The Cup

Mark 14:22-25 (ESV Strong's)

22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus shares with us in the fruit of the new covenant when we drink from the cup of communion. The kingdom of God is on earth in the body of Christ. This is our first cup of the wedding feast to come in which the bride of Christ will receive the full inheritance that is ours as His children. 

He is with us in the communion of the new covenant in the kingdom in our hearts.

The last supper before the cross has become the feast of never ending life in Christ. His body has become ours and we bear the fruit of His Holy Spirit.  

To Inherit

1 Corinthians 15:50 (ESV Strong's)

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The life of a creature on earth is in the blood. The life of those who will inherit the kingdom of God is in the Spirit. Blood is perishable, while the Spirit is imperishable. 

We trade one life for the other. The perishable and imperishable are housed in these bodies of flesh until the world of the flesh is overcome and we partake in the light of the morning star. It is a process of transformation that happens over time.  Jesus waits for us there. 

Flesh And Blood

1 Corinthians 15:50 (ESV Strong's)

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

The life of a creature on earth is in the blood. The life of those who will inherit the kingdom of God is in the Spirit. Blood is perishable, while the Spirit is imperishable. 

Blind From Birth

John 9:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

We are all born blind to the light of God when we enter the world. It is in the darkness of the earth that we can fully behold the light of heaven. It is here that we can know God in a unique and intimate way. If we had been born in the light, we would not understand its blessings. One who is forgiven much can love much. It is love that God seeks from us who join Him in the bride of Christ. Deep calls to deep and love seeks love. He calls our name. 

The Earth He Has Given

Psalms 115:16 (ESV Strong's)

The heavens are the Lord's heavens,

but the earth he has given to the children of man.

The light of heaven has shown in the earth of man. Christ has taken the dust of the earth back into heaven when He ascended back to His Father. We will return with Him bringing heaven down to join with the earth of our resurrection. 

He will ever be with us on His throne in Jerusalem. 

Out Of The Darkness

2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV Strong's)

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 beginning of the the creation of man in the image of God starts when the word of God calls for His light to enter the darkness of man. 

The word is spoken and comes into the world in the face of Jesus. Those who receive the light will see Him face to face. 

Transformed Into The Image

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (ESV Strong's)

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

If the Spirit of the Lord is within us, we behold the glory of the Lord. Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being 

 transformed into the image of God, from one glory to another. 

We are created in the image of God because He took our image as the flesh of the man Jesus. 

We are transformed into His image as a son of God when we receive the Spirit, who is Christ. 

It is a glorious thing. 

Two Witnesses

Deuteronomy 19:15 (ESV Strong's)

“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

God created the heavens and earth. He created light and darkness. He created man who could choose between the two: between God and man. This is our beginning and end, who is Christ. He is our judge and life. 

Heaven and earth shall give witness to the lives of all mankind. There is one that accuses and one who saves. It is up to us to choose between life and death. 

A New World

Changing the world begins with you. A new creation begins with Jesus. 

According To Its Seed

Focus on being, and doing will take care of itself. A tree will bear its fruit according to its seed. 

Being Real

Seeing one another with our eyes can be distracting in the experience and of knowing each other. Who and what we are is way more than the way we look and the things we have or not. We are an amalgamation of mind, body, and spirit. To draw close to another, we must see them in this context. 

Our life is the expression of all three. We know God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are made in His image. When we love Him with all our mind, body, and spirit, we love completely with our life. This is how we can be real with each other and the Lord. 

By Faith

Hebrews 11:3 (ESV Strong's)

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

The faith of one man believes that God created the heavens and earth. The faith of another says there is no God and there was no creation. It just is. 

The first one believes in the Great I AM. 

The second one says, “it is what it is.”

Where we place our faith determines our life. 

A Treasured Relationship

Deuteronomy 14:2 (ESV Strong's)

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Israel was chosen out of all the peoples of the earth to be His treasured possession. 

The body of Christ is born from above from every people on earth to be made in His image and become sons of God. God chooses us when we choose Him, not for a possession, but for a person to person relationship. 

His Dwelling

Deuteronomy 12:4-5 (NIV)

4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. 5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;

Jesus created a new temple at His resurrection. This temple would truly be a house of prayer because true worship is done in Spirit. The house of the Lord is in the hearts of man and there is where He has placed His name. 

The Chosen Place

Deuteronomy 12:4-5 (NIV)

4 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way. 5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go;

Jesus created a new temple at His resurrection. This temple would truly be a house of prayer because true worship is done in Spirit. The house of the Lord is in the hearts of man and there is where He has placed His name. 

Hold Firmly

1 Corinthians 15:1-2 (NIV)

1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

To receive the Lord and take His name allows us to rise from the dead and stand with the living. It takes effort to remain standing. We must hold firmly to the word, to the one in whom we have believed. 

It does no good to take His name in vain. In Revelation, the church at Ephesus is told to repent, for they have forsaken the love they had at first. God is love. 

Our freedom in Christ is a double edged sword, for it can cut both ways. We can come and go in His house while we wander in the wilderness. Revelation tells that the one who overcomes the world will never leave His temple. That is because he who overcomes is part of the temple. Wherever the Lord dwells in creation is the temple made by the Lord. This is man made in His image who breathes with the life of Christ. 

 

Tongues

1 Corinthians 14:18-19 (ESV Strong's)

18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

To prophesy is to speak Spirit words in a tongue that is understood by those within hearing. This is the the language of Jesus as He spoke the word of God to worship the Jews. 

This allows the full worship of God with mind, body, and spirit. The fruit of the Spirit can be received and shared, and the body of Christ can be strengthened, encouraged, and find comfort. This is the language of love.