Dear Partner,

What if Jesus still lived on the earth today in His physical body? What if He lived in Capernaum, still doing the same things we see Him doing in the four gospels? Things such as teaching, preaching, healing the sick and casting out devils.

You might say, "Gary, that would be wonderful because even if it took me a year to get an appointment with Him, I know that I could take my friends and relatives who have terminal diseases with me to see Jesus and they would be healed."

But just as quickly as you got excited over that prospect, you would become sad as "reality" began to set in. You might say something like, "Well, it would be wonderful if Jesus still lived on the earth today. But sadly, He does not. It sure would be better for us if He did."

I thought like that for years. Then one day as I was meditating the book of John this verse just seemed to come alive to me;

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient [Greek Word = Better] for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

I had a real hard time with that statement, even though I knew that it was impossible for Jesus to lie. I thought, "Jesus, if you were still here, not only could I come and be healed (if I were sick), but I could also bring my terminally sick friends and relatives to you and they would be healed. How can you tell me it is better for us that you went away?"

Our natural thinking is: Since Jesus is not physically on the earth today in a body of his own, His supernatural ministry has come to an end. NOTHING COULD BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Jesus never intended that His ministry should come to an end after He physically departed from the earth. He specifically said that His ministry would continue through believers;

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

We are to do the same works He did? This is the greatest mystery of the gospel. Paul said he was called and appointed to preach this very mystery among the Gentiles:

Col 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Christ in us? He intends for His supernatural ministry to continue through us? Christ does still live on the earth today, but He is living within our bodies instead of His own? Of course, the answer is a resounding YES to all of these questions. Jesus told us plainly how He intended for His ministry to continue through the lives of believers;

John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Since we are so naturally minded, we tend to drift through life thinking, "If Jesus were only here on the earth today things would sure be different. He would still be going about doing good, healing all that are oppressed of the devil." (Acts 10:38)

Christ IS still on the earth today ... IN US! This is a great mystery. How few are the men and women who have understood this mystery down through history. Yet it is possible for every single believer on the face of the earth to understand it for we have been given a supernatural Teacher Who has been sent for the express purpose of explaining this mystery to us;

John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

One of the most important methods this supernatural Teacher uses in order to reveal the mystery of "Christ in us" is the prayer language comprised of speaking in other tongues. Paul said that when we spend time speaking in tongues, we are actually communicating the mysteries of the gospel between ourselves and God (1 Cor 14:2). That supernatural prayer language allows our Teacher to bypass the limitations of our natural mind so He can begin explaining these mysteries directly to our reborn human spirits.

No wonder the devil has fought so hard to keep tongues out of three quarters (or more) of our churches today. He knows that we will NEVER understand such a supernatural mystery as "Christ in us" without the supernatural Teacher ... the Holy Spirit Himself.

According to the apostle Paul, Christ is in every born again believer. What a shame to live our entire lives and never learn how to let "Christ in us" come forward to do the "same works He did" while in His own physical body. We will delve further into this great mystery next month.

Thank you for your gift to GCM. Sue and I love you and appreciate you. We thank God for your generous and giving heart. God bless you!

Your friend and co-laborer,

Gary Carpenter

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