The Ruler...

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The Father has made the Lord Jesus Christ the Ruler of all God has created. The Father has ordained that the Lord have a number of brothers who are to govern along with Him. In order for this to occur, Christ must be formed in His brothers. According to the Scriptures, the brothers of Christ will be brought forth in the closing days of the Church Age.

(5/30/2010). Notice the following prophecy, the Word that I think gave to the three travelers from the East the knowledge that Christ was to be born in Bethlehem:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. (Micah 5:2,3)

"Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites." This is speaking of the "ruler in Israel," who obviously is the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus has not asserted His rulership over the nation of Israel, because the time had not come of the Church to bring forth Christ in the members of His Body. Jesus has determined that His brothers shall rule with Him and share in the inheritance.

I am inclined to believe the time has come for Jesus and His brothers, the members of the Body of Christ, to return and deliver the Jews from their oppressors; and this is why the Scriptures are opening to us the way they are. The following passage may suggest that the forming of Christ in the members of His Body may be a somewhat sudden event:

Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve. Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?" says your God. (Isaiah 66:6-9)

Before the Church went into labor, the Son, Jesus Christ was born. But then, just as soon as Zion travailed in birth, she brought forth the brothers of the Lord. This warns us that events in the spirit realm will develop quickly from this point forward. The spiritual darkness will increase, but so will the Light of God.

First the Son, born without travail. Then the travail and the brothers are born.

Notice the travail of the Church:

"She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth."

Do we find evidence in the New Testament of the birth of the brothers of Christ?

The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. (Revelation 12:4,5)

The child who is born at this moment is not the Lord Jesus. It is His brothers. The "woman" here is not Mary, it is the Church.

The members of Christ's Body are caught up to God and to His throne. This is an event we experience. As we keep praying until we "pray through," we feel in ourselves that we have overcome the darkness of the world. We sense that we have been caught up to the Throne of God and are seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Are the saints actually going to govern along with Christ?

Notice the following:

In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13,14)

Of course, the Person "like a son of man" is our Lord Jesus.

But notice carefully the following:

I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me. I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things: "The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth. But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever." (Daniel 7:16-18)

The interpretation of the vision is that "the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever."

The "one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven," is the Lord Jesus. But the interpretation of the vision is that "the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdoms and will possess it forever."

I take from this that either "the clouds of heaven" are the saints with whom the Lord comes, or their coming is the same as His coming in that He is in them and they are living by His Life. Even if they are the clouds of heaven mentioned here, it still is true that it is Christ in them; for it is certain we cannot rule apart from the Life of Christ in us.

When Christ walked the earth it was the Father who was doing the works and announcing His own Words. This is what Jesus told us. But the Father Himself was not visible to us.

I do not think it is too much of a stretch to think of the appearing of the governing saints to be actually the governing of Christ who is in them; but yet when the Lord returns, in some instances it will be only the saints who are visible.

It is true and scriptural that we are to be made one with Christ as He is One with the Father. This is the prayer of the Lord. Also, Paul, in Romans, tells us that we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Him who is the Firstborn among many brothers.

So, in accordance with the Scriptures, Mount Zion, the Church of the Firstborn, is in travail today. You and I are experiencing these birth pangs. They demand our compliance in the deepest roots of our being.

We have been destined to sit with the Lord Jesus on the highest throne of all. The price attached to such an exalted position is the highest possible. All that we think, say, and do must be given to Jesus until we are living by His very Life. Only then will we be a part of the One to whom the Father has given authority, glory, and sovereign power over all peoples, nations, and men of every language. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

God is not building up the members of the Body of Christ so they can go to Heaven but so they can return with Christ and bring justice to the peoples of the earth.

You can hear the morning sermon at morning. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

You can hear the evening sermon at evening. http://www.wor.org/audio/audio.htm

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