Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God. (Exodus 23:17) How marvelous is our God. How great are all his ways. Jesus and Jesus alone has opened up all the doors in heaven. How the letter of the law will cut deep in the heart, but the spirit of God gives life, abundant life. Not just three times a year, but every day you and I appear before God. Not just the males only, but males and females also; for we are all one in Christ. (Galatians 3: 28). Not just Sunday morning, but low I am always with you. (Matthew 28:20) However, three times a year Father God felt his people would or should feel closer to him. In the Passover, when God's great deliverance brought the Jews out of Egypt. When the first fruits of the field began to be ripened and eaten. And when all the harvest was gathered in at the end of the year. Feast and jubilees would break forth. God would always be thanked and receive the first offerings. Can you see heaven in this? Can you see your eternal life gathering together with God? Jesus the lamb of God, Father the great provider and all in heaven immersed in his contented, joyful presence. How could it ever be otherwise.Praise the Lord.
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For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:11-13) Lots of people would like to know what kind of crowns they will receive when they get to glory. Well, the Lord will take everything that could not be burned by the fire and make your personal crowns. So, everybody is forming their own crowns. We need to be careful and not be all wood, hay or stubble. There must be something left for the crowns. Among other crowns, there is a "crown of glory that does not fade away." (1 Peter 5:4) Be sure that yours fits perfectly. Praise the Lord! To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1) Can you imagine that! God has a purpose to everything that happens in this life. These purposes sometimes are so well hid; that words like "luck, looks like it's my day, that's too bad or those are the breaks" press in to feed the hungry mind for answers. Contrary to this train of thought, we find that our life is perfectly ordered by the hand of God. In Psalm 37, like the sweetness of the morning dew, we find that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. Also, though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord will uphold him with his hand. The word of God seems to carve out a path through the uncharted waters of our daily life. The nonbeliever, along with the carnal Christian, never seems to know how to apply God's compass to events. A surface evaluation seems to satisfy their hunger for answers. However, the true believer will dig deep into God's word. With the help of the Holy Spirit and God's favor, a warmth of security and enlightenment will emerge; that time and seasons will have their purpose. Praise the Lord! Nicodemus answered and said unto him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?" (John 3:9, 10, 12) Oh yes, Jesus! Not like any other man. Heavenly originated, earthly manifested, divinely orchestrated, eternally purposed and certainly life-changing. If I have told you earthly things; Jesus was enlightening all of us to the fact that there are heavenly things and earthly things. These earthly things may not be the ones you or I might think them to be. Jesus was reinforcing, with Nicodemus, the element of being born again; God's operation in the natural or earthly realm to reveal himself not only as the creator, but a father. This the result of the precarious death Jesus would suffer on the cross. Fathering into our soul the existence of a resurrected life lived in this our natural earthly body. Nicodemus's question was on these lines, "How can these things be?" Perhaps there is someone asking similar questions today concerning other teachings Jesus enforced. Such as: greater works, all things are possible, as I was in the world so shall ye be in the world, I ascend to my father and your father; to my God and your God, ye shall receive the Holy Ghost and the servant of all is the greatest of all. These are only some of the earthly things between you and your creator. So then, what about heavenly things? How well does the architect of our soul know us! Praise the Lord! |
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January 2019
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