Two Folds

John 10:15-16 ESV 

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

There are two folds of sheep. The Church does not replace Israel as the sheep. In the Church there is neither Jew or Gentile, but the children of Abraham have an everlasting covenant with God. The children of Abraham and the body of Christ will both be found in the flock of the one shepherd. The twelve tribes of Israel will serve as the gates of the new Jerusalem, while the Bride of Christ will serve as the new temple of the living God. 

Our Last Breath

Luke 23:44-46 ESV 

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Through the crucified flesh of the body of Jesus, a New Covenant is made for mankind. In the Old Testament Covenant with Abraham, the light of God passes through the halves of animal carcasses to seal the covenant. God made a promise to Abraham for faith he placed in the Lord. 

In the New Covenant, the light of the world passes through the body of His Son. The light of the sun falters with the dimming of that great light. 

In anguish, Jesus calls out to His Father and commits His spirit into His keeping. This is the human spirit He received as a man. When He did this, He overcame the world. When we commit our lives to the Father, we overcome the world. 

When we commit our spirits to the Lord, He commits His Spirit to us. He has given His life to make this possible. We are baptized in the waters of the Holy Spirit as we break through the surface of the waters of mankind and into the living waters above. We follow Jesus across that great expanse that separates the waters below from the waters above. 

We breathe our last breath as a living creature on earth and begin to breathe with the Spirit of the Living God Almighty. We now walk in the kingdom of heaven. When we accept His covenant, we are sealed with His Spirit and breathe as one. 

The Tree Of Witness

The light of the world becomes visible in the darkness of night. 

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was necessary for our understanding of the tree of life. Without the knowledge of death, how could we begin to comprehend life?

Darkness serves as the witness for light. We are born in darkness without God so that we might come to Him of our own free will. No other creature has the privilege of that opportunity. 

A Work In Progress

We are sown as a living creature on the earth, in the image of man. 

We begin to take the image of God when enter the body of Christ. 

The process is finished when we receive a body like His. 

God is not through with His creation. 

He is not through with me. 

The First Place To Look

God is everywhere. Look for Him there. 

The Fullness Of Abundant Life

Trusting in the name of Jesus is all that is needed to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is walking its paths which brings the fullness of its blessings to the sojourner. 

The Boundaries Of Our Creation

In the creation account, darkness precedes the light of day. These are the beginning and the end of the journey of man. They are the boundaries of our creation.