I wanted to speak about the great riches we have in Jesus Christ. It is good to know that what the Bible says is a reality. And when you ask, how do you know it? And I make it very simple, and I say, Jesus did it. The Bible tells it. I believe it, and that settles it. That simple. It is true. In Colossians 1.11 is written, as you live this new life, we pray that you will be strengthened from God's boundless resources, so that you will find yourself able to pass through any experience and endure it with courage. Let's pray. Father, in Jesus' name, will you show us a little bit more than before? Make it very clear to us what boundless resources your Word gives. How rich we are, Lord. Thank you. Amen. The last words that Jesus said before he went to heaven, give such a tremendous courage and vision on our riches. In Matthew 28, 18, we read, Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go you, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." That is the greatest riches. that the Lord Jesus is with us. A greater joy it will be when we will not only know that he is with us, but we will see him face to face. And that will come perhaps, that will happen perhaps very soon, when Jesus returns. But we have in the meantime a tool really be a light of the world. The Bible says, he that Jesus has said, he who believes in me, the works that I do, they will do. Because I go to the Father. You and I, greater works than Jesus did. Yes. that is a reality because he is with the Father and Jesus does greater works in this world through you and me, greater works than in the time that he was in Palestine. At this moment we can reach over the television, millions of people. That was not yet possible in the time that Jesus was in Palestine. And Jesus uses that, all these new riches, technical riches of the world. And now, let us just realize what it means that we are called to be the light of the world in this very difficult time. We have a struggle, a fight, not against flesh and blood, but against the very representatives of the headquarters of evil. The fight, the struggle, is so severe in this time. It is as if there is a mobilization of demons in the world. The devil works so hard. But it is good to know that although the devil is strong, we know that Jesus is stronger. Now, I stood during the war, when I was a prisoner, every day before the crematorium. Every day about 600 bodies were burned there. I did not know before that a week before they killed all the women of my age, I should be set free by a miracle of God and a blunder of man. So I have looked death in the eyes, not once but often. And when you look death in the eyes, you see the things how they are, things in proportion, great things great, small things small. And there I have seen what it means to have a security in the Lord Jesus. All the securities of the world had fallen away. And that is what Paul wrote when he was in a terrible prison where his hands were chained at the hands of two guards, and he wrote to Ephesians, I count everything as loss. And he wrote it, and I can say exactly the same that I've experienced that. I count everything as loss compared with the priceless privilege, the overwhelming preciousness that this is written in the Amplified New Testament, the surpassing worth and supreme advantage of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him. That's what I felt, what I knew when I stood there waiting to be killed. It was Amy Carmichael who once has said, when the heart has learned to trust God as he should be trusted, utterly, without reservation, then the Lord throws wide the door of the treasure house of grace and bids us go in with boldness and receive our share of the inheritance of the saints in life. It was Father Mitchell who has started the Goyi Fellowship with his children and the friends of his children whom I heard once say, Each redeemed heart is a vast reservoir of potentiality for God, laid up in store for the drinking of eternal joys to come. He has boundless resources. We know that we stand on the front line of a battle, more severe than ever before. But I heard once say, a minister, God's logistics are perfect. And I like that. Do you know what logistics are? In the world book Encyclopedia, I read the science of providing and maintaining men equipment and supplies for military operations. The logistic officers and soldiers have a very important thing to do. They do not stand on the front line, but they care for everything that the people on the front line need. And now you and I must realize that we stand on the front line, but that God's logistics are perfect. and we can depend on him, and we can find in the Bible what these logistics are. For instance, We have power through the Holy Spirit. That's what Jesus said in Acts 1.5. You will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. That means that that very important thing, power, is available for you and me. We have a vision. Where there is no vision, the people perish. And God shows us through the Word the vision on God's plan. And God has no problems, only plans. And in the Bible we can read it. Sometimes I have the idea that when the Bible authors speak about the riches that we have now and here, they can hardly find words to express and to tell what our boundless resources are. God has, through the Spirit, let us share His secret things which I saw not, and ear heard not, which entered not into the heart of men. That's what God prepared for them that love Him. When I read the Bible, I'm always amazed about the uns. The Bible authors use words as unimaginable splendor, unspeakable joy and gifts, an innumerable company of angels, unfathomable, his wondrous love, unchangeable, his ways. unsearchable, his blessed truth, unutterable, his place. Why do they use such words? Because our riches here are earthly reproductions of heavenly riches. And that's why we can not very clearly express how rich we are. I once heard from an astronaut that when you come high above the stratosphere of the Earth, then things are so different that you can hardly describe it with the words that you are used to. For instance, the situation is so that there is a pitch dark sky when there is full sunlight. When he told me that, I thought of a legend that I heard of two monks. They were talking together about their great riches in heaven. And they said to each other, say, when one of us dies before the other, then you must come back one moment and just tell us a little bit, tell each other a little bit of how the heaven is. All right. They promised each other and one died. And the next day he came back and he said two words. Totaliter Aliter, that means total different. Yes, that's what waiting us. A riches, a divine, celestial riches, so total different from what we experience here, that eye has not seen and ears have not heard it, it hasn't come into our hearts. what God has prepared for us. My father thought very much about these things, and when we had a very happy evening, when there were friends who had come and we had much joy together, or we had made beautiful music, and then Father, I thank the Lord for the beautiful and joyful evening. And he said to us, children, the good thing is that when we enjoy such great, such happy evenings, we can know that there's a very little small foretaste of heaven. The best is yet to be. That, what we have experienced today of the joy, is just a very little bit. when I compare it with the great common glory. Yes. That's why we can enjoy things of the world. Because we know the best is yet to be. And because we receive our riches from the Lord. And it is good to enjoy life. Have you ever heard of the sadhu Sunda Singh? He was an Indian man, and he had a conversion like Paul. He had seen Jesus. He hated Jesus and the Christians. And then suddenly he saw Jesus. From that moment on, he said, now, when I see that you are alive, I will be a Christian Sadhu. Now a sadhu, that is someone who has never money and who does nothing else but telling other people his religion. And now he told the other people about the Lord Jesus. He became the first Christian sadhu. And he came also in Holland. I was still young, and with a whole group of young people, we were sitting at his feet, and he told about the miracles he had experienced, the visions he had seen. And I remember when he told that all, I was a little bit sad. When I was a moment alone with him, I said, Mr. Sadhu, may I ask you a question? I know that Jesus is with me. I know that I'm a giant of God. I know that when I die, I go to heaven, because Jesus has carried my sins at the cross. But I've never experienced a miracle. I've never seen a vision like you did. What's wrong with me? And then the Sadhu said, sometimes people come to me to see a miracle. When they come again to me, I will send them to Corrie ten Boom. That I know that Jesus is alive, that's not a miracle. I have seen him, but you have never seen him. And you know that he is alive. Is that not a miracle of the Holy Spirit? And it was just as if the Lord opened a curtain that I saw the light better than before. Yes, isn't it a miracle that you know in whom you have believed? That you know that Jesus is with you? You've never seen him, and you believe in him. That is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. And it is good that we soak in the Word, that we read and re-read the Bible, that we learn by heart, and we find out how rich we are now and here, and the best is yet to be. God's logistics are perfect, and that's why we can obey Him even when He gives us a difficult job to do. I remember that once God gave me a dangerous thing to do. It was in a concentration camp. There were 150, yes, I believe 150 young prisoners, Dutch, of our Dutch group, who were sent to an ammunition factory. Now an ammunition factory was a terrible dangerous place for they were the targets for the enemy to be bombed. I was so sorry when I saw these 150 girls and young prisoners that they were sent there. And the interesting thing is that only one of them died. And we who stayed behind, only 20% have come through. But when I just told the Lord that I was so concerned about these 150 young prisoners, the Lord gave me a job to do. So dangerous that when I think of it, I still tremble. But I obeyed. I'd heard that at midnight, 12, they should leave the concentration camp through the big gate. Now, after 8 o'clock, you were not allowed to come in the street. And a big floodlight, surging light, was going around and around the whole night in that camp. When in that surge light they saw a prisoner in the street, Then they shot her. When it was quarter to twelve and I saw the floodlight passing my window, I just jumped out of the window. I went away and I went to the other side of the street. There was a place between two barracks where I could hide myself and where the floodlight could not come. And there I waited. It was about a quarter to twelve when I heard the prisoners marching on to go to the gate. When the first passed, I said, so that they could understand it, but not the guards who were at the other side of the group, Jesus is Victor. The girl said, oh Corrie, go back to your barrack. This is that dangerous. But they had to walk on. And the next I said, underneath us are the everlasting arms. Also they warned me and said, Corrie, don't do it. And then I said to the next, the Lord is our hiding place. And then again I said, Jesus is Victor. After they had left all, and the gate was closed. Then I waited till the floodlight had passed and I ran to my barrack and disappeared through the window. But she said, Corrie, where have you been? I told her, oh, she said, Corrie, what was that a dangerous job, but I had to pray all the time for you. I was glad that I had done it, but when I think of it, I still tremble. But God's logistics were perfect, and so I could go and work on that dangerous spot. It is so good that we realize that we are used by God to build the kingdom. I remember that once three men were building a wall. And they asked one man, what are you doing? He said, I'm building a wall. The second one, they asked, what are you doing? He said, I am earning money for my wife and children. They asked the third one, and he said, I am building a cathedral. Do you see it? They all three did the same work. But that last one had a vision. It is very important. that you and I know that we have to build a cathedral, a kingdom of God, today, in these things of everyday life. And that we are living in the power, but also for the honor of the King of Kings. And then we understand that we stand on victory ground, for Jesus was victor, He is victor, and He will be victor, and He makes you and me more than conquerors. Nothing limits the supplies we get from God, save our capacity to take. After surrender, the Holy Spirit makes us capable to take. That's why you and I have to surrender all. And then we can do the job. Then we can be ready for Jesus' coming. We can be at peace with God and man. We have to love each other. We have to be the light of the world, ambassadors for Christ. Oh! When I read in the Bible what all we have to do, then I think, no, not I. I cannot. It is not try, but trust. It is not do, but done. Our God has planned for us great victory through His Son. When I try to let this stick stand on my hand, I have no success. When I try the whole day, it cannot stand on my hand. Nevertheless, I will tell you something. I can have this stick standing on the top of my finger, solidly. Do you see it? It stands. Why? Because my hand keeps it. And we are not able to have a victorious life when we do not surrender. to the wounded hand of Jesus. But when we do it, his hand keeps us from falling and will once present us blameless and with unspeakable joy in the day when Jesus Christ reveals himself. Hallelujah. What a joy and what a security is that. You know, The promises of the Bible are available. I remember that once I was in a prison in Africa, and I have spoken very much in prisons, because I understand the prisoner. I know how it feels behind a door that you can only open from outside. I've never seen such a terrible prison as there in Rwanda. Everything was dark. The people were sitting on the ground, and it had been a tropical storm and rain, so it was all muddy. And they were sitting in the mud. One had a piece of paper sitting, another had a branch. I said to these people, why don't we go into the building? They said, oh no, the building is far too small, even in the night. Half of us must stay outside. The darkest were the expressions of the faces. The uniforms were black and the buildings were dark, but these faces, oh, what a despair was there on the faces of these men. And when I stood there, I said, Oh Lord, give me a message of joy. In your word is said that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. Lord, will you give me joy? And let that joy come into the heart of these dark and sad people. I claim your promise, Lord, that the fruit of the Spirit is joy. And I started to speak, and how the Lord did it, I don't know. What I said, I don't know. But I know this, that there came a joy in me that flew through me and reached these people. Several, just, I saw changed faces, and they looked happy. When I spoke and I said, people, that is the Lord Jesus in you who makes you happy. Some remained very sad. And I said, I told them, some of you do not look joyful. And I understand what you think. You think, oh, that lady can tell about the joy of the Lord. But after she is through, she goes away and goes to another country perhaps. But we have to stay in this horrible place. I understand that you think that. But friends, I have experienced the joy of the Lord in a prison that was worse than yours. 97,000 women were killed or died in that prison where I was. And there, in that prison, where I saw my sister's star before my eyes, I've enjoyed the joy of the Lord. Because I got more intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ. And when you come to Him, He will give you that joy also in this prison. And I must say, there was such an open atmosphere there. And afterwards, I told him, now you can ask Jesus to come into your heart. And I told for that man, I said, now who of you is willing to do that and ask Jesus to come in your life? And they all raised their hands, also the guards. Now, when I give an invitation and everyone raises hands, now then, I always think, hmm, that is mass suggestion. I don't trust that. But I had to believe it because I saw in the eyes the joy of the Lord. The Holy Spirit had done a great miracle. to give joy in such a surrounding. I'll never forget when I went home, when I left the prison, I came in the street and the guards and the prisoners all brought me to the car. I was amazed that they weren't afraid that the prisoners should run away and they stood around the car and they shouted something again and again. I said to my interpreter, missionary, say, what do they, what do they shout? She said, they shout, old woman, come back, come back and tell us more of Jesus. Then she told that she had been in that prison and she had brought the gospel, but she said, I didn't come back. I thought it was just in vain. But today I have seen what the Holy Spirit can do and now I will go every week. And later she wrote me a letter that every week she went and the feast is going on, she wrote. The joy of the Lord is our strength. That was really such a great reality. Now, these logistics, what are they? First, the vision. How good is it when we read in the Bible what the promises of the Lord are? One of the logistics is that we have wisdom. Yes, you have wisdom, we know that. the moment that you receive the Lord Jesus, and when you have never done that before, and you do it now, then the wisdom of the Lord is yours. In James 1.5 is written, if in the process anyone of you does not know how to meet any particular problem, he has only to ask God, who gives generously to all men, without making them feel foolish or guilty, and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. Yes, wisdom, that's one of the logistics. But how can we understand this? So often we live as beggars because we do not understand the truth of the Bible. And also this, the Lord has provided that, for it is by the Holy Spirit that you understand how rich you are in Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 2.12 is written, the marvelous thing is this, that we now receive not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God Himself, so that we can actually understand something of God's generosity towards us. You see, it is the Holy Spirit, and that is why We have to open our heart and obey that commandment, be filled with the Spirit. The Bible has no suggestions, only commandments, and that's the sweetest commandment of the Bible. We know about the things Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 19, We know about the things because God has sent his Spirit to tell us. And his Spirit searches out and shows us all of God's deepest secrets. Do you understand that therefore it is for you and me? And I repeat what once I told some of you about the woodpecker. A woodpecker ticked with his beak against the stem of a tree, like woodpeckers do. And the same moment, the lightning struck the tree and destroyed it. And the woodpecker flew away and said, my, I didn't know that there was so much power in my beak. Do you see? What a stupid bird. He thought it was his beak, but it was lightning. And when you say, I am a victorious Christian because I am such a good Christian and because my faith is so strong, then you are just as stupid as the bird. It is the Holy Spirit. He makes us understand. And that is also such a great quietness, a rest, a peace. This morning, I was a little bit tired and I thought, oh Lord, now you must give me strength and inspiration to give a message. And I suddenly said, oh Lord, what a joy is it that you give it and you are able. And I had just joy to come here. And so it is so very important that we do not look unto ourself. look around and be distressed, look within and be depressed, look at Jesus and be at rest. And when we look at Him, we are victorious. Yes, what is it a joy that we are no beggars, but king's children, but we must cash our checks. I heard a story of a woman who was in a theater, and she lost a beautiful brooch. And when she came home, she thought that the brooch had disappeared. Why she was so sad. And the next morning, she phoned the man who lived in that theater building, and she said, did you perhaps find a brooch? The man said, no, I didn't. But where were you sitting? She said, on the third row, the fourth chair. He said, all right, just wait a moment. I will see if perhaps it is still under your chair. And he went, and he found a brooch. Why, that was a joy. And he went to the telephone. He said, lady, I found your brooch. Lady? Hello? He didn't get any answer. She had laid down the telephone. She has never known that her beautiful brooch was found. Isn't it that you and I sometimes do not wait for the Lord? And when we do not get an answer, we just lay it down? And that is so wrong. Because when we wait on the Lord, That is a blessing in itself. And the great evangelist, Reverend A.B. Simpson, once wrote a little poem. There are some who believe the Bible, and some who believe in part. and some who trust with reservation, and some with all their heart. But I know that its every promise is firm and true. Always it is tried as the precious silver, and it means just what it says. It is strange. We trust each other and only doubt our Lord. We will take the word of mortals and yet distrust His word. But oh, what light and glory would shine over us all days if we always would remember that he means just what he says. Amen. Now we will pray together. And then I will so pray that I will wait between the sentences that you can say the same in your heart, at least more personally. Will you do that? If you really mean it, just say this, forgive me, Lord, that too often I live like a beggar. And you have suffered so much, Lord Jesus, to make me a rich king's child. Open my heart, that I may see the far vast riches of Holy Spirit, make me so that in the everyday life, also today and tomorrow, but also when storms should come, I look unto You, Lord Jesus. Holy Spirit, Make that I see Jesus' victory in my life. Make me to be progressively more intimately acquainted with Jesus. keep me within the boundary of your love. Amen.