The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 2, Sunday, chapter 3

THE HEAVENLY

MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 3

CHRIST IN THE BUILDING UP OF THE CHURCH

WEEK 1 – SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Acts 7:55-56; 9:4-5; 10-17; Eph. 1:22; 4:8, 11-12, 15-16

Read and pray: “And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:22,23)

CHRIST AS THE HEAD

In addition to His sovereignty over the nations, Christ also exercises His headship. As Head over all things to the church, He works to conquer His chosen ones.

He Conquered Saul

Let us consider just one of the chosen vessels, Saul of Tarsus. When we read Acts 9, we can see how much Christ did in order to conquer him. He came personally with the purpose of gaining him. And He still had more to say to him through Ananias (vv. 10-17).

Although His intention in Acts 9 was already to conquer Saul, His words to Ananias were more detailed. Notice how busy the Lord was in gaining a single chosen vessel. He appeared to Saul while he was traveling to Damascus.

Then He gave him the vision that Ananias would appear to restore his sight. After that, He appeared to Ananias in a vision and spoke with him about going to visit Saul, of whom He said: “This man is to Me a chosen instrument to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings, as well as before the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name” (Acts 9:15-16).

Why would the Lord make such an effort for just one person? The purpose of gaining Saul was the building up of the Body of Christ. There was a need for that instrument. Yes, there were Peter, James, and John. However, they alone were not enough. The Lord still needed someone like Saul. For this reason, He Himself stepped in to conquer this particular vessel.

He Conquered Us

Do not consider your salvation as something insignificant. It was accomplished because the Lord Jesus exercised His sovereignty. He arranged for you to be born in the country in which you were born. The place of your birth was not accidental, but under His administration.

You were born in the right country, in the right city, in the right family, and at the right time. He led you to Himself. Perhaps you were in Switzerland, in Germany, in France, in Spain, in Denmark, in Norway, or in England.

One day, He prepared the situation so that you were in a certain place, and then you repented, believed, and were saved. If you had been in Moscow, you might not have had the opportunity to be saved and now be gathered in this place. You were saved only under the sovereign action of the King!

Do you think the Lord has already finished His work in you? No! You were saved by His sovereignty. Now His headship comes into play. Think of how you came to participate in these meetings.

You came from all corners of Europe, with some even accompanying me from the United States. Who brought you here? We have no kind of entertainment or beautiful music, but only meetings of two and a half hours with a Chinese man speaking!

To someone from the outside, what attracts you is simply incomprehensible. Yet some of you would have wept if you had not been able to come. How can this be explained? It is because you are under the direction of Christ, who is not only over you as His sovereignty, but also within you. He is the Head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:22). The One who gathered you here is the Lord.

He Builds Up His Body

Our dear Lord is working; He is not merely sitting in the heavens. When Stephen was being stoned to death, Jesus was standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56), watching over and caring for His members. To persecute a believer was the same as persecuting Him. He said to Saul: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? … I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (9:4-5).

Stephen was a part of Him, just as Peter was. Every member, every believer in Him, is a part of Him. He takes care of all, works in each one, so that all may be useful. He forms apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers, so that they may be equipped to perfect the saints, that the Body may be built up.

Here in Europe we have a good example of how the Lord works to build up His Body. Less than ten years ago, a brother arrived here without the support of any mission. The Lord’s recovery came to Europe without any organization. Nevertheless, the Lord moved, and the recovery spread to many European countries.

To this day there is no formal organization, yet the work continues to advance. One single young man came, without any theological degree and with little experience. He came only with the ascended Christ!

This heavenly Christ had been caring for this humble member of His Body since 1960, when he attended a young people’s conference in the Philippines. When he moved to Germany in 1971, he came under this heavenly ministry.

He Sends Those Already Perfected

All of you are under this heavenly ministry of our beloved Christ. The day will come when you will be sent, not by any man, but by the ascended Head. Some will go to Austria, others to Greece, and others to Israel with the heavenly ministry of the ascended Christ.

He does not work at a slow pace. The recovery has been in the West for only seventeen years; nevertheless, it has already spread to North, Central, and South America, to Africa, Europe, and Australasia. In the Far East there are churches in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. Hundreds of churches have arisen without any kind of organization. Whose work is this? It is the work of the ascended Christ!

By ourselves we cannot build up the church. Under His heavenly ministry, however, we can be equipped to become useful members in His Body.

The Body itself is built up directly from the supply of the Head. “Therefore it says, When He ascended to the height, He led captive those taken captive and gave gifts to men. … And He Himself gave some as apostles and some as prophets and some as evangelists and some as shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ” (Eph. 4:8, 11-12).

When He ascended to the heavens, He gave gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, and shepherds and teachers, who perfect the saints so that in each church the members may be built up, equipped, and qualified to function.

When all the parts of the Body function, we grow “in all things into Him who is the Head, Christ, out from whom all the Body, being joined together and knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love” (4:15-16).

All the members grow in the Head. Then, from the Head comes the supply for the building up of the Body. This is how the churches are built up by the supply of the Head.

The Head is busy ministering. While we are gathered here, receiving what is ministered from His side, He is ministering there, taking care of all the members of the churches. The Lord’s recovery is not merely another Christian work. It is a reflection of His ministry in the heavens!

It corresponds to what the ascended Christ is doing in the heavens. We cooperate and work in coordination with the heavenly ministry of the ascended Christ.

SUMMARY

His ministry, as we have already seen, is twofold. On the one hand, He administers the whole world as the Sovereign of the kings of the earth, so that His gospel may be propagated and God’s chosen ones may be gathered as one. On the other hand, as the Head of the Body, He ministers in order to build up, equip, and qualify His members, so that they in turn may perfect others. Then He will send some members to new places in order to expand the recovery. Hallelujah for this heavenly ministry!

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “His Increase”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 1, Saturday, chapter 3

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 3
CHRIST IN THE BUILDING OF THE CHURCH

WEEK 1 – SATURDAY
Bible Reading: Acts 2:33; 9:10-16; Eph 1:20-22; Rev 1:5

Read and pray: “and from Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood” (Rev 1:5)

Among the various offices into which Christ was inaugurated at His ascension, the two greatest are that He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev 1:5) and the Head over all things to the church (Eph 1:22).

CHRIST AS RULER

As the Ruler of the kings, He administers all earthly governments. The purpose of this administration is undoubtedly the spread of the gospel. By this means God’s chosen ones are gathered. By studying world history we can perceive that the course of events has the propagation of the gospel as its purpose.

Our common calendar, used throughout the world, is based on the birth of Christ. Even atheistic countries, such as Russia and China, use this calendar, which also suggests they are under Christ’s sovereign rule.

According to the Christian calendar, we are in the year 1980. This date does not refer to the Roman Caesars or the Russian czars, but to the number of years counted since the birth of Christ. Our Christ is the Ruler over all the earth so that the gospel may be spread.

The Lord’s sovereign rule over our work

I would like to testify of this from my experience. Near the end of World War II, I told the saints that China would be liberated from Japan, would become a republic, and we would be free. This indeed occurred.

Japan surrendered unconditionally in 1945. We rejoiced in our freedom. From 1946 to 1948 the preaching of the gospel among us spread rapidly and widely. In 1948 a missionary traveled throughout China and then reported to his mission that the gospel work was in the hands of the “little flock” (as the churches were commonly called) and that it was so successful that there was no longer any need to send other foreign missionaries.

This was truly the case. I was in Shanghai in those days. How happy we were! There were already between four hundred and six hundred churches throughout China. One day, in Tsingtao, a former German concession and a beautiful, modern seaport, more than seven hundred people were baptized.

In the 1930s the number of those baptized was very small, hardly more than ten persons at a time. After 1945, however, the number of those baptized at a time was usually more than one hundred. But our joy was short-lived. Practically overnight, it seemed to us, the political situation changed, and beginning in 1949 the work became very frustrating.

I left in April 1949, and from that date I no longer maintained free correspondence with those I knew there. All those years I was distressed because of that great work.

Watchman Nee was imprisoned in 1950 and died in prison in 1972. I was devastated, fearing that all the work had been lost. My only consolation was that through the loss of the work in China, the Lord brought His recovery to the United States and then to Europe, South America, Africa, and Australasia.

However, whenever I thought about the work in China, my heart was afflicted. Many of my contemporary co-workers died in prison after spending years there. Brother Nee’s sentence was the longest.

He died the day before he was to be released. In 1979 we had another change in the situation. The United States and China restored diplomatic relations. Red China opened its doors to visitors.

From that point on, news began to circulate again. My heart is no longer distressed but leaping with joy! I discovered that in some cities, since 1949, the Lord’s table had never been stopped.

The saints on the mainland consider the years 1949 to 1970 as a period during which the church was asleep. Then in 1970 a new generation emerged, born and educated under the present government.

Some of these young people were raised up by the Lord and were crucial. Although they had no Bibles, only copies of a few verses, they began to preach the gospel.

The response was surprising! The way had been prepared for the gospel. The new generation of the church began to preach by teaching an evangelical hymn to the young people. Those empty young people very much enjoyed singing hymns that spoke about Jesus.

Furthermore, many sick people were healed in a miraculous way. Thousands of young people believed. The authorities tried to make things difficult for them, but with no effect.

Some believers were imprisoned, but they were far too numerous, especially in the countryside. When ten were arrested, two hundred went to visit them. They told the authorities they preferred prison, because then they did not need to work and could simply stay singing hymns. When they were released, their faith increased!

In one province alone there were three hundred thousand believers. In one city alone there were more than twenty thousand. I tell you this to show you that Jesus is the Ruler of the kings. I used to think that China, with its nine hundred million inhabitants, was lost as far as the gospel was concerned.

Last year, however, the international situation and China’s needs caused her to open up. Would this not have to do with the Lord’s government? Praise Him! His office as Ruler is primarily for the spread of the gospel. Through the Lord’s control over the world situation, the recovery reached the West.

Now, thirty years later, His sovereign hand has caused China to open again. Hundreds of thousands of young people have been saved. Who can hinder the Ruler of the kings? This is the year 1980, the year of the Lord, according to His calendar!

The Chinese red government printed one hundred thousand copies of the Bible last year. They also opened the doors of the major city cathedrals so that Christians could meet. In Shanghai more than fifteen hundred people crowded into the first cathedral opened. Since then, two more have been opened.

All these events prove that Jesus is the Ruler of the kings! He is carrying out His heavenly ministry. He is administrating the whole earth so that the gospel may spread.

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Hymn: “My firm goal is God Himself”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 1, Friday, chapter 2

THE

HEAVENLY MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 2

CHRIST IN THE DIVINE ADMINISTRATION

WEEK 1 – FRIDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 28:16-19; Mk 16:19-20

Read and pray: “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the signs that followed.” (Mk 16:20)

AUTHORITY AND DOMINION

When Christ was ready to ascend to the heavens, He met with the disciples on a mountain and said to them: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:16-19).

The commission the Lord gave the disciples to preach the gospel was a reflection of the authority He had received in heaven and on earth (see also Mk 16:19-20). With this authority He charged them to make disciples of the nations. His first commission to the disciples was to go with His authority.

I can testify to you that when it became clear to me that I should begin the work in the United States, I had the firm conviction that I would be there with the authority of Christ. I was a humble man from China, without prestige or financial support, yet I arrived in the United States convinced that the authority of Christ was with me.

For Christ to have His gospel preached to the ends of the earth, His leadership was necessary. As the Ruler of the kings of the earth, the whole earth is under His dominion.

He arranged world events and daily human activities so that the gospel might spread.

AN EXAMPLE OF CHRIST’S DOMINION

Allow me to illustrate this aspect in a subjective way. More than fifty years ago in China, a group of young people was raised up by the Lord.

We were a young generation, striving to obtain modern education in order to rescue and build our country. The leaders of both the nationalist and communist parties were all the same age as we were. We were all in college at the same time, seriously seeking scientific, political, and economic knowledge.

I, for example, began to study English right after World War I, which ended in 1918. Some from that generation were captivated by communism; we were captivated by Christ.

We came to love the Lord and His Word. We studied the Bible, as well as classical spiritual literature, church history, and the biographies of spiritual giants from the second century until our own day.

Through our study we came to know Christendom, and the Lord opened our eyes to receive some light regarding His Word. The first meeting, or church, was established in 1922. It was not easy at first, but the Lord established us and spread His recovery.

After World War II the recovery prevailed in China. There were between four hundred and six hundred churches spread across the thirty-three provinces. We never thought of coming to the West.

We had a great work before us: a nation of seven hundred million people with one language. Our only burden was for that people, yet we were aware that everything the Lord had shown us would someday be brought to the West.

We understood that the Lord’s move functions like the circulation of blood. First, the Lord sent a few from the West with the gospel to China. Then, in that pagan world, He raised us up and opened our understanding to the Bible.

We realized that our understanding far surpassed what the missionaries had brought us. The day would come, we believed, when the circulation that had begun in the West would flow back, bringing something from the East.

We thought this would happen through other people and not through us. We already had much to do. But shortly thereafter, in 1948 and 1949, the entire situation in China changed.

We were troubled and confused by this complete turn of events. It was then decided that I should leave mainland China. I did not know where to go and ended up heading to Taiwan.

That small island, primitive in so many respects, left me completely discouraged and disappointed. I was working in Shanghai, the largest city in the Far East, then with six million inhabitants.

Taiwan seemed insignificant and backward. One day, however, I traveled across the island by train. The Lord constrained me within and said, “Do not think this place is too small. I will use this island. Therefore, get to work.”

In six years, from 1949 to 1955, our number increased from fewer than five hundred to twenty thousand people. During that time, I spent about four months a year in the Philippines and eight months in Taiwan.

Then, in 1958, I was invited to visit England and Denmark. On the way I passed through the United States. Two years later, the Lord brought me there again. Then in 1962, He brought me once more, and this time He kept me there. Little by little I was impressed.

After some time, it became clear to me that instead of returning to the East, I should begin the ministry in the United States. We started at the end of 1962. There was no organization to support us nor any financial backing, but we started.

This story demonstrates the Lord’s sovereignty. He prepared international events so that we would have to go to the United States, although this was far from my intention.

My thoughts were heading in the opposite direction. Before the end of World War II, I already perceived that Japan would be defeated and that China and the United States would win the war. I then committed myself to evangelizing Inner Mongolia and made a plan to carry out this burden through the northwestern region.

I lived in northern China, where we had a good number of saints who could provide human resources. There were nurses, doctors, teachers, and merchants. The financial resources would be provided by some prosperous brothers from Manchuria, in northeastern China.

My plans were well made. The co-workers called me the general director of the “Three Norths Company”! There were North China, the Northeast, and the Northwest. China indeed won the war, but contrary to our expectations, the communists gained control of the country. My dream of the Three Norths Company vanished, although seventy saints actually migrated into Inner Mongolia.

Some time ago I heard news concerning those seventy brothers. A co-worker, one of the elders in my hometown, initiated that migration in 1943. Now, thirty-seven years later, he is still alive, although he has already been imprisoned fifteen times. Currently there is some freedom there and there are even churches in that district. I was happy to receive such news, although I never had the opportunity to go there personally.

My intention was to head northwest; however, the Lord sent me southeast! I was about to go into Inner Mongolia near Siberia, but the Lord sent me to Taiwan, to Manila, to the United States, and now to Europe. How can this be? This Jesus who is in the heavens is the Ruler of the kings. He governs all the nations. The way He governs is absolutely right. He sent us to spread His recovery, to gain more people for Himself.

Could you have imagined fifteen years ago that the Lord would move this way in Germany? In our midst we have Italians, Spaniards, French, English, as well as Germans. Thirty-one years ago I would have died for the Three Norths Company! Yet the Lord prevented me from going there. I did not need to die! Now I am here in Europe, enjoying the voices of so many different nationalities.

Who prepared all this? The heavenly Christ! It is not your work nor mine. I am far too small to have prepared anything like this. We praise the Lord for this reflection of His heavenly ministry!

Within a few years, all of Europe will be saturated with the recovery. I believe it will enter every major city. In a short time it will spread even back to Jerusalem.

From Stuttgart it will move south to Athens and then cross the sea to Jerusalem. That is where the church began, and in this age it will return there! This is the Lord’s move, from the heavens, reflected on the earth.

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Hymn: Service – “For the Church”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 1, Thursday, chapter 2

THE CELESTIAL
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 2

CHRIST IN THE DIVINE ADMINISTRATION

WEEK 1 – THURSDAY

Bible Reading: Rev 4:1-5; 5:1-10; Matt 28:18-19; Mark 16:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:33

Read and pray: “But one of the elders said to me, Do not weep; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Rev 5:5)

THE SCENE OF THE ASCENSION

Revelation 4 and 5 used to be a great mystery to me. As far as I can recall, I never heard any message about these chapters, and it took a long time before I could understand anything of their meaning.

These two chapters present a scene of the heavens opened. There is a throne where God is seated, surrounded by another twenty-four thrones. There are also twenty-four angels as the elders of the universe and four living creatures.

Surely there are also myriads of angels present, as well as all the other created beings. This picture portrays God on the throne as the center of the universe.

Then John saw a scroll in the hand of the One who was seated on the throne. When the question arose as to who could open the scroll, John wept because no one was qualified to do so. “Do not weep,” one of the elders told him; “behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the scroll and its seven seals” (Rev 5:5).

When John looked, what he saw was a Lamb with seven eyes. This Lamb-Lion was standing, not seated, and His seven eyes were flaming. From this picture we can clearly see that His work is not completed.

What was completed in John 19 was the work of redemption. Yet His standing position and His seven flaming eyes indicate that He is still working. “And He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne” (Rev 5:7).

This is the beginning of Christ’s ministry in the heavens. Without these two chapters we would not know what happened when Christ ascended into the heavens.

In Revelation 4 and 5 we see that, upon ascending, Christ went directly to the throne at the center of the universe. Before the throne, before the twenty-four elders, and surrounded by all created beings, He received the commission to carry out the divine economy, symbolized by that scroll.

We enjoy singing the hymn based on Revelation 5:12–13:

“Blessing and honor and glory be to You,

And glory be to You,

And glory be to You.

Blessing and honor and glory be to You,

Now and forever. Amen!” (Hymns, no. 92).

Praise, honor, and glory are for the Lamb—not on the cross, but standing before the throne at the center of the universe, who received a universal commission! We must not be so superficial as to limit our praise of Christ only to redemption. We need to broaden our view to behold this same Lamb carrying out a work of immeasurable and eternal dimensions.

Look at this scene John portrays for us. The redeeming Lamb is now standing at the center of the universe, before the throne of God. This reveals to us that the Redeemer is now engaged in the divine administration.

He is the Administrator of the universe, executing the divine economy. He is not sitting or sleeping there but standing, with seven flaming, observing, searching, and even burning eyes.

The entire universe observes this scene. The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, myriads of angels, and all other creatures are fully awake, alert, and watching. Under these circumstances they proclaim: “To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the dominion forever and ever” (Rev 5:13).

How do we know that this scene occurred at the time of Christ’s ascension? We conclude this from 5:6, where the Lamb is described as “having been slain.” The Greek verb tense here implies that He had just been slain. Right after His sacrificial death, He received the universal and eternal commission from the hand of God.

THE TWO-FOLD WORK OF CHRIST

In His earthly ministry, Christ accomplished redemption. Now, in His heavenly ministry, He carries out God’s building. Redemption has as its goal God’s building. The center of this building is the church, and its ultimate consummation will be the New Jerusalem.

At present the church is a house (1 Tim 3:15), but this house will ultimately become a city. When this happens, God’s building will be complete. The work of redemption was finished in John 19. A few chapters later, in Acts 2, the work of building began, and it continues to this day.

These two aspects of the work of Christ are generally unknown to Christians today. They are familiar with the work of redemption, yet if you tell them that Christ is still working in the heavens with the purpose of completing God’s building, they may question you for this strange doctrine.

How wonderful it is to be in the light and have this heavenly vision, hidden from most Christians! There is a Lamb-Lion standing at the center of the universe with seven flaming, burning eyes! He can save you from silence, coldness, and laziness!

THE RECIPROCITY BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

Who can oppose this Lamb-Lion? Who can hinder the Lord’s recovery? The recovery is not part of traditional Christendom. I truly believe that what the Lord does in the heavens finds a response among us in His recovery.

On the day of Pentecost, the corresponding reaction on earth began to Christ’s move in the heavens. Only one hundred twenty people were there in the beginning—mostly simple Galileans, not scholars.

That work, then in its beginning, is the same work of which we are a part today. The work did not begin in China but in Jerusalem! We are here in our day to reflect what Christ is doing in the heavens.

Wherever we are, we cause problems for Christendom. This is a country with a solid and long Christian tradition. And now a young man arises to cause problems! He has been in Europe since 1971, disturbing and unsettling traditional religion.

The first time I came across him was in Manila in 1950, when he was still a boy. Ten years later we had a retreat in the mountains of Baguio, in the Philippines. He attended that young people’s conference. More than a hundred young people were present, and all were enlivened, including him.

Eight years later, after I went to the United States, I received a letter from him. He was studying medicine in Germany but had the burden to drop his studies and serve the Lord full time. He asked for my counsel.

He had already contacted a famous preacher who advised him to continue his studies. After much prayer, I replied that if he felt led by the Lord to do so, he could come to Los Angeles that summer and attend a training and a conference we would hold.

After that, about one hundred thirty saints would participate in a trip to visit the churches in the Far East, including Manila. He came to Los Angeles, stayed for the conference, and then joined us on the trip to the Far East.

When we arrived in Manila, his parents invited me for dinner. They begged me to urge him to return to Germany and finish medical school. He could serve the Lord, but first he should complete his studies.

I replied that I had not urged him to quit his studies and that we had had no contact for eight years. He himself felt he could not continue studying but should dedicate himself to serving the Lord.

They pleaded further, saying that only I could influence him to change his plans. I said neither yes nor no, but indicated that what they were asking was not my task nor my responsibility, but concerned the Lord’s work. That young man was not persuaded by his family. He returned to Los Angeles, where he remained for three years.

After that, in 1971, he felt burdened to return to Germany—not to complete his studies but for the Lord’s recovery. Whatever opposition existed, the seven eyes operated within him like a motor. Nothing could stop him!

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Hymn: Praise to the Lord – “Various”

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The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 1, Wednesday, chapter 1

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 1

CHRIST IN THE ASCENSION

WEEK 1 – WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: Jn 4:42; 11:43-44; Acts 2:36; 3:15; 5:31; 10:36; Eph 1:22; 2:6; Heb 2:10; 4:14-15; 7:25; 8:2; 12:2; Rev 1:5

Read and pray: “This is the word that God sent to the sons of Israel, announcing to them the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all.” (Acts 10:36)

THE OFFICES OF THE ASCENDED CHRIST

When Christ ascended, He took possession of various great offices.

A. The Christ

Until His ascension, He had not yet been officially installed as the Christ. On the day of Pentecost, Peter declared: “This Jesus whom you crucified, God has made Him both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).

This verse used to bother me. Was He not the Christ before the ascension? Yes, even in eternity He was already the Christ, but in eternity He had not yet been anointed. It was during His baptism that He was anointed. However, He was not officially installed as the Christ until the ascension.

Christ was not only chosen, designated, and anointed by God, but also installed by Him into His office. He passed through the manger, the Jordan River, and the cross, and now He is enthroned in the heavens as the Christ.

The cross can be seen everywhere in Christianity. There are wooden crosses, gold crosses, stone crosses, and steel crosses. Catholics frequently make the sign of the cross. They have a dead Christ. Their knowledge of Him is limited to the manger and the cross.

Where is the symbol of the throne? Our Christ is not limited to the crucifixion. He is enthroned! Even in our spirit there is this throne.

The One who is in our spirit is not lying in a manger nor hanging on the cross, but seated on the throne. And it is this enthroned Christ that we need to experience.

B. Lord

Acts 2:36 also teaches us that He was made Lord. Yes, He was already the Lord before the ascension, but again He had not been installed into this office. One of the Old Testament names for God is Lord (from the Hebrew “Adonai”), meaning owner.

Christ in the Old Testament was Adonai. Then He became a man, a despised Nazarene. This same man was chosen to be Lord while He was still on the earth. But it was only in ascension that He was installed into His lordship.

When Peter said, “He is the Lord of all” (Acts 10:36) in Cornelius’s house, he meant that He was Lord of all peoples—both Jews and Gentiles—and of all things. There is not only God, but also a man on the throne today, who in ascension was installed as Lord of all!

C. Ruler

“God exalted Him at His right hand as Prince and Savior” (Acts 5:31). The Greek word translated Prince is used only four times in the New Testament, always referring to Christ (Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2—the last two are translated Author).

The term has been translated in various ways in different versions because there is no single English equivalent for the Greek. The idea is that He is the origin and Originator, the Author, the Leader, and the Inaugurator.

Thus, He is above all and, spontaneously, He is the Ruler who possesses authority. Acts 3:15 calls Him the Author of life. It seems that here it actually sounds better to translate as Author or Originator of life rather than Prince, as some versions do.

In Hebrews 2:10 the same word is again translated Author [some versions translate it Prince or Captain]. Christ in His ascension is the Author of our salvation, leading us into the glory into which He Himself has already entered as a Pioneer.

Hebrews 12:2 calls Him the Author and Perfecter of faith. Once again, it carries the idea that He is the Originator, the Leader, or the Forerunner of faith.

Being our source and guiding us on the path of faith are functions included in the office into which He has been installed.

How precious this Christ in ascension is! When on earth, He was so poor that He had to ask a Samaritan woman for water. But now the poverty of His earthly life has ended. He has assumed the position of origin and Originator, Ruler, Author, Leader, Captain, Pioneer, and Forerunner! He is far above all. He is the first. All things and all authority are in His hands.

D. Savior

When Christ was on earth, He saved Peter, John, and many others. However, although the title Savior applies to Him in His earthly ministry (Jn 4:42), He was not officially the Savior before the ascension (Acts 5:31).

Do you realize how your salvation is more glorious than Peter’s? Peter was saved unofficially by the Carpenter of Nazareth. You were saved officially by Christ on His throne.

I understand that you might think how special Peter was to be saved by Jesus by the Sea of Galilee; you, however, were saved by the glorified Christ, who is seated on the throne in the third heaven!

You do not need to envy Peter. When he was saved, he followed Jesus through Galilee. When you were saved, you sat with Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6)! Christ saved you from His throne and for His throne. This is your Savior!

E. High Priest

We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens (Heb 4:14-15)! He is not only a priest but the High Priest, who “is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them” (Heb 7:25).

Christ stands before God on our behalf, praying that we may be saved and fully brought into God’s eternal purpose. As verse 26 declares, He is not only in the heavens but has been “made higher than the heavens.”

F. Minister

In Hebrews 8:2 Christ is called “a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.” He is the enthroned Servant, ministering to us from the heavens.

G. Firstborn from the dead

This is a great title. Lazarus was raised from the dead (Jn 11:43-44), but his resurrection was only temporary. He died again. From the Lord’s resurrection onward, however, death was overcome. He lives forever. For this reason He is indeed the Firstborn from the dead (Rev 1:5).

H. Ruler of the kings of the earth

He is also called in Revelation 1:5 the Ruler of the kings of the earth. “Ruler” here is slightly different from the title Prince or Ruler we referred to in Acts 5:31.

It is common to call Jesus King of kings, but calling Him the Ruler of the kings of the earth is the same as saying He is far above all earthly rulers.

I. Head over all things

When Christ rose from the dead, God “put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church” (Eph 1:22).

These are some of the offices into which Christ was installed at His ascension.

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Hymn: Praise the Lord – “His Humanity”

https://hinario.org/detail.php?id=75

The heavenly ministry of Christ, week 1, Tuesday, chapter 1

THE HEAVENLY
MINISTRY OF CHRIST

Chapter 1

CHRIST IN THE ASCENSION

WEEK 1 – TUESDAY

Bible Reading: Ps 2:2; Acts 2:32–36; 4:26; 5:31; 10:36b; Col 1:27; Heb 4:14–15; 7:25–26; 8:1–2; Rev 1:5a; Eph 1:22

Read and pray: “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” (Acts 2:34–35)

THE CONCLUSION OF THE BIBLE

The Bible has a wonderful conclusion! Of course, its beginning is also wonderful. The Bible begins with God and then with His creation. The center of creation is man, made in God’s image and according to His likeness.

If you analyze it, you will see that the human being was formed specifically in order to be one with God. At the beginning of the Bible the tree of life also appears.

When we turn to the end of the Bible, however, we can see that it is even more excellent than the beginning. This may surprise you, but this end begins with the book of Acts and proceeds directly to the book of Revelation!

When I was young, my mother used to tell us the stories of the four Gospels. After I grew up, I discovered that when Catholic missionaries went from Italy to China, about three to four hundred years earlier, the main books they presented were the four Gospels.

Even in my youth, missionaries in general preached and taught based on those books. Why were the other books of the New Testament neglected? It was due to the lack of understanding and appreciation of the conclusion of the Bible.

Now we are here in Europe in the last part of the twentieth century (These messages were given in Germany in 1980). It is already time to see how the Bible ends. What is the true conclusion of God’s revelation? To see His revelation in creation is easy. To see His salvation is also not so difficult. But to see the final stage of His revelation is not so easy.

There are three main ministries in this final stage. No doubt there are some minor ministries as well, but we will concentrate only on these three major ones.

The first is the ministry of Christ in the heavens. The second is the completing ministry of Paul. Without Paul’s Epistles the Bible surely would not be complete. Yes, much had already been revealed, but Paul’s ministry was necessary for the divine revelation to be complete.

The third is the mending ministry of John. Although Paul had completed the writings, damage came in, and therefore John’s ministry was needed to repair the damage. Paul’s last Epistle was written around A.D. 65; and only more than a quarter of a century after that was John’s last writing completed.

If we want to know God’s present move, we surely need to understand the conclusion of the Bible. (This is not merely one verse or one chapter or even one book. There are more than ten books related to this conclusion.)

THE EARTHLY MINISTRY VERSUS THE HEAVENLY

The Lord Jesus most certainly lived a fruitful life during the thirty-three and a half years that He was on the earth. Most of what He accomplished, however, took place in a period of three years. He spent thirty years preparing Himself and only then began to minister.

Almost everything that is preached and taught among Christians today refers to that earthly ministry. When I was a thirsty young Christian, they taught me that Christ had already finished His work. John 19:30 was quoted as proof.

The Lord’s words, spoken while He was still on the cross, were: “It is finished!” After His death He remained in the tomb for three days. Then He resurrected and ascended to the heavens not to work, but to sit there. Sitting, they explained to me, meant that the work was over. He is now there waiting for God to put His enemies under His feet (Acts 2:34–35).

Is this the true picture? Has Christ already finished His ministry? We must answer both yes and no. Yes, His earthly ministry is already over. His heavenly ministry, however, continues to this day.

The Person of Christ has two aspects, just as His ministry does. While He was on the earth, He was the man Jesus. Since His ascension to the heavens, He is the glorified Christ. His earthly ministry lasted for a limited time, at most thirty-three and a half years.

But His heavenly ministry is eternal; it will never end. It is regrettable that so many Christians pay attention only to the first part of Christ’s ministry. In these messages we want to focus on the second part, which is much more crucial.

God’s intention is to have a church and, eventually, the New Jerusalem. During Christ’s earthly ministry the church did not yet exist, much less the New Jerusalem. The church and the New Jerusalem cannot be seen in the four Gospels.

Only when we come to Acts do we find the church. In Acts, the first book of the conclusion of the Bible, the church comes into existence, and in the last book, Revelation, the New Jerusalem appears.

Yes, in Acts the gospel is preached, but not as an end in itself. The preaching of the gospel has the goal of producing the church. The church is the most important point in Acts. Then, in the last book of the conclusion, the first two chapters concern the church, but in the last two chapters the New Jerusalem appears, the ultimate consummation of the churches.

If we obtain a panoramic view from Acts to Revelation, we will discover that the church and the New Jerusalem stand out above everything else.

The church and the New Jerusalem are brought into reality by the heavenly ministry of Christ, not by the earthly. His earthly ministry accomplished redemption so that the church might be produced; however, an even higher, richer, and broader ministry is necessary for the realization of God’s eternal purpose with regard to the church and the New Jerusalem.

As far as His earthly ministry is concerned, everything is already finished. Redemption was secured by the cross. That consummation, however, only introduced Him into His heavenly ministry. Now He is involved in a ministry of far greater scope than the one He had on the earth.

Do not think that the Lord Jesus is sitting in the heavens with nothing to do! He actually administrates the affairs of the whole universe! In His earthly life He certainly did not do this. He suffered, was persecuted, and eventually went to the cross to accomplish redemption.

Now everything has changed. He has full control. He works for you, for the churches, and even for Germany [the place where these messages were given]!

The title Christ means Anointed. He is referred to as the Anointed of God (Ps 2:2; Acts 4:26). When and how was Christ anointed? It was at His baptism, when the Spirit of God descended upon Him.

There at the Jordan River, right after He was baptized, God anointed Him with the heavenly oil, that is, with the Spirit. That anointing represented His designation by God.

When was Christ “inaugurated”? After being elected (which in our case corresponds to the designation of Christ), a president is inaugurated into office.

Two or three months after the election, there is an inauguration ceremony, when he is then brought into his new office and officially begins his duties.

When did Christ’s inauguration take place? It was at His ascension. When He was exalted to the third heaven, that exaltation represented His “inauguration ceremony” into His official position.

During the incarnation, as recorded in the four Gospels, we find a humble man from Nazareth named Jesus. Today, however, He is gloriously different!

Is our Christ the Jesus of the Gospels or the One who ascended? In the times of Leviticus the offerings people made could be different. Some brought a bull, others a lamb, and still others just two turtledoves. This is a picture that, in our experience, Christ may be great like a bull or small like a turtledove.

He is still the same Christ, but our enjoyment of Him differs according to our knowledge, consideration, and experience of His different aspects.

We have known Christ for too long only in His incarnation. It is time to know Him in His ascension. It is strange that so much emphasis is placed on Christ’s birth. From now on you need to stop looking at the manger and at the carpenter’s house and begin to see Christ enthroned in the heavens!

Is your Christ still in the manger? Do you value the manger more, or the throne? Where is your Christ now? Perhaps you answer that He is in you. Of course I must agree with that, for the apostle Paul declares: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27)!

But how do you experience this Christ who is in you? If you have more consideration for the manger, your experience will be limited to that. But if your greater consideration is related to the throne, this will uplift your experience of Him in the spirit.

When I visited the Vatican, I saw many paintings with the manger. It would be quite reasonable to find a manger in Bethlehem, but why should paintings of the manger have such prominence in other places?

People have the impression that Christ is still related to the manger. They have little realization that today He is on the throne. Their concept of Christ is limited to the incarnation. We need to be delivered from this impoverished concept and begin to see Christ in His ascension.

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Hymn 73 – “His Kingdom”

Home meetings, week 5, Monday, chapter 7

HOME MEETINGS

Chapter 7

SPEAKING THE LIVING AND RICH WORD

FOR THE FOUR THINGS

WEEK 5 – MONDAY

Bible Reading: John 14:17-20; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 1:15-16; 2:19-20; 4:19; 6:15; Eph. 3:14-15; 1 Pet. 1:2

Read and pray: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor. 13:13)

DISSEMINATING THE TRUTH

We should not speak only the gospel, but we should also speak the truth, the divine realities of the Bible. To speak the truth, we must know the truth. There are many truths in the Bible.

The Trinity is probably the greatest truth. Almost all Christians know that our God is Triune, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, yet that is all most people know.

When we ask them to speak more about the Trinity, they have little to say. We all must learn to say something deeper.

You can tell people what it means to be baptized into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19). Then they will enjoy the grace of Christ, the Son, and the love of God, the Father, and have a share in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

They will enjoy the riches of the Trinity. You may think it will be difficult to learn all these things, but I do not think so. Everything depends on you.

If you have the heart and the desire, you can surely do it, especially if you go to the Recovery Version, where there is a long footnote on 2 Corinthians 13:14¹. This footnote is one of the long notes concerning the Divine Trinity, which spans from Genesis to Revelation.

In 1 Peter 1:2 it says: “...according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto the obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ...”. This is the very enjoyment of the Triune God.

Then Paul in Ephesians 3 said that he bowed his knees unto the Father, that He would strengthen us in the Spirit so that Christ would make His home in our hearts. Again we can see the Triune God.

There are many verses like these, including John 14:17-20. These are the rich words. Learn to take them and speak them. It may be that twelve years ago you had many excuses for not speaking the rich word, but not today.

This is because I have placed many rich eatables in your storehouses or at least on the bookshelf where you can obtain them. Now you can acquire all the riches.

In the training on the book of Acts we emphasized the matter of the dispensational transfer. I am concerned that perhaps many of us have missed this crucial point.

We need to spend much time on all the footnotes in the book of Acts that deal with this transfer. I believe that in only half a day you can grasp the strong point concerning the dispensational transfer found in the book of Acts.

I hope you will spend some time to obtain the riches of the Word. Then when you speak, you will not speak only in a living way, but also in a rich way.

I am thankful to the Lord that many have been attending the ministry meetings for more than twelve years. I believe the reason you have attended is that I do not give you cheap things, dead things, nor have I spoken to you in a poor way.

Everything I have given you has been at least something living and rich. The living and the rich element of this ministry attracts you. We all must learn to speak not only the living word but also the rich word. Then our speaking of the rich word will be the dissemination of the truth.

There are so many truths in the Bible. For example, the book of Galatians is full of riches: “...and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me...” (Gal. 1:15-16); “For I through the law have died to the law that I might live to God. I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me...” (Gal. 2:19-20); “...until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19); “For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal. 6:15).

With the Recovery Version and the Life-studies, it is so easy to obtain all these riches. It would be a pity if you had been with us for more than five years and were not so full of the riches of the holy Word.

You are in a rich family with many riches. To your left and to your right there are many riches. Behind you, in front of you, above you, and beneath you there are many riches, yet all the riches are not in you.

We all need to realize the situation and extract the riches from the holy Word so that we may speak the living and rich word to people.

MINISTERING LIFE

Our speaking with prayer, the Spirit, and boldness is also for the ministering of life. Life is conveyed in the holy Word. The Bible is the word of life. Everything we speak as the living and rich word of God is the word of life.

We speak the word, yet within the word is life. Thus, in speaking we spontaneously minister life to others. However, due to our shortage of the Word of God, when we try to help others, we simply do not have the words to tell them.

The most we can say might be: “You need to love the Lord and realize that the Lord loves you and is trustworthy.” We need to minister something new, something from our experience, something we have discovered and experienced. In doing this we spontaneously minister life to others.

We need the proper speaking of the living and rich word in order to minister life to others. If you do these three things—preach the gospel, disseminate the truth, and minister life to others by speaking the rich and living word—then when you go to a meeting, whether large or small, you will be rich.

Develop the habit of speaking, and have much to speak and also with which to speak. You will have much; I have much; each one of us will have much. In this way the meeting will never be poor, low, dead, or cold. It will always be high, enriched, and quite living. This is the way to have the church life built up in the small meetings.

RECOVERING THOSE WHO ARE WEAK

Rich speaking also helps us recover those who are weak. In the church there are always many weak ones. They need your support; they need your help through the rich word of the Spirit.

In conclusion, if we truly are serious with the Lord in His recovery, all must rise up. Do not take the shortcut. Prepare yourselves with much endurance, much divine patience to take this way for at least three or four years.

Go to the small meetings, always spend time to get into the holy Word, pray adequately, and learn to speak habitually the things concerning Christ.

Speak the divine riches first for your own building up. Then go to the meeting to practice and develop the habit of speaking. Do not say, “I don’t feel I have a burden to speak something in the meeting. I am not led; I have no inspiration.”

Do not be hearers in the traditional way. Learn to get into the Word and pray over it, and then practice speaking according to your deposit. Then when you go to the meeting, you will not worry about whether you feel or are inspired or led; you will simply speak.

First your speaking will build you up, and then it will spontaneously build up others. In this way the meetings will be built up. This is the way for the church life.

_____________________

¹ Depending on the version of the Bible, the text of 2 Corinthians 13 “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” may appear in verse 13 or 14.

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Hymn: S22 — “Grace”