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What’s the hope of glory? Christ in us. Listen as Derek unfolds this secret God has reserved for His children. If we have Christ in us we have the hope of glory and eternal life with Him. Without Christ, we are without hope and without God.

Today Derek tells of his experience when the Lord put within him an ability to share in Christ’s compassion for the suffering. This supernatural concern for orphans, widows, the poor and the oppressed reshaped his life in his latter years.

Today, Derek is going to pick up where he left off describing the sevenfold shedding of the blood of Jesus. Listen as Derek explains how each event in the life of Jesus was foretold in the Old Testament … and how our salvation “Cost All He Had.”

If you are to face death with peace, confidence, and with calm assurance, there are four main things Derek would like for you to know. The extraordinary thing is that people go through life knowing full well that they are going to die, and yet never make adequate preparation for that sure event.

After the death of Jesus, while His body lay in the tomb, His soul descended into Hades and, as a result, certain important and permanent changes took place. The death and resurrection of Jesus was cosmic in its effects. It produced results that affected the entire universe from that time forward.

Atonement is the work Jesus accomplished through His death on our behalf. The word is made up of three sections: “at,” “one,” “ment.” Atonement is at–one–ment. It restores the sinner to God’s favor. It’s reconciliation.

Going back to the Parable of the Sheepfold in John 10, Derek gives three distinctive marks of those sheep that belong to Jesus. They have entered into the sheepfold by the door—through Jesus’ death and resurrection—through His blood. They hear the voice of the shepherd and they follow Him. This speaks of a direct, personal relationship, and also speaks of obedience to the Lord.

One major way of taking care of vines is by pruning. In looking at this process of pruning, Derek emphasizes that the vines that are bearing fruit are the ones that are cut back. This is so they will produce more and better fruit. Pruning in a Christian’s life is not an indication of wrongdoing or punishment. In fact, it shows that God knows how to bring out the best in them.

Derek gives us several Scriptures to emphasize that this new life in Jesus is personal—to be experienced by each individual. For instance: “For me, to live is Christ.” “Christ lives in me.” This encounter is with Christ and you alone. It involves a decision each individual must make, and then realizing that He is truly living inside of you.

In today’s study Derek looks at the story of Elijah and the widow who was called upon to bake him a cake using all the meal and oil that she had left. As she did so, her provision was miraculously multiplied. In this illustration, we can see that as we give up all we have to the Lord in faith, He will return back to us far more than we had.