Diving In

When we dive into the ocean we experience the ocean, but only in part.  When released from these mortal bodies we will dive into the "ocean" of God, except that ocean is infinite.

Seed To Skin

Numbers 1:1-4 NET

1Then the Lord spoke to Moses: 2 “Speak to the Israelites, and tell them, ‘When either a man or a woman 1  takes a special vow,  to take a vow  as a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord, 3he must separate  himself from wine and strong drink, he must drink neither vinegar  made from wine nor vinegar made from strong drink, nor may he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins. 4 All the days of his separation he must not eat anything that is produced by the grapevine, from seed  to skin.

This reminds me of the promise of Abraham's seed and the wine of the New Covenant He brings.  That promised One took on the skin of man, our flesh, and upon Himself the sins that resided in that flesh. The seed of His word and gospel take root to hide us in His righteousness.  We are freed by His grace and will shed mortality for immortality.

Pretty Good Deal

He became our sin, replacing it with His righteousness.  Pretty good deal for us, wouldn't you say?

It Depends

Hebrews 3:18  NET
And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?
The word translated "disobedient" includes the nuance of unbelief.  Disobeying is a sign of unbelief, of the imperfect disregarding the perfect.  This can be regarded as ignorance or the ultimate wisdom, depending on the person's view.  I choose to depend on God's view as best I can understand it.  

Ongoing Conversation

Receiving Christ is a personal matter, a one on one relationship that goes both ways.  Jesus makes it possible and the Spirit enables, for both are the power of God.  It is He calling and we answering crying "Father", that unites the two.  It is an ongoing conversation as we walk.   

Holy

Hebrews 2:11  NET
For indeed he who makes holy and those being made holy all have the same origin, ¹  and so ²  he is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
At once holy and being made holy, until we see Him and become fully like Him. This is because He is Holy.

Is It Really True?

Genesis 3:1  NET
Now the serpent was more shrewd  than any of the wild animals  that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Is it really true that  God  said, ‘You must not eat from any tree of the orchard’?”
The same question has been posed ever since.  Is it true?  Did God say that?  Jesus said He was the way, truth, and life.  Many say he didn't mean that, or he was just wrong.  They hold there is more than one way to God.  There is no truth.  There is life other than the Son of God.  Do you agree with Jesus, or do you see it another way?

Door

Blessed is the journey that leads to God's door.
Behold, He stands at the door and knocks.
It is your heart where it is heard.

Strange Fire

Numbers 3:4 NET
Nadab and Abihu died  before the Lord  when they offered  strange   fire   before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children.   So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests  in the presence of Aaron their father.
The Lord was clear about how how He would be approached.  Aaron't sons ignored this and did their own thing.  The allure of strange fire has always been strong, for it is the manifestation of self in the place of God.


God has told us that He can only be approached by His Son.  Many cannot accept this teaching.  If one discounts Scripture, this is easily justified by many arguments. Pursuing self is supported and admired in the world.


The flames of the world may appear warm and inviting at first, but in the end this strange fire will be revealed as the path of destruction.

Get To Know Him Now

Romans 14:12 (New International Version)

¹²So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
We will stand before the Son apart from any pretense, wealth, or gain.  What others might have thought about us will not matter.  How we justify ourselves will not make a difference to the One Who is judge.  We will stand alone before our maker.  That's one of the reasons why it might be a good idea to get to know him now.

Forgiveness

If you cannot forgive someone, even yourself, you have not fully accepted the forgiveness of Christ.

Body And Spirit

Body and spirit are not divided.  God breathed life into man.  What God has joined together, no man can separate. They are one, even as we are invited to be one with Him.

Body and spirit

Alive by the breath of God

Until breath departs

Agreement

2Cor 6:16 NET  
"And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 
How can two walk together unless they are in agreement?  If we agree with God, He is in us.

Receiving

Is there any way to come up short when receiving a gift, unless it is in the receiving?

The Voice

John 10:5 (New King James Version)

⁵ Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

In a still small voice

Speaks the word of creation

Creating anew

Evolution

Evolution is displayed in Genesis.  The story is condensed into six days with the point of God as Creator.
The theory of evolution just takes God out of it.
The same theory or thinking also goes back to Genesis, in the Garden.  The rebellious heart says, "we can be as God".

How Much Time

Walking in His light has an affect, just as one exposed to the sun develops a tan, the fruit of the Spirit ripens.  With both, you can tell how much time is spent.

Lord, Lord

Luke 6:46 NIV  

⁴⁶"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Later, Jesus will say, "I never knew you".

Garment Of Skin

Genesis 3:21 (New International Version)

 ²¹ The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.
This prefigures Christ.  We put on Christ as we believe and abide with Him.  We enter the body of Christ and are raised with Him.  We thus come into the presence of the Lord.

Unity Through The Spirit

Unity is only possible in Christ.  It is not an endeavor of man, but rather a work of the Spirit

Understanding

2Tim 2:7  NET
Think about what I am saying and  the Lord will give you understanding of all this. 
Dwell in the word of the Lord.  In hearing, humble yourself.  In seeing, obey His commands.  There you will find understanding.

Rest

Eternity whispers to us, for we are made in the image of God.  Our longing finds rest in Him.

Shadows Revealed

The advances of man

Do not improve our dark hearts

But reveal the shadows

True Grace

John 1:14 (New International Version)

 ¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,^[a] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Is it possible to separate truth and grace?  Is it possible to believe one and not the other?  If there is no truth then what would be the basis for grace?  Without truth it cannot be true.  If truth is relative, so then must be grace.

Fulfilled

Luke 24:44 (New International Version)

 ⁴⁴He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
The light of the world reflected and fulfilled those things that were like shadows cast by the rising sun.  

Tongues

Spirit speaks in tongues

Man’s spirit can understand

For he has a tongue

Sufficient

Hebrews 1:3 (New King James Version)

³ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
How many sacrifices are needed to get a person to heaven?  One.  The one and only sacrifice acceptable to God is the one He provided, His Son Jesus Christ.  This is the sufficient and the only answer to sin.  His grace is sufficient for us all.  For God so loved the world that whoever believes...
See John 3:16

Sacrifices Cease

Hebrews 9:23_28 NIV
²³It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. ²⁴For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. ²⁵Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. ²⁶Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, ²⁸so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Sacrifices cease
They are no longer needed
Jesus has done this

Sabbath

God’s rest has no walls

It is in heart and spirit

We dwell in Sabbath

But there is a door, a way...

Handmade

Psalm 119:73 (New International Version)

⁷³ Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.

So be different

For in fact you are made so

By the hand of God

Peace Be With You

John 20:19 (New International Version)

¹⁹On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Jesus came before them after rising from the tomb, breaking the bonds of death forevermore.  His words tell us what He has done and what He is doing.   He gives His peace, the peace that transcends the world.  He alone is able and is worthy of our praise.

"Peace be with you!"

Very Religious

Acts 17:22 (New International Version)

 ²²Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.
Paul observes that these people are very intent and busy in religious matters, but they do not know God.  

Large And Small

A heart not enlarged by the presence of God is often matched with a small mind.