A Tree

Psalms 1:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 Blessed is the man

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Revelation 22:1-2 (ESV Strong's)

1 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 2 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.

The blessed man is like the tree because he is part of the tree of life. He yields the fruit of the Spirit and prospers in the eternal life of Christ. 

The streams of water flow from the throne of God on earth, the living waters which water the Garden of Eden which is life in the presence of the Lord. 

He is planted there by believing in Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit who is the river of life. 

The Choice

Man is the only creature in all of creation who can receive and be with God in relationship. Only man is given the choice to do so. 

He Wrote

Exodus 34:27-28 (ESV Strong's)

27 And the Lord said to Moses, “Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

The finger of God would first write the Ten Commandments of the covenant on tablets of stone. Moses would throw these down on the ground and break them after finding the Israelites in rebellion. 

Moses would be the hand of the Lord to rewrite the Ten Commandments Of covenant on tablets of stone. 

This might be a foreshadowing of the first and second covenants which find fulfillment in Christ. He is the finger of God manifested as the Son of Man to write the words of God in our hearts. 

For A Little While

Hebrews 2:6-7 (ESV Strong's)

6 It has been testified somewhere,

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,

or the son of man, that you care for him?

7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

you have crowned him with glory and honor,

This passage opens our understanding of how God sees us creation. He created us to be with Him in body and spirit. When we do this, we will achieve the full intention of God from the beginning. 

It is only for a little while that we are lower than angels if we respond and rise to His invitation. We will sit with Him on His throne 

(Revelation 3:21 (ESV Strong's)

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.) 

and judge the angels 

(1 Corinthians 6:3 (ESV Strong's) Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!).

Though the days can seem long and some things take forever, we will see that it is only a very short little as we enter the eternal life of God. 

The light of our future is so bright sunglasses will be of no help.  😎

Present Your Bodies

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV Strong's)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In the Old Covenant, a sacrifice of worship involved the death of a creature in place of the worshiper. 

In the New Covenant, the death of Christ allows us to worship by offering ourselves as a living sacrifice. We are enabled by the Holy Spirit for the spiritual worship sought by the Lord. 

Jesus presented His body as a living sacrifice for us. We are to do likewise. This is loving God with all of our strength of mind, body, and soul. 

Endures Forever

1 Peter 1:23-25 (NIV)

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

We have been born again into the life of Christ. We who are in Christ have received the Holy Spirit which is Christ. Jesus abides in us through His Holy Spirit. When Jesus abides in us, we have the Father because they are one. 

We have the word and the word of the Lord endures forever. He is the word of God. He is the power of God that brings salvation to mankind. The Spirit of truth will lead us into everlasting life with God, if we but follow. 

He Has Done It

Psalms 22:29-31 (ESV Strong's)

29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

even the one who could not keep himself alive.

30 Posterity shall serve him;

it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;

31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,

that he has done it.

The prosperous of the earth are those who have gained the riches of heaven. They have found the life of Christ which is not bound by the dust of the earth and shall eat from His table at the wedding feast of the Bride of Christ. 

On the cross Jesus provided the way to salvation. Hanging from that rough wood, He said, “It is finished”. We only have to go that way to find it. 

John 19:30 (ESV Strong's)

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

The Tabernacle Of The Testimony

Exodus 38:21-23 (ESV Strong's)

21 These are the records of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were recorded at the commandment of Moses, the responsibility of the Levites under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 22 Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the Lord commanded Moses; 23 and with him was Oholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and designer and embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.

The tabernacle of the testimony in the Old Testament is a tent made by the hands of man at the direction of God. It is a forerunner and foreshadowing that prepares the way of the Lord and the light of the creation. 

The tabernacle of the testimony of God in the New Testament is Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world. He is the way of our reaching and entering the light of God. 

To Inherit Salvation

Hebrews 1:13-14 (ESV Strong's)

13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

One of the chief differences between mankind and angels is in the matter of salvation. Man begins life in darkness and weakness. The grace of Christ allows us to reach out and take His hand and lead us to the salvation of God. 

An angel already enjoys the light and presence of God. We have to get there from here and we must walk a long way, but He will take us there. 

To Be Pure

Job 15:14-16 (ESV Strong's)

14 What is man, that he can be pure?

Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

15 Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones,

and the heavens are not pure in his sight;

16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt,

a man who drinks injustice like water!

The holy ones in “heaven are not pure in His sight;”. Imperfection is an element of both heaven and earth. Over-comers of the world serve as an example to the spiritual powers in heaven. We arise in darkness of our world to our reward of the light of a morning star. 

Whose Heart Moved

Exodus 35:29 (ESV Strong's)

All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.

Those whose heart was moved and were willing brought what was needed to build the tabernacle as the Lord commanded. 

Today, the people of the body of Christ are doing something similar. Those who heart has moved them and who are willing to come to the Lord of their own free will give their lives to become the living temple of the Lord. This is the temple Jesus raised in three days and will stand forever. 

If We Don’t, We Won’t

Matthew 6:33 (ESV Strong's)

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV Strong's)

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

If we seek, we will find. 

If we ask, we will receive. 

If we don’t, we won’t. 

Our Heart’s Desire

Psalms 21:2-6 (ESV Strong's)

2 You have given him his heart's desire

and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3 For you meet him with rich blessings;

you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him,

length of days forever and ever.

5 His glory is great through your salvation;

splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

6 For you make him most blessed forever;

you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

One of our biggest challenges of life is understanding the heart that beats within us, of who we are and what do we want. It is a mystery of life. We have a spirit like no other creature on the earth, one which is capable of communion with God. 

We can live the life of man and miss this. We can fall short of our life’s unique potential with God if we don’t look too far beyond ourselves. The Lord says if we seek, we shall find. We will need His light to find our way to our heart’s desire, which is the light of His presence. 

A Little Lower

Psalms 8:5-8 (ESV Strong's)

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

7 all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

8 the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

“A little lower than heavenly beings” can refer to man who is made from the dust of the earth and whose spirit is encased in a body of flesh. The heavens span overhead. These jars of clay will become the earth of a new creation in which heaven and earth are joined together. This is the crowning glory of creation before the Lord is finished. 

Morning Stars

Job 38:4-7 (ESV Strong's)

4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding.

5 Who determined its measurements—surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

6 On what were its bases sunk,

or who laid its cornerstone,

7 when the morning stars sang together

and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Revelation 2:28-29 (ESV Strong's)

And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

In Job we see the morning stars equated with the sons of God. In Revelation Jesus confirms our reward as sons and daughters of God. We will be part of His light. 

My Face

Exodus 33:18-23 (ESV Strong's)

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 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. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 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. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.

Romans 6:5-8

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.

1 John 3:2 (ESV Strong's)

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Genesis 3:22 (ESV Strong's)

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

To see God face to face, we must become like Him. To be like Him we must be united with Him in His death and resurrection., and thus made in His image. We then can eat from the tree of life and live forever in the presence of the Lord. 

The Wind Blows

Genesis 8:1 (ESV Strong's)

But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

Genesis 1:9-10 (ESV Strong's)

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

The earth of mankind is covered by the darkness of the sea of the world. The Holy Spirit who, hovered over the waters of creation, caused the waters to subside and the dry land appeared. From the dust of the earth man would be created. Man would rise from the depths of the deep to step into the light of God. 

And it was good. 

Revealing Himself

God was at the helm of Noah’s ark until it came to rest on a mountaintop. He guided the basket that carried Moses to pharaoh’s daughter and then led him on to the promised land. It was through the Holy Spirit that Jesus came into the world. It is the Holy Spirit who will guide the body of Christ to rest on the mountain of God. 

God gave Noah instructions on how to build the ark. He gave Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle. Through Jesus, He gives us the instructions on how to be made in the image of Christ. 

God has been revealing Himself since His light entered our darkness at the beginning of creation. In the end, His light will reveal the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. 

Enoch Walked

Genesis 5:24 (ESV Strong's)

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

It might be good now and then to pause and reflect on our walk with God. Are we keeping up with Him?

You can get there from here if you are lead by the Spirit. In this way we can leave the earth and walk in the kingdom of heaven. 

Will Receive Power

Acts 1:6-8 (ESV Strong's)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The kingdom of heaven began when the Holy Spirit was given to man. It would seem the kingdom of Israel is right around the corner. 

A Mark On Cain

Genesis 4:14-15 (ESV Strong's)

14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.

I can’t help but wonder if this is the mark of the end-time beast who will oppose God. Everyone on earth will marvel at the beast and say, “Who can oppose him?”

The Generations

Genesis 5:1-2 (ESV Strong's)

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.

The same Hebrew word is translated “Adam” and “man”. Man is in the image of God because He took our image for Himself. 

He made us male and female so we we be fruitful and multiply. This can lead us to be one with God, just as a man and woman can be one. When we do this, we realize the full blessing of God, on earth and in heaven. 

The generations before us are the descendants of Adam who eventually produce Jesus, who is the exact image of God because He is the Son of God. 

By being born in our image, He makes it possible for us to be reborn in His. 

They Shall Know

Exodus 29:44-46 (ESV Strong's)

44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

Just as the priests were consecrated in Exodus, we are cleaned and consecrated by the blood of Jesus to become the tent of meeting and alter here on earth until we are raised as the stones of the heavenly temple of God. We will serve as a royal priesthood and offer our lives to the Lord as a living prayer on the altar of our lives. He will dwell among us, even in us and will be our Lord and God. We shall know Him even as we are known. 

That Surpasses Knowledge

Ephesians 3:14-19 (ESV Strong's)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

The knowledge of man will disappear in relevance as we come to know God. Love is our invitation and inheritance in Him. We shall know and be known by our love, a love He shares with us. 

When He Comes

John 16:7-11 (ESV Strong's)

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

John 4:37 (ESV Strong's)

For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’

Jesus sows the word and the Spirit brings us into all truth. The Father enters the world through the Son and Spirit. We enter the Father through the Son and the Spirit. We become one. 

The Lamp

Psalms 119:105 (ESV Strong's)

Nun Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Taking something literally does not always result in its literal meaning. An excellent example of this are the parables used by Jesus. He used earthly terms to speak of heavenly things. The light of the Holy Spirit brings us to the truth of the word. 

The Pattern

Exodus 25:8-9 (NIV)

8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

Jesus showed us the true pattern for the sanctuary of God and dwells among us. He is the pattern for our lives. We have become the tabernacle of God. 

A Talent Of Pure Gold

Exodus 25:34-40 (ESV Strong's)

34 And on the lampstand itself there shall be four cups made like almond blossoms, with their calyxes and flowers, 35 and a calyx of one piece with it under each pair of the six branches going out from the lampstand. 36 Their calyxes and their branches shall be of one piece with it, the whole of it a single piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it. And the lamps shall be set up so as to give light on the space in front of it. 38 Its tongs and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made, with all these utensils, out of a talent of pure gold. 40 And see that you make them after the pattern for them, which is being shown you on the mountain.

Matthew 25:14-15 (ESV Strong's)

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

The talent of pure gold for the lampstand in the tabernacle corresponds with the talents given to the servants in Matthew. We have received the light of the Lord. When He returns He will look for what we have done with that light according to our ability. He will reward us accordingly. The one who has will be given more.