The LORD has indeed revealed Himself not only in me but through me as HE continues to confound me in all that HE does. What I mean by this that HE has by way of provision placed in my hands a book electronically in a a down load a book on the Dispensational periods. Not that I am a dispensational kind of person however it does serve to confirm what has already been revealed by Him in me (as His anointing is my anointing. Just as He is in all those who carry His message to the world in the Age of Grace and the New Now Covenant.), as He has within the revelation of the LORD Christ from Genesis through to the end of Revelation. This book was written by a lay person such as I am, Mr. Clarence Larkin titled "Dispensational Truth" published around 1915-19. This is relevant for today as it was back then. The subject matter of my targeted area is Only Trough Christ in His current activity as our High Priest and Advocate and Mediator depending on our station in either Redemption or Salvation. Now for Pastor Hoekstra and his writing on Grace our station in the New Now Covenant of Grace. Then the subject matter will be pulled from the ESV translation and when the LORD gives more understanding I will add it as is my usual habit.
"Our Message in Ministry"
"Lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."(2Corinthians 4:4-5)
"The enemy of men's souls wants to keep perishing people in spiritual blindness (this he accomplishes through the continue deception of the external works of the flesh under the curse of the Law). "But even if our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe." (2Co_4:3-4). This counterfeit god is working on all unbelievers [this includes those of the worlds churches who work under law] (even as he formerly did with us). "In which you once walked according to the course of this (Age) world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). His influence is so extensive. He works through every system (political, economic, educational, religious.... etc.) within the unbelieving world. "The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1John 5:19). The primary purpose of Satan's blinding activities is to keep those in darkness from seeing GOD's light (revelation of Christ restored to man): "Lest the Light (understanding and true Knowledge) of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ, Who is the image of GOD, should shine on them."
Into this dark and blinded world, we come with the message of Light: "the Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ." Only the light of Jesus can overcome spiritual man. As our Lord Jesus proclaimed this wondrous remedy. "I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the Light of Life" (John 8:12). When the Light of Jesus shines into man's darkness, it brings liberating life from GOD. Paul was sent out with this great Gospel: "To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan to GOD" (Acts 26:18).
We are also sent out as vessels of Light. "You are the Light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). We are Light, because Jesus (the true Light) lives in, and can shine through, each of us. "For you were once darkness, but now you are Light in the LORD (risen and ascended Lord). Walk as children of Light" (Ephesians 5:8). We can show forth our LORD in deed and in word. As we follow (the Son of man in which as Jesus, the LORD Yehovah-Elohim ministers daily through those who have become HIS a new) Jesus, His Glorious Light shines through us. As we speak of the LORD Jesus, we declare His glorious majesty.
Remember, the Light of the Gospel is about the Glory of the LORD Christ Jesus: "The Light of the Gospel of the Glory of Christ." Our message is not about us. "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the LORD, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." We are but His servants. He is our message. He is the LORD over all. Thus, He is able to save from all that blinds and binds."
Only Through Christ,
Luke 1:67-79 (speaking of John who become the Baptist) "His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, "Blessed be the LORD GOD (LORD Yehovah-Elohim) of Israel, for HE has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He swore to our father Abraham (this was given while Abraham was a gentile Abram and remember this that Jacob who became Israel was the son of Isaac), to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days (this takes place after the Revelation of Christ at the end of Israel's judgment of seven years yet to come. And before Jesus changes His Ministry as Redeemer and Head of His Church in His Salvation, as Mediator and Advocate, to that of King during His millennial reign). And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins (this they rejected at He death and then again at the death of Stephen who was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke through the Holy Spirit as witness of Jesus as the Christ after Pentecost, NOT "Easter" a pagan name for this day), because of the tender mercy of our GOD, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give Light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Luke 2:25-32 "There was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And HE had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the LORD's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed GOD and said, "LORD, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel."
The Only Door,
John 10:1-10 (Jesus is speaking) "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To Him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice (this is speaking of the departure of His sheep the Church or His Body as a bride who were placed in His side as woman was taken from the side of Adam in Genesis 221-24, a secret or mystery. As these people are not slated for wrath having already been judged innocent by Redemption in order to receive Salvation or healing.). A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers (speaking of the Hebrew elite composed of doctors, lawyers and the religious Priesthood under law), but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have Life and have it abundantly."
The Only Savior,
Acts 4:5-12 "The next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders (the high minded men and women of the Jewish political religious elite under Law), if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom GOD raised from the dead—by (through) Him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is Salvation (healing of spirit in man) in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
His Grace Sufficient,
Acts 15:6-11 (This is taking place at the Council at Jerusalem) "The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days GOD made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe. And GOD, Who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as HE did to us, and HE made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting GOD to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But (For) we believe that we will be saved (healed and restored) through the Grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
His Blood Avails,
Romans 5:6-11 "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but GOD shows His Love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been Justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of GOD. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to GOD by the death of His Son, much more, Now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His Life. More than that, we also rejoice in GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have Now received Reconciliation."
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 "Now (the present Age of Grace) concerning the times (Now) and the seasons (future dispensations...ie the Revelation of Christ, the fire to restorer the world in Righteousness after the turning of the millennial Kingdom in which Jesus is King for a thousand years and turns His Kingdom over to GOD, His Kingdom purified by fire and then the new Now Eternal), brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the LORD (the removal of the Body, or Church and Bride) will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief (for we are told to be ever in the ready for this day down to praying for it to come swiftly). For you are all children of Light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of Faith and Love (the command or law of this present Age and time), and for a helmet the hope of Salvation. For GOD has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our LORD, Jesus Christ, Who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with (suffer His ascension as) Him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing."
For the Obedient,
Hebrews 5:1-4, 5-10 "Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to GOD, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by GOD, just as Aaron was.
So Christ did not exalt Himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by Him Who said to Him, "You are MY Son, today I have begotten You" (in Psalm 2:7 and 89:27); as He says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek" (in Psalm 110:4). In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him Who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being designated by GOD a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek (this is His current station as Mediator between GOD and man our communicator and Advocate if we sin He stands the Righteous one before the Father for the righteous only.)
At His Coming,
Heb 9:23-10:10 "Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with Better sacrifice than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of GOD on our behalf. Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages (the Age of Innocence, The Age of Judgment by Flood, the Age of Government which is still in operation, the Age of the Hebrews only under law, the Whole of the old Testament Ages) to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, Will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him. For since the Law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near (through its demands of self effort of works). Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world (the end, to close of the Hebrew only Age), He said, "Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but a body have You prepared for Me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do Your Will, O GOD, as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.'" When He said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the Law), then He added, "Behold, I have come to do Your Will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that Will we have been Sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."
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