Latest / Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons / Our Union in Christ pt. 2

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Our Union in Christ pt. 2 · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF sermons.
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Each message here is designed to uplift and strengthen you in your walk with God.
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Don't miss out, stay with us until the end for our rewarding experience.
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Let's dive right in.
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So thank you so much pastor for the opportunity to preach again.
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We will continue from where we stopped a couple of Sundays ago, about two Sundays ago, and
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we will just build on it.
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As we know, the theme of the year is manifesting the kingdom of God.
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Please let's never forget that throughout this year, this is what we are doing right,
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manifesting the kingdom of God.
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And we are going to go through many teachings in line with that.
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So the last time I told, I just mentioned that the topic was actually our union with
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Christ, right?
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Our union with Christ, our union with Christ.
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I think I don't know if I put the subtitle, which I wrote, a reality that continues afterwards.
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Right?
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Our union is Christ is a reality that continues afterwards.
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It's not a reality that ends here.
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Right?
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Our union with Christ is a reality that continues afterwards, after this body is done functioning.
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That union with Christ, right, is not something that ends here.
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Right?
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But it continues.
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So our union with Christ is eternal union, you know, is an eternal union.
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That's another way to explain eternal life.
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Right?
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Our union with Christ is an eternal union, is something that continues after we are done
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here.
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And 1 Corinthians 15, just that really gives us this explanation.
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1 Corinthians 15.
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You read from verse 12, I just read from verse 12 to verse 20 and 21.
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Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you see that there
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is no resurrection of the dead?
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But if there's no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
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And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in
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vain.
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We are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testify about God that he raised
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Christ whom he did not raise.
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Right?
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This is a scenario.
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If truly there's no resurrection, if it is true that the dead are not raised, for if
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the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised,
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your faith is futile and you are still in your sins, then those who have fallen asleep
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in Christ have perished.
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Right?
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Those who have believed the message of Christ have perished.
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Those who have Abraham, for example, has perished.
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If truly Christ is not raised from the dead, those people written in Hebrews 11, they've
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perished if Christ is not raised from the dead.
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But in other words, if in Christ we have hope, in this life only, we have all people most
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to be pitied.
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Right?
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Saying that literally if there's no resurrection of the dead and all that is about Christ is
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only on this earth, then we are of all men most pitied as some translations would put
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it.
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So he's saying that what in fact, in truth, Christ has been raised from the dead, the
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Christ of those who have fallen asleep, for as by a man came death, by a man has also
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come the resurrection of the dead.
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Right?
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The resurrection of the dead.
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And he continues to explain to us, right, about the fact that there is a resurrection.
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So we can see that our union in Christ on this earth, right, our union in Christ on
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this earth is a reality that continues because he said if only in this life, which is an
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hypothetical statement, right, so it means that not only in this life do we have hope.
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Right?
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Our union in Christ is not just only on this earth.
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It's something that continues.
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So we can literally put it in this way that we have hope in Christ not only on this earth,
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but also in the life to come.
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So there is resurrection of the dead.
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But what we are trying to teach, right, what we are paying attention to, right, is not
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to look forward, right, to something called heaven or a place called heaven.
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That is what we are trying to address, that our union that has started here will continue
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in afterlife and that union, right, that union with Christ is already pointing to that we
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are already in heaven.
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We are already with him.
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Right?
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So it's not just after we pass on.
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So it means that our union with Christ is a reality that continues.
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We actually paid attention to 1 Thessalonians 5, 18 to 18, which we will go there again
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today because it also talks about the resurrection of the dead.
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First Thessalonians 4.
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So from verse 17, it says, Then we who are alive, 1 Thessalonians 4.17, then we who are
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alive who are left will be cut up.
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I cycle it and I put an arrow, I put the word taken, right, taken.
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So then we who are alive and are left will be taken together with them in the clouds
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to meet the Lord in the air.
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And so we will always be with him, therefore encourage one another with these words.
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You can read it and connect it to 1 Corinthians 15.
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Right, if somebody say only in this earth we have hope, then you can bring this.
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You see, you can encourage the person with this and say, no, our union continues with
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Christ.
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Right?
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Our union continues.
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We will be with him forever.
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And we try to explain the word cut up, right, to open up and explain to us that that word
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cut up is not to elevate into the sky, but to be taken together with a people.
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And we also explained air as a spiritual on sin realm, right, on sin realm, somewhere
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in the spiritual, as spiritual beings.
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But the word that we did not really pay attention to, which I did not rather explain much clearly,
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is the word clouds.
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Right, is the word clouds.
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So we will start with clouds today because I just talked about it in passing, right,
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with limited references to one or two scriptures there.
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That's one scripture that actually I used, but we'll talk about clouds today.
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Then we will further.
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What clouds, right, I said is the word, who remembers what I call it?
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What does it represent?
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If you remember how I explained what cloud is or what's the word I just said or a phrase
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I used to describe cloud, actually just type it.
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Let me see if we really remember what I explained.
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Say, cut up is taken together, air should be spiritual in the spiritual realm.
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What about clouds?
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A people, right, good.
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A people, any other word?
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People, that's a very correct one.
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We use the word congregation as well.
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Thank you.
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That's a congregation, good.
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So now these parts, we'll just use it to explain much more what clouds is.
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Now not everywhere you see cloud, it will also mean congregation, right?
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It will also mean the firmament, like what you see above, right?
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So what the context, don't forget in this, in understanding scriptures, context is king,
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right?
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Context is king.
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Sometimes words are used along other words, which creates a phrase or a clause.
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Okay?
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So when you use a word along with other words that creates a phrase or a clause, you cannot
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fish out that word and give it a meaning.
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It means that that word would not be its original meaning again.
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So if you put cloud, if you take cloud and put it around some context of words, cloud
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would not mean the sky again, because you have used it in a phrase or in a clause.
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So therefore, we have to pay attention to this.
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So today we're just going to use this simple explanation, right, for that, have some clarity
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on what cloud is.
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So the word cloud, actually, from the scripture I use, which is Hebrews 12 verse 1, Hebrews
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12 verse 1, if we go there, is about, it's a dearthful, Hebrews 12 verse 1, dearthful,
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since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, did you see that how it was
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used, right?
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That word cloud of witnesses already indicates that it is not the cloud up there.
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It is not what you see up there, right?
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It's a cloud of witnesses.
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Maybe you are very dramatic and you want to believe, you want to combine the cloud with
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the people and you mean that they are coming from up.
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You know, some people, they believe that Jesus will be riding on a horse and a cloud from
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the cloud that will be following him, actually.
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That will not be helpful to you, right?
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That will not be helpful to you.
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Because it's a clause, it's a phrase, right?
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Don't pick it out, right, and just use it.
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So a cloud of witnesses.
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So the word cloud there is the word nethos, right?
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N-E-P-H-O-S.
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N-E-P-H-O-S.
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The cloud of witnesses.
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You observe that in many scriptures that we will use today, they are actually scriptures
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that use the word cloud with something which therefore helps us to explain the word cloud.
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So we see that is the word nethos.
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And interestingly, it was only used in this context in the entire According to the Testament
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text.
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It was used like this, like in this root word, in this root now, it was only used as nethos
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in Hebrews 12 verse 1.
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So all we can check is other places where it manifests.
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So we go back to 1 Thessalonians 4.
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First Thessalonians 4, which is the place where we saw it, and we can begin from there.
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So 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 17.
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It says, caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
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So this one, what we use to explain this, what I use to explain this is the other words
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that are attached to it.
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For example, I use caught up to mean that it's not going to the sky, therefore it will
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not be clouds.
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And I also explain what air should be.
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So therefore, it means that it will not be cloud also would have to correlate or, how
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would I put it now, cloud will have to align with the explanation that is given there,
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right?
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Whatever we're going to understand that clouds.
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That clouds there, the clouds there is actually Nepheli, right?
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N-P-H-E-L-E, which is another form of Nephos.
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N-E-P-H-E-L-E, right?
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So the root word for Nepheli is actually Nephos.
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The root word for Nepheli is actually Nephos.
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So we're going to take the gospels and see how they appear.
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First scripture, Matthew 17.5, Nepheli.
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So Nepheli is mainly what we are trying to see, which is the word cloud and the way it
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is used, right?
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Matthew 17.5, 17 verse 5, Matthew 17 verse 5.
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And I was speaking, he was still speaking, right?
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Verse 5, he was still speaking.
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When behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, right?
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A voice from the cloud said.
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So now here what you're already seeing is that someone spoke from the cloud, right?
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Someone spoke from the cloud.
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It's not a cloud, actually a sky, but it means that it's just a congregation from which someone
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spoke, right?
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Someone spoke from the cloud.
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So to speak from the cloud would definitely mean that it is not someone is speaking from
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a cluster of air and everything that is in the sky, but actually a voice speaking.
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So it means that cloud is someone there.
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Someone is that cloud, or that cloud is a people, or someone that's speaking from that
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cloud.
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So what you see here is that a voice is coming from the cloud, and it cannot be the firmament
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where it is coming from, okay?
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So just hold on to that, hold on to that thought that a cloud can speak, right?
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It therefore means that it's not a cloud that we're talking about.
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Now Matthew, Mark 1462, Mark 1462, or before Mark 1462, let's go to Mark 9 verse 7, which
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is almost the same explanation of this Matthew 17, Mark 9, Mark 9 verse 7, or Mark 9 verse
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7, okay?
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And a cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, right?
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A voice came out of the cloud.
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So we see it again, this is my beloved son, listen to him, and suddenly looking around,
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they no longer saw anyone with them, but Jesus only.
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So what happened was that he was there and they saw Moses and they saw Elijah, right?
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They saw Moses and Elijah, and they heard a voice from a cloud, right?
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So we see that in this context also, it's already indicating something to us that this
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cloud will actually mean a people or a person or a group of people.
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Okay, so let's go to Matthew 24 verse 30, Matthew 24 verse 30, the congregation of people,
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Matthew 24 verse 30.
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Matthew 24 verse 30 uses the phrase, a cloud from heaven, and it will send, okay, verse
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30, we can read from verse 29, right?
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To get a context of what is happening in Matthew 24.
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Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon
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will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven and the power of the heavens
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will be shaken.
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Then will appear in heaven the signs of the son of man, then all the tribes of the earth
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will mourn and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power
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and great clouds, great glory, coming on clouds.
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So coming on the clouds of heaven, right?
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So what you're going to pick is clouds of heaven, clouds of heaven.
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Mark 13 verse 26, Mark 13 verse 26, Mark 13 verse 26, almost explaining the same thing,
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verse 32, but concerning the day or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
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not the son of, not the son, but only the father.
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But be on guard and keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come.
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It is like a man going on a journey and he leaves home and puts his servant in charge,
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each with his work and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
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Therefore stay awake, for you do not know when the master, when the master would come.
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Okay, verse 26, sorry, I think it should be verse 26, from verse 24, read from verse 24.
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But in those days after that tribulation, the sun will be dark and the moon will not
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give its light and the stars will be falling from heaven and powers in heaven will be shaking
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and then they will see the coming in clouds with great power and glory and when he will
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send out his angels and gather his legs from the falling from the earth and from the heads
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of the ends of the heads to the heavens.
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Mark 14, Mark 14, 62, I'm going to mark 14, 62, Mark 14, 62.
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And Jesus said, I am, and Jesus said, I am and you will see the son of man seated at
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the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven, right?
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Clouds, so we've seen clouds of heaven in three different places.
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In two places, he said he will be coming on the clouds of heaven, right?
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And he will be coming on the clouds of heaven, in the first two places that we read.
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So this one now gives a more clear understanding in the use of the clouds of heaven.
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So I am with you, right?
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And you will see the son of man seated at the right hand of power coming with the clouds
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of heaven, right?
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And the high priest is garment and say, what for the witnesses do we have?
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So he wasn't talking about Jesus coming in clouds or cloud as firmament.
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Mark, right, which also used clouds on everyone in verse chapter 13, verse 24, 24, 25, 26.
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We see coming in the clouds of heaven in chapter 14, right?
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In this chapter 14, glorified that he will be coming with the cloud of heaven, which
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would mean a people that Christ will come with a people.
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Christ will bring forth people, will bring forth people, right?
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The son of man, you see him at the right hand of power, which is authority, right?
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That took place and he would come forth with people, not in the sky, right?
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Not in the sky.
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God Christ will bring forth many people.
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So this is what was I intentionally read those three scriptures upon till we get to 14 to
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see how 14 now places it correctly for us to understand that when Christ is coming,
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Christ will come with a church.
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Christ will come with a people.
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Christ would come with the clouds of heaven.
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Now if you now say clouds of heaven, if pastor has also taught us correctly that heaven is
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not a location or is not a physical, therefore the clouds of heaven, right, would not mean
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the firmament, but a people in heaven, right?
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We can say that what Jesus will bring forth is the church, is the people that he will
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come forth.
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He's not going to be resurrected alone, but he didn't resurrect alone.
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We rose with him, right?
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So if you go back to Thessalonians, right, I think Luke, Luke 21 to himself, let me see,
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you can find one more scripture to just explain that these clouds you're referring to clouds
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of heaven in that phrase would mean a people not a cloud that Jesus will sit upon as of
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what is in the sky.
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So this one is also coming in a clouds with power and grace and glory, similar to all
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water.
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Now it's interesting because almost all this, the Matthew, Mark, Luke, I mean recorded these
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and they explain it to us.
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So clouds of heaven definitely would mean a cloud of witnesses, a cloud of clouds of
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heaven, Hebrews 11.
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Then when we come back to our scripture, which is best as Thessalonians four, then the cloud
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would definitely now make more sense that we will be taking up with those who have risen
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from the dead and in that congregation we will meet the Lord, right?
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In that congregation we would congregate, we would meet the Lord.
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So this is what we see from this and a little bit of an explanation of that.
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Now if you go to Revelation, Revelation 1, Revelation actually has so much of the use
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of the word cloud and definitely they don't mean the same thing.
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They don't mean the same thing, right?
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They don't mean the same thing.
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Revelation 1, 7, said, Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him
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and even those who pierce them and all the tribes of the heads will weal on account of
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him, even so, amen.
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So we see that it's actually talking about a people coming with the people, coming with
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the church, you know, not about the cloud in the sky.
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Now there are other places in scripture that uses the cloud in the sky, but it does not
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refer to people as we explained here also.
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But first the Selenians 4, it definitely reflects the fact that it is the people of God that
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would gather together, continuation of that union that we have with Christ, right?
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It's just a continuation of it.
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So having known this, right, having known this, now let's further to manifesting the
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kingdom of God.
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So now that we know this, that we know that we are in union with Christ and it's not just
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only on this earth, we have this hope continuing in afterlife.
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So we need to talk about manifesting, right?
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Manifesting since we know that we are in, I can say we are in heaven, we are in the
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kingdom of God, right?
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I'm just moving forward.
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I'll just say that we are in heaven, we are in the kingdom of God.
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How can we manifest?
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We are in union with Christ, right?
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What does this manifestation entails, right?
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What does this manifestation reveal?
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So we will just move to 30 words again, or two true legion words that we'll study.
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We'll start with a few questions, John chapter 14, which is where we started from the last
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time.
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Don't forget the essence is for us to know that we are in union with Christ.
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The essence is for us to be able to therefore manifest now that we understand that we are
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in union with Christ, we are in union with Christ.
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So we just read from John 14, let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe
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also in me.
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In my father's house are many rooms.
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If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place?
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Please let's pay attention.
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I know we've read it before in the Holy Scriptures, but let's pay attention.
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If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself.
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That where I am, you may be also.
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And you know the way to where I am going.
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Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going.
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How can we know the way?
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Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth and the life.
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No one comes to the father except through me.
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If you had known me, you would have known my father.
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From now on, you do know him and you have seen him.
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Now Philip asked the next question.
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He said to him, Lord, show us the father.
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And it is enough for us.
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Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me?
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Philip, whosoever has seen me has seen the father.
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But how come you say show us the father?
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Do you not believe that I am in the father and the father is in me?
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The word I say to you, I do not speak of my own authority, but the father who dwells in
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me.
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Now we can skip to verse, okay, I think we should continue that reading from verse 12.
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Truly, truly I say to you, whosoever believes in me will do the works that I do.
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And greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the father.
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Whatever you ask in my name, this will I do, that the father may be glorified in the Son.
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And if you ask anything in my name, I will do.
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Now we jump to verse 20.
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In that day you will know that I am in the father and you in me and I in you.
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Whosoever has my commandment keeps them.
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He it is who loves me and he who loves me will be loved by my father and I will love
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him and manifest myself to him.
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Verse 22, Judas, not Iscarius said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself
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to us?
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You will manifest yourself to us and not to the world.
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And Jesus answered, if anyone loves me, you will keep my word and my father will love
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it and we will come to him and make our home with him.
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Whosoever does not love me, does not keep my words and the word that you hear is not
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mine, but the father who sent me.
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Now I intentionally read that, intentionally read that for us to understand that when Jesus
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started this conversation, right?
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He started this conversation.
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This conversation was actually interrupted by three questions.
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You observe, right?
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You observe, even in most of 14, 15, 16, you see a lot of what they were coming in were
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questions, right?
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So it means that they were questioning Christ and wondering what is it that he's talking
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about, right?
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What is it about this heaven?
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Look at the first question.
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So we do not know where you're going and how can we know where you're going?
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Where you're going and how can we know the way?
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The second question says, Lord, show us the father, right?
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Show us the father.
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It means that first, they didn't understand Christ was the way, the truth, right?
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They didn't understand Christ yet.
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They didn't even understand the identity of Christ.
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Them to be saying, show us the father and show us the father.
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Christ was questioning them.
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I mean, Philip was literally saying, give us a proof, give us a proof.
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We are going to come to study that word because that word is taken out.
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That word that says, Lord, show us the father, right?
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Show us the father is the word taken out.
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To prove, to show us a proof, show us something.
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And that is why you see that when Jesus began to explain, he explained and he said, which
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will I send me, I send the father from first identity.
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Also about send me, I send the father.
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Why do you say show us the father?
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Do you not believe I am him and he is in me?
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Identity, union with the father.
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The first manifestation that you see that Christ is in union with the father.
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Then I said, I am in the father and the father is in me.
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The words that I speak to you, I do not speak of myself, right?
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The second thing is speaks a word.
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So the message shows that he is not speaking of his own authority but from the father.
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Then verse 12 progresses and says that verse 11, let's read verse 11.
28:20
Believe me that I am in the father and the father is in me or else then believe on the
28:25
account of the works themselves.
28:29
Believe on the account.
28:30
So two things that Jesus was trying to explain to them that there are two things you should
28:36
be certain about that I am in the father and the father is in me, right?
28:43
That the revelation of the father is coming through two things.
28:47
The fact that I am in the father and the father is in me, right?
28:51
The things I teach you, the words I teach you are from the father.
28:55
And he said, what about the works, right?
28:57
So if you don't believe by these teachings, by this explanation I'm giving you, right?
29:02
By the words I speak to you, then believe the works.
29:04
It's a truly, truly I say to you, also about beliefs in me.
29:09
You will do the works that I do and greater works than this you will do.
29:13
So what we want to study here, right, might be a little bit challenging but I'll try my
29:20
best to try to explain it.
29:23
First, we can connect these three questions, right?
29:27
Question in verse five, question in verse eight and question in verse 22 to Acts chapter
29:32
one.
29:33
There's a question there too, that's also questions, shows the father, where is the
29:39
father and where are you going and where are you going.
29:43
So let's go to Acts chapter one, Acts chapter one, Acts chapter one, verse six.
29:48
It says, so then when they had come together, they did what?
29:53
They asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?
30:00
Right?
30:01
So that's a similar question.
30:03
Where are the similar questions?
30:07
Because first, they were asking for a proof here.
30:09
Philip was asking for a proof, was asking for a proof.
30:12
The word the king now, right, like now, the king now was asking for a proof that Christ
30:19
is true.
30:20
So it just places them in a position where we can say that the understanding of the identity
30:28
of Christ, right, was yet to be done on them.
30:32
The understanding of the identity of Christ was yet to be done on them.
30:35
The understanding of the works that Christ was doing was yet to be done on them.
30:40
And if it's not done on them, it means that they cannot be able to manifest their identity
30:47
and do the works that Christ has said they would do.
30:51
So they're actually asking questions because at this time, they do not understand.
30:55
In fact, verse 22, when Judas, which is not Iscariot, says that, why do you manifest yourself
31:02
to us?
31:03
That word there is emphanizal, which is different from dekenam, right?
31:09
So those are the two main words that I actually want us to pay attention to.
31:14
So verse 22, we see emphanizal, right, emphanizal.
31:19
And in verse eight, we see dekenam.
31:23
So emphanizal.
31:24
And these are the two things, reason because I think this is the only chapter I've searched
31:30
and I've searched over and over again and I'm still searching.
31:33
This is the chapter where these two words appear the same in the same chapter.
31:39
These two words only appear in this same chapter.
31:41
In most of the other scriptures, I'm not saying these two words appearing like this in the
31:48
same chapter.
31:49
And it means two different things.
31:51
Okay?
31:52
And that understanding would help us as believers to manifest the kingdom of God.
31:58
If we understand these two words, right, these two words and what is happening in these two
32:02
places, rising from the questions that they're asking, it will help us as believers to manifest
32:10
the kingdom of God.
32:11
It will help us to manifest the kingdom of God.
32:15
Because the first question was after Christ has told them that it will make a place for
32:18
them and they will be together, the union.
32:21
Right?
32:22
And therefore, yes, we don't know how to come to where you are.
32:26
That's the first question.
32:27
Or Philip now said, okay, now that you say you are in the Father, show us the Father.
32:32
Let's study these two words, this, the Lord, Lord show us the Father, which the word show
32:39
is D-E-I-K-Y-N-O, D-E-I-K-Y-N-O, D-E-I-K-Y-N-O.
32:50
And the other word, which probably we've met a couple of times, is emphanizum, E-M-P-H-N-I-Z-O,
32:59
E-M-P-H-N-I-Z-O.
33:03
They're actually two words that are very similar, right?
33:07
They are very similar, very close, but they don't mean exactly the same thing.
33:13
To show, to manifest, right?
33:16
Especially within the context where it is used, and the person who used the word, right,
33:22
it shows that they don't mean exactly the same thing.
33:24
So let's start with emphanizum, right?
33:28
The word emphanizum refers to, I wrote it here, to show, right, the resurrected beings
33:35
showing themselves.
33:37
So it's identity based.
33:39
Emphanizum is majorly identity based.
33:42
Resurrected beings showing themselves, right, presented themselves as resurrected, to appear,
33:49
to inform.
33:50
So emphanizum means the word to show, right, to show.
33:54
But in the context we see resurrected beings showing themselves, manifesting themselves,
34:00
making themselves known that they are resurrected, right?
34:04
Making themselves known that they are resurrected, appearing to many people.
34:07
You're going to see that as we read the scriptures.
34:10
So emphanizum, resurrected means making themselves known, appearing to many people, informing
34:15
people, right?
34:18
Informing people, right, that this is where, you know, this is where we stand, signifying.
34:23
So we can write the scriptures down.
34:24
Matthew 27 verse 53 is quite less, is quite used rarely, I mean, in just a few scriptures
34:33
as compared to the hackney, or the kennaun, depends on how you pronounce it.
34:37
So Matthew 27, 53, if we read that, you will see that is actually resurrected beings presenting
34:43
themselves, right?
34:45
You see resurrected beings presenting themselves as evidence.
34:49
So that's verse 53.
34:50
It said, the tombs were opened from verse 52, and many bodies of the saints who had
34:55
fallen asleep were erased.
34:57
And coming out of the tomb after his resurrection, which is Christ's resurrection, they went
35:03
into the city and appeared to many.
35:07
They did what?
35:08
They appeared to many.
35:10
That is what emphanizum, right, they presented themselves as resurrected beings, right?
35:15
They manifested as resurrected beings to many people.
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All right.
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John 14, 21 to 22, which is the one we read already, but let's go to Hebrews 9, 24.
35:29
Hebrews 9, 24.
35:30
We'll come back to John, because that's the one you're trying to explain.
35:33
Hebrews 9, 24.
35:37
For Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the truth
35:43
things, but into heaven itself, now to appear, right, in the presence of God on Abbeav, right,
35:52
to appear.
35:53
So if you read from verse 23, it says, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly
35:56
things to be purified with this right, but the heavenly things themselves with much better
36:01
sacrifices.
36:02
For Christ has not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the truth
36:08
things, but into heaven to now appear and present himself in the presence of God.
36:15
So we see that he's talking about something that happened after resurrection, right, appeared
36:20
before the presence of God, right, on Abbeav, appeared before the presence of God.
36:24
So he's talking about something that happened after resurrection, right, Christ appearing
36:30
after resurrection.
36:31
Hebrews 11, 14.
36:32
Hebrews 11, 14, just a few scriptures.
36:36
Hebrews 11, 14.
36:39
For the people who speak, thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
36:46
If they had been seeking of that land from which they are going out, they would have
36:52
had an opportunity to return.
36:53
As it is, they desire a better country that is a heavenly one, therefore God is not ashamed
37:01
to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.
37:07
So what is this part saying, right?
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What is this part saying?
37:10
Verse 13 says, they all died in fear, not having received the things promised, but having
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seen them and greeted them from afar, the things promised, and having acknowledged that
37:20
they were strangers and exiles, for these people they made it clear.
37:25
That word made it clear is emphanizal.
37:28
They made it plain.
37:30
It means that they presented themselves as people who are seeking a homeland, right?
37:37
They are seeking a homeland.
37:39
So that is what it means.
37:40
It means they presented themselves, they made it clear, right?
37:44
It's not like they wrote something about, they presented themselves as those who are
37:49
seeking something, not of that's where they came out from, but otherwise they would have
37:55
had an opportunity to go, right?
37:57
So it's just exercising or showing their faith, right?
38:02
It's showing their faith in what God would do through it, what God would do in the church,
38:08
the salvation that will come through Christ, and the people that will come to faith in
38:12
Christ.
38:13
So they themselves, right, already saw themselves as part of the people that will rise in Christ,
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part of the church that Christ will bring forth.
38:25
They were seeking a homeland.
38:26
The homeland is not Canaan.
38:27
We talked about that.
38:29
So what these people were doing is that they have a standing, they have an identity that
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presents them as those who are in today's world, we will say born again, but people
38:39
who are fit in what Christ will do, in what will happen after resurrection.
38:46
That is why they have a part in Christ at resurrection.
38:51
That is why these people have a part in Christ at resurrection.
38:55
So when we talk about emphanizum, it's mostly emphasized about an identity that is made
39:04
clear, that is manifest, that is given, an identity that is made clear, that is manifest,
39:10
that is given, an identity that is made clear, manifest, and given.
39:16
This is what we see here from the people that rose from the dead and appeared to many, from
39:22
Christ who appeared after resurrection, from Hebrews 11, those who believe in salvation
39:30
that will come.
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Now, let me now add to it.
39:34
The word emphanizum is actually from the original word emphaniz, E-M-P-H-A-N-E-S.
39:42
So you can connect it well that it's actually related to identity directly.
39:47
With this emphaniz, now if you check emphaniz in the strong Greek G1717, right, if you can
39:54
check it, but it's actually talking about the proof of salvation, the saving grace of
40:00
God, that your identity is actually a proof of God-saving grace.
40:08
So those people, right, Christ manifested himself, which is a reflection of God-saving
40:15
grace, his resurrection.
40:17
The people who believe, they believe in the salvation that is to come.
40:20
So emphaniz is actually talking about the proof of God-saving grace, right, the proof
40:26
of God-saving grace, which is through the identity of the believer.
40:31
So the believer is therefore the display of God-saving grace.
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The believer is the display of God-saving grace.
40:41
Because from emphanizum to emphanizum, you will see that that word tells us that it is
40:46
about God-saving grace.
40:48
It is about God-saving grace.
40:51
It is about the union that we have.
40:54
Thus, these people who are saved manifest themselves.
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Those people who are resurrected, they manifested themselves.
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Now let's now go to John 14, 21 and 22.
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John 14, 21 and 22, so that we can know how Jesus answered.
41:11
We are just on in this particular word now.
41:15
Now John 14, 22 says, Jesus, not as Carius said to him, Lord, how is it that you will
41:23
manifest yourself to us and not to the world?
41:26
Right?
41:27
Look at Jesus' answer and pay attention to the answer.
41:30
He said, if anyone, he did not say my disciples or the world, did he say?
41:36
So these Jews were saying that why is it that after your resurrection, you will show yourself
41:43
to us, right, you would prove to us that you are risen, right, you would give us evidences,
41:50
you would display yourself to us, right, that's your reason because the word manifest is actually
41:56
to display.
41:57
So Jesus said, if anyone loves me, he will keep my words and my father will love him
42:04
and we will come to him and make our home with you.
42:07
Did you see that it's not just about the disciples or the people, but if anyone loves me, which
42:14
of course from the context of that, we see that those who love him are those who keep
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his commandments.
42:20
Those who keep his commandments are those who believe in.
42:24
So loving him, keeping his commandments, he's believing, right, in this context, verse 15,
42:30
if you love me, you will keep my commandments, right?
42:34
You will keep my commandments.
42:35
And afterwards, he moved downwards and we see, began to talk about, you will keep my
42:40
words, you will believe what I have said to you, what I have started to say to you from
42:45
verse one, believe in me, believe in God also believe in me.
42:49
So to love God is to keep his commandments to believe.
42:51
Therefore, he's not asking the question, why is it that it is only about Christ?
42:56
No, my manifestation, right, it will be to anyone, anyone who loves me, who keeps my
43:02
words, right?
43:04
And my father will love him, I will come, we will make our home with him.
43:08
Who does not love me, does not keep my words.
43:11
And the words that you hear is not mine.
43:14
But the words of the Father who sent me, right, who sent me.
43:21
So this is actually about salvation, is like John 3.16 more or less, right?
43:26
If you can read this, John 14.20 is like John 3.16, anyone who comes to believe my words.
43:31
So it's about salvation, right?
43:33
It's not just to the disciples alone, but to everyone.
43:37
So therefore, the first thing a believer would reflect is actually that identity that Christ
43:47
has, I mean, the identity that Christ has given unto us that we have in Christ.
43:54
The first thing a believer would manifest is the union that you have with Christ.
43:59
This is what comes first.
44:01
This is what is first.
44:03
This is what we put first, right?
44:05
The union with, said, whosoever will love me will come to me, I will make our home with
44:13
him.
44:14
So this one is the first that a believer has to manifest.
44:19
This un-fanizu, talking about our identity, presenting ourselves as those that are resurrected
44:26
with Christ, presenting ourselves, right?
44:29
Manifesting as those that have been, that have come into union with Christ.
44:34
This is what we see here.
44:38
How does this apply to the believer, right?
44:42
It means that we will exhibit, we will show, we will disclose, we will make manifest, we
44:48
will make plain that we are in union with Christ, right?
44:51
We will make plain that we are in union with Christ, right?
44:56
So in this year, in the course of the year, as the year moves on, it must never be that
45:01
the time will manifest as those who are not in union with Christ.
45:06
We must always show that we are in union with Christ.
45:08
We must always present, we must always live, we must always work as those who are in union
45:14
with Christ.
45:15
We must always, another word we see here is signify, to notify, right?
45:21
To signify, to notify, to present, to present what is already existing, right?
45:27
It's not something you have to call forth.
45:29
It's not something that you have to, you present what is already existing, right?
45:34
You present what is already existing.
45:36
What is, and that is why, and that is why when Philip asked this question, right?
45:42
When Philip asked this question and said, Lord, show us the Father.
45:46
That what I say is the, the canal, right?
45:49
If Jesus was marveled because what Philip was asking was not, was not to show something
45:57
that is already existing.
45:58
He was saying, bring forth a proof, bring something, do something, show something.
46:05
Because the word that now is actually to give evidence of a thing, to give evidence of a
46:10
thing by proofing, proving.
46:12
It's similar to Mfanizu, but it's not always directly related to identity.
46:17
But to show, you have to show it by teaching it.
46:21
You have to show it by saying it.
46:23
You have to show, you have to present, you have to bring something to the, you know,
46:27
to the table and say, this is it.
46:29
So Jesus was marveled that why are you asking for such a proof when there's an identity
46:35
presented to you already?
46:37
And that is why Jesus, the first thing he addressed was identity.
46:40
Before he started talking about, you know, if not, he now said, okay, if you don't believe
46:44
this identity, then it works, right?
46:46
Then he now paid attention to the work.
46:48
He said, don't you believe that I'm in the Father, the Father is in me?
46:51
Verse 10, do you not believe that I am the Father?
46:53
We are one.
46:54
I do not speak of my own authority.
46:56
If you don't believe I am in him and he is in me, then you have to believe the work.
47:01
So the first thing he was addressing that I am the Father, we are one, we are one.
47:06
So for believers, one thing that is crucial as we go, as we talk about the manifestation
47:12
of the things of the Spirit, right?
47:14
As we talk about the manifestation of the kingdom of God, right?
47:19
One thing that is key is that your identity, right, must be plain, must be plain.
47:25
Where you stand must be plain, right?
47:28
People shouldn't doubt whether you are a believer or you are not a believer.
47:33
Like it should just be plain.
47:34
That's one you don't need, you don't need to do miracles.
47:37
No, you just need to live, right?
47:40
People need to know that in every stand this person is a believer.
47:43
That's the first thing.
47:44
That is how we manifest our union with Christ, right?
47:48
They don't, when they talk about a particular subject, people should know your stand.
47:52
They must know your stand because you have to appear to them.
47:58
You have to appear to them.
47:59
You have to appear to them as one who is resurrected, right?
48:03
One who is resurrected, one who has looked forward and has received the home, who is
48:08
in a home, one who is in union with Christ, one who is forever with Christ, right?
48:16
This is the first aspect that we need to really ensure that we are manifesting all the time,
48:22
right?
48:23
That in the friends we keep in the discussion, in the subject, in your contributions, in
48:27
the things we do, that this our identity, this is our union with Christ is made known
48:34
to people, is exhibited, right?
48:37
It's to show oneself, right?
48:40
You show oneself, to show your identity.
48:45
So now when we come to the now, right?
48:46
We'll come to that now.
48:48
There's actually the word to prove so we can deal with that a little bit in the remaining
48:52
five minutes.
48:54
Then we would subsequently, I can always...
48:57
Yeah, so let's check that now.
49:00
Matthew 4.8, that no, Matthew 4.8.
49:05
Matthew 4.8.
49:06
We'll see that this one is used generally, right?
49:10
Of course, I know people can go and study, you'll find some scriptures.
49:16
There's a place where MFANISO is used in Act 23, but it's just only in Act 23, it's used
49:21
for something else.
49:22
It's used for, of course, to present an identity, right?
49:26
It's related to identity as well, but it's not used in the context of what we thought.
49:30
It's used for the sections, what is used for something else.
49:33
But it's also related to identity.
49:35
So you can just mark Act 23 and you can read it and if you have questions, you can ask.
49:40
So when it comes to the Act No, Matthew 4.8, which is the temptation of Christ, which is
49:47
the temptation of Christ, he said, and again, he took him to a very high mountain and show
49:55
him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, right?
50:02
All the kingdom of the world and their glory, all the kingdom of the world and their glory.
50:10
So, Miguel, what was taking place here, right, is showing evidences, right?
50:16
Look at this, look at this, look at this, look at this.
50:20
Not about necessarily identity, but making things manifest, right?
50:24
Just bringing evidence forth, right, of the dominion of the world, right?
50:30
So it was bringing evidence forth of the dominion of the world.
50:33
That was the word that the devil was, you know, it's used in the context of the devil.
50:41
Luke 4 verse 5 also reiterates the same thing, reiterated the same thing.
50:47
Matthew 8.4, let's check Matthew 8.4.
50:49
So this one is just to display evidence, you know, bring evidence, which is the word Philip
50:53
was telling Jesus to do.
50:55
Show us the dominion of the Father, kind of show us where is the rain, show us, you know,
51:00
with proofs.
51:01
Now, Matthew 8 verse 4 would give us a little bit of help in understanding this word and
51:07
what the believer should do, right?
51:08
What the believer should do, because this one is more related to works, actually.
51:12
This, the canal, is more related to works, right?
51:16
It's more related to what the believer can make available and present, right?
51:21
It's more related to works.
51:24
Matthew 8.4, and Jesus said, see that you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself
51:32
to the priests and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a proof to them.
51:38
See that you say nothing to anyone, but go show yourself to the priests and offer the
51:41
gift that Moses commanded for a proof.
51:44
Now, the first question I will ask is, was this man already clean?
51:47
Maybe we should read from verse 1, and when the leper, Matthew 8 verse 4, and when the
51:54
leper came down from the mountain, great clouds followed him, and behold, and when he came
51:59
down from the mountain, pardon me, when he came down from the mountain, great clouds
52:03
followed him, and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, Lord, if
52:10
you will, you can make me clean.
52:13
Jesus straight out his hand and touched him, saying, I will, I will be clean.
52:19
And immediately the leprous did what he left, right?
52:23
He left.
52:24
So, can we call him a clean man?
52:26
Yes, he's a clean man, but he cannot be integrated into the society unless there is a proof from
52:33
the priests as a certificate of integration into the society.
52:38
So, that word, therefore, to go and show yourself to the priest is not saying go and be cleansed
52:44
by the priest.
52:45
It's not only about his identity.
52:48
It's about go and get a document, a proof, right?
52:52
And offer the gift that Moses commanded to prove.
52:57
Did you see the word?
52:58
He now used the word, another word there, proof, show yourself, then go and prove.
53:03
So, it's about bringing something forth, making something the proof, right?
53:08
So, the main difference between these two words, there are still many other scriptures
53:13
we'll stop here.
53:14
Now, the main difference between these two words is that one is majorly about your identity
53:17
that you just live out.
53:19
The second one is majorly what you present, what you can meet manifests.
53:24
So, as we present our identities as we live as believers, there are also things that we
53:31
must do, right?
53:33
Jesus was living on earth and he was showing his identity.
53:36
Now, let's go to, I think, chapter two, because John 2 verse 18, we'll just use John 2 verse
53:42
18 and we will close on that.
53:46
John 2 verse 18 from verse 13, to show that even Christ, he was living, he was showing
53:53
that this is, I am from the Father, I'm from the Father and the Father is in me.
53:57
I mean, the Father, the Father is in me.
53:59
We are together, we are in union.
54:01
Yet, people are asking, truth, right?
54:04
Proof.
54:05
And that proof is always the canal, not emphanizu, right?
54:08
It's always the canal.
54:10
When it comes to emphanizu, Jesus would emphanizu, right?
54:12
He would manifest himself to many.
54:14
But the canal is most of the time someone asking for something or making manifest for
54:20
a proof, for an evidence.
54:22
Verse 13 says, the Passover of the Jews was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
54:28
In the temple, he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons and the money changers
54:33
sitting there and making a whip of coats.
54:36
He drove them all out of the temple and with the sheep and oxen and with the sheep and
54:42
oxen and he poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables and he
54:46
told those who sold the pigeons, take these things away.
54:51
Do not make my father's house a house of trade.
54:54
The disciples remembered that it was written, the zeal for your house will consume me.
54:58
So the Jews said, what sign do you show for doing these things?
55:04
And Jesus said to them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.
55:12
So what sign?
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What sign do you show that you are from heaven?
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What sign do you show that you are from the father?
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Right?
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What sign?
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So, I'm requesting for this sign.
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So when I studied John 14, I would pay attention to it.
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One thing that we can discover is that believers, our identity, our unity with Christ needs
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to be made manifest.
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Right?
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Needs to be made manifest.
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And other things also need to be made manifest.
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We need to show people, right?
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Diagnomies, to show with evidence, to prove which includes the things of the spirit, manifesting
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the things of the spirit, teaching the word, teaching the word.
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Right?
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Those are proofing, those are proving that, okay, I am not just a believer.
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I don't just have the identity.
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But these are evidences, right?
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You can heal the sick, you can stretch foot, you can heal the lame, we can preach the gospel,
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explain the gospel, to make manifest true teaching and knowledge.
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We can make the knowledge of God feel everywhere.
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It's not just by saying, okay, I'm a believer and you have a standard people, bringing forth
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as many things from the scripture, from the word of God, from the teachings, from the
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manifestation of the spirit to show that surely we come from the kingdom of God.
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We manifest the kingdom of God.
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So I believe that we've been able to understand and as we go into the year, we will be able
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to not just have the tag of the identity, right, not have the tag of the identity, but
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living that, having stands in many areas of life, but also manifesting the kingdom through
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signs, through proof, right?
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With many proof, right, we would present that Christ is the Messiah, Christ is King and
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that we are in union with him.
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Praise God.
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Amen.
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We appreciate you being here today.
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We hope you carry this word with you throughout your week.
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Don't forget to check the show notes for additional insights.
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Stay connected with us through our website or follow us on social media.
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If you were encouraged, share this message with someone you care about.
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Until next time, stay blessed.