Notice the next sentence: "These scenes are to be repeated, and with greater power." Isn't that thrilling? The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was the former rain (and was wonderful), but the latter rain will be even more abundant." If nothing else thrills us, this should; and we can't help but ask, "What is holding things up?" Ephesians 1:3,4 is an important text in this regard:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Ephesians 1:3,4.
God selected Christ to be His representative before the foundations of the world were laid. It wasn't easy for God to put the plan into motion. God struggled with the decision. But Jesus volunteered to represent God to humankind, and now we have been chosen in Jesus to do the same thing. Ephesians 1:4 says,..."He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."
As Jesus stood before the Father in love and reflected His character, so we are to stand before Jesus in perfect love and reflect His character, in order that the world might be attracted to Him through us. This is the way God planned it in the heavenly council, and it's the only way the controversy over His character is ever going to be resolved. Just as Jesus was a living demonstration of God's love, so Jesus has chosen us be be living demonstrations of His love--living proof of the validity of what He accomplished on the cross. Just as God had no other means of revealing Himself to humankind than Jesus, so Jesus has no other means of revealing Himself to humankind than through you and me!
Are we willing to let Him fill us with His Holy Spirit so we can reflect His character like Jesus did for His Father's character. Satan has ruined the character of God in so many ways. I remember my picture of God was horrible, it was a mean picture, but I found out as I grew older that we picture God like our earthly Father a lot of times and that's what happened to me. Most people think He is ready to strike us with punishment the minute we transgress, but that's not true, He is a loving Father, why else would He have sent Jesus to save us, causing Jesus all the pain which no human could ever endure and live. Two scourgings would usually lead to death but He survived both then the cross and the weight of the sins of the whole world upon Him. It's hard to even talk about it, it is so terrible.
Hope you are enjoying learning from these studies. To me they are really educating me. Grandma Joan
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