Worthless And Close

Hebrews 6:4-8 NASB 

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.

This passage calls into question the belief that "once saved, always saved".  Jesus tells us that no one can be snatched from His hand, but here we get the sense someone could wander away on their own.  We could cause Him to spew us from His mouth.  

Falling away describes the receiving of salvation of God that bears no fruit. Though connected to the vine, fruit does not appear. There is no evidence of life taking root in that person. This life devolves into thistles and thorns, which will eventually be gathered and burned, like the worthless servant who buried his talent in the ground. If we see the light but keep it hidden in the miry clay of our lives, it will be taken from us. 

In Revelation we see warnings to several churches to repent and turn back to God.  He is merciful and slow to anger, but there is a growing season and a season for growth. He warns us to return to our first love or He will come and remove our light stand.

Don't bury it, let it shine. 

O God -Hebrews 1:8-9

Hebrews 1:8-9

But of the Son he says,

 “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,

the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.

 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Jesus is the Son of God. He is the word of God. He is God. 

We are His companions, brothers and sisters. We share and partake in His life. 

In that life we are healed and our joy is in Him. His joy is multiplied in our joy. 

We are companions in Spirit until heaven and earth unite. 

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control; against such things there is no law.

Isaiah 61:1

Exaltation of the Afflicted

 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

Because the Lord has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

Blinded

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ESV 

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus 'sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The veil is the work of darkness in the world. God would have all see the light of the gospel.

The light has shown on the darkness of our hearts, giving life and light to that which was formless and incomplete. He is making us in His image: beautiful, glorious, and holy.

"Let there be light!"  And it was so. 

Sold Under Sin

Romans 7:14-15 ESV 

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Who sells us to sin?  It is the old "us" that does this thing. We are of the flesh and were born that way. If we choose, we can die that way. Our flesh harbors the darkness of the world. The playground of darkness is in our flesh, this wonderful gift of life granted by our creator. 

God did not leave us in darkness, but gave the world His light. It shines on every man, though every man does not turn to that light. 

Our work as Christians is to stay turned to that light. It's not always easy. At times it wasn't for Paul and it is not for us. Our charge is to persevere as we bear the light of God within. Our flesh remains, though our spirit has been reborn. That is why we don't understand our actions and do things we would not choose. If we keep choosing Christ we can overcome the darkness and will be more than conquerors. Heaven and earth will unite and we become children of the light. 

To Receive

Luke 19:11-12 ESV
The Parable of the Ten Minas
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.

Jesus received the kingdom when He rose to His throne in heaven. He is receiving His kingdom as each believer awakens into the Spirit. It is this receiving that unites with His.

The Greek word translated as "country" implies a big space. It is big enough for us to be who and what we are.

He will then return to receive His throne on earth, and judge the living and dead.

But Rather Division - Luke 12:51-53

Luke 12:51-53 ESV 

Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother- in- law against her daughter- in- law and daughter- in- law against mother- in- law.”

Jesus tells us here that peace and unity will not be possible on earth with His first coming. The light that dawned on the world reveals the darkness. Light has no part with darkness. Just as light was separated from darkness in the beginning of creation, that division continues today as people are drawn to the light of God, or seek the darkness of the absence of that light. 

Efforts at world peace and unity will be temporary at best. The word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ will be increasingly rejected, as will those that hold to this truth. 

Peace of the Father and the Son will be present in His church, the body of Christ. Creation of a new earth has begun with new creatures reborn from above and sealed with His Spirit. We have embarked on a journey beyond the natural limitations of earth to the supernatural existence with God.  

False Teaching - 1 Timothy 1:3-7

1 Timothy 1:3-7 ESV 

Warning Against False Teachers

 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

So what is a false teacher?  It might be defined as someone who claims to speak for God, to explain what God is saying without the benefit of speaking to God or hearing Him. Vain imaginings or the will of self desire cannot replace the truth of God. The Holy Spirit speaks to the heart when one is engaged in the word. Feeding on this interaction while seeking and walking with Him will keep us on the narrow path to salvation. 

Specific works or actions do not bring us to God, but receiving the grace of God with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith does.  Talking about Scripture is not the same thing as reading it. Reading Scripture is not the same thing as understanding it. Understanding Scripture is not the same thing as living that belief.  

It is this word which saves or condemns. It is not about what we are saying, but what He is saying that counts. If we focus on Him we are more likely to to rightly discern His word and it be written on our hearts. 

The Branch - Isaiah 11:1-3

Isaiah 11:1-3 NASB 

Righteous Reign of the Branch

 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and strength,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

 And He will delight in the fear of the Lord,

And He will not judge by what His eyes see,

Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;

The Greek word translated here as shoot can also mean rod. We might be reminded that from this tender shoot will come a rod of iron to rule the nations. 

The word translated here as stem could have been translated as stump. We might be reminded when John the Baptist would later speak to Israel of the axe that had already been applied to the tree that would not bear fruit. 

Out of that stump would come a branch that would bear fruit. 

The Holy Spirit of The Lord will be given and remain on this man. The effect on the spirit of the man is profound. The Spirit is joined with the spirit of man. He will delight in this knowledge of The Lord which is part of knowing The Lord. The natural response is joy and praise.

He will not judge as a man but a man of God, the Son of Man. 

According To The Pattern - Exodus 25:37-40

Exodus 25:37-40 NIV 

“Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. Its wick trimmers and trays are to be of pure gold. A talent of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Seven lamps light the area before the throne of God in the tabernacle. This parallels John's vision of the throne room in Revelation.  Seven torches burn before the throne. The perfect light of God shines forth to give us light. This is the light spoken of when God said, "Let there be light"!

Pure gold is indicative of the purity of that light. It is that light that hovers over the waters as the Holy Spirit in the beginning and is made flesh in the man Jesus. 

God opens our eyes that we might see Him and join Him. 

On That Door - Isaiah 8:19-20

Isaiah 8:19-20 ESV 

And when they say to you, “Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter,” should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.

This translation uses the word "chirp" to describe words other than those coming from God. This could remind us of the birds of the air. Satan is the prince of the air. Inquiring of the dead brings one to the door of darkness.  Knocking on that door might cause it to open.  Death is always hungry and never filled. 

You Will Also Appear - Colossians 3:1-4

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV 

Put On the New Self

 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Hidden in Christ, who is our life, we will appear with Him when He appears.

Imagine a cloud of witnesses transfigured that meet Him in the air so bright it appears as lightening from one end of the sky to another.  As children of light we will fill the sky as bright as stars that can be seen by day. 

We have been raised with Him now, and will be revealed with Him when He returns. Descending with Him as the New Jerusalem, the morning star of a new creation.

Complete - Colossians 2:9-12

Colossians 2:9-12 NASB 

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

The Greek word for "dwells" is in the present active tense. He is in bodily form today, tomorrow, and forever. In this mystery, we have become the body of Christ. Paul tells us that in that body we are complete, having received and made part of the fullness of Diety.

Circumscision of the flesh begins in the heart, a spiritual awakening and will be complete when we leave this flesh behind to assume our immortal bodies. 

Who Suffer - 1Peter 4:18-19

1 Peter 4:18-19 ESV 

And

 “If the righteous is scarcely saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

 Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

We are only saved due to the mercy and grace of God. It is not His will that we suffer as we may first read it, but that we are able to live and choose the Creator as Christ did. We face our own cross to die to self and live in God. 

He is faithful and His Spirit will lift us into life as He did the Son. This is the Spirit Jesus sends to all that believe. In that Spirit we are sealed and He will bring us into the house of God. 

Useless

James 1:21-27

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this:to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Voicing a belief is empty without living that belief. The way we live often speaks truer than our words. 

We are integrated beings. We reach our full potential when we are in agreement with ourselves and with God. Anything less is something less.  

All Three

Mind body and soul
It is with all three we live
Anything less fails

Creation

Creation is a process started by the word of God and will be fulfilled.

It is a noun and verb.
It is alive

Be Blessed - Revelation 22:10-21

IRevelation 22:10-21 NASB 

The Final Message

 And he *said to me, “ Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.”

 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

 “ I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book:if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

The word is spoken for all that would hear.  As we continue to study and meditate on Scripture, it continues to speak to us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The words are given life by the same Spirit that hovered over the waters and raised Jesus from the dead giving light to the world.  It is the life we share by the grace of God, for He has shared His life with us. 

He has placed choice before us two paths that can be taken: the holy and unholy. We are already on the unholy path, but we can leave that path and go another way that leads us to the light.  The holy path is a little narrower and less traveled, but leads to God and the everlasting love of the Father.

We emerged from the light of His word and enter into the light of His presence. 

We give witness that He is the beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega, the word of God. 

He calls to all but will abide with our decision to answer. 

The message He leaves is for the churches, the church which is the body of Christ.  They can make sense of the Word of God to some degree or another. They have received the gift of the Spirit to speak and/or hear the word.  What we do with it is up to us. Whatever you receive from The Lord, be it large or small, doesn't matter.  It is what you do with it that counts.  Don't bury your life in the ground, untouched and out of sight.  Our gift is unique, though it flows from one Spirit.  It is life.  If we receive it, we will find that life doubled as heaven and earth combine.  We will cast off mortality and put on immortality. We will be clothed anew, no longer naked, but clothed in the light of God. 

This is our blessing. The confirmation and assurance of God's promise and intent. His word is true and He is faithful.  He will do it. 

Be blessed. 

Ephesians 5:25-32

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason A man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.

Their Light - Revelation 22:1-5

Revelation 22:1-5 ESV
The River of Life
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The river of life has brought us to the city of God, and continues to water, overflowing from His throne imparting His life to all that dwell within its gates. Crystal refers to the purity and radiance that comes from The Lord and is shared by His people.

The tree of life is on either side of the river, perhaps reminding us of our place as the body of Christ. We are granted to eat from the tree of life. Fulfilling the role of Eve to the second Adam, we continue to be fruitful and multiply as we serve and tend to the earth. God's will for the world is accomplished.

The Garden of Eden foreshadowed the new creation in a similar fashion as the Tabernacle was a shadow of heavenly things. God is telling us what He is doing.

Just as there is no night, nothing that lived and thrived in the darkness of night remains. The light of The Lord fills everything.

With His light, we will reign with Him, for we are children of that light - Sons of God.

Psalms 36:7-9
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.

John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Isaiah 57:18-21
I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,
creating the fruit of the lips.
Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,
“and I will heal him.
But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

Daniel 7:18
But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever. ’

Matthew 25:34
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

2 Timothy 2:12-13
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

Isaiah 60:19
The sun shall be no more
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.

1 Peter 1:3-5
Born Again to a Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Temple - Revelation 21:22-27

Revelation 21:22-27 NASB
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

There is no need for a temple, for we are the temple of The Lord. We are the white building stones of the perfect dwelling place of God and inhabit a place that could only be hinted at by using the analogy of a mansion. This is the place Jesus was talking about when He said He would prepare a place for those who love Him. There is plenty of room and its splendor is beyond imagination.

The light and lamp of the city is God. Jesus is the light of the world and He is with us. There is no darkness present. It has been removed and no place remains for it. There is no need to lock the gates at night, for there is no night.

We see the nations remain, but do so in the proper posture of the knowledge of God. The earth at last becomes the Garden of the Living God.

John 2:18-22
So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty- six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Isaiah 24:23
Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for the Lord of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.

Isaiah 60:19-21
The sun shall be no more
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give you light;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
Your sun shall no more go down,
nor your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever,
the branch of my planting, the work of my hands,
that I might be glorified.

The Holy City Jerusalem - Revelation 21:9-21

Revelation 21:9-21 NASB
The New Jerusalem
Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
And the one who spoke with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls. The city lies foursquare, its length the same as its width. And he measured the city with his rod, 12,000 stadia. Its length and width and height are equal. He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement. The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

One of the seven angels then offers to take John to see the Bride. This might represent the sevenfold Spirit of God. John is then taken in the Spirit to see the New Jerusalem descending from heaven and from God. Since the city is from God, it portrays that inheritance that is the glory of God, with a radiance that is the perfect image of God. It is our inheritance.

The city is likened into a square, a cube in fact. The Holy of Holies in the temple was a cube. It was the dwelling place of God, as will the New Jerusalem.

This city represents those redeemed in Christ, a process over time that brought mankind into the presence of God. It includes Israel and the Apostles as chief actors in the unfolding of this passion of Christ which results in the salvation of man. We are told the foundation of the new city rests on the Apostles. Though they appeared after the twelve tribes of Israel were established, they are the bedrock of the church based on the Cornerstone that is Christ. The Jews are redeemed after the church is established. They act as the gateways to the city. It is through them we all enter.

We see the number 144 appear. The last time it seemed to refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. Again it appears to be associated with the twelve tribes. Like the twelve stones on the breast of the chief priest of Israel, the wall foundations are likewise adorned.

The gates of the city may speak of Israel's role in the administration of God's kingdom. The nations will come to Jerusalem to give glory to God. Like the parable of the pearl in which a man finds a wondrous pearl which is worth more than all he has, we are reminded of its great value.

It allows entrance to the kingdom of God. It is offered at no cost to us, yet purchased at a great price. God sees it as a good deal.

Ezra 9:9
For we are slaves; yet in our bondage our God has not forsaken us, but has extended lovingkindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us reviving to raise up the house of our God, to restore its ruins and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.

Isaiah 54:12-14
“Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones.
“ All your sons will be taught of the Lord;
And the well- being of your sons will be great.
“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you.

Ezekiel 48:30-35
The City Gates
“These are the exits of the city:on the north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be the gates of the city, named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north:the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. On the east side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates:the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. On the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be three gates:the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates:the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. The city shall be 18,000 cubits round about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘ The Lord is there. ’”

Sheet - Acts 11:5-10

Acts 11:5-10 NASB
“ I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me, and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four- footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat. ’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth. ’ But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘ What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy. ’ This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

"sheet" is how this Greek word is usually translated.
οθονη othone; of unc. or.; fine linen, hence a sheet or sail:--
sheet (2).

The word sheet does not convey some of the nuances of the Greek.

The sheet Peter saw in the vision might point toward the New Jerusalem to come. It was made of fine linen which could point to the righteousness off the saints. The Bride of Christ is said to be clothed in linen. New Jerusalem descends from heaven, but descends to stay. The sheet coming down three times may point to the resurrection. Not only is the number three a stamp of the divine, but it may point to the coming of Christ and His ascension to the throne.

The four corners might cause us to remember that the city will be as a square, just as the earth is often said to have four corners. Peter see creatures of the earth within this sheet. What was unclean is now clean. The salvation of God is for everyone.

If the usage of this Greek word for sail is considered, this might remind us of the Holy Spirit filling this sheet like a good wind filling the sail of a boat moving across the water.

There is often more being said than one might see with a casual reading.

Cast Your Bread - Ecclesiastes 11:1-4

Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 ESV
Cast Your Bread upon the Waters
Cast your bread upon the waters,
for you will find it after many days.
Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,
for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
If the clouds are full of rain,
they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
He who observes the wind will not sow,
and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

We are to live our lives with generosity, to ourselves and others. We do not know what the days will bring, but we do know what to bring into each day. If we seek God and His daily bread, our bread will be multiplied. All who eat the bread broken and shared with The Lord will be satisfied and there will be some left over.

Creation is the canvas in which we paint our lives. How we live within the frame of our circumstance will add color and substance just as a painter progresses with each stroke. Each decision adds color and form to that image.

Nothing is lost and each stroke follows the one before it. That is why that after many days you will find your bread. As the old saying goes, 'what goes around comes around'. If we dig a hole we are likely to fall in it. We will receive the mercy we give.

God waters the earth, but the timing and provision of the rain is not always predictable. Trust and faith mature and give bloom in this environment. A tree planted by a stream with roots into the water will prosper. Where a tree falls, it will lie. Where one makes a bed, there they will sleep.

Not being steadfast and resolved in a direction places one at the mercy of the blowing wind. Not knowing where there is water can lead to thirst.

The bread from heaven will feed us, and as we share that bread we will find it.

The Beginning And The End -Revelation 21:6-8

Revelation 21:6-8 NASB
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

God confirms that the Son is God. It is done just as God intended and spoke it. The mystery of how God could be three persons is just that: a mystery. Maybe it's because we are bound in time and dimensions that do not contain the fullness of God. We only know in part. This is not a cause for concern, or a reason to dismiss the idea of God. Rather it is a cause for celebration, for we serve a God that is bigger than our ideas.

In the beginning God...
In the end God...

Alpha and Omega

He has provided the living water from the fountain of life. To the one who overcomes, all things are given. He who has will be given more. The Son was given all and all was made for Him. We becomes sons and of the body of The Son. Unto us a Son is given. His Spirit becomes ours and we take our place with the God. It is the cool of the evening.


Revelation 16:17-18
The Seventh Bowl
The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

Isaiah 55:1
The Compassion of the Lord
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.

John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

Jeremiah 2:13
for my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

Revelation 2:25-29
Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ’

1 Peter 1:3-5
Born Again to a Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.