceding verse reveals that the Spirit of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a general title of the Spirit of God in the New Testament. The Spirit of Jesus is a particular expression concerning the Spirit of God, and refers to the Spirit of the incarnated Savior who, as Jesus in His humanity, passed through human living and death on the cross. This indicates that in the Spirit of Jesus there is not only the divine element of God, but also the human element of Jesus and the elements of His human living and His suffering of death as well. The title "the Holy Spirit" was used for the first time at the time of the conception of the Lord Jesus. It was when the time came to prepare the way for Christ's coming and to prepare a human body for Him to initiate the New Testament dispensation that the term the Holy Spirit came into use (Luke 1:15, 35; Matt. 1:18, 20)...this title is involved with the Lord's incarnation. In Acts 16:7, Luke turns from the Holy Spirit to the Spirit of Jesus. As a man, Jesus was first living a human life and then was crucified and resurrected, and He ascended to the heavens and has been made Lord and Christ. The Holy Spirit involves only the incarnation and birth of the Lord Jesus, but the Spirit of Jesus involves His humanity, human living, death, resurrection, and ascension.
[Continued tomorrow](c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.

Prayer

Thank You Lord, for becoming a man and for being willing to be processed to become the Spirit of Jesus. Lord, work Yourself into us, more and more today. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (see: www.biblesforamerica.org )and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Acts, pp. 378-379. Both are Published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim.(Repeat 4/25/01)

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Our Eternal Inheritance

Scripture

Acts 20:32: And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who have been sanctified.

Notes

The Greek word here [for inheritance] refers to the legal inheritance of a share of an estate…This inheritance is the Triune God Himself with all He has, all He has done, and all He will do for His redeemed people. The Triune God is embodied in the all-inclusive Christ (Col. 2:9), who is the portion allotted to the saints as their inheritance (Col. 1:12). The Holy Spirit who has been given to the saints, is the foretaste, the pledge, and the guarantee of this divine inheritance (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:14), which we are sharing and enjoying today as a foretaste in God’s New Testament jubilee, and which we will enjoy in full in the coming age and for eternity.(1 Pet. 1:4)…To participate in God’s inheritance requires us to be sanctified, and to be sanctified requires the word of God’s grace (John 17:17).

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You Yourself are our eternal inheritance. Sanctify us, more and more, day by day so that we can partake of and enjoy this inheritance. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
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The Faith of the Operation of God

Scripture:

Colossians 2:

12 Buried together with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised Him from the dead.

NOTEs: Faith is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God (2 Pet. 2:11). The more we turn to God and contact Him, the more faith we have. The Lord is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:12). The more we abide in Him, the more we are infused with Him as our faith. It is through this living faith produced by the operation of the living God that we experience the resurrection life, signified by the raising aspect of baptism.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we come to You again, the Author and Perfector of our faith. Infuse us today with Yourself as our faith. We open wide to You. We love You Lord Jesus. Amen.

Scripture and notes are taken from "a bible you can understand."
See: http://biblesforamerica.org

Emanna for 08/13/2007

Having Faith in the Midst of Storms (1)

Bible Verses

Luke 8:22 And on one of the days He and His disciples got into a boat. And He said to them, Let us go over to the other side of the lake. And they launched out.(23) And while they were sailing, He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down upon the lake, and they began to fill with water and were in danger.(24) And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, Master, Master, we are perishing! And being awakened, He rebuked the wind and the surging of the water, and they ceased, and there was a calm.(25) And He said to them, Where is your faith? And they became frightened and marveled, saying to one another, Who then is this, that He orders even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?

Words of Ministry

[Part 1 of 2] According to the New Testament, faith is always based on the word of the Lord. If we did not have a word from the Lord, we would not have any basis for our faith. The Lord's word produces faith. What was the word given to the disciples by the Lord in this instance? It was the word, recorded in verse 22: "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." Since the Lord had spoken this word, certainly He would fulfill it.

Since the disciples had both the Lord's word and His presence, they should have been at peace, not caring about the storm. The Lord had told them to go to the other side of the lake, and the Lord was with them in the boat. They should not have been frightened by the storm.

Our trouble as today's followers of the Lord is that when a storm comes we often forget the Lord's word. Furthermore, instead of looking at the Lord, we may look at the storm. We all need to learn that whenever we are on a journey following the Lord and a storm arises, we should look at the sleeping Lord and not at the storm. We should not care for the storm- we should care for the Lord's word. The Lord always fulfills His word. Hence, when He tells us to go over to the other side, we may be sure that we shall reach the other side, no matter what kind of storms may come.
[Continued tomorrow](c) 2007 Living Stream Ministry.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, remind us of Your word when the storm comes. Cause us not to look at the storm but to look away to You that we may receive faith. We love You Lord. Amen.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible (RcV) and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life-study of Luke, p. 161. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA.(Repeat 11/29/01)

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