END TIMES TEACHING
IMITATORS OF CHRIST
Written by Pastor Marcos Marrero, 1/18/2021
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1 Corinthians 11:1 “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.”
What is the spiritual meaning of imitating Christ? You will see within the context of this chapter that in order to imitate Jesus we need to fall in line with the spiritual order that God has ordained.
Imagine how an electrical system allows energy to flow: the energy originates at the power plant, then flows through the power grid and then into the outlet in the house, where we connect an electrical appliance
and accomplish the task that we set out to do.
1 Corinthians 11:3 “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”
In the third verse we are given the schematic of how the power from God flows: From God the Father through His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ, and then through man, then through the woman; and although not mention here, through the children and then back to God.
Psalm 127:3 “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.”
The return of the children to God completes the flow or the circuit of the heavenly blessings.
Malachi 4:6 “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
We can see that when the order is not kept in its proper sequence, the results are a curse instead of the blessings. In Holy Communion we have this progression clearly established.
1 Corinthians 11:26-27 “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you PROCLAIM the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.”
We know that one of the many benefits of our salvation is divine healing, but we are told that if we do not stay within the flow of this spiritual energy, we are not going to receive the benefits.
1 Corinthians 11:28-29 “But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not DISCERNING the Lord’s body.”
The key here is to attain spiritual discernment of the things that we are supposed to proclaim. Since faith comes by hearing or having an understanding of how spiritual things work, let us take a step-by-step approach as to what this powerful chapter is trying to teach us!
1 Corinthians 11:8-9 “For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.”
In the beginning God created Adam first and then the woman out of the man.
1 Corinthians 11:11-12 “Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, IN THE LORD. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; BUT ALL THINGS ARE FROM GOD.”
Because of the marital relationship between a man and a woman this can get a little confusing. In a marital relationship this applies: “The head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” This does not mean that one is better than the other, for the two are considered one flesh before the eyes of God. It just follows the pattern of the original order in which they were created.
Whether a woman is single, married or widow, Jesus is the Man who covers her head with the authority that protects her from the angelic order through which the blessing of God flows.
1 Corinthians 11:10 “For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”
But it is crucial for us to understand the original order in which spiritual energy from God flows.
Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
It was the breath or Spirit of God who gave life to a well fashioned lump of clay. According to the Law of Moses the life is in the blood. What that means is that when the breath of God entered into Adam it became blood as it flowed through him. Adam means red as in red face, his face became red not by the color of the clay, but for the color of the blood that flowed through him.
Genesis 2:21-23 “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.”
If we want to understand the spiritual order, we have to follow the blood. The body of Adam was made of the dust of the ground as a fully grown adult, but it was the power of life that was in the blood that turned his body into flesh and bones. The woman was taken out of the side of Adam that bled when it was cut open, and out of Adam’s flesh and rib bone, the woman was created.
The spirit that flowed out of God’s breath became blood in the man first and then in Eve.
1 Corinthians 11:8-9 “For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.”
So that if we follow the blood, we begin with the breath of God becoming blood inside the man, transforming his clay body into flesh and bones. Then Adam bleeds as one of his ribs is taken out and God makes the woman flesh and bones out of the rib that He took from Adam. Neither one of them experienced any pain for there was no sin involved.
1 John 5:7 “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.”
Spiritual authority flowed from God the Father who spoke the words: let us make man in our image, and the Holy Spirit provided the breath that became blood in Adam and then in Eve.
The serpent deceived Eve by taking her away from the position given to her in the spiritual order, which was: the Father, the Word, the Holy Spirit, then man and then woman. Eve should not have dealt with the serpent anymore than Adam should. The serpent was questioning God’s motives; Eve should have let him talk to God about that. Eve was deceived, not Adam. Adam who is a type of Christ took of the serpent’s poison willingly, in hope that somehow he might redeem Eve from the consequences of her sin, which are pain, sorrow and death.
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the VIRGIN shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Through the deception of the serpent, the woman was moved out of her position of authority; therefore, God’s judgment against the serpent would come through a Son born out of the virgin woman. This Son would not only redeem the woman from the curse, but also the man, the first Adam who failed to protect her. Why did the woman have to be a virgin? Follow the blood!
1 John 5:8 “And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.”
In the natural order of reproduction, a virgin cannot conceive in her womb unless the seal of her virginity is broken.
Luke 1:31-34 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’”
Mary did not doubt; she knew about the birds and the bees, and that it required a man to be involved for the conception to take place. So the angel Gabriel told her that her conception would come through a miraculous and unique way.
Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.’”
After Mary consented: “Let it be to me according to your WORD” she conceived the Word of God in her womb by means of the Holy Spirit. The last Adam and our Redeemer Jesus, was infused in Mary’s womb with the divine blood destined to redeem the corrupted seed of the first Adam and Eve. Meanwhile Mary remained a virgin until after her water broke, and the Holy Seed broke the seal of her virginity on His way out of her womb, in accordance with the divine testimony of God’s order of authority. “The Spirit, the water and the blood.”
1 John 5:6 “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.”
Thirty-three years later, this same Jesus who came by water and by divine blood is hanging naked on Calvary’s cross. He is bleeding from His head as He is wearing a crown of thorns; He had to become king over the curse in order to dismantle it, making a spectacle of the curse. His hands and feet are bleeding, pierced by iron spikes. Thirty nine stripes let out blood out of His wounded back rubbing against that rugged cross.
The first Adam did not suffer any pain when God fashioned Eve out of his side. However the last Adam had to fully bear the consequences of the failure of the first Adam. Jesus did not have to suffer like He did, but it was His love for the woman, His bride to be, the church, that drove Him to the cross.
“It is finished” He said, and gave His Spirit back to God who sent Him to die for us.
Hebrews 9:14 “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offer Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’
As the dead body of Jesus hung on the cross, they had to take the bodies down before sunset, since the other two who were crucified alongside of Jesus were still breathing, they broke their legs making it impossible for them to push up and breathe. They had to make sure that Jesus was dead even though He was not breathing, so they drove a spear through His side.
John 19:33-34 “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.”
God took Eve out of the side of Adam, and she became his wife. God is taking the church out of the side of Jesus and when His church is completed, He is coming back to take her as His wife. Right before this event takes place—the resurrection and the rapture—the water must be broken.
Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
The knowledge of the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth. This probably means that signs will appear in the sky that will usher in this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. To testify of the water and of the blood here on earth.
Luke 21:25-28 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
When you see Jesus coming in a cloud, how would you see Him? Will you see Him as your Savior coming to recue you, or as a Judge coming to judge you?
If you love Him now and are eagerly awaiting His redemption, you have nothing to worry about.
Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, AND WILL DELIVER YOU.”
It is your choice. If you make Jesus your Savior today, He will deliver you and He will recue you
before the great and dreadful Day of the Lord begins.
Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
KEEP LOOKING UP!