It is necessary for us as saints in the church – ‘ekklēsịa’ to move forward in the power of the revelatory truth of the Word of God, which encompasses the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit at this time.

 

This truth is equivalent to the statement of the letter to the Hebrews, which speaks of the sharpness of the Word of God in terms of a living, powerful, and sharp two-edged sword dealing with the inner man (cf. Hebrews 4:12-13).

 

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

 

Here it is essential to abide in the love of God – ‘agąpē’ moving coupled with His truth, which includes obeying the Word of God. This is how the true discipleship of Christ is recognized (cf. John 14:23-24).

 

John 14:23-24:

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

 

 

=> Like the scribes and John the Baptist, Jesus too had ‘scholars’ who submitted to His authority and followed Him everywhere.

 

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

 

25 Large crowds were travelling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters – yes, even their own life – such a person cannot be my disciple.

27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

 

In the New Testament the term ‘disciples of Jesus’ not only describes the twelve apostles, but in a sense all Christians who submit under the authority of Jesus Christ and continue under spiritually competent i.e. mature leadership (see Matthew 28:19-20).

 

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

In the book of Acts the church is often described as ‘disciples’, where nowadays we would say ‘Christians’; this labeling given to the disciples of Jesus by their environment initially carried a rather deprecatory tone, ‘Christians’ (see Acts 11:26).

 

… 26 and when he (note: Barnabas) found him (note: Saul), he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

 

True disciples of Jesus are scholars/students who continue to learn, grow and search for knowledge of their callings and goals (citation from Rick Joyner). <= (note: The text in ‘italics’ is based on a part excerpt from the Luther Bible Edition CD-ROM and a statement by Rick Joyner.)

 

By truly following Jesus, the power of God’s Word is revealed, which is seen in the love – ‘agąpē’ of the saints in question for Christ and the plans of the Heavenly Father, as well as His will for His church – the ‘ekklēsịa’ in the present day (cf. Matthew 10:35-39).

 

35 For I have come to turn “ ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – 36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. …”

 

 

When the Word of God is preached in love – ‘agąpē’ and truth, as well as lived out among the saints in the midst of the church – the ‘ekklēsịa’, confrontations occur with the lifestyle of believers who behave like Hymenaeus, Alexander and Philetus (cf. 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 2 Timothy 2:15-18).

 

18 Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, 19 holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.

20 Among them are Hymenaeus (note: means ‘the God of weddings’) and Alexander (note: means “man-defender’), whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

 

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.

17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus (note: means ‘the God of weddings’) and Philetus (note: means ‘amiable’), 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

 

The three persons in the mentioned scriptures can also be considered a threefold cord of darkness, which builds on false covenants, despises the anointing or power of the prophetic word and the promise contained therein, as well as opposes spiritual authority.

 

The concept of false covenant is an agreement, arrangement, or contract between at least two sides of persons or groups of persons (note: parties) in which the larger party enters into an alignment with the smaller party to achieve the common goal of darkness. Related to this is that the iniquity of the smaller party gains influence. This demonic agreement results in the smaller party moving to a higher level of wickedness, with the goal of spreading darkness.

 

It is about the attitudes in the heart of people who submit to the enemy in humanism, which means practicing love for man than living in the revelatory truth of God’s Word and His love. They are people who are earthly minded and misinterpret the realm of the spirit and its events, looking from the temporary understanding of time and mainly acting in impatience.

 

This leads to a wrong spiritual view, which is set by the adversary to cause spiritual deformities in the form of ‘false cell division’ fueled by pride, in order to bring division among disciples and in communities.

 

It is of utmost demand that we as saints be in the right structure with the right hollow measure in order to bring forth good fruits from the true fellowship of saints that enriches our relationships and society.

 

Such a fellowship is similar to a fig basket that holds only healthy figs or fruit without tolerating anything rotten due to false love (note: humanism, false understanding of sexuality/intimacy, authority; cf. Jeremiah 24:1b.2).

 

… 1b the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord.

2 One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten.

 

The Hebrew word ‘dûd’ used for ‘basket’ is connected with the Hebrew word ‘dôd’, which is used for ‘beloved’. (note: word explanation taken from the Elberfelder Study Bible with the word key number: 1765, 1766)

 

It is our mandate to be in a healthy spiritual relationship with one another and to turn away from those who deliberately allow themselves to be used by the enemy to walk in any kind of false understanding of covenant (note: made determinations that don’t correspond to the truth of God’s Word), humanism (note: love of and honor for people), and an oppositional behavior toward true spiritual authority, as well as a life of perverted sexuality and intimacy.

 

As a result, the separation between the sheep and the goats is carried out as well as revealed (cf. Ezekiel 34:17 i.c.w. Matthew 25:32b-33).

 

17 “ ‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. …”

 

Matthew 25:32b-33: … and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the

goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

 

We live in a time when people in the world will be sensitive to discern whether we are hypocritical ‘Christians’ (note: someone who feels some connection to the Christian faith but lives by their own standards) or disciples in love with Jesus Christ.

 

These disciples follow the truth, being obedient in everything to the One who reveals Himself as the only truth, which enables them to position themselves in the true love of God and to be able to transmit it to others. This pure and true love is what many people in our society are looking for after being hurt by the effects of humanism, corruption as well as perverted sexuality.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm