The Fountain Of Youth

There is a fountain of youth that is within reach of everyone. It is in the living waters of the word of God. The kingdom of heaven has drawn near for us to enter as children reborn of God who grow up in His image, but never grow old as do those who dwell on the earth. 

The Fig Tree

Luke 21:29-31 (ESV)

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Genesis 3:7 (ESV)

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to cover their nakedness. Israel is seen as a fig tree that did not bear the fruit of the Lord. They are the vine planted by the Lord to bear the fruit of His word, yet no fruit was found. Jesus would curse the fig tree and become the true vine, planting the seed of heaven in the soil of mankind. 

All the trees of the garden of the earth are being prepared for the coming of the Lord. The fruit of the kingdom of heaven is appearing as first fruits in the body of Christ and the bride of Christ is being fashioned. 

With Foreboding

Luke 21:25-26 (ESV)

The Coming of the Son of Man

25 “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Many in the world face the fear of the unknown and have a foreboding of things to come. The sea of man is troubled by the winds and storms of this world, and the resulting waves of confusion and unrest costir the waters of the deep. 

The “powers of the heavens” are likewise engulfed by the turmoil of rebellion. There is no resting place other than in the presence of the Lord. 

Because

Luke 20:34-36 (ESV)

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

The sons of God no longer marry because they have become one with God in the most intimate way. Jesus is the way. 

That Stone

Luke 20:18 (ESV)

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

When He returns, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. It is the stone of stumbling when one walks in the way of the world and will separate the wheat from the chaff. 

The Knowledge

The knowledge of good and evil is the foundation of being able to choose between them. God is looking for those who will choose Him and to join Him in His life. Obedience to His word is not a natural inclination of man. It’s a learned behavior of a disciple of Christ. It is faith in the Lord that enables us to be made in His image. 

First

Luke 9:60-62 (ESV)

60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Putting the Lord first will enable us to follow His lead to the kingdom of God. 

Preserving Life

Luke 17:33-37 (ESV)

33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.” 37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

Whoever loses his life will keep it. Sounds foolish doesn’t it? Scripture tells us that the gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing and the foolishness of the gospel is the wisdom of God. 

The word of God has been proven true by declaring the end from the beginning. Believing it with the faith of obedience is the mark of receiving His Holy Spirit. 

Becomes Another

A worm clings to a vine before becoming a butterfly. 

A man dwells on earth until entering the kingdom of heaven. 

One life becomes another. 

For Others

Luke 9:48 (ESV)

and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great.”

We do for Christ the things we do for others. 

We do to Christ the things we do to others. 

He does for us what we do for others.

The Clock

Jesus, the Jewish Messiah, was slain, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. Time stopped for the timetable of God and Israel to allow for the formation of His bride. When that is complete, His bride will be taken up to join Him as one. The clock will start again for God dealing with Israel and the world. 

We wait for the moment the number necessary is reached and the celebration banquet begins. 

Faith For Faith

Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Faith in the gospel and in Christ will bring us into a life of faith. Faith for faith. Faith in believing enables the faith of obedience to grow into the fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

Without the faith of obedience, we are a branch in the vine of life which bears no fruit. The fruit of the Spirit gives witness to His presence and work in our lives. 

Found Worthy

The word of life is worth dying for. Let me be found worthy. 

Finding Our Place

Seeing the light of God from the perspective of the darkness of the world of man is a unique gift and privilege given to no other creature. Angels were created in the light of heaven, but can choose the darkness of the earth as their home. Men were created in the darkness of the earth, but can choose the light of heaven as their home. 

The angels must fall from heaven to enter that darkness. Men must be raised from the earth to enter the light of heaven. In the end everyone will find their place in creation. 

My Salvation

Isaiah 12:2 (ESV)

“Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.”

Behold, God the Father is the Son and Savior of the world;

Manifest in the flesh so that I might enter His body;

There is no need for fear, for He is my strength and song of praise,

And He has delivered me into His life. 

My House

Luke 19:45-46 (ESV)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Jesus does the same thing in the new and living temple that is His body. He has gone into heaven to prepare a place. This is being done by His Holy Spirit in the temple of our hearts as we transform our minds and hearts into the image of Christ. 

We worship the Lord in Spirit in the body of Christ, a house of prayer. 

Recover Your Sight

Luke 18:42-43 (ESV)

42 And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

We cannot follow Jesus unless we can see Him. We cannot see Him until we behold His light. We cannot behold His light unless we are reborn. 

Faith opens our eyes that we might be made whole. 

The Meaning Of Life

To achieve the full measure of who we are and to share life with God is to comprehend the meaning of life. 

Overcoming

Overcoming the world in Revelation means the world of each person, the flesh which begins in the dust of the earth. We overcome the world by humbling ourselves before Christ in the same way He humbled Himself before us. 

He entered our flesh to so and we enter the body of Christ. He comes to us and we become one with Him. 

In The Midst Of You

Luke 17:20-21 (ESV)

20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

The kingdom of God begins within a man like a seed planted in the earth. It takes root and multiplies to fill the earth within and without. What the eyes cannot see, the heart can comprehend. 

Breathing Lessons

Everyone of us who are born and draws a breath are alive in the world. 

Everyone of us who are reborn and draws the breath of the Holy Spirit are alive to God. 

Where Are The Nine?

Luke 17:17-19 (ESV)

17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Ten were cleansed, but only one was saved and made whole. That is the meaning of the Greek word σώζω sōzō;, translated as “well” here..

Only one responded to God in faith. Asking for forgiveness and seeking the Lord are different things. Forgiveness without an ongoing faith in the Lord does little to prepare one for the kingdom of heaven in His image. 

It takes repentance to be forgiven. It takes faith to be well and whole. 

Call And Called

The grace of God calls out to all who would come. Those who come are the called because they answer the call and become one with the body of Christ. 

By Nature

Romans 2:13-14 (ESV)

13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.

People who have the nature and mind of Christ, those who are in Christ, do what the law requires because Jesus fulfilled the law. His righteousness has become ours. 

I Repent

Luke 17:3-4 (ESV)

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

To repent is to change one’s mind. To follow Jesus brings transformation into His nature. It is a work within that flows from a heart given to Him. 

The Walk

Repent, Rinse, Believe 

              Repeat 

If He Repents

Luke 17:3-4 (ESV)

3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

To repent is to change one’s mind. To follow Jesus brings transformation into His image. It is a work within that flows from a heart given to Him. 

Always More

The bread of life is a continuous feast. One is never too full in the fullness of God. There is always more.

Gospel Fulfillment Of The Law

Luke 16:16-17 (NASB)

16 “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.

The law will not fail because Jesus fulfilled the Law, which is the word of God. The Law is bad news in that it reveals the condition of man, thus condemning him from the life of God. 

The gospel is the good news in that it reveals the salvation of man, which is the word of God. Those who believe and receive the gospel of Christ are able to fulfill the Law because they are in Jesus. By this they are transferred into the kingdom of heaven, set free from the kingdom of the earth. 

One King

There are many who would be king. 

There is only one King who laid down His life for all. 

The Morning Star

Revelation 2:28 (NASB)

and I will give him the morning star.

The stars in the night sky are only visible in darkness. 

The morning star will be seen in the light of day. The New Jerusalem will never need the light of the sun because the light of the Lord will always be present. We will shine as a morning star in the light of His day. He is the morning star of the world. 

Rebuilding The Tower

One world government is the modern manifestation of the Tower of Babel. It is powered by the spirit of Satan who seeks to be God and exceed Him. 

He was thrown down from the light of heaven into the darkness of the earth, and here he rules the world in the pride and lust of his being. 

At the top of the tower will be the AntiChrist who will draw his strength and breath from the deceiver of the world who is the father of murder and death. 

They will continue to prosper until the return of Christ. 

He Foreknew

Romans 8:29-30 (ESV)

29 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. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

How does He foreknow those who are being conformed into His image? Those who have sought and accepted His Holy Spirit. Those who are led by His Spirit are justified and will be glorified as a brother of Christ. 

We know and are known by the presence of His Holy Spirit. 

Its Stump

Isaiah 6:13 (NASB)

“Yet there will be a tenth portion in it,

And it will again be subject to burning,

Like a terebinth or an oak

Whose stump remains when it is felled.

The holy seed is its stump.”

Israel is the stump from which comes the branch of the word which grows into the tree of life. 

The Train

Isaiah 6:1 (NASB)

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

Christ is lifted up to the highest point of all creation, having first going down into the darkness of man. Behind Him is a train of those who follow Him, clothed in His robe of righteousness. They are the new and living temple filled with His presence. 

Just Because

Love redeems the lost. 

Love transforms the unlovely into lovely.  

Love gives life where there is none. 

Love does as love is just because. 

In The Flesh

Jesus is God in the flesh. He was born from above. 

The Holy Spirit is God in our flesh. We are reborn from above. 

A River

Revelation 22:1-2 (NASB)

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

In the beginning, a river flowed from the throne of God in heaven(Eden) to the garden of Eden on earth. In the end, Eden will be on earth, for that is where His throne will be. 

The river will flow through the middle of Jerusalem. 

The One Who Conquers

Revelation 3:21 (ESV)

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.

Salvation is a gift. Overcoming the world is what you can do with that. 

The salvation of God brings you into heaven. Overcoming will take you all the way to sit on His throne. 

Partakers

2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The image of God that we seek is His divine nature. He has taken our image for His own. We are to take His nature for our own. This is the union of heaven and earth. 

My Purpose

Isaiah 46:10 (NASB)

10 Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;

Jesus is the word of God who declares He is the beginning and end. He is the new creation who is the purpose and pleasure of God. 

My Firstborn

Exodus 4:22 (NASB)

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

Israel was the firstborn of God. Israel had little regard for the birthright as His first son and did not receive the blessings that was his. 

Jesus would become the firstborn of  creation. He obeyed the word of God and was glorified by His Father.  He became the firstborn of the new creation. More are coming. 

God Took Him

Genesis 5:24 (NASB)

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

If you walk with God, be prepared to go where He leads. 

To Be Well Traveled

It is said to be well rounded one must be well traveled. It can change our perspective and understanding of the world around us. We can better appreciate the beauty, diversity, and wonder of life on earth. 

To be well traveled in the word of God is to be with Him. It can transform who we are and where we are in His creation by just being still and knowing Him. 

His light will reveal the true life of His kingdom within the heart and the meaning of creation. 

A Suitable Companion

All who believe in Jesus enter the body of Christ. God will fashion His bride from a small part of this body, just as Eve was fashioned from a rib from the body of Adam. 

She will be a suitable companion for the Lord, for we will be like Him. 

Judge Angels

1 Corinthians 6:3 (NASB)

Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

Which of the angels will join Christ on His throne? Not one. 

Who in the body of Christ will join Christ on His throne? Those who overcome. 

Heirs According To Promise

Galatians 3:27-29 (NASB)

27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

There is no new Israel in the body of Christ. There are no longer male and female in the body of Christ. There are only sons of God in Christ who are heirs according to His promise. 

The Ark

The ark of the old covenant preceded the people of God as they marched through the wilderness towards the promised land. 

The ark of the new covenant carries the people of God lifted above the waters of the world in and towards the kingdom of heaven. 

The Offspring Of David

Jeremiah 33:22 (ESV)

As the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

The offspring of David is Jesus who is the seed of the word which grows into the kingdom of heaven. It is the body of Christ, the flesh of man raised into the life of God. His word goes forth and will be fulfilled. 

Revelation 7:9-10

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Reality

The reality of man is the view of each person, the witness and comprehension of each person in creation. 

Reality is God. This can be experienced when one is reborn into His life and presence. 

Original Intent

What was the original intent of God?

Look at the end of Revelation. 

He inhabits the flesh of man freed from the death of sin and transformed into His image. Heaven and earth become one. 

He will establish His kingdom on earth, accompanied by the men and women who have followed Him to His throne in heaven and return with Him to His throne on earth. 

Zion will be His home forever. 

Learned Obedience

Hebrews 5:7-9 (ESV)

7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

Jesus became perfect through obedience as an example for us, and therefore the source of our eternal salvation. Likewise, we become perfect as we follow Him in obedience into eternal salvation. 

But Rather Division

Luke 12:49-51 (ESV)

49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! 50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

The Prince of Peace brings His light to the earth and in His light is a peace beyond understanding. The darkness cannot comprehend His light and therefore unable to experience His peace that comes through His mercy and grace. 

His light and our darkness have no part with each other. One who comes to the light walks in a different place, for He comes to separate the light from the darkness which allows a new creation of a son of God. 

This is the division He brings through the fire of His Holy Spirit.