The Fellowship of Christ

By Christopher Egbulefu

The Fellowship of Christ is an all-embracing book that exposes you to the personality of Jesus Christ and the Will of God in relation to the Creation and the fate of man in this life and in life after death. Some of the pertinent but vague issues in the scriptures are well elucidated, especially as it pertains to the laws guiding creation. Exposition is also made on the consequences of human decisions and actions vis--vis the activities of the princes of darkness that affects man and the judgment of God. Apart from the works of other writers, the author draws inspirations from personal experiences and the scriptures from the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran in order to provide a concise and constructive knowledge of life and spirituality for the ideal earth life and spiritual maturity of the true seeker. The contents of this book will not only uplift you but it will expose you to the ignorance of trivial matters that affects you as a spirit and also as a human being.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524577780

Christopher Egbulefu

Christopher Sheriff Egbulefu is a Christian and a strong advocate of the non-denomination of the Christian Churches as a body of Christ; hes also a believer in the worship of one God irrespective of religion. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Education from Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria and an MBA in Banking and Finance from Imo State University Owerri Nigeria.

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Copyright © 2017 by Christopher Egbulefu.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 01/27/2017

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Admonition

Acknowledgement

Chapter 1    The Creation

Chapter 2    The Fall Of Adam & God’s Promise Of Redemption

Chapter 3    The Deity Of Jesus Christ

Chapter 4    The Other Sons Of God

Chapter 5    The Origin Of The Human Spirit

Chapter 6    The Heritage Of The Sons Of God

Chapter 7    Teach Us To Pray

Chapter 8    In Name Of Jesus Christ

Chapter 9    The Lesson From Nature

Chapter 10    The Atonement

Chapter 11    The Fellowship Of Christ

Chapter 12    The Fellowship Of His Communion

Chapter 13    The Fellowship Of The Holy Spirit

Chapter 14    The Fellowship Of His Suffering

Chapter 15    The Fellowship Of Glory

Chapter 16    Trials And Temptations

Chapter 17    Christian Attitude To Suffering

Chapter 18    The Author And Finisher Of Our Faith

Chapter 19    The Calling

Chapter 20    Walking In The Light Of God

Chapter 21    The Resurrection Of The Dead

Reference

PREFACE

T HIS BOOK IS a twenty one chaptered book that attempts to throw more light on the provisions of the Ten Commandments as it relates to Jesus Christ and every Believer. The book provides insight on the virtues of a true Believer and how to understand the manipulations of the demonic kingdom. It also explains some of the factors required to shape the Believer character and tries to describe the events that mark the present church age. This book is intended to throw more light on the personality of Jesus Christ which has formed a subject of great controversy among Believers and non- Believers alike. We shall be looking at the scriptures from different points of view. We shall look at from the point of view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and also as God Himself. We shall also try to view it from the perspective of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit.

To help us understand the relationship that exist in the God Head we shall be looking at the creative acts of God from the book of Genesis in comparison to other books of the Bible. The book also attempts to throw more light on the creation of the human spirit and our spiritual relationship with God as it regards to our adoption by God. It also looked into some of the rights and privileges of God’s children. It gave an in-depth exposure to the meaning and efficacy of the Lord’s Prayer and the implications of praying in the Name of God or Jesus. It also gave insights on the spiritual knowledge from the study of nature.

The book is also about the mission of Christ vis-à-vis his incarnation, suffering and death. It explains the fellowship of Christ in relation to his calling and commission. In doing this the author tried to elucidate on the significance of the Holy Communion and the sufferings of Christ in relation to the redemption of man. The book attempted to shed light on the controversy surrounding the personality of the promised Immanuel who was to come. In explaining the sufferings of Christ the book shed light on reasons why true believers go through some trials and temptations and how they are perfected through the experiences. The book gave a detailed explanation of the fellowship and personality of the Holy Spirit and God’s promised glory and eternal life. Finally it explained Christ as the author and finisher of our faith and the true meaning of the Calling of God.

This book is written to provide answers, directions and wisdom for every Bible believing Christian and non-Christians alike. The Scriptures were taken from the Holy Bible, the Holy Quran and the Grail Message. It is highly revealing and educative as it equips the reader with precise knowledge of the sacred order of Christ that calls for serious attention as it affects the spiritual maturity of a believer.

ADMONITION

I N THIS BOOK I give you my conviction that is intended to enable you break down the walls of religious doctrines and blind faith and to expose you to the Light of God, but what you do with it rest solely in your hands, it is your responsibility which also you must give account to the Most High God to who alone is the kingdom, the power and the glory for all eternity. Amen!

In advising you true seekers who read the words of the Lord through my hand I quote the following:

Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.

John 12:35-36

"And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].

Holy Quran 2:42

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to the evergreen memory of my mother

Lady Regina Ibari Egbulefu (KSJ).

INTENDED READERS

This book is targeted on Believers especially those who are seriously seeking the Truth irrespective of religion or denomination.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE to the only one God and Father of Creation for the gift of His Message and the privilege of sharing it with mankind especially the Seekers of Truth. I thank my entire family especially my partner Christiana U. Dennis, my parents Mr & Mrs C.A Egbulefu (KSJ), brothers and Sisters for their support in making this vision a reality. I also thank my publishers for their relentless efforts and team work and finally I thank you for making out time to study this work.

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CHAPTER 1

THE CREATION

O NE OF THE cardinal issues that are currently discussed among the various religions of today including Christianity and Islam is the controversy on the deity of Jesus Christ the messenger of Truth who was born of Jewish progeny.

According to research by Cristian Violatti, Jesus was born towards the end of the reign of Herod the Great and brought up in Nazareth, Galilee. He was named Jesus (Yeshu’a in Aramaic, Yehoshua or Joshua in Hebrew, Iesous in Greek, Iesus in Roman) and was conceived between the engagement and marriage of his parents whose names were Mary (Miriam in Hebrew and Mariam in Aramaic) and Joseph (Yossef in Hebrew, Yosep in Aramaic). In Matthew 13:55 it is said that his father was a carpenter, and Mark 6.3 says that this was also Jesus’ profession. It was a common practice during that time that sons would follow their father’s occupation, so it would be safe to believe that Jesus was a carpenter. Although not certain, it is probable that Jesus’ education included a detailed study of the Hebrew Scriptures, a very common practice among the devout poor in Israel.

Jesus began a new kind of ministry, spreading the message of the kingdom of God approaching and stressing the importance of repentance by the people of Israel.

At some point towards the end of his career, Jesus moved to Jerusalem, Judea, reaching the climax of his public life. Here he engaged in different disputes with his many adversaries. At the same time, some religious authorities were seeking to entrap him into self-incrimination by raising controversial topics, mostly of a theological nature. The gospels offer different reasons as to why the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court) was interested in executing Jesus, but only John (11.47-53) seems convincing enough: Jesus was seen as a trouble-maker who threatened public harmony. A Roman intervention to restore order, thus breaking the fine balance between Jewish and Roman power, did not interest the Sanhedrin. An arresting party finally took Jesus to the Sanhedrin, where he was judged, found guilty of blasphemy, and condemned to death. However, the execution order had to be issued by a Roman authority; the Jewish court did not have such power at that time. Therefore, Jesus was brought to the procurator of Rome who ordered his execution. Because Jesus never denied the charges, he should have been convicted and not executed, as the Roman law required in case of confession for such a penalty. On a hill outside Jerusalem, Jesus was finally crucified and killed, which was not a Jewish form of punishment but a common Roman practice.

This study by Cristian Violatti gave a historical summary of the ministry Christ, however it will suffice to view the Ministry of Jesus Christ from the spiritual perspective in order to fathom the deity of Christ vis-à-vis his humanity. Most Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God and also the physical presence of God with humanity given his teachings and the various miracles he performed during his earthly life, and most prominent among all was his resurrection from death.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is considered the very foundation of the Christian faith, and it is also considered vital for the salvation of humankind, given that through Jesus’ sacrifice there is the promise of eternal life.

The Holy Quran recognises Jesus as a great prophet and messenger of God who was not born of the seed of man but through the power of God. He’s called Isa Ibn Maryam which is interpreted as ‘son of Mary’, a guide to the Israelites among whom he performed many miracles. However the Holy Quran disagrees with the belief in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Quran holds that Jesus never died nor was he crucified as accounted in the Holy Bible.

And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah’s messenger - they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them; and those who disagree concerning it are in doubt of it; they have no knowledge of it except pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain. (Quran surah 4.157)

From the historical and theological facts available, it is evident that Jesus the Christ existed as a Jewish prophet who was murdered because of the message he preached. He’s believed to be the Son of God by Christians while some believe him to be God incarnate and others believe him to be a prophet of God. Therefore it will suffice to throw more light on his personality that has formed a subject of great controversy among Christians and non-Christians alike. We shall be looking at the scriptures from different point of view. We shall look at it from the point of view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and also from the point of view of Jesus Christ as God Himself and from the point of view of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit. To help us understand the relationship that exist in the God Head we shall be looking at the creative acts of God from the book of Genesis and other books of the Bible.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Rev 1:1 -2

Then I saw a lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth Rev 5:6

The above scripture is a narration by St John, of the vision God showed him in the Island of Patmos through His Son Jesus Christ as presented in Rev 1:1-2, 5:6

This happened some years after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. The vision was a revelation of both past events and the future events. The book of revelation tries to capture God’s plan of the advent of Jesus the Messiah from the very beginning of creation to the close of age. The visions were given with symbols and signs that were later interpreted through the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Lamb in the above context refers to Jesus Christ the Son of God and the seven horns and seven eyes which is the seven Spirit of God represents the Holy Spirit of God, simply put the seven radiations of God.

Therefore from this point of view we can appreciate the tripartite relationship of the God Head with relation to the creative acts of the Most High. Apart from the Holy Bible, going through the entire Surah of the Holy Quran you will discover that Almighty Allah (God) mostly used the pronoun ‘WE’ in alluding to Himself and it is only in few portions of the Surah that He used the pronoun ‘I’ to refer to Himself. This is because the Almighty Allah wanted mankind to understand His personality in the sense of His Deity as the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. These are the three manifestations of the Almighty God who is one personality, one God and Creator of all. At the time of creation God who is self-existing severed a part of Himself as the Holy Spirit and is revealed as Immanuel who went forth and brought every spoken word of God into being through His radiations. Immanuel is the Will of God while the Spoken Word is Jesus Christ who in act of God’s love for humanity was sent to the Earth for the redemption of mankind through his teachings. Up till today the world is still in dispute with Christians regarding the deity of Christ as God irrespective of the facts that the scriptures already foretold of this and made it clear.

Let him who have ears hear the words of the Scriptures in the Holy Quran19:40 and examine it inwardly without any bias or prejudice, for in this saying is the Divine Trinity of God revealed.

Indeed, it is We who will inherit the earth and whoever is on it, and to Us they will be returned.

The ‘WE’ and ‘US’ refers to the Divine Trinity of God. Similar reference was made in Genesis chapter one, a mystery is beyond human understanding.

We shall take an overview of how God created the entire universe including man and see how it relates to Christ.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation (Gen 2:1-3).

This Biblical story of Creation refers to the Gross Material Creation that comprises of the visible and the invisible parts of the Earth. The invisible part of the Earth constitutes of the ethereal world or what is called the spiritual parts of this earth that is intangible and invisible to the physical eyes. However the spiritual world comprises of the entire Creation that includes all the realms of existence the physical and spiritual, the natural and supernatural world. The seven days of creation was an act of God through his Holy Spirit who bears the Seven Radiations of God that manifested by giving expressions to the Holy Will of God and giving forms to it thereby bringing those forms into existence. The Eternal Spirit bearing within Him the Seven Powers of God expressed the nature and attributes of God in Him in each respective act of creation. Thus the Seven Spirits are the manifestation of the one Holy Spirit of God.

In the process of creation God was expressing himself, giving forms to His thoughts and conceptions through the power of His Word which in itself is life. It will suffice not to explain further given the limitations of the human understanding of the mysteries of God in creation. I wish to quote the explanation of Abd-ru-shin in his volume two of the Grail Message:

Spirit, therefore, is the Will of God, the life-elixir of all Creation which, if it is to continue to exist, must be permeated by the Divine Will. Man being part-bearer of this spirit should, in becoming self-conscious, contribute towards the uplift and further development of all Creation.

From the quotation above it is right to say that the Holy Spirit is the active Will of God and the life force of Creation that includes man who bears the Spirit spark which is his core and true ego.

There is an attribute of God in everything created, for God himself is life. In this topic our discussion will be limited to the world of material creation only because creation involves both the visible and the invisible things that comprises of the different realms life which includes the Divine realm, Spiritual realms and the Gross Material realms. The Divine realm and the spiritual realm along with the ethereal part of the Gross material realm are invisible to the physical eyes while the remaining part of the Gross material world constitutes what we can see, feel or touch – the physical world which is the subject of our discussion. It is important to note that the spiritual creation came before the material creation which came into existence through the cooling off of God’s radiation in the process of Spirit expressions.

The Scriptural interpretation of ‘God having a seven Spirits sent into the world’ in Revelation 5:6 should not be viewed literally. God is life, spirit and light, therefore the Seven Spirits of God represents the Seven Creative Force or radiations of God. The Spirit, which itself is life and light is the animating force of God that gives expressions to the Will of God thus bringing them into being. This Spirit or animating force of God is revealed to mankind as the Holy Spirit of God personalized. He sustains and vivifies and rejuvenates everything thus created. It will not be wrong to say the Holy Spirit is the power of God personalized. Thus the Seven Spirits of God represents the seven radiations of the Holy Spirit whose name was revealed as Immanuel (God with us), in other words He is ever present with mankind. He was the first to be revealed in the spiritual but the last to be revealed in the physical. Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the last spirit of God to be revealed in the spiritual but the first to be revealed in the physical. It is worthy to note that Immanuel is the Will of God working in Creation and in Him is the Laws of Creation embodied and maintaining Creation for all eternity. By Laws of Creation I mean the Eternal Law of RECIPROCAL ACTION, ESSENTIAL MOVEMENT, HOMOGENOUS ATTRACTION and GRAVITY. Further details on these laws are seen in the volumes of the book ‘In the Light of Truth’ the Grail Message.

This creation began at the radiation of God’s Spirit that expressed God’s Will in him by the formation of the entire universe comprising the Galaxies of which the planet Earth is among. Then, the earth was; there was no form of anything in it except water and darkness. The other planets and other universal bodies were made by the expression of God’s first radiation, but the earth was chosen and designed for the habitation of mankind.

God’s glory illuminated the earth whose manifestation was glorious and wonderful in the midst of the great universe. As at then there was nothing like time because light has not manifested in the universe and darkness was engulfed with water. As the first spirit was concluding,