Spoken Word no. 176
From Image to Image and Glory to Glory
Brian Kocourek, Pastor
July 7th, 2010
The
Spoken Word is the original seed pp. 31
Now, brethren, sister, look back. If you look at a shadow of anything, it's the
very expression of the real image that's coming….
Let’s bow our heads in prayer. Dear Gracious father we
hear your prophet talk to us of the Image that is coming, and we know that
there is an image of Christ that we are ordained to be conformed to, and there
is the Image of the Beast that is also spoken of, so which image is it that we
will be conformed to is the question tonight. Help us Lord to understand just
what it means to be conformed to the Image of Your Eldest Son, that we might
not be among them that are conformed to that other image, the Image of the
Beast for we ask this in Jesus Christ’s name, Amen..
Now, we know that Jesus came forth as the reflection
or in the image of God.
Hebrews
1: 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by
the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the
right hand of the Majesty on high;
Colossians
1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every
creature:
1
Corinthians 15: 49 And as we have borne the image of the
earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
And we know that we are to be conformed to the image
of the first born son.
Romans 8:
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren.
Galatians 3:
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ.
Romans 13: 14 But
put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to
fulfil the lusts thereof.
Colossians
3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him:
2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore
seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;2 But
have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be
hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which
believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For
God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face (the
Greek word translated as face is prosopon which means in
the presence of) of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
(what treasure do we have in earthen vessels? The light of the knowledge of the glory of God) that the excellency
of the power may be of God, and not of us. In other
words, that same light of Life that was in Christ lighting up His life to the
word, and lighting up the Word in Him, is the same Light of Life that lights up
our life.
1 John 1:1 That
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, of the Word of life; 2 (For
the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which
was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
Now, how is it that
this light of Life can be heard by us, and then we can show it unto you? Well,
not only do we declare it in what we say, but our lives become a written
epistle read and known of all men. Now, we will get to that in just a minute,
but let’s continue with Paul’s thought here.
3 That
which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our
fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of
him, and declare unto you, that God is
light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we
say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not
the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as
he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of
Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Notice then that God is Light and in Him is no
darkness at all. Then the Image of God is light, and how that light is
reflected shows whether it is the image of God or not. So let’s see how Paul
brings this out for us.
2
Corinthians 3:1 Do we begin again to commend
ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or
letters of commendation from you? In
other words, Paul is saying, we do not need letters about us as though we are
in good standing with our organization, as the denominations must do. No, not
at all. That is not what the life of Christ is all about. 2 Ye are our epistle written
in our hearts, known and read of all men:
What men see in you, in your speech, in Your Life, in
your actions towards one another, that is our written Epistle known and read of
all men. For as a
man thinketh in his heart so is he and out of the abundance of the heart his
mouth will speak. So what you say and what you do reflects what you
are and this in itself can be read of all men. Did not Paul say in 1 Corinthians 2: what man knows the
things of man except the spirit of man is in him? And what man knows the things
of God except the Spirit of God is in Him.
It is no wonder that in Romans 8 when Paul speaks of the
manifestation of the sons of God He is speaking of the image of the first born
son being reflected in the words and actions of other sons who are conformed to
that image.
Now
in getting back to 2 Corinthians 3:3 Paul says, Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of
Christ ministered by us, written not
with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone,
but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And
such trust have we through Christ to
God-ward: 5 Not that we
are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our
sufficiency is of God;
Not that we are sufficient in ourselves but what we are
reflecting is the God image that reflected forth from his Son, and down through
sons. Every Seed
bringing forth after the image of the original seed.
2
Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able
ministers of the new testament; not of
the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life. 7 But if the
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the
glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How
shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
What Paul is speaking of here is when Moses came down
with his face glowing, having been in the presence of God for 40 days, and when
he came down the people were so afraid due to this supernatural image glowing
forth from his countenance, that they actually asked Moses to put a veil over
his face to hide the glory of God.
Exodus
34:29 And
it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of
testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not
that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses,
behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh
him.31 And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers
of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with
them. 32 And afterward all the children of
This was a foreshadow of the Glory of God in us,
reflecting from us and the rejection of that Glory by those in the church who
see it in us. That is why Jesus said, Father I have given them thy word but the
world hateth them as it hated me, but the glory which you gave to me I have
given to them that they might be one with us, even as You and I are one.
9 For
if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration
of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this
respect, by reason of the glory that
excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much
more that which remaineth is glorious. 12 Seeing
then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put
a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to
the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their
minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in
the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon
their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to
the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the
Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in
a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Ephesians
4:11 And
he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some,
pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and
fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body
fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye
henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having
the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being
past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all
uncleanness with greediness. 20 But ye have not so
learned Christ;
In other words they are readying themselves to receive
the mark of the beast which is death spiritual death. Revelations 13:14 And
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he
had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the
earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a
sword, and did live. 15 And he had power to give
life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both
speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast
should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and
poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And
that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the
beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is
wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it
is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Ephesians
4:21 If
so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the former
conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after
God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away
lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun
go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to
the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but
rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he
may have to give to him that needeth. 29 Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of
edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and
evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.