40 special years

Special greetings to all true believers, to God's children all over the earth, who believe as the Scripture says, in the precious name of our LORD Jesus Christ with the following Word,
“For ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God, Ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry,” (Heb. 10: 36-37).

This time I would like to look back especially upon the forty years that have passed since the mission work in Krefeld began. In Scripture the number 40 seems to have special significance. We find it mentioned over fifty times in various connections. During the flood it rained forty days and nights (Gen. 7: 4). Moses was 40 years old when he went to look after his brethren, the Israelites, for the first time (Acts 7: 17-29). After another forty years, the LORD appeared to him in the burning bush (Acts 7: 30). The children of Israel journeyed in the wilderness for forty years (Josh. 5: 6). David reigned as king for forty years (2 Sam. 5: 4). Solomon reigned for the same length of time (1 Ki. 11: 42). Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted by Satan (Mt. 4: 1-11). Forty days Jesus appeared with His disciples after His resurrection and taught them the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1: 1-3).

Altogether I can look back on 47 years in the service of God's Kingdom. I am now more than ever convinced that it will only last a very short time before the things the Scripture predicted 2,000 years ago will be fulfilled. Then He -Whom the heaven must receive; until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the time began, (Acts 3: 21) will come without further delay, according to His promise (Jn. 14: 1-3). But there are conditions to be met in order to participate in the rapture, which can only find their fulfillment in our walk with God. The emphasis in our Scripture text is to do the will of God. “...After ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” The will of God must happen in our personal life and also within the Church. Only if God is pleased with us, as He was with Enoch, who exemplary was taken to Glory (Heb. 11: 5), we also will be taken up (1 Thess. 4: 17). The necessity now is the complete conformity with God and His Word, the unity of Bride and Bridegroom. In practical life this can only be achieved if we truly live every Word of God.

Of the Son of God it is written, -I delight to do thy will, 0 my God, (Ps. 40: 8; Heb. 10: 7). Our LORD said: For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, who is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Mt. 12: 50). He prayed in Gethsemane, ... not as I will, but as thou wilt.,, (Mt. 26: 36-42). May that be our prayer, for only in the direct will of God are we sanctified once and for all by His sacrifice (Heb. 10: 8-10). HE became the sacrifice for all who would be sanctified by Him and thus reach perfection (Heb. 10: 14). The Redeemer sanctified Himself in complete obedience to the will of God, so the redeemed could be sanctified in Him and His Word (Jn. 17: 14-19). We sense that time has become very serious, as we are moving into the last phase of the final restoration and preparation of the Bride Church.