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