"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Heb. 13:8)

CIRCULAR LETTER December 1991

Heartfelt greetings to all of you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ with the words from Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

In a hymn we sing: "Search me, Jesus, my light, shine through my innermost being…" [Translator note: Pfingstjubel hymn #199 entitled "Erforsche mich"] We are dependent on God; We are unable to do anything by ourselves. We are like sheep and cannot find the way alone. Therefore, we must faithfully follow our Good Shepherd, who gave His life for us. No one can help himself, no one can convert himself, no one can renew himself and grant regeneration, no one can sanctify himself or even baptize himself with Spirit and fire, no one can resurrect himself and transform or rapture. "… For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) Perfect redemption and full salvation come only from the Lord God. Everything, absolutely everything, comes from our Saviour Jesus Christ and is given to the redeemed. From the beginning to the end, God works everything in everyone. HE gives the will, He enables the doing, and what He begins, He also carries it out marvellously and will fulfill it on the day of the glorious return of our Lord.

Every true believer will speak to God in prayer and earnestly plead: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." Whoever is connected with God wants to agree with Him, to please Him, until His ways, which are higher than our ways, and His thoughts, which are higher than our thoughts, become reality in us. As God mysteriously manifested Himself in Christ, so Christ, as the hope of glory, wants to reveal Himself unto us and live His life through us. He Himself said, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." (John 17:23) This is the unity which He was striving for in the high priestly prayer, specifically, the complete unity of the redeemed with their Redeemer.

Those who really want to reach the goal will also pray: "Search me, O God, and let me know if there be any wicked way in me."

Believers can also walk on a path that is deceptive and leads to disappointment. Many are misled by spiritual leaders who have neither experienced nor recognized the way, the truth, and the life of God. Others go their own ways without any connection to a congregation, in the firm conviction that they are right before God. Let us take a look at the religious landscape: there are so many directions, so many paths, so many personal truths. That is why constant self-examination is necessary and the Word must always be used as the standard. The Lord Himself must be our way, our truth, our life. Only then can we say: "… and lead me in the way everlasting!" Through the everlasting gospel we are shown the true, new and everlasting way that leads to eternal life and which the Lord has paved for us through the sacrificial offering of His body of flesh. (Hebrews 10:20)

The called out and redeemed people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, but at the end of their forty-year journey, God says, "and they have not known my ways." (Hebrews 3:10) It is possible that someone who has been a believer for many years, belongs to a congregation or thinks that they are following the Lord, and yet does not understand the ways in which God is now walking with His people. Only when the Word of God has truly become a lamp unto our feet can we walk on the path that He has prepared.

The Lord speaks through the prophet Jeremiah: "… Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." (7:23) It is about the whole way, the entire Word, the whole truth, the entire life, which must be in accordance with God and the overall testimony of Scripture. Only when our own way, our own will, everything of our own, no matter how pious and well-intentioned it may be, comes to an end then does the way and life in complete obedience with God begin. Where He can do His work is when man ceases from his own works, enters into the rest of God, and is pleasing to Him. Whoever truly has a heartfelt desire to do the will of God and to be pleasing to Him, is already in His will and pleasing to Him, even if it has not yet been fulfilled. God does everything at the appointed time and according to His plan of redemption.

In Revelation 15, the overcoming multitude from the Old and New Testaments sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb with the words: "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." (vs. 3) When this scripture is fulfilled, what God has planned will be accomplished. The song of Moses, the servant of God, can be found in Exodus 15:1-19.

The song of the Lamb can already be heard in part in Revelation 5:9-13.

In the song of Moses, the great victory of God over the power of the enemy is sung in a significant way. In the 14th chapter, Moses told the people, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." (Exodus 14:13) From verse 24 we read: "And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily…" The whole story is familiar to most of us. The song of Moses is sung in detail in chapter 15.

The highway was intended only for the redeemed and not for the ungodly. The Bible critics who claim that this way of God led through the Sea of Reeds and was crossable by foot without the need for a miracle of God must be asked: If it had really been so, how could Pharaoh's entire army have been buried in the sea? We believe, as the Scriptures say, that the waters stood on the right and on the left like a wall, and that the Israelites passed through with dry feet without even getting their shoes wet. Whoever believes the song of Moses, along with the other passages in the Old and New Testaments, rejoices and praises the great deeds of God. HE who created the sea can divide it. HE does what He sets out to do. Glory to HIM for all eternity. At the end of this song it was exclaimed: "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." (vs. 21)

The song of the Lamb is about the people of God in the New Covenant, about redemption and deliverance. It praises the Lamb of God, who bore the sin of the world, defeated all the powers of the enemy, and gave eternal life to His own by grace. The new song touches the very core of the gospel: "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.." (Revelation 5:9-10) We sing the chorus: "YOU are worthy, you are worthy…" This text is most certainly biblical, because even then John heard the song: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (vs. 12)

In the 15th chapter of Revelation, we are told that the works of Almighty God are great and wonderful, and His ways are just and true. Whoever wants to rule, reign and reach the eternal goal with Him, the King of kings, must walk in His ways. HE made known His ways unto Moses and His acts unto the children of Israel [Psalm 103:7]. All those who walked on the path ordained by God in the days of the Old Testament, believed Him and obeyed Him, will join in the singing of the song of Moses, the servant of God. In the same way, all those who walked in faith and obedience in the way of God during the period of the New Testament will join in the singing of the song of the Lamb. This is the multitude of overcomers who experienced complete victory over all that was ungodly: "And I saw … them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." (Revelation 15:2) It is worthwhile to serve the Lord faithfully, to follow Him, to believe as the Scripture says, and to be obedient to His Word.

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."(Heb. 13:8)

CIRCULAR LETTER December 1991

Heartfelt greetings to all of you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ with the words from Psalm 139:23-24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

In a hymn we sing: "Search me, Jesus, my light, shine through my innermost being…" [Translator note: Pfingstjubel hymn #199 entitled "Erforsche mich"] We are dependent on God; We are unable to do anything by ourselves. We are like sheep and cannot find the way alone. Therefore, we must faithfully follow our Good Shepherd, who gave His life for us. No one can help himself, no one can convert himself, no one can renew himself and grant regeneration, no one can sanctify himself or even baptize himself with Spirit and fire, no one can resurrect himself and transform or rapture. "… For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8) Perfect redemption and full salvation come only from the Lord God. Everything, absolutely everything, comes from our Saviour Jesus Christ and is given to the redeemed. From the beginning to the end, God works everything in everyone. HE gives the will, He enables the doing, and what He begins, He also carries it out marvellously and will fulfill it on the day of the glorious return of our Lord.

Every true believer will speak to God in prayer and earnestly plead: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." Whoever is connected with God wants to agree with Him, to please Him, until His ways, which are higher than our ways, and His thoughts, which are higher than our thoughts, become reality in us. As God mysteriously manifested Himself in Christ, so Christ, as the hope of glory, wants to reveal Himself unto us and live His life through us. He Himself said, "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." (John 17:23) This is the unity which He was striving for in the high priestly prayer, specifically, the complete unity of the redeemed with their Redeemer.

Those who really want to reach the goal will also pray: "Search me, O God, and let me know if there be any wicked way in me."

Believers can also walk on a path that is deceptive and leads to disappointment. Many are misled by spiritual leaders who have neither experienced nor recognized the way, the truth, and the life of God. Others go their own ways without any connection to a congregation, in the firm conviction that they are right before God. Let us take a look at the religious landscape: there are so many directions, so many paths, so many personal truths. That is why constant self-examination is necessary and the Word must always be used as the standard. The Lord Himself must be our way, our truth, our life. Only then can we say: "… and lead me in the way everlasting!" Through the everlasting gospel we are shown the true, new and everlasting way that leads to eternal life and which the Lord has paved for us through the sacrificial offering of His body of flesh. (Hebrews 10:20)

The called out and redeemed people of Israel were on their way to the Promised Land, but at the end of their forty-year journey, God says, "and they have not known my ways." (Hebrews 3:10) It is possible that someone who has been a believer for many years, belongs to a congregation or thinks that they are following the Lord, and yet does not understand the ways in which God is now walking with His people. Only when the Word of God has truly become a lamp unto our feet can we walk on the path that He has prepared.

The Lord speaks through the prophet Jeremiah: "… Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you." (7:23) It is about the whole way, the entire Word, the whole truth, the entire life, which must be in accordance with God and the overall testimony of Scripture. Only when our own way, our own will, everything of our own, no matter how pious and well-intentioned it may be, comes to an end then does the way and life in complete obedience with God begin. Where He can do His work is when man ceases from his own works, enters into the rest of God, and is pleasing to Him. Whoever truly has a heartfelt desire to do the will of God and to be pleasing to Him, is already in His will and pleasing to Him, even if it has not yet been fulfilled. God does everything at the appointed time and according to His plan of redemption.

In Revelation 15, the overcoming multitude from the Old and New Testaments sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb with the words: "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." (vs. 3) When this scripture is fulfilled, what God has planned will be accomplished. The song of Moses, the servant of God, can be found in Exodus 15:1-19.

The song of the Lamb can already be heard in part in Revelation 5:9-13.

In the song of Moses, the great victory of God over the power of the enemy is sung in a significant way. In the 14th chapter, Moses told the people, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." (Exodus 14:13) From verse 24 we read: "And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily…" The whole story is familiar to most of us. The song of Moses is sung in detail in chapter 15.

The highway was intended only for the redeemed and not for the ungodly. The Bible critics who claim that this way of God led through the Sea of Reeds and was crossable by foot without the need for a miracle of God must be asked: If it had really been so, how could Pharaoh's entire army have been buried in the sea? We believe, as the Scriptures say, that the waters stood on the right and on the left like a wall, and that the Israelites passed through with dry feet without even getting their shoes wet. Whoever believes the song of Moses, along with the other passages in the Old and New Testaments, rejoices and praises the great deeds of God. HE who created the sea can divide it. HE does what He sets out to do. Glory to HIM for all eternity. At the end of this song it was exclaimed: "Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea." (vs. 21)

The song of the Lamb is about the people of God in the New Covenant, about redemption and deliverance. It praises the Lamb of God, who bore the sin of the world, defeated all the powers of the enemy, and gave eternal life to His own by grace. The new song touches the very core of the gospel: "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.." (Revelation 5:9-10) We sing the chorus: "YOU are worthy, you are worthy…" This text is most certainly biblical, because even then John heard the song: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." (vs. 12)

In the 15th chapter of Revelation, we are told that the works of Almighty God are great and wonderful, and His ways are just and true. Whoever wants to rule, reign and reach the eternal goal with Him, the King of kings, must walk in His ways. HE made known His ways unto Moses and His acts unto the children of Israel [Psalm 103:7]. All those who walked on the path ordained by God in the days of the Old Testament, believed Him and obeyed Him, will join in the singing of the song of Moses, the servant of God. In the same way, all those who walked in faith and obedience in the way of God during the period of the New Testament will join in the singing of the song of the Lamb. This is the multitude of overcomers who experienced complete victory over all that was ungodly: "And I saw … them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." (Revelation 15:2) It is worthwhile to serve the Lord faithfully, to follow Him, to believe as the Scripture says, and to be obedient to His Word.