Life That Leads To Life

Thank you Lord for life that leads to life, from one glory to another. Thank you for inviting us to join you. 

Two Laws - Romans 8:1-2

Romans 8:1-2 ESV 

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

The law is shown here to be the way of life. There is a law of Spirit and a law of sin and death. This is the same choice that was before Adam. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

We stand in the Garden of decision if we have the freedom to choose. Jesus Christ has freed us so that we might follow His Spirit. If we enter the Spirit of life, we are free of condemnation. 

One law brings life. One law brings death. Only one law will apply to each of us. 

Becoming Flesh

If we are in Christ, we share in His righteousness. We participate in His body on earth. Our flesh becomes His until His flesh becomes ours. 

Walking In Between - Romans 8:3-4

Romans 8:3-4

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

We now walk in the in-between as we journey in the flesh, and yet follow after the Spirit. Like Adam, we are confronted with the ongoing choice between life and death. Like Jesus, we can persevere in our faith in Him. We have an advantage over Adam that ensures our victory. Jesus is with each of us. Let us walk and continue to walk with Him. He will bring us to life everlasting. 

From Time To Time

At our baptism with Him, we are moved from the time of man into the eternity of God. 

Something To Eat - Luke 8:52-55

Luke 8:52-55 ESV 

And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.

This passage serves to foreshadow the raising of the body of Christ. We will return with Him and be joined with our bodies which have been transformed into the life of our new spirits. 

How joyous it will be when we hear Christ say to us, "Child arise!"

When Jesus showed Himself to His disciples on the beach, He asked for something to eat to show them He was fully restored. When we share in the bread and wine of communion, we are showing we are restored in the body of Christ. 

A New Thing - Jeremiah 31:22

Jeremiah 31:22 ESV 

How long will you waver,

O faithless daughter?

For the Lord has created a new thing on the earth:

a woman encircles a man.”

The new thing is His coming as the Son of Man and the Bride of Christ joining Him to become one flesh. 

This is happening now. 

To Make

The dust and the divine mingle to make man into the image of God. 

Our Destination

God is our destination. 

Jesus is our image upon arrival. 

The Holy Spirit brings us from the earth into communion with the Trinity. 

Forever - Jeremiah 31:35-37

Jeremiah 31:35-37 ESV 

Thus says the Lord,

who gives the sun for light by day

and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,

who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—

the Lord of hosts is his name:

“If this fixed order departs

from before me, declares the Lord,

then shall the offspring of Israel cease

from being a nation before me forever.”

Thus says the Lord:

“If the heavens above can be measured,

and the foundations of the earth below can be explored,

then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel

for all that they have done,

declares the Lord.”

The sun, moon, and stars are still with us. The nation of Israel has returned to the promised land. They shall never cease as a nation. Without God, no one could have conceived of their return, of dry bones receiving the flesh and blood of life and walking again among mankind. 

The Lord says forever. God keeps His promises. A son was born to Abraham when there was no way. Israel was reborn as a nation when there was no way. Sons of God are born every day when there is no way for man to find his way to God. This is the Lord doing a new thing, and a thing only He can do. 

He has made a promise to us. God makes a way. Jesus is the way. He calls us to make our way along His way. That way is proven. 

Only One

Both Adam and Jesus came into the world without sin. Only one lived a sinless life. 

One brought sin into the world. One brings us out of the world of sin. 

The Mind - 1 Corinthians 2:16

1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV 

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

We have the mind of Christ, for He is with us. We have our own minds of which we are all too aware. We are to transform our minds through the renewing power that is contained in the word. In the presence of the Spirit, we are able to see the world in a new light and hear the whispering word within that is able to perform the mighty work of God in these frail vessels of earth. 

The letters of the word begin to appear in our hearts and take shape in our minds. 

The Spirit Remains

When we join with Jesus at baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on us and remains. We are then thrust into the wilderness and there face the temptations of the flesh with the presence of the Spirit. 

How Sweet It Is - John 19:28-30

John 19:28-30 ESV 

After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Jesus received the sour wine of our sin as He hung from the tree of the cross. The waters of mankind can now be made sweet. 

Just as Moses sweetened the water on the wilderness with a log thrown in the water, God throws the cross in our midst of our wilderness to change our bitter water to the living waters of life. 

Exodus 15:22-25

Bitter Water Made Sweet

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

One Flesh

Just as our flesh became His, so will His flesh will become ours. 

No Pleasure - Ezekiel 18:25-32

Ezekiel 18:25-32 ESV

“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?

“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”

The words spoken to Israel apply to us today. One can turn to and from righteousness and it is a door that remains open. 

The word has been given and we decide how we will be judged by what we do. It is God's will that everyone would live.

It comes down to our will. 

That He Might Have Mercy - Romans 11:32

Romans 11:32 ESV 

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

This is why the earth was dark and formless in the beginning, so that mercy could be given. It is out of darkness that light can be best understood. It is the disobedient that are able to comprehend mercy. It is the unloved who can best appreciate love. 

God is love, is light, and merciful. He is making us in His image. We of all creatures have been chosen for this honor and blessing. 

How great is the Lord!

He alone is worthy of our praise!

Wonders In The Heavens - Joel 2:28-32

Joel 2:28-32 ESV 

“And it shall come to pass afterward,

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your old men shall dream dreams,

and your young men shall see visions.

Even on the male and female servants

in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.

The Spirit has been poured out on all flesh. The word goes forth and blesses all those who hear. 

We've seen blood moons and eclipses in the sky. We see more clearly the darkness of man given over to the base desires of the human heart.

It is time to call on the name of the Lord. We don't know the hour, but His return should not take us by surprise for those who wait for Him. 

It's the time of the season. 

Transformation Of The Flesh

The word became flesh in Jesus. This continues as the Spirit enters the flesh of each believer. Our flesh becomes the body of Christ. 

The word abides in us and we begin a transformation process into the image of God. 

Each Of Us - Romans 14:11-12

Romans 14:11-12 ESV 

for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,

and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

One way to know the Lord is the way Jesus provides to all people. The other way is usually difficult and unpleasant. 

Either way every knee shall bow. 

A Royal Priesthood - 1 Peter 2:9-10

1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The body of Christ is a chosen race. The Greek word for race implies kinship. A people of the same sort, or kind. We are from every of people on earth, yet we are brothers and sisters in the unity of the Holy Spirit and have become God's people. 

We have become a holy priesthood to proclaim the excellencies of our merciful Father. We are the children of light and the Lord's possession. Jesus is the true high priest of our confession. We will share in His priesthood and His life. 

Israel will minister to the temple of the New Jerusalem and will serve for the healing of the nations of the earth. Their role as the living creatures that lift up the throne of God will be fulfilled. 

Our Flesh

Christ died to redeem our flesh which had died in sin. Through His resurrection, our bodies will one day take on the new flesh to match our spirits which have become alive to God. 

Just as our flesh became His, so will His flesh will become ours. 

When I Fulfill The Promise - Jeremiah 33:14-17

Jeremiah 33:14-17 ESV

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

“For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,

Who is the man of righteousness but Jesus? He is the Lord. The visions of the throne of God always had it resting on four living creatures. This signifies Israel and Judah as those creatures which support the throne of David upon which the Lord will sit to administer justice and righteousness in the land. 

They will never depart from the covenant land and the New Jerusalem, which is the Bride of Christ, will dwell securely in their midst and will share the throne with Jesus. 

Revelation 3:21

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.

David will never lack a man to sit on the throne because the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. 

Out Of The Heart - Mark 7:21

Mark 7:21 ESV 

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

Luke 6:45

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Evil arises from within a man. It is given freedom and abounds when man is given over to the desires of the flesh. This took place in the Garden and continues to take place today when we forgo the life of the Spirit. 

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is found in every man's heart. We can choose to plant the tree of life to take its place. That is the heart of the matter. 

Getting To Know Him

One way to know the Lord is the way Jesus provides to all people. The other way is usually difficult and unpleasant. 

Either way every knee shall bow. 

That They Might Live - 1 Peter 4:6

1 Peter 4:6 ESV 

For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

What happens to the souls who lived before the grace and truth of Jesus Christ appeared among us? This verse tells us that Jesus has delivered the good news to them as well. I have to think they would be more receptive to His message than He receives with those who walk on the earth. 

Four Disastrous Acts Of Judgement - Ezekiel 14:21

Ezekiel 14:21 ESV 

“For thus says the Lord God: How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast!

The four horsemen in Revelation depict the judgement of the Lord on Jerusalem from long ago. The images that follow are of the tribulation and final resolution of the wrath of God. 

The Journey

Love is not where we are headed, but what is taking us there. 

Of The Dead And Of The Living - Romans 14:9

Romans 14:9

For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

He came and entered the world of death, that is the flesh of man, to redeem that flesh from death to life. He has passed through the realm of death and has overcome its power and dominion over man. He had to take the form of man to enter into death, because death had enslaved mankind, and we were walking in the valley of the shadow of death. 

In doing so, He became the Lord of the dead and living. 

He left life to enter death and returned to life everlasting. He is bringing man out with Him. 

Swimming

Slavery to sin is like a toilet that has been flushed and the water begins its downward spiral and exit. 

Slavery to righteousness is like still waters fed by the living water from the spring of life. 

The good news is that we get to choose where we swim. 

Waging War - 2 Corinthians 10:3-4

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 ESV 

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We have joined with God in opposition to the rebellion which began in heaven. Satan is thrown out from heaven and seeks to become the God of this world, which has become his house of sin and death. He will not achieve what he seeks. 

God is using the knowledge of good and evil to winnow a people for His own. Those choosing God will enter the body of Christ and will join with Him as His Bride, bringing our flesh into union with His. This will happen as we return to earth as the New Jerusalem descending from heaven. 

The war is not over, but the victory has been won. 

A Living Sacrifice - Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 ESV 

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.

Worship is not confined to a particular hour of the week. Instead, it is a mode of life which is congruent with knowing the living God. We are to love Him with all we have and all we are. This includes our minds, hearts, bodies, and spirits. 

Presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is living a life that reflects the transformation that is ongoing on the inside. It is the sacrifice of the animal self for the life of God. 

Worship is an attitude and posture of being that corresponds to the present and everlasting God. 

Speaks Into

God spoke into creation.

And there was light. 

He speaks the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

And there is light. 

One day we will become the complete image of God. 

And there is light. 

Hearing - Romans 10:17

Romans 10:17 ESV 

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Faith comes from God through hearing the word of Christ. 

Hearing comes from listening to the word, which comes from being in the word, and through the word of Christ comes faith. 

In Christ, we are being built up in the faith and unity of the Spirit. Through our belief we are helped with our unbelief. This is a continual process which takes place throughout our wilderness journey. 

This is a gift of God. 

To Prepare A Place - John 14:2-3

John 14:2-3 ESV 

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? 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.

His Father's house is made up of the body of Christ. The place He prepares is the heart of the believer. We become the building stones of a new temple, with Jesus as the cornerstone. After Christ left, He came to us as the Holy Spirit Who guides and prepares us to be with Jesus. He did not leave us alone. 

There are many rooms because there are many in the body of Christ. We are works in progress and the results will be out of this world.  

Threw It In The Water - Exodus 15:22-25

Exodus 15:22-25 ESV 

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

After three days in the wilderness, the divine number and how many days Jesus was in the tomb, all they found to drink was bitter water. The Lord shows Moses a log, or tree, which he threw into the water and the water became sweet. 

The Lord would use another tree in the bitter waters of mankind that sweetened those waters into living water. 

Jesus drank gall, or bitter water, on the cross which represented the bitter water of our sin. He would change the waters of mankind from bitter to sweet. God threw the cross into our midst with His Son hung from its branches for this purpose. 

There is now water to drink in our wilderness journey and it is the living water from the throne of God. It is sweet indeed!

We Are All Equal

In the eyes of God, we are all equal. There is no one above us, except for a loving Christ. There is no one below us, except for Christ lifting us up. 

Never Be Moved - Psalms 93:1-2

Psalms 93:1-2 ESV 

The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;

you are from everlasting.

The Lord has wrapped Himself in the garment of creation. He has entered the flesh of man and has ascended to His throne in heaven. 

The living creatures of the earth support the throne of majesty where the Lord is seated. The world will never be moved, for the Lord is in it. 

What Was Lost

What was lost to mankind was so great that only God could bring it back. This He did. 

Not Like Other Men - Luke 18:11

Luke 18:11 ESV 

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

With whom do we compare ourselves? Jesus is the only measure of who we are. 

Jesus is the only one who is not like other men. 

Manifest In The Wilderness

The veil to the Holy of Holies was opened when Christ died. It is no longer confined to an inner sanctum of a temple made with hands, but resides in the heart of one who places faith in Jesus. That is where the glory of God is manifest in the wilderness of the world. The Body of Christ. 

Now the true worshippers of God do so in Spirit. 

But In These Last Days - Hebrews 1:1-3

Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The word was once spoken by the prophets of old. Then the word became flesh and lived among man. Now the word dwells in our flesh and speaks through us, the children of light. 

A Fully Realized Life

To experience the full realization of life, one must be made in the image of Christ. 

Those Who Receive - Romans 5:17

Romans 5:17 ESV 

For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Jesus has made grace and righteousness available for all people. It will be given to those who receive it. To those who seek the life of God to replace the life of men. 

It is accomplished by turning to Him and walking with Him. Without Him, we are walking in the dark. 

Bless The Lord - Psalms 103:1-5

Psalms 103:1-5 ESV 

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Bless the Lord who forgives and heals and redeems and crowns and satisfies me. He will restore me to life that will soar in the skies of the kingdom of heaven. 

He gives me every blessing of heaven so let me give of everything within me to Him. Let me match His gift matchless love. 

The Heart Of The Matter

The heart of man that crucified our Savior still beats within man today. The heart cannot change without Jesus. A heart that has accepted Jesus begins the transformation into a new creature. 

That is the heart of the matter. 

How Long? - Psalms 90:12-13

Psalms 90:12-13 ESV 

So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord! How long?

Have pity on your servants!

"How long" is a question repeatedly asked and ever in the minds of the scattered and persecuted Israel. It serves to identify those under the altar in Revelation, which is another clue, as the nation Israel that has incurred the wrath of God. They must wait a little while longer. 

Once the days of wrath are poured out, Israel will be restored and will never again be unfaithful to God. 

Revelation 6:9-10

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Our Own Doing

Temptations come, but the way we respond is our own doing. 

The New Covenant - Luke 22:20

Luke 22:20 ESV 

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

The manna from heaven and the blood of the sacrifices in the Old Testament prepare the way for the true bread from heaven and the final sacrifice with the blood of Christ. 

They culminate in the body of Christ which rises to life in the body of each believer. The prophecy is fulfilled as the water of the old covenant changes to the wine of the new covenant. 

Remember No More - Hebrews 10:15-17

Hebrews 10:15-17 ESV 

And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

“This is the covenant that I will make with them

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws on their hearts,

and write them on their minds,”

then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

He who created all things has said our sins are no more. Surely he who spoke all things into existence is able can speak them out of existence. This is what happens when God says he will remember our sins no more when we ask for forgiveness. Then it's like it never happened. 

Wonderfully Made - Psalms 139:14-16

Psalms 139:14-16 ESV 

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

This passage speaks of a child that was formed in his mother's womb and is born into the light of day. 

It speaks equally, if not more so, of a child of the earth who was not born spiritually and whose substance is yet unformed. The creation begins with our earth without form and empty. 

He brings His light into our darkness and begins to form us into the image of God. We become fearfully and wonderfully made. Our days were written when He spoke our creation into being, with Him choosing to take our image and with we choosing to take His image. 

The final pages of the book of life lie before us. A page turns with the fullness of time. 

And it is very good.