A Long Way Off - Luke 15:20

Luke 15:20 ESV 

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 

The son got up and began moving toward home. The father had waited for the son to seek a change and return to the promise of his inheritance. The distance was far, but the father saw him and ran to where the son was. 

Our Father is the same. When we turn to Him, He meets us there. It may seem a long way off, but it only takes a step. 

It is when we come to our senses that we are able to come home. 

Declaring The End - Isaiah 46:9-11

Isaiah 46:9-11 ESV 

remember the former things of old;

for I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is none like me,

declaring the end from the beginning

and from ancient times things not yet done,

saying, My counsel shall stand,

and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

calling a bird of prey from the east,

the man of my counsel from a far country.

I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;

I have purposed, and I will do it.

In Genesis, God declared the end from the beginning. "Let there be light." In Revelation, the sun is no longer needed because the Father and Son are the light of the world. 

The light of the world has come and grows brighter with each soul that takes the flame of Holy Spirit. 

This is the spoken word of God and it will be fulfilled. 

Stubble Trouble - Malachi 4:1

Malachi 4:1 ESV 

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

The day of the Lord will come like a consuming fire and not a fire of illumination as was the burning bush. 

The word has gone out and the harvest draws near. There will be trouble for the stubble. Don't live in that bubble of ignorance. Put down roots deep in the word. 

Co-creators

God created everything by His word, including man. 

His children are not created, but reborn from man. 

It takes a word from us for this to take place. 

When we speak the word we become co-creators with God as we join together in a new creation of heaven and earth. The expanse between the waters disappears as the living water merges with the waters of the earth until the sea is no more.  

His word shall endure and so shall we if His word becomes ours. 

Christ In The Flesh

We don't obey the law to be saved, we obey the law because we are saved. 

We fulfill the law because we in the body of Christ. He gave the law to Moses and fulfilled the law in the man called Jesus. He is the first and last word of God. It is now written on our hearts by the presence of the Holy Spirit, which is Christ. Our bodies manifest Christ in the flesh. 

One day we will arise from this grave of mortal flesh and join Him in resurrected bodies like His. Until then, our spirits are joined with Him, never to part from the eternal life that is His. 

Fulfilled - Luke 4:21

Luke 4:21 ESV 

And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 22:37

For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”

Luke 24:44

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Galatians 5:14

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In one way the law did not go away. Jesus fulfilled the law. The law teaches the righteousness of God and our weakness in abiding by that law. Jesus showed us how to be the righteousness of God and the way to finally obey the requirements of God. That possibility is within the reach of every one. This is confirmed by the many who have done just that and by the witness of the Holy Spirit. 

The old law no longer applies to anyone who is in the body of Christ. They have fulfilled the law through Jesus. We are in the will and purpose of God for the glory of creation, for the glory God. 

There is one word from the word of God that lies at the end. It is the same word that was at the beginning. 

LOVE  

You Renew - Psalms 104:27-30

Psalms 104:27-30 ESV 

These all look to you,

to give them their food in due season.

When you give it to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

when you take away their breath, they die

and return to their dust.

When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,

and you renew the face of the ground.

Their sustenance comes in due season. Revelation at the right time and what is needed. This is our daily bread. Every good thing comes from the hand of our Father, like the gentle rain of manna from heaven. 

From dust we came and to dust we return. This is the arc of a natural man. When we receive His Spirit we become a new creature, the launching of an awakened being whose trajectory leaves the dust far behind and forever. 

The Spirit no longer hovers over the water, but has descended on our earth. We are separated from the sea humanity and have become part of the new earth.

His face shines on us. We become visible in His light. His light illuminates from the inside and we become stars that give light to the night, that burn without being consumed. 

So Turn - Ezekiel 18:21-24

Ezekiel 18:1-4 ESV

The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge’? As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.

Ezekiel 18:21-24

“But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? But when a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice and does the same abominations that the wicked person does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds that he has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the sin he has committed, for them he shall die.

Turn away from wickedness, and all sins are forgotten. 

Turn away from righteousness, and all righteous deeds are forgotten. 

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Heaven rejoices at the turning of the wicked, when a soul is found in the life of God. 

We will be found standing one way or the other. 

Ezekiel 18:32

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

The Inclination - Ecclesiastes 10:2

Ecclesiastes 10:2 ESV 

A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,

but a fool's heart to the left.

Be thoughtful of whether you lean to the left or right. It can say a lot about you. 

Best to lean on the everlasting arms. You won't be ashamed, or disappointed. 

On The Rock - Exodus 33:18-23

Exodus 33:18-23 ESV 

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

We will not see the Lord face to face until He comes for us, but there is a way to behold His glory in the meantime. 

Moses is told there a place beside the Lord which is the rock. This is  a reference to the coming work of Jesus Christ. He is the rock of our salvation and He has sat down beside the Father on His throne in heaven. If we are in the body of Christ, we are in the safety of that rock. We are protected by the hand of God and transferred into the kingdom of heaven. 

We have the privilege of seeing His back as we follow in His footsteps that lead to eternal life. 

Bridegroom Of Blood - Exodus 4:24-26

Exodus 4:24-26 ESV 

At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

Moses was a great man of God, but he appeared to share with us in the weakness of man. This account might serve to point to the need and coming of our Savior. 

Jesus may be thought of as a bridegroom of blood when he shed his own blood for us, the bride of Christ. We wash in his blood and our sin is removed. 

We take the foreskin of our hearts and lay it at the feet of Jesus.  The true circumcision of Christ lies in the heart of the believer. It is when we take the word to heart that the circumcision takes place. 

Under The Sun - Ecclesiastes 9:3

Ecclesiastes 9:3 ESV 

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

There is a good that is done under the SON, that the same event happens to all who believe. Their hearts are filled with the Spirit of the Lord and forever more they shall live. 

Flesh Of My Flesh - Genesis 2:23

Genesis 2:23 ESV 

Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

The account of Adam and Eve gives a preview of the purpose of God. God enters creation through man, as we enter the Godhead through Christ. Heaven and earth are joined. 

Luke 24:36-39

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

Jesus shows the disciples he is flesh and bone. 

When we enter the body of Christ, we are adding our flesh to his body. He shares the bone of his Spirit. A new man is born in this union. 

Jesus is the first new man. 

His bride is the church joined with his body. 

His blood has been spilled and we have been washed in it. Our life is no longer in the blood, but in Christ. We are no longer confined to the life in the blood, but have been freed for life in Christ. 

Begotten - Psalms 2:7

Psalms 2:7 ESV 

I will tell of the decree:

The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;

today I have begotten you.

Psalms 2:7 NIV

I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are my son;

today I have become your father.

You and I as believers have become children of God and He has become our Father. Jesus Christ taught us to pray addressing God as our Father in heaven. 

The Hebrew word for "begotten" in the ESV translation, "become" in the NIV, specifically means "to show lineage" according to Olivetree's Enhanced Strong's Definitions dictionary. 

This means we might all think of ourselves as begotten of God. We are born from Him through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit has overshadowed and entered our flesh and a son is born. 

There is no doubt about our lineage and no doubt of our future. 

Today is the day the Lord has made. Let us be glad and rejoice in it. 

Come Upon You - Matthew 12:28

Matthew 12:28 ESV 

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew. He talks about the kingdom, "has come upon you", using the same word in Luke describing the activity to Mary, the mother of Jesus. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you."

The kingdom of God has drawn near because the Holy Spirit and Jesus are present. When the Holy Spirit descends on a person, a child is born. A unique birth took place with Mary and the Spirit of God was born into our flesh. The Son of man. It opened the door for the union of Christ and the Church. 

A different but just as incredible birth takes place when the Spirit descends on each believer. The flesh of man is reborn into the Spirit of God. We walk through that open door into His presence. We are no longer only a son of man, but now walk as a child of God. 

The Mark - Revelation 14:9-12

Revelation 14:9-12 ESV 

And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

Islam is the mark of the beast. 

One Thing - Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:38-42 ESV 

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was pbout many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Mary was still before the Lord, listening to His teaching. Martha complains. Both were doing something for the Lord, but what does the Lord say?

"Mary has chosen the good portion."

Knowing the Lord involves being still before the Lord. Being still before the Lord is the purest form of prayer. Knowing is the "one thing " that is necessary. Be in the know. 

The Finger Of God - Luke 11:20

Luke 11:20 ESV 

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

God wrote the commandments on stone tablets for Moses using His finger. He would do it twice after Moses broke the tablets due to the rebellion of Israel. God writes the commandments again on stone, for their hearts were like stone. 

The finger of God takes the shape of a man and the word becomes flesh. This is the kingdom of God that comes among us and becomes our flesh with the word of God written on our hearts. 

We become the finger of God as we enter the body of Christ. 

Who Call - Romans 10:11-13

Romans 10:11-13 ESV

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

One must believe in the Lord to call on the name of the Lord for salvation. Belief is a function of the heart and it is the heart which is judged. Confessing the heart is the union between the heart and mind and living in a way that expresses that truth. 

Remember the one that shows up at the wedding feast having done much in His name, yet Christ says "I do not know you."

We must call out with our heart and mind, with our whole being for Jesus to make us whole. 

The only distinction of those who will be saved will be those who call on Him. Many will be called, but few will call back in answer. 

He Rebuked Peter - Mark 8:33

Mark 8:33 ESV 

But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Jesus turns His back to Peter, calling him Satan in front of the other disciples. This is a lesson for all of us. Putting our will before the will of God is the essence of rebellion and sin. This nature is our world to be conquered and is tightly wound in the flesh of these mortal bodies. It is with the help and power of Jesus we can prevail and become more than conquerors. 

We all have a little devil inside the earth of our bodies that calls to us, mouthing the words of Satan who strives to kill every soul. The things of man is the Satan within us all. 

We must be reborn to disentangle with the flesh of our fathers, trading our life for the Spirit life of our Heavenly Father. Only one born from above can rebuke Satan. Leave the clay of our earth behind. Turn away. If you have Jesus, you have the power. 

Will Do So Until - 2 Thessalonians 2:7

2 Thessalonians 2:7 ESV 

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.

It could be worse. That may be hard for some to believe, but there it is. 

Jesus came down from heaven and bound the hands of the strong man who some know as Satan. Jesus left bodily and returned as the Holy Spirit given to each believer, freeing each captive from the strong man of death to rise into the kingdom of heaven behind Jesus in His ascension. 

The light of the the world will remain in the world until the Bride of Christ is removed and called to be with Christ. This is referred to Scripture as the darkening of the sun and the moon no longer giving it's light. It is this darkness into which Satan is released for a little while. 

Woe to those who remain on earth during this time of wrath. 

Revelation 20:1-3

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

And Know - Psalms 46:10

Psalms 46:10 ESV 

“Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

The noise and upheaval of our world is the antithesis of knowing God. The voice of God does not lie in fierce winds or mighty earthquakes, but in a still, small voice within. It is not found in the raging sea, but in the still water along side the pasture of God. 

Though being still is hard to do in the currents and movement of the sea of humanity, it is in being still that we open the door of our lives to God and become able to witness His majesty and glory. Then we will know. 

First Fruits - 2 Thessalonians 2:13

2 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV 

But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

We are not the harvest of the earth, but the first fruits of the harvest to come. 

When Christ swings the sickle, the harvest will be a multitude without number. 

Revelation 14:14-16

Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Lay Down My Life - John 10:16-18

John 10:16-18 ESV 

And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Jesus laid down His life for us and lived again. He showed us the way to life. We must lay down our life for Him. We will then live again and forever with Him. 

He died for all, but we must give our life for one, and that being for Jesus Christ. Doing so, we will join Him in the resurrected life of a new creation. 

Purpose Of Election - Romans 9:10-13

Romans 9:10-13 ESV 

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

The word "hated" in this verse might be an unfortunate choice to translate the Greek word miseō. It can also mean less esteemed. Esau as the oldest would have received the blessing of Father, but the younger son received the blessing. This would foreshadow God's purpose of election which was planned from the beginning. It has nothing to do with the works of man, but the purpose of God. God calls that every man might answer and become beloved of God. 

The first Adam would lose his birthright as the first son of God and all the blessings would be given to the second Son of God, to Jesus Christ. We in turn have become His body on earth. 

This is what is meant by the saying the last shall be first and the first shall be last. 

We fulfill the plan of God as shown in the lives of Adam, Abel, Isaac, and Jacob. Israel was the first son, or people of God. We who follow Christ receive the blessings as the second son. The promises to Israel remain, but we are the children of promise. 

The Love - Romans 8:35

Romans 8:35 ESV 

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

We have the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God, and are one with that Spirit. This is the Spirit of life that has become part of the spirit of the reborn. That life is eternal. We may become separated from this mortal body, but never from the everlasting life of God. 

The love of Christ has seeped into the very marrow of our bones and we have become bone of His bones, as He became flesh of our flesh. What God has joined together no man may part. This He did in love. 

Glorified - Romans 8:28-30

Romans 8:28-30 ESV 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Who are the predestined? Those who love God. How were they predestined? He saw the end from the beginning. 

What did He see at the end? Many conformed to the image of His Son. We are not at the end, but we are now sons of God yet to be revealed. 

What will happen at the end? We will be glorified and it will be but the beginning. 

Intercedes - Romans 8:26-27

Romans 8:26-27 ESV 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Because we contain the Spirit of God in the weakness of these clay containers, we have the ability to commune with God in a way that transcends the boundary of our human limitations. We all speak in the Spirit tongue that communicates with our Father in a manner too deep for words. His Spirit gives witness to our spirit. This allows for peace beyond understanding and a confirmation of faith that is felt, not seen. 

Jesus makes this possible. He entered our humanity and paid the price for our sin. As the Holy Spirit, He enters our individual flesh and redeems it. The Spirit intercedes for us because the Son intercedes for us. This is according to the will of God the Father, who has interceded history on our behalf and for a new creation. 

The Redemption - Romans 8:22-23

Romans 8:22-23. ESV 

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

The pains of childbirth referenced here are those related to being reborn from above. The birth and passion of Jesus has opened the way at last to the call of divine destiny. We have entered the presence of God because He has entered us in the form of the Holy Spirit. Now we groan in anticipation for the consummation of the promise of God. 

With childbirth of spirit behind us, we now await for the redemption of our bodies to be reborn into immortal bodies to unite with our immortal souls. 

The promise has come and is to come. 

To Futility - Romans 8:20-21

Romans 8:20-21 ESV 

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The apex of creation is man in the exact image of God. Adam was chosen and created to be and implement this crowning achievement. He was not successful. 

His disobedience caused the curse of bondage and corruption, forcing his expulsion from the presence of God. At first glance it might seem that God's plan might have gone awry until one remembers that Jesus was anointed before the foundation of the world to sacrifice His life for us. 

The futility of creation will be overcome through the power of God and for His glory. We are participating in that glory as children of God as we rise from the futility of our earth into the kingdom of heaven.