Dear Member in particular of the Body of Christ,

God bless you, and Happy Birthday!!! True, you may not be celebrating your own birthday this month, but the 7^th Sunday after "Easter" is Pentecost—the birthday of the Church. Acts 2:1ff records the pertinent details of this incredible day in human history when a dream that God had held hidden in His heart through the ages finally came into manifestation. In terms of spiritual significance, the day of Pentecost is second only to the day of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection made possible Pentecost, but Pentecost was one of the chief purposes of the Resurrection.

Although it took God about 20-25 years to unfold the details of this "secret" to the apostle Paul, the day of Pentecost marked the first time that a human being was born of the spirit of God; born of incorruptible seed; sealed in Christ; filled with holy spirit, the divine nature; made justified, righteous, sanctified and holy—independent of his future behavior; fully equipped for the spiritual battle of life; given the limitless potential to be like Jesus Christ and guaranteed a permanent parking place in Paradise. Other than that, it wasn’t very significant.

1 Corinthians 2:6-8 speaks about the secret that God had kept hidden, and verse 8 contains a statement that will definitely be one of those springing up off the page if we ever produce a pop-up Bible: IF THE RULERS OF THIS AGE [In reality, Satan and his evil spirit minions, but also the chief priests, etc.] HAD UNDERSTOOD THE SECRET, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD JESUS. We were discussing this verse recently and realized that none of us had never heard it taught or even mentioned as significant outside of our previous and current circles. And yet think about it: If Satan had known the Secret revealed in Ephesians, Jesus Christ would still be living on the earth and there would be no Church and no future fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

If you have read our books, you know that each one of them addresses a critical scriptural issue about which there is great confusion in Christendom. When we finish our forthcoming book, titled One God & One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith, we will begin work on a book on the administrations in Scripture. This is another massive project that initially makes us take a deep breath, but we are highly motivated to capsulize the great truths of God’s Word in regard to this subject. Due in large measure to incompleteness and inaccuracy in the teachings of some who espouse, "dispensationalism," as it is called, it has been too often misunderstood and misrepresented by its critics. We hope to set forth this vitally important biblical truth because we feel it is absolutely impossible to understand the Bible without understanding the administrations from the original Paradise to Paradise restored.

1 Corinthians 10:32 says that, from God’s perspective, there are only three groups of people in all the history of mankind: Jews, Gentiles and the Church of God. The first human was a Gentile (ethnos=nation), that is, a non-Jew. From Adam until Jacob, this was the only category of human. From Jacob until the day of Pentecost, there were both Gentiles and Jews. The Jews, of course, were the people God chose from whom to bring the Redeemer, and to them was the adoption as sons, the divine glory, the covenants, the law, the Temple and the promises of the future Kingdom (Rom. 9:4,5). Old Testament prophecies made it clear that this coming Redeemer would bless the Gentiles as well as Israel, but there was no hint of an entirely new group of people comprised of former Jews and former Gentiles, a group that would have more of God’s blessing than either Jew or Gentile could conceive.

As the revelation of the Secret was being progressively revealed to Paul, he wrote in Galatians about the unilateral covenant God had made with Abraham. In other words, God made a promise to Abraham that He would keep, no matter what Abraham did. This is in contrast to the promise God made to Moses in giving him the Law—a bilateral covenant. If the people of Israel did good, they got blessed; if they did bad, they suffered the consequences. As Christians, we are to identify with God’s unilateral covenant to Abraham, who was actually asleep when God confirmed the covenant to him (Gen. 15:1-21). Similarly, before we were even born, Christ died for us. From the moment we are born again, God’s grace, mercy and goodness keeps us forever in Christ.

Ephesians 2 tells us that prior to their new birth, those who had been Gentiles had really been "out to lunch." They had the same sin nature as the people of Israel, but they were outside of the promises to Israel. We’re talking "without God and without hope in the world." Ephesians 2:14,15 contains one of the greatest truths in history. It tells about Jesus creating "in himself" (i.e., in his Body, the Church) ONE NEW MAN. The "one new man" of Ephesians 2:15 is the "one Body" of Ephesians 3:6, the verse that most specifically defines the Secret.

The Secret is not that the Church is an extension of Israel, with the emphasis on getting back to our Jewish roots. The Church is not the fulfillment of the New Covenant God made with Israel (Jer. 31:31ff, et al), although the Church partakes of the blessings made possible by Christ’s blood that ratified the New Covenant. The Church was a secret in the Old Testament, and there was no prophecy regarding it. It was part of the "unsearchable riches of Christ." This "administration of God’s grace" (Eph. 3:2) is the period of time from the day of Pentecost until the day the Lord Jesus appears in the air and the Church "blasts off" to meet him there. This is not because there was no grace of God in any other administration. It is because this is the only administration in which human beings are "saved by grace through faith." By simple faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, a person in the Church administration is saved, born again of the spirit of God and sealed forever in Christ. That is really grace!

Pentecost is a great time to pause and reflect upon what each of us as a unique member of the Body of Christ has been given by God. God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus so loved God and us that he gave his most precious possession—his life. Then, after his exaltation as Lord, he gave to each of us the gift of holy spirit and set us in his Body with a specific function. The magnitude of these truths alone is very hard to describe, and 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" We think the accompanying quote in the NIV Study Bible is most appropriate: "God is the first giver…and all true Christian giving is our response of gratitude to this gift that is beyond description."

But wait—there’s more. 2 Corinthians 4:6,7 says that God has given us a "treasure." That treasure is "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." Think for a moment about how much true knowledge of God you have been exposed to. Speaking of such knowledge, Paul exhorted Timothy to "guard what has been entrusted to your care," and to "turn away from…what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Tim. 6:20). In his second epistle to his young protégé, while speaking of "sound teaching," Paul exhorts Timothy to "guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you." Well, it looks like that makes each of us with similar knowledge (of the Secret) sort of a bank account with shoes, that is, a walking depository of holy spirit and a life-giving knowledge of the truth. No matter what is in your earthly bank account, you are rich.

So, what are you doing with your treasure? How are you dispensing your riches to those around you who are in need of them? As has been said before, "giving is living." Jesus’ parable of the "talents" also comes to mind. God expects us to use only what we have been given and do what we can do in response to His unspeakable gift. The key is to grab hold of His perspective of who we are, what we have been given and what we can do with it. If we grasp these truths (see the Church Epistles), we will be fruitful believers. The quality of the fruit of the spirit we bear in our lives is directly proportional to the quality of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are abiding in the Vine, then his life flows out into your own. Remember that Jesus died on the Cross in order to be raised from the dead so that his life can be manifested in you.

The more we abide in the Vine, the more we identify with Christ’s interest in other people. We feel his compassion for them and we are moved to reach out to them even if it inconveniences us. Fruit of the spirit definitely gets people’s attention, but other people cannot live off of your fruit. They need milk…bread…meat." In other words, they need you to articulate your faith to them, to sow the good seed of the Word into their hearts. It is very difficult to do that if you have not sown it in your own heart first. Biblically speaking, your mind is the door to your heart. Thoughts are pictures identified by words. God chose words to communicate the Gospel. Understanding those words builds faith. To a definite degree, "scholarship" (at least reading the Bible) precedes relationship with God and with Christ. It is relationship with God and Christ that causes us to want to share the Word with others.

Think about the last time you taught the Bible. Was it agony, or was it rather stimulating? Did you grow or learn anything in preparing to teach and then doing so. Have you thought about teaching again someday? Actually, "Someday" is not one of the days of the week. You’ll have to pick another. Yes, teaching the Word carries with it a responsibility, but since it is God’s Word, it is He who will be working with you. He has a greater stake in the outreach of His Word than you do. Do you remember the last time you saw a spiritually hungry person come alive when he heard the Word? Would you like to see this again? Does your front door have hinges? (Help, we can’t stop asking questions!) If so, why not consider opening it once a week or so and sharing the Word of God with people? There might even be hungry people within walking distance of your home!

It sure looks like God and Jesus are definitely on a mission to reach the world with the Word. It is certainly worth each of us considering that joining them in this mission might give us a sense of purpose that lifts us above the mundane routine of life. Being a committed fellowlaborer with the Lord helps us get our eyes off our needs and problems, which he is then able to take care of for us.

So, wealthy person, Mr./Mrs./Ms. Bank Vault loaded with spiritual gold, think about the treasure you have within you, and then think about sharing it with others. Your personal coach, Lord Jesus, will be right beside you helping to stretch you so you can reach out with his love, his joy, his peace and with his powerful deliverance. As you do, you will receive exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think. Sounds like a good deal, huh?

Thank you so much for praying for the Prophetic Activation Seminar and the Summer Fellowship next month in Indianapolis. We heartily encourage you to come to either or both. We love you very much, and we thank God for your love, your prayers and your support. Please do not hesitate to let us know what more we can do for you.

Fellowlaborers with you and Him,

 If so, did you see any CES books there? If you didn’t, why not purchase our four books and take them to the library and donate them? A number of believers have done this. If the books are not in the library, no one can read them there. We know that the Lord is doing his best to lead hungry people to the truth. Let’s give him a hand by making it more accessible to them. Why not follow through on this and buy a couple of sets of CES books and donate them to your local library (ies)? You might also ask the librarian if they stock audio tapes, and, if so, act accordingly.

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 HAITI

Thank you very much for the love you share with us everyday and your support to us. Every grain of rice on our table that we eat and experience we always remember you and the group. That is why we are always passionately driven to pray for you and the group that God will protect you and your family and all that are with you. We are praying for your coming.

"His-story" has a happy ending—we are on the winning side. Although the Book of Revelation specifically regards the people of Israel, it goes a long way to enhance our ultimate hope of living forever on the New Earth with all those who ever believed in God and His Son. It is a critical book in the Bible to understand, and no doubt that is why the enemy has introduced rampant confusion regarding it. As we approach the end of this millenium, speculation about biblical eschatology (that is, end-time events) is running rampant. Since the Book of Revelation is the "last chapter" of the Bible, countless Christian teachers have something to say about it. The question is whether or not what they say agrees with the Word of God.

In our experience, very few Bible teachers understand that the Book of Revelation is the complement to the Old Testament. That is, it records the fulfillment of the remaining Old Testament prophecies that were not fulfilled at the first coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, to Israel. If you have previously avoided, or been confused or turned off by things regarding Revelation, we encourage you to listen to our seminar (9 hrs, $30, including a syllabus). The feedback we’ve received is that it clearly explains this challenging section of Scripture and significantly raises a believer’s expectation and excitement about our Lord’s appearing and the events that follow. Why not invest 9 hours of your life in listening to this teaching and see if it does not thrill your heart.

The Spring Fellowship March 19-21 was, by consensus, one of the best Weekends we’ve had yet. Those who attended came expecting great things from God and, of course, He did not disappoint them. There was an almost tangible atmosphere of love, joy, peace, excitement and deliverance. Whether or not you were able to attend, you can acquire the teachings from the Weekend, at least until the Summer Fellowship in Indianapolis. The theme of the Weekend was, "Lead Me to the Rock that is Higher than I" and here is a list of teachings you will receive on the tapes:

John Schoenheit—Who Are You, Lord? What it means to confess Jesus as "Lord," and how we need to step out in obedience to the Word in order to know him intimately. Karen Anne Graeser—The Spiritual Battle. How to recognize that the spiritual battle takes place primarily in our own minds, and be victorious in it by learning to stretch the limits of our faith. Mark Graeser—Deception, Idols and Temptation. Practical and powerful teaching on what is "lust," how to recognize when we are tempted, and how to resist temptation as Jesus Christ did by staying in balance in regard to our will, reason and emotions. Joe Ricciardi—The Stone and the Sword. Maintaining the balance between the Word of God (the sword) and the spirit of Christ in you (the Rock). Jeannie Zedan—The Vine and the Vinedresser. How God prunes our hearts to bring forth the fruitfulness of Christ’s character. Robert Thayer—Vision and Voice. Moving personal testimony combined with Scripture, about getting to know Jesus Christ, walking and talking with him and recognizing his voice. John Lynn—In the Rock, Face to Face. What the Yahweh name of God represented to Moses and Israel and how in contrast to the fading radiance Moses had after being in the presence of God, we today can be "face-to-face" with Jesus Christ and reflect ever-increasing glory and radiance, ministering effectually in his name. The Denver Weekend tapes are $25. Such a deal!