the great mystery - restoration rivers

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Copyright © 2020 Sharri Eckstein, Charlie Hamilton. All rights reserved.

The Great Mystery Copyright Information Copyright © 2020 Sharri Eckstein, Charlie Hamilton. All rights reserved. eBook Cover by Charlie Hamilton This copyright is not intended to hinder or limit the free distribution of the gospel of the Kingdom. Rather, its singular purpose is to protect our right to publish this material. All rights are reserved. Permission is herein granted to reproduce this book so long as the reproduction is not intended for financial gain. Freely you have received, freely give. The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Good News Translation (GNT) Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica Scripture quotations taken from the New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version is Public Domain in the United States. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Product Description “The Great Mystery” reveals the great and hidden secrets of God wrapped up in His eternal purpose for His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ—Who is the heir of all things. This great mystery was kept secret from before the foundation of the world but was revealed in the first century unto his holy apostles and prophets to proclaim the good news throughout the nations. Readers will broaden their understanding of the gospel of the Kingdom by investigating key scriptural passages and learning how to apply them to their own lives. About the Authors Sharri and her husband Duff live in Boones Mill, VA and have three children and two grandchildren. Charles and his wife Suzanne live in Salem, VA and have six children and ten grandchildren.

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Introduction In this eBook we’re going to examine the great mystery that was preached and taught by the Apostle Paul during the first century. We’re going to be using the book of Ephesians as a backdrop for this incredible revelatory insight which was revealed directly to the Apostle Paul from the LORD Jesus Christ Himself. We will see this great mystery as a three-fold cord which is not quickly broken. First, we will see the mystery as our joint inheritance that we have in Christ and the incredible inheritance that Christ has in us—His saints. Secondly, we will see the mystery of the fellowship that we have with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, we will see the mystery from a Bridal paradigm where we’re called to become the Bride of Christ and invited to marry the LAMB. But first, we would like to lay a proper foundation for studying the book of Ephesians. It’s important to understand that there were two true Apostles who ministered to the saints in Ephesus. First, there was the Apostle Paul who planted the early church of Ephesus, and then the Apostle John who also ministered to those saints both before and after his time on the isle of Patmos. It is notable that both Apostles were in prison at the time that they wrote to the saints in Ephesus. Before we look at the book of Ephesians, we believe it is helpful to examine the ministry and function of a true Apostle. Even in the times of the early church we see clearly there were false apostles and false prophets who had infiltrated the church with heresies. (see 2 Corinthians 11:13, Revelation 2:2, Book of Jude) By understanding what a true Apostle is, we can recognize the false.

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Let us begin with the Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul Look in Acts 26:12-18, “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:12-18 Listen to what the LORD Jesus said to Saul (Paul). Rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose: “To make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.” A true Apostle is a minister and a witness of things the LORD Jesus reveals directly from Heaven. “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you.” A true Apostle is one who is SENT from the LORD Jesus Christ Himself.

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“To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” From Acts 26 we can see the Apostolic calling that was given to the Apostle Paul. The LORD Himself came anointing and appointing the Apostle Paul to be a minster and a witness of the things he had seen and the things that the LORD Jesus would reveal to him. The LORD, by divine and eternal purpose, sent Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles. Peter was sent to the Jews while Paul was sent to the Gentiles. True Apostles are sent with great light “To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” To open their eyes… To turn them from darkness to light… from the power of Satan to God... that they may receive forgiveness for sins AND receive an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in the LORD Jesus. This is the Apostolic mandate for all true Apostles of God. The Apostle Paul tells the saints in Galatia that the Gospel of the Kingdom that he received did not come by man—but by the direct revelation of Jesus Christ Himself. Look in Galatians 1:11-12, “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:11-12 True Apostles are a Voice from the Throne—they are not an echo!

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Now look in Galatians 4:19, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” As an Apostolic Father, the Apostle Paul travailed in prayer; in intercession and in the work of the ministry to form the foundation of Christ in each and every disciple. Knowing what a true Apostle looks like and how they function can help us in our spiritual discernment of the true versus the false. True Apostles do not build with brick and mortar. True Apostles build up people who are “living stones” by laying the only foundation that can be laid Jesus Christ the Son of God. (see 1 Corinthians 3:11) Paul Planted Ephesus Look in Acts 19:1-7, “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. Acts 19:1-7 What happened in Ephesus? Acts 18:24 tells us that a Jew by the name of Apollos came to Ephesus and taught the people, but as we will see—Apollos only knew about the baptism of repentance through John—the forerunner of Christ.

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Look in Acts 18:24, “Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.” While Apollos was in Ephesus, two true disciples, Aquila and Priscilla, heard what he was teaching, so they took Apollos aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately. Look in Acts 18:26, “So he [Apollos] began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God more accurately.” [Emphasis ours] Acts 18:26 Aquila and Priscilla had been discipled by the Apostle Paul therefore they understood the Way of God more accurately. So, they pulled him aside and instructed Apollos that Christ had already come, He had died on the Cross, He was buried and was raised again from the dead on the third day. Aquila and Priscilla told Apollos about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and it was now available to all the saints who would believe. Question? Where did Apollos get his revelation? Second hand from the ministry of John the Baptist. So, Apollos was going everywhere teaching what he knew but did not get any further revelation until Aquila and Priscilla pulled him aside and taught him the Way of God more perfectly. We bring up this point for several reasons. The Apostle Paul was sent by God with the light and the revelation of the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles. Apollos, however, was ministering to the people based upon the older ministry model of John the Baptist.

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Apollos was not a disciple of the LORD Jesus; he was a teacher—teaching ONLY what he knew of the baptism of repentance. Apollos only had second-hand revelation—He did not get direct revelation from the LORD Jesus Christ regarding the Gospel of the Kingdom or the mysteries of God. It took Aquila and Priscilla pulling him aside and teaching him the Way of God more perfectly. Afterwards, Apollos left Ephesus and eventually came to Corinth with his new insight and revelation to help equip the saints there. Acts 19:1 tells us, “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus.” So, when the Apostle Paul finds twelve people who are professing to be disciples, he asks them pointedly, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” Paul was really asking them had they manifested the Holy Spirit since they believe. The word received here is the GREEK word lambanō which means to manifest God’s power. Notice that they said that they had not heard if there was a Holy Spirit. Why? Because at the time that Apollos spent in Ephesus he did not know! “And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” (see Acts 19:2) Again, Apollos only had second hand knowledge of water baptism for repentance but had never baptized anyone in the Name of Jesus Christ; nor had he laid hands up anyone to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, what does the Apostle Paul do? He baptizes them in the Name of Jesus Christ and then he lays hands upon them and they receive the Holy Spirit and manifest the power of the Spirit through tongues and prophecy.

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Look in Acts 19:5-7, “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about twelve in all.” Do you see the great difference between the Apostle Paul and Apollos? Paul, as an Apostle, did not just come in word only but in demonstration of the power so that their faith was not in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Apollos, although mighty in the Scriptures, did not plant the church in Ephesus nor did not he impart the Holy Spirit through the laying on of his hands. Paul was the Apostle, but Apollos was a great teacher of the Word of God. Paul says so directly to the saints in Corinth when they began following charismatic ministries like that of Apollos. Look in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6 The Apostle Paul planted the church in Corinth as an Apostle, but Apollos as a five-fold teacher watered the apostolic work through the washing of the water of the Word of God. Both men had different gift ministries according to Ephesians 4:11—but they functioned differently. Paul functioned as an Apostle—a sent one stewarding the mystery of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the Gentiles and Apollos was a five-fold teacher who watered the seeds of the apostolic work that the Apostle Paul planted. There is biblical evidence that shows that Apollos did not always stay in his lane as a five-fold teacher. There were some in Corinth who were following Apollos and his charismatic ministry instead of following Christ. Because he had such insight and light of the Scriptures and was so charismatic, some viewed Apollos to be an apostle which he was not.

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Look in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas [Peter],” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? [Emphasis ours] 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 Within this early church that the Apostle Paul had planted was division. The people were either following Paul, Apollos or Peter. Those who were following Christ were correct in their pure devotion. However, those following Paul, Apollos or Peter were wrong—Christ is the only foundation that should be laid in the lives and hearts of all disciples. Now look back at Ephesus in Acts 19:8-10, “And he [Paul] went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers [people] were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” [Emphasis ours] Acts 19:8-10 Since Apollos had not preached the Way of the Kingdom in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul began to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, seeking to make disciples for the LORD Jesus Christ. When his message was rejected in the synagogue, then the Apostle Paul separated the disciples and began preaching and teaching in the school of one Tyrannus.

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Look in Acts 19:10, “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” Acts 19:10 The Apostle Paul’s preaching and teaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom continued for two years so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the LORD Jesus. While Apollos moved from place to place as a itinerate teacher, the Apostle Paul established the early church by making disciples and establishing elders and deacons. Apostle John Now, let’s look the book of Revelation to see the letter sent to the church of Ephesus. Now look Revelation 2:1-7, “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Revelation 2:1-7

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Patmos is an island very close to the city of Ephesus. It was a major port city of that day so those who traveled in and near that area came through the port of Ephesus. Remember that the Apostle John was imprisoned on this island. Here in Revelation 2, we see the LORD Jesus begin the letter by commending the church of Ephesus for several things. “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” After having the Apostle Paul and the Apostle John as examples of what true Apostles look and act like and how they function—it became easy for saints in Ephesus to discern these false apostles by the message that they brought. The saints tried and tested them, “which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” The LORD continues to commend the church of Ephesus until He points out where they have fallen short. “And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.” What was going on? In modern terms, they had allowed their platform ministry to eclipse their intimacy with the LORD Jesus. They were hard at work for the LORD however, they had made a critical spiritual mistake—they had left their first love—the LORD Jesus Himself. The work became their first love instead of the LORD Jesus. All platform ministry should be birthed out of our intimacy with the LORD Jesus, not the other way around. The LORD has shown us that all platform ministry should come out of the overflow of our worship and ministry to Him. As the Apostle of love, this gave the Apostle John great insight as to the needs of the church of Ephesus and we are certain it gave him even more incentive to pray and intercede for the church of Ephesus.

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Now let us move on to the book of Ephesians. The Book Of Ephesians Just like the book of Romans, the book of Ephesians is divided into two sections. The first three chapters are doctrinal in nature while the last three chapters are practical. The first three chapters reveal what God has done for us in Christ through the Holy Spirit. The last three chapters reveal our responsibilities in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Later we will expand these truths through our understanding of Christ and His inheritance in us. But always remember, if we only see our part—we will miss the Father’s heart. Just as the Apostle Paul placed an emphasis on the Holy Spirit at the foundation and planting of the church of Ephesus, so this epistle places an emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit and our responsibility to obey and submit to the Person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit We cannot live as disciples apart from the Person of The Holy Spirit. If you’re truly born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit, then the Person of the Holy Spirit should be alive and active in your life. There are some hyper-grace preachers who preach that because we are “no longer under the law of Moses” and “the Cross is a finished work” that we no longer have any obligation to obey. That is a heresy! Isaiah 1:19-20 says, “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” You may say that’s in the Old Testament!

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Well let’s look at obedience in the practical side of Ephesians. Look in Ephesians 5:15-21, “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.” Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV May we always respond in obedience to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Ephesians and it is filled with great insight about the Holy Spirit. There are ten references to the Holy Spirit in this epistle that we would like to point out. In the first half of this epistle (chapters 1, 2 and 3) Paul reveals five ministries or functions of the Holy Spirit to us as disciples. But in the last half of this epistle (chapters 4, 5, and 6) we discover five responsibilities we have to the Holy Spirit. The first half is doctrinal, and the last half is practical—how we walk as children of light. When you match these ten references together you will discover that they fit like a hand in a glove. In Ephesians 1, 2 and 3 the Apostle Paul is revealing what God has done for us—our spiritual blessings in Christ. This section reveals five things God, through the Holy Spirit, has DONE for us in Christ. Yes, these five things are a finished work in Christ! But when you turn to the last half of the epistle chapters 4, 5 and 6, it reveals our behavior in Christ—or our responsibility in Christ to obey.

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These five ministries or functions of the Holy Spirit align perfectly with our five responsibilities to the Holy Spirit. How will we respond to the five ministries or functions of the Holy Spirit? 1) The Holy Spirit Has Sealed Us (Finished Work) Look in Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14 When we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise Who is the guarantee of our inheritance in Christ Jesus. Now, let’s look at our responsibility to The Holy Spirit since we are sealed by Him. Look in Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30 Our responsibility is to not grieve the Holy Spirit by sinning. If you look at the context surrounding Ephesians 4:30 you will see this very clearly. Look in Ephesians 4:25-32, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working

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with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:25-32 When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit. We believe that one of the greatest sins in our day and time is unbelief. As you will recall, unbelief kept an entire generation of people out of the promised land. (see Hebrews 3:19) It is NOT OK to believe in the fruit of the Spirit but not believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is NOT OK to believe in evangelists, pastors and teachers but not believe in apostles and prophets for today. It is NOT OK to believe in the spiritual healing of the new birth experience but not believe in the physical and mental healing from the Holy Spirit through the blood and stripes of Christ. Unbelief is a sin; if we have unbelief, then we need to repent and stop grieving the Holy Spirit. We need to obey! 2) The Holy Spirit Gives Us Access (Finished Work) Look in Ephesians 2:18, “For through Him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:18 Through the finished work on the Cross—through the Blood of the LAMB, The Holy Spirit gives us access to the Father. We should always view this spiritual access as a great joy and a great privilege—an “audience with our Father—an audience with our King.” The Gospel of John tells us that The Holy Spirit will guide us.

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Look in John 16:13, “However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come.” John 16:13 People may have an issue with saying that the Holy Spirit is our guide but the Scriptures bear this truth out. The Holy Spirit guides us into the Spirit realm—guiding us in all truth Who is the Person of Christ. Now, let’s look at our responsibility to The Holy Spirit since we have been granted access to the Father. Look in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—” Ephesians 6:18 Our responsibility is to pray in the Spirit which is speaking in tongues. Praying in the Spirit takes full advantage of what Christ has done for us and it is our responsibility as disciples of the LORD Jesus to speak in our spiritual prayer language(s). Jude 1:20 tells us, “But you, beloved, keep building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” We keep building ourselves up spiritually in the inner man by praying in the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul himself said, “I thank my God that I speak in tongues more than you all.” (see 1 Corinthians 14:18) This is why, when the Apostle Paul found those twelve men in Ephesus in Acts 19, He asked them if they had manifested the Holy Spirit since they first believed. It was important to the Apostle Paul and we believe to the LORD Jesus that every disciple “builds themselves up on their most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.”

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Once the Apostle Paul baptized them in the Name of the LORD Jesus Christ, he then laid hands upon them and they received the Holy Spirit by speaking in tongues and prophesying. Again, it is NOT OK to not believe in receiving the Holy Spirit which is evidenced by speaking in tongues and prophesying. 3) The Holy Spirit Makes Us God’s Dwelling Place (Finished Work) Look in Ephesians 2:22, “In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22 As “living stones” we are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. God is not building with brick and mortar. God is building a holy habitation of God through the Holy Spirit. As a Body we are the dwelling place of God. This is not done by the place that you go but rather through the Person that you know—the LORD Jesus Christ! Now, let’s look at our responsibility to The Holy Spirit since we have been built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Look in Ephesians 4:3, “Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 Our responsibility is to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace. All Christian fellowship should be based solely upon the Holy Spirit. The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit is deep and allows us to be unified with other disciples in the Spirit—not in the soul of men. 2 Corinthians 5:16 tells us, “Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.”

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Ephesians 3:9 tells us, “And to make all [people] see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” [Emphasis ours] Ephesians 3:9 Our Christian fellowship with God and one another comes through and by way of the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Christ. (see 2 Corinthians 3:17) 4) The Holy Spirit Reveals God’s Truth (Finished Work) Look in Ephesians 3:4-5, “By which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets.” Ephesians 3:4-5 The Bible you hold in your hands is a supernatural book. A supernatural God gave the Scriptures in a supernatural way. The Bible was given to reveal God to man, calling people to experience a supernatural life found only in Jesus Christ. Once a person is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, permission is granted to experience a supernatural life. Through Jesus Christ, we’ve been redeemed from a fallen race and made a new creation. Through Jesus Christ, we have been given the greatest power in the universe—the Person and Power of The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who is supernatural, was personally given to us to guide us into all the truth—the Person of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the greatest Bible teacher because “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (see 2 Peter 1:21) Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, He has personally been given to you as your Helper.

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The Holy Spirit is the helper—He is not the doer. We have a responsibility to obey and to do our part. Look in John 16:13 where Jesus is speaking, “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.” John 16:13 Therefore, apart from the Holy Spirit we cannot understand the Bible—the Scriptures. We encourage all disciples to prayerfully study the Bible with the Holy Spirit for a much deeper revelation of the Scriptures. Now, let’s look at our responsibility to The Holy Spirit since He has been given to us to reveal God’s Truth. Look in Ephesians 6:17, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17 In Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul tell us our responsibility to Christ and to the Holy Spirit is to put on the full armor of God. So, here in Ephesians 6:17 we see how to do this in a practical way. We take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” It is our responsibility to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” How? By studying the Bible—studying the Scriptures for ourselves. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The word study is the GREEK word spoudazō which means to put forth diligent effort considering the brevity of time.

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As disciples, how can we ever hope to conduct Kingdom business on the earth—as a kingdom of priests—if we do not know the Word of God? The Apostle Paul tells young Timothy the real purpose of the Scriptures. Look in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture, all of it from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is given by inspiration of God which in the GREEK means “God Breathed.”

All Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for three things.

The Scriptures are profitable for doctrine, reproof and correction.

Doctrine is required to establish Truth about what is right. Reproof is required when we stray in a practical way from the Truth. Correction is required when we stray in a doctrinal way from the Truth. God’s Word uses all three: doctrine, reproof and correction to teach us what is right and how to align ourselves with the Truth of God’s Word. This is instruction in righteousness for all disciples. A disciple is a learner of Christ who applies what they learn. Our responsibility to the LORD Jesus and to the Holy Spirit is to learn the doctrine, reproof and correction from the Scriptures, which is our instruction in righteousness and then apply what we learn and use it for the Glory of God. 5) The Holy Spirit Strengthens Us—Inner Man (Finished Work) Look in Ephesians 3:16, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.”

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The Holy Spirit strengthens us in our inner man—our New Creation in Christ. As we pray in Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues) we are strengthened with might in our inner man by His Spirit. Jude 1:20 tells us, “But you, beloved, keep building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” We keep building ourselves up spiritually in the inner man by praying in the Holy Spirit. Now, let’s look at our responsibility to The Holy Spirit since He strengthens us in our inner man. Look in Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18 Our responsibility is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Once we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are to live a life of continually being filled with and by the Holy Spirit. Jude 1:20 reminds us, “But you, beloved, keep building yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” We keep and maintain a posture of being filled by praying in the Holy Spirit. The power of God is a necessity for every disciple to be a minister and a witness of Christ. Look in Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 To be a minister and a witness to the resurrected Christ we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is our joy, our privilege and our responsibility to the LORD Jesus and to the Holy Spirit.

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The Great Mystery—A Three-Fold Cord Look in Revelation 10:7, “But in the days when the seventh angel will blow his trumpet, then the mystery of God will be completed, as he announced to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7 The Great Mystery reveals the great and hidden secrets of God wrapped up in His eternal purpose for His Son, the LORD Jesus Christ—Who is the heir of all things. This mystery was kept secret from before the foundation of the world but was revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets to proclaim the good news throughout the nations. In the book of Ephesians, the Great Mystery is revealed as a “three-fold cord” which is not quickly broken. First, we will discover the Great Mystery as our inheritance in Christ and His inheritance in us. Secondly, we will discover the fellowship of the Mystery. Thirdly, we will discover the consummation of the Mystery in the Bride of Christ. Each strand of this three-fold cord will bind us together in love, bringing us corporately into union with Christ. As we discover the Great Mystery together, let us keep in mind what the Holy Spirit shared with us regarding Ephesians, “If you only see your part—you will miss the Father’s heart.” The Great Mystery—Inheritance (1st cord strand) Ephesians 3:1-6 reveals to us the first cord strand of the Great Mystery, “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be

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fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” The Body of Christ, each member being joined to our Head—Christ, is a matter of being joint-partakers in Christ. According to the GREEK, the word “heirs” in Ephesians 3:6 should be rendered “joint-heirs.” The same GREEK word appears before the word “body” and the word “partakers.” Therefore, we are joint-heirs in Christ, a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ. If we understand how a human Body functions, we can learn this lesson that the Body of Christ as such is a joint matter with our Head—Christ. Why is this such a Great Mystery? Because the Apostle Paul has just explained to us from chapter 2 that before we were born again, we were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus we, who sometimes were far off, are made near by the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, Who has made both one (Jew and Gentile), and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us. (see Ephesians 2:12-14) In the Old Testament, except for the High Priest, all Jews had to stand behind the veil and could not enter the Holy Place let alone the Holy of Holies. But the Gentiles we not allowed to even get that close. All Gentiles had to stand behind a middle wall of partition which separated the Jews from the Gentiles. All Gentiles were considered dogs! But in Christ, the LORD Jesus has abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of two (Jew and Gentile) One New Man, so making peace. And that He might reconcile both (Jew and Gentile) unto God in One Body by the Cross having slain the enmity thereby. And came and preached peace to you (Gentiles) who were afar off, and to them (Jews) that were near. For through Him we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. (see Ephesians 2:15-18)

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Because of all that Christ accomplished on the Cross, we are joint-heirs in Christ, a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ. Both Jew and Gentile are One New Man in Christ and we all share fully in Christ. We must understand that Christ is the heir of all things. (see Hebrews 1:2) As the heir of all things, He is willing to share fully His entire inheritance. Therefore, when we read that we are joint-heirs in Christ, and a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ, know that Christ is willing to share fully His inheritance with us as His Body. This is a powerful truth! Going from being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise—having no hope, and without God in the world to NOW in Christ Jesus we, who sometimes were far off, are made near by the blood of Christ. NOW in Christ we are joint-heirs in Christ, a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ Who is willing to share fully His inheritance with us as His Body. But it gets even better. Christ as the heir of all things has an inheritance in each member in particular of His Body. In his godly prayer, the Apostle Paul says in verse 18 of chapter 1, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” Christ has an inheritance in the saints. Those who are alive in Christ and those who have died in Christ are all ONE in Christ. Look in Ephesians 1:9-10,

“Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.” Ephesians 1:9-10

Having made known to us the mystery of His Will, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in ONE all things in Christ, both those which are in heaven, and those who are upon earth—even in Him!

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At the end of the age, God will bring His great Body together from the saints that have gone before us, to those living upon the earth at that time—together in One—both Jew and Gentile—One New Man! In Christ we ARE that NEW MAN NOW! What is the eternal purpose of God in Christ? Look in Ephesians 3:10-11, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:10-11 Through the church, through the One New Man in Christ, God is going to reveal to the “principalities and powers in heavenly places—the manifold wisdom of God! We are God’s Masterpiece created in Christ Jesus and God is going to reveal His manifold wisdom to the entire universe for all to see. When did God determine His eternal purpose in Christ? Look in Ephesians 1:11-12,

“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.” Ephesians 1:11-12

Understanding our beginning is the beginning of our understanding. Here in God’s prophetic fulfillment—here at the end of the age, it’s important to understand that before God’s creation of heaven and earth— before His creation of Mankind—God predestined all things according to the counsel of His own Will. God began His creation with His eternal purpose in mind and that eternal purpose is wrapped up in His Son—Jesus Christ.

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God began His creation with His eternal purpose in mind. God works all things according to the counsel of His own Will. God is omniscient—all knowing and all powerful. But before anything was ever created—there was God. There was no need for the Voice of God because the godhead communicated by the Spirit of God—Spirit to Spirit. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were One in unity of eternal purpose. But there came a time, before time—in eternal dimensions—which is called “in the beginning” when God convened a counsel with Himself and it was determined in that counsel that the Son of God—His Only begotten Son would become the Word of God, the communication of God to all His creation. As the Word of God—as the Voice of God, the Son of God would perfectly represent His loving Heavenly Father to His new creation. God who dwells in unapproachable light (see 1 Timothy 6:16) desired to be approachable by His new creation. Therefore, the Son of God was ordained to be the Word of God—the Voice of God upon the throne. Now God is at work to bring about the culmination of the Great Mystery, to bring everything in Christ—both in heaven and upon earth—into UNION with His Son. The first cord strand of the Great Mystery is that we are joint-heirs in Christ, a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ Who is willing to share fully His inheritance with us as His Body. We have an inheritance in Christ and Christ has an inheritance in all His saints. Access To Our Full Inheritance The question needs to be asked and answered as to “When do we have full access to our inheritance?” Look in Ephesians 1:3-6,

“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

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world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.”

The English words “the adoption of children” in verse 5 is the GREEK word huiothesia. This is a compound word made up of two GREEK words huios and thesia. These two GREEK words put together literally means “son-placing.” Huios is the GREEK word which refers to a fully mature Son, as opposed to nēpios for an infant or teknon for a child or teenager. Ephesians 1:5 says we are predestinated unto the adoption of children. We are predestinated unto huiothesia the “son-placing” by Jesus Christ unto Himself. When does this “son-placing” happen? At the time appointed of the Father! A Child Verses A Son Spiritual maturity comes through right responses to the dealings of God—not simply the passing of time on a calendar. God is not looking at his watch, He is looking at the maturity of the harvest. “When the harvest permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (see Mark 4:29 NASB) A child is one born of God; a Son is one taught of God. A child has God’s nature; a Son has God’s character. A Son of God through Kingdom maturity receives Kingdom responsibility.

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Through the “new birth experience” we become a child [teknon] of God, but through adoption [son-placing] we become a son [huios] of God. In America, an adoption is understood as taking a child that is not your own and making them your very own through the legal system. However, in the times when Jesus was born, a Hebrew adoption meant to place your mature son into a position in order to exercise power of authority and responsibility to conduct family business. Paul was both a Jew and a Roman Citizen, so he was very familiar regarding adoptions. The Roman custom of adoption was basically the same adoption concept as the custom of the Hebrew patriarchs. Look in Galatians 4:1-2, “Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child [nēpios an infant; little child], does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by The Father.” Galatians 4:1-2 Look in Galatians 4:3-7, “Even so we, when we were children [nēpios an infant; little child], were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son [huios], born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons [huiothesia].” Galatians 4:3-7 Here in Galatians there is one GREEK word for the whole phrase “adoption as sons.” It is the word huiothesia. Here again we see the word huios which is combined with thesia. Together it literally means “son-placing.” Huios is the Greek word which refers to a mature son, as opposed to nēpios for an infant or teknon for a child or teenager.

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What the “adoption as sons” is referring to is a ceremony; an appointed time when The Father invests His mature son with the power of attorney to act in all His affairs. Unlike our modern American custom and understanding of “adoption,” this adoption has nothing to do with being an orphan or a child from a previous marriage nor does it have anything to do with being adopted into someone else’s family. In the Bible this is a legal proclamation: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Why? Because now My Son has my character and my nature, therefore, I am granting him authority to conduct business on my behalf. My Son will now act on my behalf because He will say and do exactly as I would do and say. I have placed my son into this position as my proxy granting him authority to act on my behalf. R.B. Jones, the Welch Bible commentator says, “To be a Son is infinitely more than to be a child, and the terms are never loosely used by The Holy Spirit. It is not a difference in relationship, but in position. Every “born again” child of God has in him the nature of His Father, and is a beloved member of His Father’s family. So, Adoption cannot make the child any nearer or dearer to The Father, yet it gives the child a status he did not enjoy before, a position he did not occupy. It is his recognition as an adult son, the attaining of his maturity, the seal upon his growth to maturity of mind and character.” In other words, in biblical “adoption” a son is recognized as one who can faithfully represent The Father. He has achieved maturity, where The Father can trust him with the responsibility of overseeing the family business. The son becomes the full and complete “heir” of his Father’s inheritance. Birth gives one the right to the inheritance, but the adoption gives one access to the inheritance. The son is already the physical offspring of The Father, so this adoption ceremony is clearly about a legal change of status.

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God’s character and God’s image will be “stamped” upon those who have been brought to maturity and adopted as [huios] sons of God. (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2-3) Throughout history, there have been men and women who have “tasted the good Word of God and the Powers of the age to come.” (see Hebrews 6:5) They gained access to their inheritance in Christ while upon earth through spiritual maturity. You would never give a child full access to their inheritance until they reached a level of maturity to which they could be trusted. The same is true in the Kingdom, we must no longer be children “tossed to and fro” by every wind of doctrine—but we must grow up in Him in all things in order to have full access to our inheritance in Christ. Now let’s look at the 2nd strand-cord of the Great Mystery. The Great Mystery—Fellowship (2nd cord strand) It’s one thing for us to understand our salvation and what we’ve been saved from—a fiery hell, but it is quite another thing to understand our salvation with respect to what we have been saved unto—the eternal purpose of God. God’s eternal purpose at the counsel of His Will was not simply to offer Mankind salvation. No, salvation became a necessity as a result of the fall. (see Genesis 3) God’s eternal purpose for Mankind at the counsel of His Will was that Mankind, as His new creation, would be granted the joy and the privilege of approaching God in intimate fellowship. Ephesians 3:9 reveals the second cord strand of the Great Mystery, “And to make all [people] see what is the fellowship [koinōnia] of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” [Emphasis ours] Ephesians 3:9

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The Great Mystery is that God predestined Mankind to have an intimate “Oneness” relationship with Him—a special fellowship with Him as a royal family. As Christians, we’re on a journey to “Oneness” with God. Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life of that journey. It takes God to love God and it takes God to love people beyond reason. The word in Ephesians 3:9 for “fellowship” is a special GREEK word koinōnia. Man offers fraternity and friendship but only God offers fellowship koinōnia, which is a deep, abiding, supernatural relationship of Oneness. In eternity past, God had never known any other kind of relationship other than koinōnia that He would also offer to Mankind. Fraternity and friendships are only temporal, but the fellowship koinōnia that God offers to Mankind is forever. God is a family Man who desires a love relationship with each member of His royal family. We have the incredible joy and privilege of entering into this fellowship koinōnia with the Father, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. (see 1 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 13:14) We do not have to wait until Heaven to enjoy this love and intimacy. Through Jesus Christ we can experience the love of the Father and the love of His Son—the LORD Jesus Christ. Now we can enter into this sweet fellowship koinōnia with the Father, with His Son and with the Holy Spirit. But this fellowship koinōnia of the Mystery was hidden in God from before the foundation of the world. Romans 16:25 says, “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began.” Romans 16:25 God wants to establish in every disciple this truth of koinōnia according to the revelation of the Mystery. So great was this hidden Mystery of koinōnia that had the devil known what God would do in His Son Jesus Christ for Mankind—the devil would have never crucified the LORD of Glory.

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Look in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. Which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known [God’s Mystery], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” [Emphasis mine] 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 John, the Apostle of love, gives us more details about this fellowship. Look in 1 John 1:1-4, “That [Christ] which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship [koinōnia] with us; and truly our fellowship [koinōnia] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” [Emphasis mine] 1 John 1:1-4 God’s Mystery is at the very heart of His Kingdom message. “The riches of the glory of this mystery is—Christ in you, the hope of glory. (see Colossians 1:27) This new koinōnia fellowship was never offered to angels, nor Seraphim, nor Cherubim—nor any other creature which God created. Only Mankind was offered this incredible gift of Grace to have an intimate koinōnia fellowship with God and to enter into a “Oneness” with the godhead— becoming the royal family of God. (see 1 Peter 2:9) Look at the LORD’s High Priestly prayer for us in John 17:20-23, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be ONE, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be ONE in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given

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them, that they may be ONE just as We are ONE: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in ONE, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” John 17:20-23 This does not make us gods; it makes us vessels filled and loved by God. The same exact intimate koinōnia fellowship that the Son of God enjoyed with His loving Heavenly Father in eternity past is being offered to all Mankind—to all those who will believe in Jesus Christ. Therefore, all unbelief and all sin will hinder our fellowship. God created the universe for the earth, the earth for Mankind and Mankind to have and experience a spiritual and intimate koinōnia fellowship with God called “Oneness.” All apostles and prophets are meant to carry this plumbline message of the Kingdom to the nations. Paul and Barnabas, Paul and Silas all carried this Kingdom message. God’s Mystery of koinōnia is at the very heart of the Kingdom. Through the Cross, God has reconciled all of us into One Body that through death, he can present us before the Heavenly Father in koinōnia—holy and blameless and beyond reproach. Look in Colossians 1:22-29, “Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom

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God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete [fully mature] in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” [Emphasis mine] Colossians 1:22-29 NASB The riches of the glory of this Great Mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Christ already has a koinōnia fellowship with the Heavenly Father and it’s His koinōnia fellowship that we are invited into—to experience this incredible intimate relationship on this side of Heaven. Look in Genesis 15:1, “After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram [Abraham] in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. [Emphasis ours] Heaven is NOT our reward, Christ IN YOU IS! Christ is the treasure in our earthen vessels. (see 2 Corinthians 4:7) Now let’s look at the 3rd strand-cord of the Great Mystery. The Great Mystery—The Bride (3rd cord strand) The third cord strand of the Great Mystery in revelated in Ephesians five. Look in Ephesians 5:30-32, “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:30-32

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Ephesians 5:30-32 reveals that we are members of His Body, of His flesh, and of His bones. Just like a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife—the two shall be ONE. Just like a “man leaves and cleaves” to wife, so we are to leave this evil world system and cleave to our Bridegroom—Christ. “This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Just as we have seen with the first cord strand of the Great Mystery, we are joint-heirs in Christ, a joint-body in Christ, and joint-partakers in Christ and that Christ has an inheritance in His people. Christ is willing to share fully His inheritance with us. The second cord strand of the fellowship [koinōnia] of the Great Mystery takes us even deeper into Oneness with God in our intimate relationship with Him. Finally, the 3rd cord strand of the Great Mystery consummates the relationship of intimacy that the two “Christ and His church” shall be One through our betrothal and the Marriage of the LAMB. The Bride In Her Passion Look in Psalms 17:15, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psalms 17:15 NKJV The Bride is driven by her passion for the LORD Jesus and she will not be satisfied until she is conformed to His image according to His likeness. During our great darkness in the earth and the gross darkness that is currently covering the people, His Bride will witness and experience the greatest world-wide revival of all time. It will be known as “The Brides’ Revival.” It will be the time when the LORD Jesus unveils His Bride to a sick and dying world. She will be “bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh.”

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As the Bride, she will make herself ready and make her Bridegroom Jesus Christ known throughout the world—bringing glory to His Name. She will be nameless, faceless, selfless, and in humility and in simplicity she will walk with the LORD Jesus as her first love with wholehearted devotion to her Bridegroom. She will possess the LAMB-like nature of suffering love, and she will be willing to lay herself down for her Bridegroom King and His Kingdom. Even now the LORD Jesus is preparing her heart for her lovesick journey. Look in Song of Solomon 4:6, “I’ve made up my mind. Until the darkness disappears, and the dawn has fully come, in spite of shadows and fears, I will go to the mountaintop with You—the mountain of suffering love and the hill of burning incense. Yes, I will be Your Bride.” Song of Songs 4:6 TPT It is time for the Bride to say “YES!” to the Wedding “DRESS!” Revelation 19:7-8 tells us, “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.” Revelation 19:7-8 Her wedding dress is made up of the righteous acts of the saints. Being Made Ready! Being made ready is the prophetic word of the hour. We must watch and pray! We must be a people made ready! The Bride is beginning to arise. (see Isaiah 60:1-4) There will be a great awakening and a great world-wide revival which will be known as the Brides’ Revival. It will come in holiness and purity as a pure and spotless Bride arises from the ashes of the earth.

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The saints of God need to get a vision of their Wedding Day! Because the Wedding Day is the “Why” behind the Holy Spirit’s preparation in these end times—“His Wife has made herself ready.” The Bride will desire intimacy with the Bridegroom far more that she desires platform ministry. She is a wise virgin who has a continual flow of oil for her lamp. The Spirit of Revelation and the seven-fold Spirit of the LORD enlightens and empowers her with the power to love with! Because of her UNION with the LORD, she will walk in the seven-fold Spirit of Isaiah 11:2-3 and Zechariah 4:6. There is an encounter with the LORD Jesus that gives The Bride a vision of her Wedding Day and that intimate vision will usher her into that very Day! Sharri received this prophetic word from the Holy Spirit on January 12, 2020 for this year and beyond. “You must contend to abide in the bridal chamber of preparation. Come away and stay. To avoid any disappointment in your soul, live only in expectation of my heart toward you. Expectations of other people will always set you up for disappointment. I will never leave you, nor disappoint you, nor hurt you. I see you differently than you see yourself. I invited You into this bridal chamber and will prepare you for our eternal life together.” Sharri Eckstein Sharri’s Invitation Vision “On Friday night November 6, 2020 during our Tabernacle of David worship, I had a vision of the heart of God. I stepped into it only to realize that it was liquid love that completely engulfed me. I was hidden by love, protected by love, accepted by love, to become love.” Sharri Eckstein I have been meditating on this glorious encounter and realize that faith and love working together can enrich our deep experiences with our Lord.

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Look in Galatians 5:6 GNT, “For when we are in UNION with Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor the lack of it makes any difference at all; what matters is faith that works through love.” [Emphasis ours] Galatians 5:6 GNT Now look in Galatians 5:6 from the Passion Translation, “When you’re placed into the Anointed One and joined to him, circumcision and religious obligations can benefit you nothing. All that matters now is living in the faith that is activated and brought to perfection by love.” Galatians 5:6 TPT Look at Ephesians 3:17-20 in the Passion Translation, “Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.” Ephesians 3:17-20 TPT

“Surrendering to Jesus attracts the Holy Spirit.” Sharri Eckstein The Holy Spirit told us “Your ministry is the overflow of our intimacy.” There are people today who simply want to operate their gift on a platform—without the oil of intimacy with Jesus. However, there is a depth of love and truth that is simply not available to the casual seeker. It’s not available through Bible college or academia.

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The deeper treasures of Christ are only found in intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy is where two hearts become one. Each person allows the other to see deep into the secret place of their heart. Intimacy can be described as “into-me-see” since we allow another person to see into our heart. Intimacy is the only place where two hearts can become as one. (see John 17:21) In this new season, it is the hour of the outpouring of intimacy which is the Bridal paradigm that we all should be expecting to experience. The Bride must make herself ready through intimacy and the anointing power of the Holy Spirit. (see Revelation 19:7) It is ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.” (see Zechariah 4:6) The Bride—A Body And A Building Look in Revelation 21:2, “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2 NKJV We were shown that just like the church in the Scriptures is both a body and a building—so also is the Bride. The Bride has a heart for Jerusalem because corporately she is made up of living stones being prepared to become a part of the new heavenly Jerusalem that comes down from heaven. Like the first woman in the garden, who was made in secret, so the Bride of Christ is being made in the secret place—prepared and meet for her master’s use. She will be bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh—She will be of His kind. She is both a body with Christ as her head, and a city that comes down from heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her husband—Christ.

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Like Abraham, the Bride looks forward to the city whose architect and builder is God! (see Hebrews 11:10) In John 14:3, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to go and prepare a place for them. Therefore, here on earth the LORD Jesus is preparing us for our heavenly place. All the difficult people and all the difficult situations that the Lord has allowed in our lives are like a hammer and a chisel to perfect the work for our heavenly place. That is why the book of James tells us “to count it all joy when we fall into various trails. Because the testing of our faith produces patience.” It is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises. (see Hebrews 6:12) We see the promise of being MADE a pillar in the heavenly temple given to overcomers in the book of Revelation. Look in Revelation 3:12, “The one who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will never again leave it. Upon him I will write the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from My God), and My new name.” Revelation 3:12 Here at the end of the age, the Bride is being built together and she will take her place in the battle against the evil kingdom of darkness for the greatest harvest of souls this earth has ever known. Like Ruth, the Bride will come from the fringes of obscurity into the front and center of the harvest with our Boaz—Christ Jesus! Like Ruth, Christ has redeemed her from the nations (Jew and Gentile) and allowed her to become a part of the Christ line (lineage and legacy).

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We Must See It—To Be It The names “The Bride”, “Sons of God”, “The Man-Child” and “Overcomers” are all attributes of the same remnant of people who will be unveiled here at the end of the age. (see Isaiah 60:1-4, Revelation 12:17 KJV) To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Now is the time to “Make A People Ready”—to disciple the nations. We must have a vision of being the Bride who will marry and become One in Christ. We must have a vision of being an Overcomer who qualifies to rule and reign with Christ as kings and priests. We must have a vision of being a Son of God who gains access to the Kingdom inheritance to conduct Kingdom business in Christ. We must have a vision of being The Man Child who is caught up to God and to His throne as a forerunner like Enoch. Prophetic Word from Sharri— “The Good Bride hears My Voice; rise up my fair one and come away, and she responds, ‘Yes Lord.’ Each word is a newly found treasure that fills her heart with joy and gladness. Anticipation in our journey of life together excites her heart for each new dawn. Deepening love has brought her out into a vast place of acceptance where veils and confining walls no longer separate us from one another. Skipping over the mountains together into the blossoming meadows reveal the passing winter and her new season of wonder. Destiny fulfilled as we walk out this life together, each experience is her new reality of this newfound love, and she longs for an expansion of her heart to receive more. You see love is what brought her to this place and love will keep her here. No more wandering—no more waiting. ‘He took me to his banqueting table and His banner over me is LOVE.’” Sharri Eckstein

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Let the three-fold cord of the Great Mystery stir a passion within you to press in for MORE of the LORD Jesus Christ. Set your affections on things above where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father. Imagine yourself seated with Christ in the heavenlies. What kind of person should you be, who is seated in the heavenlies in Christ? What kind of person should you be, seeing you are a joint-heir, a member of a joint-body and a joint-partaker in Christ? What kind of person should you be, seeing you are invited into an intimate fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit? What kind of person should you be, seeing you are betrothed to Christ and are meant to become One with Him at the Wedding of the LAMB? What is our responsibility to the LORD Jesus and to the Holy Spirit in this hour? Look in Ephesians 4:1-6, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” [Emphasis ours] Ephesians 4:1-6 We are called to be ONE in the SON! Therefore, let us no longer be children tossed “to and fro” with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men but let us grow up in Him—Christ Jesus in all things.

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It is time for us to press onward to maturity in Christ. Christ in Nature, Christ in Character, Christ in Representation and Christ in Demonstration. Let us embrace the three-fold cord of the Great Mystery and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the nations. Amen and Amen! Blessings, Sharri Eckstein, Charlie Hamilton Come To Restoration Rivers If you’re looking for a place to learn and grow, we would like to personally invite you to Restoration Rivers. We’re located in Boones Mill, Franklin County, Virginia. Our address is: 148 Southwood Lane, Boones Mill, VA 24065. Our Sunday fellowship starts at 11:00am and we have prayer and worship on Fridays at 7:00pm. We would love to see you there! To learn more about other Biblical topics, please check out our website for our FREE Kingdom Resources: www.RestorationRivers.com

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