God’s Glorious Church! : By James L. Lantz
The glory of God will be in greater manifestation in these last days before the return of our Lord Jesus Christ than what we read about in the book of Acts. Haggai 2:9 NKJV The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, says the LORD of hosts. Jesus promised that when He goes to the Father He would send the Holy Spirit so that those who believe in Him will do greater works than He did. John 14:12 NKJV Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. When we ask for things in the name of Jesus and receive them our Father is glorified through His Son! Everyone who abides in Jesus and keeps His words abiding in them will be able to ask whatever they will and it shall be done for them! John 15:7 If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. I hope this thrills you as much as it does me because God is no respecter of persons and whatever He has done for others He will do for you and me!
The apostle John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and Jesus began to speak to him, giving him a message to deliver to each of the seven churches. We would do well to remove all those things that Jesus declared unacceptable and to excel in those things He commended! After these messages to the churches a door was opened in heaven and the Lord spoke again to John. Rev. 4:1 . . . Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. Jesus had John write in a book many of the things that he heard and saw that must shortly come to pass and John referred to it as the Revelation of Jesus Christ! Included in this vision of heaven and judgements being poured out on the earth John heard the cry to celebrate for the time of the marriage supper of the Lamb has come.
The Lamb’s Wife Hath Made Herself Ready!
Rev. 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. The Spirit of God through Paul likens believers as being married to Jesus which allows us to bring forth fruit unto God! Rom. 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. The Epistle to the Ephesians also reveals that the church will become sanctified through the washing of the water of the word for Jesus to present her to Himself as a glorious wife, holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27 ESV so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. The Spirit of God revealed to John in the vision that the Lamb’s wife made herself ready for that great marriage celebration in heaven. How many of you know that the wedding doesn’t start until the bride is ready! Light is being shined on us today that the church must cooperate with the Spirit of God in the washing and cleansing process. Eph. 5:26 ESV that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, We know from the parable of the ten virgins that both the virgins and the bridegroom each have to do their part in order for the marriage to take place! The five foolish virgins didn’t value the marriage enough to do all that was necessary to assure their readiness no matter what happened nor how much time passed before the bridegroom came.
God has already provided salvation for the whole world through Jesus Christ sacrificial death on the cross and His rising from the dead. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus is God’s gift to the whole world but not everyone in the world will claim their gift and thus they will be damned for all of eternity. The gift of righteousness has been made available to everyone but each of us must receive God’s righteousness for ourselves!
Those of us who have received the life of God through Jesus Christ are instructed to put off the old man and put on the new man! Jesus Christ has defeated the power of sin! The curse and the sin nature is still just as powerful in the earth today but those who walk in the Spirit are freed from the law of sin and death. Rom. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. The exceeding greatness of God’s power has been made available to those who believe through His mighty work of raising Christ from the dead. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is much more powerful than the law of sin and death! Rom. 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. We begin to reign in this life by putting off the
Reign In Life By Saying Yes To Jesus And No To The Devil!
works of darkness because we believe that we have been transferred into the kingdom of light! The fourth chapter of Ephesians mentions that we are to stop telling lies, don’t sin when we get angry and get over being angry before the sun goes down. Don’t give the devil any place, and if you are stealing quit it, (this would include stealing God’s Tithe) get a job doing good and give to him that needs. Don’t speak anything corrupt but only that which edifies and ministers grace to the hearers and don’t grieve the Holy Spirit by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking, with all malice. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving each other as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you. Follow God and walk in love! Don’t ever allow fornication, uncleanness, or covetousness to be named among you who are saints. Ephesians 5:4&5 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Our focus is to be on walking out this righteousness through a lifestyle of faith and thanksgiving! 1 Pet. 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Righteousness is the standard that the Kingdom of God functions in! Ps. 45:6 NKJV Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. Ps. 45:7 NKJV You love righteousness and hate wickedness;Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. Walking in Christs’ righteousness is how we rule in life! Everything we need and want in this life has already been provided for us in Christ Jesus and will be released to us as we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness! When we come to God in righteousness requesting some benefit of the kingdom He will not say no! 2 Cor. 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. Come on church, this is our time to shine, lets set our affection on things above and experience His glory!
Testimony by James L. Lantz
I had a very unusual experience in the bedroom of our host family on a recent trip to Indiana. We arrived at our host home about midnight after being at an evangelistic meeting in Richmond. After I was shown to the bedroom where I was to spend the night my attention was drawn to a book that was on a stand on the top of the bureau in the corner of the room. As I started to walk towards the book to see what kind of book it might be a deep, masculine, authoritative, voice began to speak to me. This voice carried an anointing that I could have envisioned coming from an ancient priest or a prophet!
My first thought was this must be a talking book kinda like Big Mouth Billy Bass model fish that begins to sing TAKE ME TO THE RIVER and DONT WORRY – BE HAPPY when your motion activates it.
I became captivated by the anointed words and message seemingly coming from this book and here is summary of what I heard.
“ It is important that men in these days heed the words of my servants, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah! “
Afterwards I try walking toward the book again to see if I can activate it to speak to me again but to no avail. In the morning I asked Daniel’s Mother if he had any kind of a talking book in his room and she said not that I am aware of but that sounds like something he might have. Before I left I also asked Daniel’s Father if he knew of any talking book that Daniel had and he said not that he knew of.
As I pondered over hearing this voice in the next several days I began to believe it was the voice of Jesus instructing me on the importance of these prophetic messages for these last days. Several days later I was able to speak to Daniel on the phone and he confirmed that he has no such thing as a talking book or any kind of motion activated message in his room.
I started reading Zechariah again and found something similar in Zechariah 8:9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
Isaiah 1:19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
Isaiah 52:11 AMPC Depart, depart, go out from there [the lands of exile]! Touch no unclean thing! Go out of the midst of her [Babylon]; cleanse yourselves and be clean, you who bear the vessels of the Lord [on your journey from there].
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
2 Pet. 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Acts 15:9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Prophecy: In August, 2003 Bro. Kenneth E. Hagin prophesied about how you can be sure to be a part of this present day, end time revival. “ Sit and say let it come and nothing will happen but rejoice and arise and leap into the water to swim and the rain will come and the glory will fall and the healings will come! “
