Put In All

Luke 21:1-4 (NASB)

The Widow’s Gift

1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. 2 And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. 3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; 4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.”

This account may allude to how we offer or give of ourselves to the Lord. It may be true that we receive from the Lord as much as we give of ourselves to Him. To be all in is to overcome the world. 

Building Upon It

1 Corinthians 3:10 (ESV)

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.

Jesus has given us the foundation for a new life in Him. We build upon it according to what we do, whether good or bad. The Lord works with us, but nothing happens without us. (Phil 2:12)

The Spirit Searches Everything

1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (ESV)

9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

The Spirit of God crosses the great expanse between heaven and earth, even from the depths of God to the depths of man. As we commune spirit to Spirit, we begin to learn and know the nature and heart of God. This spiritual union will allow the most intimate of relationships. 

Finite man will never be able to grasp our infinite Creator, but our journey will end with our resurrection to be like Him. 

The Law Of Liberty

Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)

Life in the Spirit

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

The law of the Spirit in Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death. Both laws require obedience, but we can only obey one. The law of the Spirit entails mercy, repentance, forgiveness, and following Jesus by the leading of His Holy Spirit. This is the law of liberty and life. 

Anointed

1 John 2:20 (ESV)

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

We have received anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said He would not leave us alone and He would always be with us. We are made holy by His presence in us. The union of flesh and Spirit brings us to the intimate knowledge made possible by a one on one relationship. Let us open up to Him with abandon. 

A Great Light

Acts 22:6 (ESV)

“As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.

We are all on our way somewhere and can end up anywhere when it’s over, unless we encounter His light. It can open our eyes to where and who we are. It is then we can choose between light and darkness. We can remain where we are or walk with Him, ever being led by His light in the kingdom of heaven. We all begin life as a creature of the earth. We can choose to accept the more abundant life of God which He offers to everyone. 

He becomes our destination as we are being made in His image. He is the great light, even the light of the world. 

Breaking Of Bread

Acts 2:42-43 (ESV)

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

The apostolic gospel and teaching serves as the bread of heaven for the believers in Christ then and now. There is one gospel even as there is one way to follow Jesus into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is the bread of heaven. The breaking of that bread is obedience to His word and walking with Him. 

We serve an awesome God and He is with us. 

Perfecting That Image

The ultimate and final work of creation is the Lord taking our image for His own and perfecting that image into the image of God.  

The purpose and will of God in and for creation can be understood by its existence and His presence in it. 

Revelation 1:3 (ESV)

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

To hear the word is more than hearing the word spoken. When the word is received below the surface, reaching and taking root in one hearts and minds, it is truly heard. Obedience is a matter of the will. 

Our Inheritance

Israel is the nation of earth dwellers that God chose for Himself. Their inheritance is the promised land, a geographical location on the planet earth. The throne of the kingdom of God on earth will be in Jerusalem. Israel will serve Him as they minister to nations. 

The least in the kingdom of heaven is above the greatest prophet of Israel. These are the ones who heard His call and answered, choosing God as the Lord of their life. He is our inheritance. The throne of God in the kingdom of heaven is in the heart of the believer. For now, our kingdom life is lived spirit to Spirit. Our resurrection will allow us to fully enter His abundant life with mind, body, and soul as predestined by God from the beginning. It is His will and purpose that we join in His life forever. 

The Breaking Of Bread

Acts 2:42-43 (ESV)

The Fellowship of the Believers

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

We follow in obedience to His word and in the breaking of His bread in our life. We have the awe and wonder of experiencing the fullness of His life. It is the good news for every soul. 

To Carry

Luke 23:26 (ESV)

And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.

If we are united Him in His death, then we carry our own cross behind Him in His glorious presence of our shared resurrected life. We die at the feet of the Lord, even as He died in and on behalf of our our flesh before the feet of God the Father who outside of creation. 

His is found with ours and( ours with His. Our cross become one as unite before the throne of our Father and on the throne of the Son vand they take their place on the throne of David which is found in the city of the New Jerusalem. 

To Save The Lost

Luke 19:9-10 (ESV)

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus came to save the chosen people first and then the world. They would reject Him and the first would become last and the last would become first. 

Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham, the people of God. They had lost their way in following the way of God. Jesus touched the mind and heart of Zacchaeus, bringing His healing touch of salvation. That which was lost is found. 

Gentiles were never part of the chosen people and would never be lost in the same way as the nation of Israel. 

Like Angels

Luke 20:34-36 (NASB)

34 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 the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

When we are resurrected, we receive our inheritance in full as sons of God. We will be like angels in that we will not die nor be given in marriage. We are no longer as mortal man who are made male and female, but we have been transformed into His image which is one with Him. 

Just As It Was

Luke 17:26-27 (ESV)

26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:34 (ESV)

I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left.

Before the tribulation of the last days, those in Christ will be taken to be with Him. Just as Noah entered the ark he built in obedience to the Lord, we have entered the body of Chris in obedience to the Lord and will be removed from earth before that trial begins to enter the glory of our resurrection. 

“One will be taken and the other left.” This will depend on our relationship with Jesus, and solely will Him. The Bride of Christ will ascend into heaven and will descend from heaven with Him when His kingdom on the earth finally comes. 

But If Not

Luke 13:6-9 (ESV)

6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

When we receive Christ, we are planted in the garden of presence of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit should begin to appear on the branches of our tree. But if not…

To Cast Fire

Luke 12:49 (ESV)

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

The light of the world has come to bring His light into the world. Those who come into His light will be separated from the darkness. This will bring division among people and families according to those who receive His light and those who remain in the darkness of the world. This separation is foreshadowed in the creation account in Genesis. It is fulfilled as man is made into a new creation by the light of the Lord. 

Teach Me

Psalms 119:64 (ESV)

The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;

teach me your statutes!

The kingdom of heaven is full of the riches and blessings of heaven. Draw us to the revelation and comprehension of our inheritance. Teach us your ways 

How Much More?

Luke 11:10-13 (ESV)

10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Whoever believes and says yes to the Lord will be given the Holy Spirit. As sons of the Father, we are to seek Him even more in the intimacy of His inward dwelling. The doors of heaven are open to us to receive the gifts of the bread of heaven. We are to ask for our daily bread. We have not because we ask not. 

We have received His salvation for the asking. We will receive His gifts from heaven for the asking, for our seeking, and for knocking. Our sanctification and pursuit of the mind of Christ opens our hearts to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will lead us into all truth according to our requests. 

Prepare Your Way

Luke 7:27-28 (ESV)

27 This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John called out in the wilderness of the world because that was where the nation of Israel would be found. The  true wilderness is a heart apart from God. We can be lost wherever we are, and that is where we can be found. When His call is heard in the heart, we can answer from the heart.