The Children Share

Hebrews 2:14-16 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham.

He became like us that we might become like Him and it is there that creation mixes with the divine as the final act of creation. He is the beginning and the end. 

Strength To Strength

Psalms 84:5-7 (NASB Strong's)

5 How blessed is the man whose strength is in You,

In whose heart are the highways to Zion!

6 Passing through the valley of Baca they make it a spring;

The early rain also covers it with blessings.

7 They go from strength to strength,

Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

We go from strength to strength as we are being made in the image of God until we appear before His throne. It is in the heart that the wilderness journey takes place and the world is overcome. 

At My Right Hand

Hebrews 1:13 (NASB Strong's)

But to which of the angels has He ever said,

“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES

A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET”?

Those who overcome the world will sit with Jesus on His throne. 

Also Be Changed

Hebrews 1:10-12 (NASB Strong's)

10 And,

“YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH,

AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

11 THEY WILL PERISH, BUT YOU REMAIN;

AND THEY ALL WILL BECOME OLD LIKE A GARMENT,

12 AND LIKE A MANTLE YOU WILL ROLL THEM UP;

LIKE A GARMENT THEY WILL ALSO BE CHANGED.

BUT YOU ARE THE SAME,

AND YOUR YEARS WILL NOT COME TO AN END.”

In a moment, in the twinkling of the eye, we shall be changed. Mortality will put on immortality and our years will never end. 

Has Anointed You

Echoes of the Word 

Hebrews 1:9 (NASB Strong's)

“YOU HAVE LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS;

THEREFORE GOD, YOUR GOD, HAS ANOINTED YOU

WITH THE OIL OF GLADNESS ABOVE YOUR COMPANIONS.”

Those who come to the light have been anointed with the life of God and separated from the darkness of mankind. 

Our Father

Hebrews 1:5 (NASB Strong's)

For to which of the angels did He ever say,

“YOU ARE MY SON,

TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”?

And again,

“I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM

AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”?

We are reborn as sons and daughters of God and He has become our Father in heaven, hallowed be His name. Even the angels long to be a part of this. 

A More Excellent Name

Echoes Of The Word -

Hebrews 1:4 (NASB Strong's)

having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

This is the name Jesus gives to those who overcome the world. 

His Nature

Echoes Of The Word -

Hebrews 1:3 (NASB Strong's)

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

He is the light of God spoken into the darkness, bringing the abundance and riches of His life into the lives of man. He brings the nature of God into the natural, into His creation. This He offers to us and waits. 

Power Of The Holy Spirit

Echoes Of The Word -

The Son of God became the Son of Man through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The sons and daughters of men become sons of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Spirit of God hovers over the dark sea of man to bring light into the world and to lift man into the light of the kingdom of heaven. 

Death Is The Doorway

The cross of Jesus is the fork in the road for the life of mankind on earth. Death leaves two paths before us. The most traveled is the way back to the dust of the earth. The narrow way leads to life in the kingdom of heaven. 

Death is the doorway to life or destruction, to the beginning or the end. In the end the choice is up to you. 

My Commandments

John 14:21 (ESV Strong's)

Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

The commandments of the Lord reflect the mind and life of God. The one who keeps them is the one who is made in the image of God. 

The Cross

Matthew 27:38-40 (ESV Strong's)

38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

It is one thing to know what Jesus said and another thing to know what He meant. He is the cornerstone of the living temple which is the resurrected body of Christ. The way to God is going up from His cross and our cross, and the only way to save ourselves. 

Staying at the foot of the cross means we remain in the company of earth dwellers, continuing to walk in the dust of the earth. Taking our place on the cross of Christ will bring into the kingdom of heaven. 

We will all face the cross of death. For many it will mean coming down from the cross into the dust of the earth. For some it will mean leaving the dust behind. 

A Rich Man

Matthew 27:57-60 (ESV Strong's)

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 

Jesus takes our place in the tomb of eternal death. If we trust in Christ, we leave the grave for the life found in the cleft of the Rock of Ages. God has passed our way and has protected us until we see Him face to face. 

There is no one richer than the disciple who will inherit the riches of heaven. 

Prepare A Place

John 14:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Each believer who has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is being prepared by the leading of the Spirit to make us ready for the return of Christ for His bride. The kingdom of heaven is within us through His presence and will be revealed when the sons of God are perfected. Perfection is the place where He is and we will be like Him. 

All One

Galatians 3:28-29 (ESV Strong's)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Christ is the seed of Abraham and He is the one seed who is the seed of promise. He is the Son of Man and unlike any other son of mankind. The life of God fully dwells in the flesh of man. 

Those in Him have been changed into a son of God which elevates us into the life which supersedes the life and categories of ordinary mankind to be one in Christ Jesus. 

We are no longer this or that, but a child of God. 

In My Father’s Kingdom

Matthew 26:26-29 (ESV Strong's)

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

When Jesus came to the earth, the kingdom of heaven had drawn near. By giving His life and spilling His blood, He opened the door to the kingdom. When He resurrected from the dead, He walked through that doorway as the first fruits of the seed of the word of God. 

Many will follow Him by being reborn into the life of the Father’s kingdom. 

I Received Sight

John 9:8 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

Therefore the neighbors, and those who previously saw him as a beggar, were saying, “Is not this the one who used to sit and beg?”

John 9:11 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went away and washed, and I received sight.”

When Jesus spat on the clay and anointed the eyes of this blind beggar, it demonstrated the effect of the light of the world on mankind. From His mouth comes the living waters of His word that mixes with the clay of man to open our eyes to His light. Once we wash in the waters of repentance, we receive our sight in the land of the living. 

Even those who have not received the light can see the difference, which draws the curious learn what happened just as Moses was drawn by the light of the Lord burning in the wilderness. 

Believing Is Seeing

John 9:35-39 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

35 Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” 38 And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. 39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”

Once the man could see, Jesus revealed Himself. The natural response to the divine is worship. It is fruit of belief. 

The light of the world separates the light from the darkness. The light enables us to see. He is that light. It is in the light we are made in the image of Christ. 

Divine Manifest

Being born again allows us to grow into the image of God, into the full measure and maturity of Christ. The image of God is a body of flesh joined with the Spirit of God. This is the body of Christ, who is the divine manifest in the world of creation. 

Without this transformation, we remain a son of man. Transformed, we become sons of God. 

He has entered creation in the form of a man. We have entered kingdom of heaven in the form of man. The divine and the profane become one through the will of God. He thus wraps Himself in the cloak of His creation. 

God did not have a material body until the birth of Jesus. That flesh has grown into the body of Christ who is the light of the world. We have become one. 

The Same Breath

Ecclesiastes 3:19-21 (NASB Strong's)

19 For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same. As one dies so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath and there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity. 20 All go to the same place. All came from the dust and all return to the dust. 21 Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

The breath of life is the same for men and beasts. Both come from the dust of the earth. The full destiny of the life of man is realized by his ascent into heaven. The destiny of the life of a beast lies in the dust of the earth. 

Everyone who does not reach for the life above will share in the return to dust. 

An Abundance

Matthew 25:29 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

We have been given life that we might find the life of God. The abundance of that life is everlasting and is ours for the asking. If you have not, it is because you ask not. 

They Will See

Matthew 24:29-31 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

The Bride of Christ will not go through the tribulation and she will be gathered to Christ without warning. Christ will come as the bridegroom for His bride and take us to our new home before the tribulation begins. 

When He returns to earth for His second coming at the end of tribulation, all the tribes of the earth will be able to see Him. He will come as the King of Kings with power and great glory. 

Fruit Of Their Way

Proverbs 1:29-31 (ESV Strong's)

29 Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the LORD,

30 would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

The fruit that appears on the branches of the vine of life reflect a life fed by the life of Christ. It is a long, abundant, and satisfying life which has no end. 

There is much other fruit that may be temporarily satisfying, but in the end life will be short and subject to scarcity. 

Mightier Than

Psalms 93:3-4 (ESV Strong's)

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,

the floods have lifted up their voice;

the floods lift up their roaring.

4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

mightier than the waves of the sea,

the LORD on high is mighty!

The darkness of the deep rises against the truth of the light. The waves cannot rise high enough to drown out the voice of the Lord. His word will prevail. 

Be Satisfied

Isaiah 53:11 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))

As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities. 

When the anguish of our souls lead to repentance from our iniquities, our eyes will open and we shall see and be satisfied. By our knowledge of the righteousness one we will be justified before the Lord. 

He will bear us to the throne of God and lift our names as His brothers and sisters. We will partake in the life of His house as family members. 

He Will Carry Them

Isaiah 40:10-11 (ESV Strong's)

10 Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

Jesus is the strong arm of the Lord God and is the Good Shepherd for all who would follow. He will judge and rule the world upon His return. 

He carries us in His heart, even as He abides in the hearts of those who love and obey Him. There will be a time when He will gather up His Bride and bring us physically to where He is. 

The Door At The End

Isaiah 40:29 (ESV Strong's)

He gives power to the faint,

and to him who has no might he increases strength.

It is when we come to the end of ourselves that we can enter the life and strength of the Lord. 

Until

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

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Man is empty without the life of God and formless until made in the image of Christ. This is the way of every man and woman until they receive the light of the world. 

The new creation is a one on one process between an individual and Jesus Christ. It’s personal and intimate. This is the body of Christ until we receive our own. 

Your Word

Psalms 119:25 (ESV Strong's)

DALETH My soul clings to the dust;

give me life according to your word!

John 1:1 (ESV Strong's)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Called, Chosen, And Faithful

Revelation 17:14 (ESV Strong's)

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Many are called or invited to the wedding feast. 

Those who repent of their sins accept the invitation and are chosen to come. 

Those who are faithful are welcomed to the feast. It is faithfulness to the end that weaves and completes our wedding garments of righteousness. 

Matthew 22:11-14 (ESV Strong's)

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

From Any Tree

Genesis 2:15-17 (NASB Strong's)

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

The man was a creature of the earth who received the breath of God and was placed in the Garden of the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit who brings the living water into the Garden. The man was charged with working and keeping it with the breath of God. 

He was given everything except the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Everything was in place for the purpose of God, even the forbidden tree. Eventually the presence of the two trees will enable the creation of the Bride of Christ. 

The Garden had many trees other than the tree of life which seems to imply that there are many ways to live within the will of God without eating from the tree of life. 

This resonates with the idea that the Bride of Christ will be taken from a small part of the body of Christ and fashioned into a suitable companion for the Lord.