The Joys of Heaven: Part Ii: a Closer Walk with God

By Gwendolyn Cotterell-Eidukonis

In July of 2016, Jesus spoke to Gwendolyn in a vision, saying, I have placed some books inside of you. You will need to vomit them up. In another vision, Jesus gave crystal-clear cylinder glasses of water to Gwendolyn and her daughter and gave them the urgent command, Quick! We need to get these to everyone in order for them to be caught up in the rapture!

In The Joys of Heaven, a two-part series, Gwendolyn poured out these books proclaiming the power of the cross and of Jesus great love, which heals and transforms lives. In Part 1: Every Day with Jesus, the first part of this very powerful and inspirational book, she appeals to the unsaved to make Jesus their Lord while empowering the believer to move forward by faith. She also discusses several revelations of staggering events to come that will affect the immediate future of mankind.

In Part II: A Closer Walk with God, Gwendolyn challenges believers to step up to a higher standard of holiness, to experience a deeper fellowship with Jesus, to take back the power that belongs to the church, and to march onward and upward to victory. She charges them to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to once again experience the power of God to do the miraculous among us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 3, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512793789

Gwendolyn Cotterell-Eidukonis

Gwendolyn Cotterell-Eidukonis graduated with honors from DeVry University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Jesus has appeared to her in several visions which led to the publishing of her first book, Beholding His Glory: A Journey Side by Side with Jesus, in September 2015. Gwendolyn continued her inspired writing when in a recent vision Jesus told her that He had placed books within her and that she would need to bring them up.

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Copyright © 2017 Gwendolyn Cotterell-Eidukonis.

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Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotes marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotes marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-9379-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9380-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9378-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017910926

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/2/2017

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1. A New And Better Covenant—Healing For Body, Mind, Soul, And Spirit

2. A New And Improved Way Of Life

3. A Life Powered By The Holy Spirit

•   The Great Outpouring

•   Manifestation Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

•   Ministry Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

•   Love—The Greatest Gift Of All

•   Many Parts But Only One Body Of Christ

4. The Call To Holiness

5. Striving For Perfection

6. Journeying By Faith

7. Heaven At Last—The Millennial Reign Of King Jesus

8. All Things Made Brand New

Appendix

Acknowledgements

O nce again, I want to express my deep gratitude to our most loving and wonderful Redeemer and King, Jesus Christ our Lord, for giving me The Joys of Heaven, Part 1 and Part II, in a dream and for His Holy Spirit who inspired me as I wrote. I take no credit at all for these books as they were given to me by God to whom I give all the glory and honor and praise continually.

I want also to thank my loving husband, Steve, and our amazingly beautiful and precious daughter, Ashley, for their contributions which further illustrate the goodness of God and His rich blessings towards us all. Special thanks also to my husband for so efficiently proofreading my writing and for his invaluable feedback.

Special thanks to my pastor, Leon Hebrink, for his invaluable contribution to my spiritual growth through his many rich and inspiring sermons/teachings and through leading by example. To Robert and Catherine Souza, Randy and Dawn McArthur, Mary Ann Hebrink, and to all participants of the many wonderful and inspiring Bible studies on Sunday mornings at First Baptist Church in Meriden, Connecticut — thank you for the wonderful seeds that you have sown into my life. Special thanks also to all my church family for their love, prayers, and support of my family through my husband’s many illnesses. What a wonderful example of Christ’s love you are!

Many thanks also to Pastor Daren Richards of City Harvest Ministries in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and to his lovely wife, my very good friend, Joan Richards. I want to say thanks also to Bishop David Bradt, his lovely wife, Marion Diaz Bradt, to Janice Jones and to all the other wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ at City Harvest Ministries. Thank you for your love and support of me and my family and for all your prayers.

Thank you also to my very loving and beautiful Mom, Gloria Cotterell, for her unconditional love of her family and for her love and devotion to our Lord. You have been a person of great spiritual strength in our home for many years and a true example of Jesus’ selfless love and humility. I love you Mom more than words could ever express! Special thanks also to my brothers – William, Dohewn, Amos, Desmond and their families, and to my sisters – Gena, Elaine, Sandra, Pamella, Annette, Joyce and their families. I cannot possibly forget my husband’s parents, Ed and Gail, or his wonderful sister, Cindy, and her son, Trystan. Thank you for all your love and support of me and my family.

I want to give special recognition to all those wonderful individuals with whom I work at the City of Bridgeport – Patricia St. Louis, Anjerice Miller, Kathleen Brickett, Kenneth Flatto, Terri Coward, Kim Jack and all the others in the Finance Department. Thank you also to Sr. Mona O’Connell, Sophia Manning-Barrows, Pastor Raymond Higgin and his lovely family, Sarah Lewis, Greer Wong, Chiquita Stephenson, Paulette Atse and to all the other wonderful individuals who have impacted my life in some way! Most of you had no idea that I have been called upon by God to write these books but I am feeling very generous and would love for nothing better than to share all my blessings with all of you!

A very special ‘thank you’ to my sister-in-law and editor, Cindy Calzone, for her great professional excellence in the editing of The Joys of Heaven which greatly enhanced the finished product. Thanks also to the team at Westbow Press for the cover design and for the very high quality of their work.

Introduction

W hat a delightful journey this has been so far, partnering with the Holy Spirit to share with you God’s wonderful words for you today. I know I could not have done any of it without His leading. As I have said before, in The Joys of Heaven, Part 1 , these books were given to me by God in a dream and inspired by the Holy Spirit as I write.

In a dream on the night of July 9, 2016, Jesus appeared to me while I was sitting on the bed in my daughter’s room. The first thing He said to me was, "It is a great thing for your Lord to appear to you." I silently acknowledged how great indeed that was before asking, Do you remember the dream in which you appeared to me by my bedside, extended your arms to me after which I found myself in front of a large crowd of people then later felt so overwhelmed by your love as I walked down the street? Jesus responded, I gave you power to do all these things. As He said that, writings and images appeared on the far wall of my daughter’s bedroom. In that moment, I realized the magnitude of what He had entrusted to me and also requires of me. Two weeks later, on July 27, 2016, the voice of Jesus spoke to me in another dream saying, I have placed some books inside of you. You will need to vomit them up."

It is almost three years now since the vision in which Jesus stood by my bedside and extended His arms to me. Shortly after that vision, I felt inspired to write my first book, Beholding His Glory: A Journey Side by Side with Jesus. Today, in full obedience to the voice of God, I once again bring to you the words that He has placed upon my heart. The Joys of Heaven Part II: A Closer Walk With God is a continuation of The Joys of Heaven Part 1: Every Day With Jesus.

The Joys of Heaven Part 1 gives the child of God a great thrill of hope for the future, even in the face of the turmoil that this world is currently experiencing and even as we very quickly approach the time of the apocalypse. There is a great war on the horizon. This was a definite word given to me in a dream. In another vision just over a year ago, Jesus communicated to me that the Antichrist is already here in bodily form though not yet revealed. He was born of the heathen for this purpose and will walk right into his destiny at the time appointed. In a more recent vision on September 20, 2016, I heard the proclamation, Three more years before the end of the world as we know it!

The child of God need not be afraid, however, as these things only serve to greatly magnify the appeal of heaven. They bring the reality of a home in heaven a whole lot closer to us, even within our reach. We are living in very troubling times but also in full view of heaven.

Indeed, a great storm is brewing and will be coming to every inhabitant of the earth but the born-again believer is not afraid because we are never without hope. Jesus walks with us always. He goes before us and behind us. As the psalmist so beautifully declared, As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people from this time forth and forever (Psalm 125:2 NKJV). Jesus is our hope and our reward! Any day now we will be going up in the rapture to our eternal home in heaven and to our eternal reward!

The Joys of Heaven Part 1 appeals to the unsaved to join us on this glorious journey to heaven, to be ready to be caught up at any moment. The Joys of Heaven Part II challenges the believer to step up higher, to a higher standard of holiness, to reflect deeply on his or her spiritual walk with God, to measure their spiritual growth by the Word of God to see whether they are really on the right path or not. It appeals to every child of God to walk in a deeper fellowship with Jesus as we journey together, day by day, step by step, moment by moment, towards our heavenly home. It entreats believers to reconsecrate their lives to God, to walk more closely with Jesus, to take back the power that belongs to the church of Jesus Christ and to march onward and upward to victory.

The church today has lost much of its power because we frequently try to operate using our own strengths rather than relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. As a result, many of us have become weak and fearful and much more have crumbled when faced with adversity. This is not what God intended for us. As the apostle Paul taught, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

The Joys of Heaven Part II encourages every child of God to stand up boldly for Christ and to fight with the sword of the Spirit, that is, with the Word of God, with prayer, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, the weapons of our warfare. As the apostle Paul taught:

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NIV)

This whole world right now is engulfed in a great spiritual warfare. The battle is for the souls of men. The believers, as ambassadors for God, are working diligently to reach everyone with the gospel of Jesus, to win their souls for Christ, the Holy Spirit working among us to convict them of sin and lead them to repentance. The Devil, however, is also here like a roaring lion seeking souls to devour. The battle is getting a lot more intense as we approach the wrap-up of this Age. Sin and lawlessness have reached new heights as the lawless one, the Antichrist, prepares himself to take over as a One World Leader and to reveal himself publicly to everyone.

This spiritual battle is not for the faint of heart. As children of God, we need to be strong. We need to be courageous and we need to stay the course. As Joshua took over leading the children of Israel into the Promised Land following the death of Moses, God said to him, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 NKJV). I exhort every child of God to be strong, steadfast and unmovable because our God is with us always. The battle is His and He cannot be defeated! He promised to be with us always, even to the end of the Age. We have no reason, therefore, to be afraid.

Let each of us, therefore, gird up the loins of our minds and be strong. As Paul exhorted:

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. (Ephesians 6:10–18 NLT)

In one of many visions, the Holy Spirit very clearly said to me, Do Not Sin. As I studied the Bible, He led me to the scriptures, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, Be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:15–16 NKJV). "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20 NKJV).

When I look at the universal church today, I can’t help but wonder, are we any more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees were or are we just as hypocritical? Are we any less judgmental? Are we any less prideful? Are we any less arrogant? Are we just as unbelieving as they were? Are we any less quick to find fault or point accusatory fingers at one another? Are we any less quick to judge others based on appearances? How deep is our Christianity? How deep is our faith? Do we have roots to withstand the many storms of life or do we crumble very easily under pressure? Are we truly rooted and grounded in the love of God? Are we more concerned with following religious traditions rather than the deeper things of God? Are we holding others to standards that we ourselves are not keeping? Are we teaching, as doctrine, the commandments of men? Are we oppressing others with burdensome and unnecessary rules and regulations? Are we acting as stumbling blocks in the way of others? Are we hindering others from entering the kingdom of God by the lives we live? Are we good representatives of Jesus or do we turn the unsaved away by our lifestyles? How committed are we to godliness? How willing are we to forgive and to let bygones be bygones? How much time do we spend each day diligently seeking after and minding the things of God?

The apostle Paul taught, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2 NIV). Let’s not allow ourselves to become conformed to the things of this world. Let’s not get caught up with religious traditions and hypocrisy but seek diligently after God each day. Those who seek God persistently will be richly rewarded. As the Hebrew writer taught, "Without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

The Joys of Heaven Part II invites every believer to step out by faith and commit himself or herself to a higher standard of holiness, to live a life that is holy and set apart for God. It entreats each child of God to die to self, to take up our cross daily and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Jesus said very clearly that those who want to be His disciples must take up their cross daily and follow after Him. As you do this, you will enjoy a deeper fellowship with Jesus, and receive divine healing for your mind, body, soul, and spirit. You will also receive provision for all your needs.

As you walk more closely with Jesus, submitting every day to the leading of the Holy Spirit, your joys will know no bounds. When we submit wholly to the will of God and allow Him the freedom to touch and to transform our hearts by His love, it changes our lives forever. He leads us to new heights every day! Each of us will have the wonderful opportunity to share in the same special relationship that Jesus had with His chosen disciples. We will be able to experience God in all of His fullness as we journey home with Him day by day.

The joys that come from having a deep and close personal relationship with Jesus each day goes much deeper than I can adequately express with words. It is like being in heaven, but then, heaven is wherever Jesus is! The closer we get to Jesus, the more of the joys of heaven we experience every day. This is the thrill of knowing that Jesus lives within us and that heaven is our eternal home. The Holy Spirit bubbling up on the inside gives us a foretaste of our future glory and leaves us longing continually for more of it. The love of Jesus envelopes us, burns passionately within our hearts and flows outwards to bless all those around us.

Long ago, God said that He would do a new thing and that it will spring forth for all to see. I thank God often for the Jewish nation of Israel through whom He chose to bring to the rest of the world the good news of salvation. Jesus, our mighty Redeemer, and Lord, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, came to us through the Jews. Jesus sprung forth from among them as the Light of the World and because of Him, a New Day has dawned! He brought to us Light and has transformed the lives of all those who put their trust in Him.

Let’s not forget the Jewish roots of our Christianity. Let us pray for the Jewish nation of Israel and for all Jews everywhere upon the face of this earth. They are special and dearly beloved in the eyes of God who has great plans to bless that nation again when He returns to earth for His millennial reign. He will completely remove sin from among them, will dwell in the midst of them, in His beloved city Jerusalem, and will beautify the place