BIG HOUSE

Ps 139:17-18

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.

I looked and looked, and what did I see,
but a big, big house, with a big, big tree.
I had a really big time climbing in the big, big tree,
for I knew that the cares of earth had been lost to me.
I played for a long, long time at my big, big place.
I had to explore a really big amount of space.
I was having so much fun at my big, big house,
I called my friends over to play cat and mouse.
We ran and hid all over the great big yard,
and then we played a big game of cards.
We drank new wine from a big, big cup,
and drunk with joy, we ate a big, big sup.
The fun goes on and on you see,
because now we're living in eternity.

I plan on being eight years old forever. Life at eight was great. It was a happy time filled with simple pleasures, free of worry and care. I wouldn't trade those times for anything in the world. Ours was a happy home; at least I was happy. We didn't have a big house, or a big yard, or lots of money, or any of the other stuff people think is so important these days. I got new clothes and toys each year at Christmas and my birthday, and I was glad to get them (the toys, anyway). Growing up, happiness was a home where I felt safe and secure, with a family that included a mom and a dad, a brother and a sister, and aunts and uncles and cousins, and grandparents, too. I felt loved, wanted, and needed. I never knew we weren't rich. I never felt deprived having to live in a small house, and eating hamburger rather than steak for dinner. I had my friends and my family, and I was happy. I was on top of the world.
Somewhere along the way, life changed. I changed. I grew up, confound it! I learned what lust, hate, envy, and greed were. I lost the zest, innocence, and imagination of my youth. I was no longer ignorant of the evil in the world. Evil touched my life, and nothing was ever the same again. I lost the happiness and contentment I had once found in simply being loved, wanted, and needed. Now, precious and few are the moments I have, that I once had every day as a child. Oh, to be like a child once again!
Now, let me tell you what I see coming. Let me tell you the good news. In the Kingdom, you will feel good forever. There will be no bad feelings. The Kingdom of God is the real fountain of youth. You will be eternally youthful, joyful, and strong. As you ponder these thoughts, allow the happy memories of your life to flood through your mind. Recall those pleasant memories, all the sights, sounds, and experiences, real or imagined, and you will feel flowing through you a slight intimation of what it will be like to be a child again in God's Kingdom, where you will never grow old and die, and where you will never experience pain or weakness again.
Memories--to be more exact--images flash across the eyes of your soul. They come flowing up out of your heart, out of the eternal spirit who is you, in which God has placed the whole world. Imagine for a moment how vast is the human spirit! God fills the cosmos, yet he can inhabit the human heart. How immense is the spirit, how awesome is the capacity of the soul! Your soul is a great expanse, filled with an entire universe of thoughts and feelings; the sum of all the experiences you have ever had. Better yet and bigger still, is the God who dwells in you, imparting his thoughts and feelings to you. In the stillness of your soul, you sense floating up from within (perhaps from God himself), images of such joy that to call them beautiful or good would be to denigrate them. You touch eternity when you touch God, and eternity fills you through the portal of your soul. Though living still in the body, you have crossed over into another realm. The realm of the infinite human spirit. The realm of God and his Kingdom.
Here there is only good. Everything is bigger, better, and more beautiful than what you see in this world. You are a child again. You are free. You are not conscious of anything bad or evil. You have no fear, there is no death. You have no fear, there is no pain. You have no fear, there is no hunger, no thirst, no sadness, no sorrow, no parting, no end of this glorious peace. Thoughts flow through you like a river rushing down to the sea. You can barely contain the swell of joy in your beating heart. You can scarcely find words to describe the feeling these images of eternity bring. It is unlike any earthly feeling you have known. You have become one with love and joy. Unbelievers can never know this love. They can never taste this joy. This is not nirvana; this is not a higher state of consciousness. This is a joining of the human heart with God, until he drives all else out but himself.
Let me tell you what I have seen. One image I see is of me as a child, walking down a quiet, tree-lined, country road with friends. Maybe we're planning on going fishing, or maybe we're just headed to the woods, or maybe we're going over to a friend's house, or maybe we're going to my house for dinner, or maybe we're going nowhere in particular. But I am free. I am free of any and all cares. But best of all I am free of the unknown future. I am free of the fear of what may come. I have no trepidation of facing tomorrow, for I know that what I'm feeling this moment will never ever end. This feeling of friendship, of belonging, of security, of good conversation on a gorgeous summer day walking down a scenic country road, heading nowhere in particular, doing nothing in particular, having all day to get there, and knowing every day will be like it is right now--how wonderful, how ecstatic I feel, in the knowledge that this feeling will never end! And knowing it will never end, I am free! I am free to be me and enjoy each and every moment. Each moment is as precious as the next. This is exactly how I feel, as God shows me his Kingdom. How marvelous it is, even miraculous, that God can draw back the curtain of time and reveal eternity in one fleeting image!
The Big House. I saw it once. It was like a dream come true. I saw my family, friends, and acquaintances. It was our home and we were together, never to be separated again. It was the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not simply the enormous array of God's wonderfully-imaginative creation spread out before us like a feast, but it is the unending fellowship of perfected mortals. No earthly bonds or human relationships can attain even the lowest level of this type of fellowship. When I think of Heaven, the Kingdom, the Thousand Year Reign, I think of Jesus. I think not just of Jesus the Messiah, but I think of Jesus as being part of each and every person he created who will be living in his Kingdom as a perfected child of God, for we are bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh. When Saul persecuted the Church, Jesus asked him, "Why do you persecute me?" In Heaven, Jesus will be seen in all of us.
All creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God, but until then creation groans under the weight of corruption. Innocent children have grown up to become thieves and murderers. Fields once covered with grain have become lifeless slabs of concrete and asphalt. Society, once filled with stable families, is torn apart at the seams. People have gone from living in simplicity and harmony, to living hurried and chaotic lives in the attempt to amass every labor-saving device imaginable, until they need prescription medication just to cope with life. The world has gone crazy!
Castles, once the habitations of mighty rulers, are empty now. The kings and queens who inhabited them are dead and gone. Did those kings and queens ascend to wait with the Lord, to return with him one day and reclaim their kingdom, or did they descend into the prison house of satan, never to see the light again? The living should ponder this. If even kings and queens lost everything to time, what causes us to place such value on this fleeting world and its' trinkets? Of what use are those empty, dark, cold monuments of earthly glory, to their former owners now?
Well, if no one else claims it, I've already got a place picked out as mine for the Kingdom. I know a place where I'd like to throw a spectacular resurrection party for all my friends and family. It's not a huge castle high upon a hill; it's only a cozy mansion tucked away in the woods. It's really not very big, as mansions go, but it will suit me just fine. I've only known a few hundred people in my lifetime, and the Big House, as I like to call my mansion, will have room for all of them. They'll all be invited to my resurrection party.
Let me describe my resurrection party for you. First, you will enjoy a nice ride through the woods on your way to the party, and as you drive through the woods, you will be greeted by happy, smiling faces, and you will know you are in the right place. There amongst the trees you'll see my mansion. Behind the mansion, there's a big paved lot to park your chariot in. Once you come inside, you'll see there's plenty of room in the mansion to mingle, but there's also a nice big patio out back with a wonderful view of the pond, hills, and trees. I'm sure it will be a loud party with lots of music and dancing, but we won't disturb the neighbors since I will invite them as well, so they don't feel left out. What's a Big House without lots of friendly, happy people to enjoy it with? You will be treated to a wonderful buffet that is out of this world. The food will be delicious, the wine heavenly, the music enchanting, the scenery beautiful, and the company unsurpassed. You'll feel loved, wanted, and needed. What more could you ask for?
I imagine all believers must dream of being close to Jesus in the Kingdom. It will be the greatest honor of that age to be the one next to him. No other honor or reward could be any greater. Jesus is next to the Father you see, and so no human can hope to achieve any greater glory than to be next to Jesus throughout eternity. I don't expect to be the one who gets to sit at Jesus' right hand in the Kingdom, but I will definitely invite Jesus to my party. He may be busy, and there may be a lot of other parties he has to attend first, but if he shows up, we'll rock the Big House down. If he's not there personally, he'll be there in spirit, and that will be almost as good. I imagine Jesus can move around pretty fast, so maybe he'll just pop in and out for a while.
Would you like an invitation to my Big House Resurrection Party? I can give you directions to the party, once the Kingdom arrives. In fact, if you'd like to attend, I can give you directions on how to get there right now. Just believe that Jesus loves you, and that his blood is sufficient to erase all your sins. Then believe that he rose from the dead to demonstrate to all mankind the power of an endless life. Confess him boldly and openly as your Lord and Savior, and then wait for his appearing. Just ask around for me when Jesus gets here. I'm sure some angel will be in charge of personnel, and he will be able to give you directions to my mansion. If you can't find me right away when you get there, it's probably because I'm down at the fishing hole, or climbing a tree, or running through the woods chasing deer, but I'll be home for dinner. I never miss my dinner. Until then, have a happy forever!
P.S. (When you see me, let me know you how you got my invitation to the Big House Resurrection Party.)

THE ETERNAL EMPIRE OF THE ELECT

2 Peter 1:11

Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My Vision is to spread the message of God's plan for mankind. I have no hope greater than the promise of ruling in the Eternal Empire of the Messiah, Jesus my Lord. The promise is for all His elect. All of human history is but a blink of the eye, compared to eternity. Kingdoms have come and gone. Rulers have lived and died. Their names are just memories etched in dye and paper, and will fade in time. Heaven and earth will disappear, but the Word of God will never die.
Jesus came to us preaching "the kingdom of God." He said, "Change your mind, for the kingdom of God is at hand." There are two kingdoms in existence today. One is the kingdom of darkness, and the other is the kingdom of light. Every person alive today is in one kingdom or the other. Is it time to change your mind about which one you are in? It is a no-brainer which one I want to be a part of. One kingdom lead to death, and the other to life eternal. One kingdom rules by deception and hate, the other by truth and love. One kingdom is coming to an end, while the other will never end. One kingdom is led by an immortal Man who is God, the other is led by a dethroned and doomed evil tyrant.
All the kingdoms of the earth have one thing in common--they will cease to exist. Earthly kingdoms are not just nations, or governments. You, as an individual may have your own kingdom. Your business, or your job, or your house, or your money, or your possessions, or your pleasures are all your own domain over which you wield control. These mere earthly pursuits will end one day. On that last day of human empire, every individual, every person in every city, state, and nation will yield up control of their kingdom to the King of Kings. When Jesus sits on His earthly throne, will you be part of His Kingdom?
This Eternal Empire of the Elect is entered only one way. The Father has brought us out from under the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His Son, through the blood of His Son. Every act, word, thought and deed of Jesus was done with eternity in mind. He saw existence as one endless stream of time. Death to Him was a door to be walked through, and then closed forever. He came out the other side of death's door triumphant and immortal. Jesus took from satan the power of death and hell. God brought Jesus back from the grip of the darkness, and raised Him to sit enthroned in the highest seat of the universe. We mere mortals dwell with our minds and senses fixed on this temporal world. Even we who believe in Jesus, often find ourselves mired down with life's cares, burdens, worries, and troubles. There is a simple key that will free us and unlock the mysteries of eternity for us, and keep us fixed solidly on the Kingdom of God. That key is suffering.
Suffering was the price paid for our release from the bondage of darkness. The blood Jesus shed was not a result of what He had done, but the result of what we had done. Suffering in this context takes on a new definition. We define suffering as something to be avoided at all costs, but to Jesus suffering meant the acceptance of momentary pain as the means of achieving everlasting pleasure. He was perfect, so the pleasure of Heaven was assured Him. He could not be anything but Who He was, the eternal Son of God. The pleasure His pains procured for Him, was to have us as His own prize possession. He took us, captives of satan, darkness, and death, and through His own blood paved the way for us to walk into light, life, and the very presence of God.
The Apostle Paul was another man who kept his eye on the invisible realm of eternity. Paul suffered as perhaps no other man has ever suffered for a cause. Yet, because his eyes had been opened to the reality of the lasting pleasures of God's Kingdom he could say, "For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory--beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease! Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting." These were not just words to Paul. They were his experiences. He could not find sufficient words to contrast the joys of eternity with the sufferings of this life. Are your eyes opened to these realities? Do you have an awareness of infinity? Do you know that time and space are physical limitations upheld by God's limitless power? When at last God is finished with time and space, they will be no more. Death is the absence of life; darkness the absence of light. Will your eternity be spent in darkness, or in light? Does the blood of Jesus mean anything to you? Are you willing to throw away an eternity of bliss, for a few selfish ambitions and pleasures?
The simple message of Christ's love is what thousands have shed their blood to carry. Many still suffer persecution and death as they proclaim the message of God's Kingdom. If you have been alive more than five seconds, you know that suffering is a part of life. The cries of a newborn baby attest to that. It was not meant to be this way. There was another option open to mankind. We were not designed to live in a world filled with suffering. It is something our minds revolt against, and our bodies cringe from. But God, He Who Can Never Be Defeated, made a way for us by His incalculable love to be forever freed from the pains of our own selfish choices.
Please listen to this simple but profound truth. You cannot avoid suffering in this life. That is impossible. But you can choose which kind of suffering you want. You can choose the kind of suffering that both overcomes and destroys you. You can run from the light, and suffer the consequences, both now and forever, or you can come to the light, and choose the kind of suffering that overcomes the world by faith in the Son of God, and reap eternal benefits. If you have one ounce of faith in who God is, then you must trust that He is greater than any suffering, trouble, or trials that may come to you in this life. You can face life trusting in your own devices, or you can face life trusting in this great Creator. Think about it. Ponder your decision well. My prayer is that you choose to believe in love, no matter what you think it might cost you. Later you will find out that it pays rich dividends to trust God, as we rule together, alongside our Redeemer, in the Eternal Empire of the Elect.

THESE ARE WRITTEN

John 20:31

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

There is no doubt when it comes to the promises of God. He has made his will abundantly clear. His will, his desire, his passion, is for all men to know that they may have an absolute assurance of eternal life. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. His Kingdom is not a transitory Kingdom, but an eternal Kingdom. He made mankind to live with him forever. Many have foolishly rejected this offer of eternal life, and they will suffer the consequences. But praise God, many have accepted the offer of eternal life, and now they are on the straight and narrow road which leads to Heaven.
Where is the path leading to eternal life? Where is the road leading to God's eternal Kingdom? Why, the path is Christ, of course. Christ, the Messiah, the Savior, the Lord and Master over death and hell, he is the only way, the only truth, the only life. This is the one message, the one faith of the Kingdom. Those who inherit this Kingdom will come only one way; through faith in Christ. There is no other road available to the weary travelers who seek eternal rest for their souls. There is no other path which guarantees eternal bliss. There is no other Savior, but the One who rose from the dead.
2 Pet 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Even under the most ideal circumstances, Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. Even under the most adverse conditions, Job made the right choice. God knows how much each person can bear, and by his grace he only allows us so much freedom of choice. He limits the power of evildoers to wreak havoc so they can't destroy everything in their path, and he limits the power of the righteous to prosper so they won't destroy themselves. He won't put us through tests he knows we couldn't pass, so if we are tested, we accept it as God's will and let it go at that. If it were not for his great grace, power, and mercy, none of us would make the right choices. He does everything he can in his power to see that we are able to choose rightly, but the final decision is always left up to us.
People go to hell, simply because they choose to. They make the choice as to whether they accept God's offer of salvation, or whether they reject it. Everyone has a free will, and everyone has just as much power to exercise their free will as the next person. We all have the power to choose, and the choice is left up to each of us how we use this power. No one can say they can't go to Heaven, if they really want to go to Heaven, for the only thing God has required of men in order to enter Heaven, is that they choose to accept the gift of salvation. The simple choice each person must make is this: am I going to believe, or am I not going to believe?
Believing is an act of free will. The believer believes, the unbeliever doesn't. It's that simple. God couldn't have made it any easier. It's no harder to make the right choice now, than it was in the Garden of Eden. Shall I eat the forbidden fruit, or shall I refrain from eating? This was the only choice Adam and Eve had to make. Eve's choice was to believe what the devil said, rather than believe what God said. She made the wrong choice and died, just as God warned she would when she ate of the tree. Many have gone to hell because they made the wrong choice. They were warned, but they didn't believe God. They chose not to accept the gift of Jesus Christ.
Choose life. Choose to believe God. Want what God wants for you. Choose not to go to hell. Choose to go to Heaven. Unbelievers end up choosing a sad and pitiful substitute for Heaven. They think they can create their own heaven here on earth. They lust after the flesh. They commit lustful acts. Then they think the pleasure they feel is better than going to Heaven and living forever with God. They don't even have enough confidence or faith in God to believe that he has anything better for them than their sinful pleasures, so they cast God behind their backs. They convince themselves that there is no God. They say hell is a scare tactic invented to make people obey foolish rules. They don't know their life could be so much better, if only they chose to believe God. They would find in him a much better life, a new life, a new way of thinking, and a new joy they had never imagined possible. Alas, they believe the devil and end up regretting their wrong choice for eternity. Why don't people believe that God only wants the best for their life?
Sadly, far too many have chosen wrongly. They are ignorant of the promises made by God in his word. They have lost their way in the confusion of their mind and in the passions of their flesh. Their hearts have been made hard by the evil in this world. It seems they cannot believe, even if they would. Their hearts are stubborn. They do not believe in a loving God. They cannot comprehend how God could care for them so much that he provided a way of escape from their sins. They cannot rise to the level of faith needed to believe in an all-loving, all-merciful God. They do not accept the eternal life being offered to them as a gift. For some reason, they do not seem to realize what they are turning down. Their eyes are blinded, and they grope around in the dark looking for something which they are never able to find. All their searching ends at the grave. All their hopes die with them.
But we have this one hope to rejoice in; that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and save them to the uttermost. What was lacking in us, is now made complete in Christ. We have received the gift of eternal life, and for us this has made all the difference. It has set our feet on the right road. We are walking on a bright path. Life now has meaning and our heart is made glad. We go through life, facing adversity and hardship with a smile, because we know this life is a vapor and soon we will go to a much better place. We have received the life of God in our heart, and we live with the ever-present knowledge that this life is ours forever. We've already found what we were looking for. Our real hope lies beyond the grave.
Yes, the flesh can drag us down, as we go about our daily life subject to all the afflictions and temptations known to men. We see what is happening in the world today, and we are saddened. Yet we take hope. Our Savior told us that when these troubles begin to come to pass, we are to lift up our head and rejoice, because soon our redemption draws near. We have fixed our mind on the City of God, a city not built by human hands and which can never be destroyed. We have no abiding country here, for we have a country in the heavens, prepared for us by the risen Man, Christ Jesus, who waits for us there. Thus our flesh is made strong by the hope we have in our heart of eternal life.
This hope makes us strong against temptation. The temptations which come to lure us from our faith in Jesus. The temptations which come to separate us from our relationship with Jesus Christ. The temptations which come to weaken our faith and shake our confidence in a better world. The hope of eternal life causes us to look away from these fleshly temptations, and dream of joys and pleasures which last forever. We have an awareness we never had before, of how short this life on earth is, and we are loath to trade our everlasting soul for the lusts and desires we suffer in the flesh. When once our eyes have been opened to see what awaits us in Heaven, the things of earth lose their luster. And through it all, Jesus is our constant companion, for he understands our weaknesses, and he knows how to deliver us from temptation.
1 Jn 5:13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The contemplation of eternity is the chief joy of the believer. It is the contemplation of eternity which strengthens our faith. It is the contemplation of eternity which gives us hope. It is the contemplation of eternity which makes our life worth living, and brings purpose to every moment of every day. It is the contemplation of eternity which gives us the ability to love and forgive, for we know our God will make things right when others harm us. We only want others to have what we have. What we have is eternal life and forgiveness of our sins; something the world doesn't have. The contemplation of eternity is not only comprised of an assurance of eternal life, but also of an awareness of eternal justice, the awareness that in the end, God will right every wrong. When we contemplate eternity, we have an abiding sense of the love of God toward us, a love which will never end for all eternity. This is precisely what makes us strong in the face of all adversity.
Believers have faced famines, floods, fires, trials, persecution, tests, even death, with equanimity and peace of mind and heart, because they knew none of these things truly mattered in the light of eternity. What matters to the believer in Christ, whose faith rests only in his goodness and mercy, is that Christ has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We have a friend who will keep us in every trial, and will bring us through every storm. We are safe in the midst of the valley of death, because our soul rests safely in the everlasting arms of God. Our light affliction is but for a moment, but the glory of eternal life goes on forever. The promise of eternal life makes us victorious in every situation we encounter in life. The more we contemplate eternity, and what Christ has done for us in his work of redemption, the more our joy rises and our love increases. We could live every moment in the contemplation of eternity. It is what we were made for. It is what every human heart longs for, whether we believe in Jesus or not. No one wants life to end. This desire for eternal life was placed within us by our Creator. It is part of every human heart.
Unbelievers do not like to contemplate death, which is only natural. We naturally abhor the thought of death, loss, and the end of life. We all want to live, and we want to live the best life we possibly can. This is why we are constantly seeking to improve the quality of our life. We are constantly seeking to find more fulfillment in life. We want everything out of life we can possibly get. We want to live life to the fullest. This is a basic desire of all human beings, and it was placed there by our Creator. It was placed there that we might seek after him. It was placed there that we might avoid the penalty of death. For unbelievers, death means the end of all that's good in life, but for the believer, death is a new beginning.
The contemplation of eternity even encompasses the contemplation of death for the believer, for death is the passage by which we enter the riches of Heaven to dwell in the presence of God. Heaven is not only things eternal, although we will have and hold many things in Heaven. We will walk on streets of gold. We will live in mansions more beautiful than any earthly palace. We will have every possible desire fulfilled to the full. But most of all, we will be with Jesus. We will see God face to face, and we will be with all the believers of all the ages. The true bliss of eternity will be that we are one with God and with each other. It will be the presence of pure love that will make Heaven what it is. And as the backdrop for this place of pure bliss and love, will be a world more majestic and more magnificent than any tongue could ever tell, or any mind could ever conceive.
Dan 4:34
Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
The Kingdom of God gives substance to the contemplation of eternity. We all have had the earth as our birthplace, and it is our home for as long as we live in this fleshly body, and it is upon this very same earth that the Lord Jesus shall establish his Kingdom. Upon these same hills, upon these same oceans, and upon these same plains shall his glory be seen. For a thousand years, we shall see the sun rise and set upon his Kingdom. Every island will know that Christ reigns. Every nation will give homage to our Lord. Every city will be filled with the knowledge of our God. Every house will be under his rule. Every person will know Christ is the Son of God, and we are his sons and daughters. We will rule over every person who is yet breathing when Christ returns, through the authority he has given us. We will walk with angels and with our Lord upon the very same soil where we lived, and worked, and died. This is why the Kingdom gives substance to our contemplation of eternity. We know what we will be doing and where we will be ruling. This earth will be our inheritance, and the nations will acknowledge us as kings.
People in ages past have come and gone, and many of them lived their lives in vain. They refused to come to Christ and accept the offer of eternal life. They are gone now and will forever be forgotten. The memory of the wicked will perish from the earth. Their names will be mentioned no more. How sad it is that they chose to be enemies of the cross, rather than to be saved by it. Yet we must not weep for them, for there is nothing that can be done for them now. Rather, weep for yourself, if you cannot find it in your heart to accept Christ. And if you have accepted Christ, weep for those who for one reason or another have not accepted him. Believer, do not weep for yourself. You have nothing to be sad about. You may have lost someone very close to you to an untimely death, you may have lost your means of making a living, you may have lost your home, you may have lost all you have, but if you have faith in our Lord Jesus, then you have all you need. You have eternal life. You have eternity to rejoice in and you need not weep, except for others who have everything it seems, but Christ.
On history's final day, after the nations make one last stand against our Lord and Savior, then the most amazing thing since creation will occur. God the Father will roll up the universe like an old newspaper, consume it all in one great fire, and out of the fire he will create a new universe. The New Heaven and the New Earth is the final destination of every child of God. Time will be no more and eternity will begin, as we live through the ages in the Kingdom of God, untouched forever by decay, corruption, and evil. So let us practice the contemplation of eternity daily. Let us never allow the time and space in which we live, to drag us down again. Let us rather lift up our eyes to the skies, because our redemption draws nigh, and so maintain our faith strong to the end and receive the reward of eternal life with Christ, world without end. This is how it will be, for thus it is written. To him belongs all the glory, honor, and praise forever!

ONE DAY

2 Pet 3:8

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

It is time. Time to silence the mind, suspend human reasoning, and savor these words with our heart and see them in their proper setting, which is eternity. All the achievements of mankind are less than nothing when contrasted with the awesome works of God. God can accomplish more in one single moment than man has accomplished by his own efforts since the dawn of time. God's power is unchangeable. His life force is always and ever constant. God, at the very core of his being, is life. This we must understand with our heart and not with our mind. What we call life is merely a snapshot of eternity. Our life is like a tale that's told, or like a dream in the night. One minute we're here and then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, we're gone.
God is everywhere. God lives inside of time and outside of time. He lives outside of time, in that he is completely unaffected by time. For God, time (which is defined as a unit of measurement) never ends, never had a beginning, and therefore can't be measured. In essence, time doesn't exist in God's world. But God also lives within time as the Almighty Creator who has revealed himself to mere mortals; beings who measure their lifespan by time. Time, in God's eyes, is a temporary, artificial construct used by men to measure the length of their earthly existence.
On and on it goes, God's eternal life, forever the same. To him, one day is the same as a thousand years. One length of time is no greater than any other length of time, for time cannot be measured against an infinite eternity. The Greek word Zoë is translated as eternal life in the word of God. Since Zoë is the word used for eternal life, and this life is the same life God possesses, then Zoë could be defined as the life of God. God only possesses one kind of life, which is life indestructible. God is and always has been indestructible. He simply exists. He cannot be contained within the boundaries of time and space, for his life is limitless. He is unaffected by time and space, for he is impervious to age and decay.
When God breathed into dust the Spirit of Zoë, he gave mankind the quality of being made spiritually indestructible. This spirit of ours, our God-given unique will, shall eternally reside in one of two timeless states of being. Hell is the word used to describe the state of being which those who are separated from God will experience eternally. Heaven is the word used to describe the state in which God, and all those who are one with God, will experience eternity. Eternity is a long, long time.
Kingdom realities cannot be comprehended and understood by relying upon the five physical senses of man. Kingdom realities are unveiled only to the immortal human spirit. Heaven and hell are real places, but they are not like places you find here on earth. Things here change. Rivers run dry and deserts bloom. People come and people go. Nations rise and nations fall. In eternity, nothing will ever change. The place we find ourselves in, is the place we'll always remain. When we sinned, we became separated from the life of God. To God, we were spiritually dead, because of the separation between us. In order to become one with God again, we had to reach out with our human spirit, our heart, our indestructible soul, and open the door of our heart and receive Zoë.
Our spirit, our life comes from God. We are his, the moment we're conceived in our mother's womb. It is only when we reach the age of culpability and willingly rebel against the voice of our conscience and disobey God, that we become separated from him. We are lost to him. It is on this earth we made our choice to turn away, and it on this earth we must choose to come back. This life is the only chance we'll have to do this. We all became prisoners of sin and death, by the result of our own choice. We cast Zoë away that day. We turned away from God. But with one right choice, we may have God's own nature restored to our human spirit. But if we wait one second too long, we'll find ourselves in a terrible place apart from God, a place from which there is no escape.
Jesus is the immortal, incorruptible Son of Man, flesh and bone made indestructible by the power of God, and he lives ever ready to give us his endless life. The Spirit of God is present in every particle of the universe, yet God will not and cannot enter the heart and soul of any human being who does not accept the gift of eternal life by a choice of their own free will. This day you are either a spirit alive with Zoë, or you are a spirit abiding in death, empty of Zoë. The material universe, though it possesses the creative essence of God, is not eternally the same, because one day God will withdraw his breath from this creation and it will be annihilated. The same God who spoke and the worlds appeared, will speak and they will disappear. Then he will speak once more, and a new, lasting universe will be reborn out of the old. The world to come will be an indestructible, immaterial universe. Only the human spirit can never be destroyed, for God's word declared it to be so, and he cannot lie. Only mankind, of all God's material creation, possesses the image and likeness of God, which is an eternal spirit. Only mankind is made to be like God. Therefore, we were given the responsibility to choose our own destiny. Zoë or not Zoë, this is our choice. To accept God or to reject God, this is our choice. An eternity with God or without God, this is our choice. To be with God or not to be with God, that is the question.
When the Kingdom of Heaven arrives on earth, the people of this world will see with their eyes the reality of immortality. The elect will be in charge, ruling over the kingdoms of every nation, with Christ seated upon his throne in Jerusalem. How shall the people of the world react to the sight of immortals, raised up out of their graves by God to rule and reign over the earth? The fact is, those who are left when Christ returns to set up his Kingdom, won't have any choice but to submit to our authority. They will have no power to resist the armies of God. This doesn't mean everyone will be a willing follower of Jesus. A human heart will always be human. The people of this earth will still have the power of free will. They will simply be restricted in the exercise of their free will. No evil deed will go unpunished. The elect will ensure that only justice, peace, and righteousness reign upon the earth for a thousand years.
In the mind of God, the Thousand Year Reign will be the dawn of one new day; one eternal day. This One Day will be the first and last day of eternity. After 365,000 days in which the sun will never set upon the Eternal Empire of the Elect, the sun will never rise again. A new world will come into being and the sun will no longer be necessary, for God will be the light of this new world. The Thousand Year Reign will continue unbroken, ruling in a new universe which will never know darkness again. This is why it shall be one eternal day. Are the realities of the Kingdom real to you? Are you still trying to figure God out with your tiny, little brain? Is your heart so hard that these truths sound like fairy tales to you? Do you think believers are nothing but a bunch of crazy, starry-eyed dreamers?
Well, we're not the only ones dreaming of this Kingdom. Christ, resurrected in the flesh, sits at the right hand of God's throne in the heavens, dreaming of the day when he can return and be reunited with his Bride, the Church. He sees those who trust in him, and he sees those who have rebelled against him. Jesus won't allow the world to harm his Bride. Jesus is returning to earth on behalf of the elect. Jesus is dreaming of the time when he can come and make things right. Jesus has promised to make everything right, and he will show the world that he keeps his promises to his children. The righteous will rejoice in everlasting glory and honor, while the unrighteous, those who refused God's offer of eternal life, will be tormented forever.
Whose kingdom are you living for? The rebel's short-lived rebellion is almost over. All the rebels will be locked in their prison, and the key will be thrown away. When the palaces of God are inherited by those to whom they belong, will your mansion go unclaimed? Are you cognizant of the riches you are throwing away, if you don't accept the gift of God's Zoë? Have you taken the time to add up the account of your life, to determine if what you have now is worth trading for what you could have eternally? May God make his Kingdom realities real to your heart! Listen, and you will hear him calling, asking you to join him. Won't you join the Kingdom, where a thousand years will be only the dawning of one glorious, everlasting day?

OUR HEART HIS HOME

If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and

John 14:23
If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Our desire, our companionship, our joy, our peace is found in his presence. To know him who is alive forevermore, and daily walk with him who loves us everlastingly; this is true joy. The more we look to him, the more we see that he can do anything and everything we ask of him. There is something about being in his presence that purifies, refreshes, strengthens, renews, invigorates, and rejoices our heart. He is God, and majesty dwells with him, and in his presence we can get a glimpse of the majesty which proceeds from him, and which he longs to bestow upon us. How our soul thirsts for the living God! And the longer we are away from the times we spend alone in his presence, the drier our soul becomes. May he be the one to quench our thirst forever!
Oh what a joy it is, just to walk by his side! He has freed us from all sin. Though the flesh, the world, and satan assail our soul, we can go to him and find safe harbor. His word is a shelter from the storm. In the world, our eyes behold little else but evil and darkness, but his word brings light back to our eyes. His word is the water which extinguishes the flames of lust in our flesh. His word is the dam which holds back the flood of filth that threatens to engulf our righteous soul. His word is the balm which soothes our soul when we can find comfort nowhere else. All that we are and all that we have, he has given us through his word and his Spirit. He wants us to apply what he has given us, as a salve to others who are wounded by the world. As we go into the world, he will bring to remembrance what he has spoken to us, and in time of need we will have his help.
We wouldn't be able to carry on in our own strength. It is his battle, not ours. It is he who fights for us; we simply stand fast, fixed on his promises. Those who contend with us are in the hands of the Lord. They do not fight against us; they fight against him. Nothing in this world is really worth fighting for, but God's Kingdom is worth fighting the good fight of faith for. Were it not that we were children of God and have the promise of his Kingdom, we would be left alone to fight and struggle with the world to maintain our own kingdom. Much happier are we when the Lord fights our battles, taking what he gives us, rather than fighting to get all we can on our own.
The Lord shall make us ruler over much, as we are faithful in the little things. It is a little thing to trust him. It requires little effort, for it is his strength we rely on. We simply choose to follow him, and we would not exchange his calling for any other path in life. He walks with us. We are in his hands, and he is on our side. He has called us, and he will do the work. A peaceful mind is one that is free--free from fears, free from passions, free from conflict. Peaceful is the mind with one, pure, undefiled motive and ambition, subject only to the will of God. Strive to make God happy, by allowing him to make you happy. Jesus is happy with you just as you are, so be happy with him just as he is. Do what you can, and he will do all the rest. To him be all the glory!

CHRIST THE WORD FULFILLED

Isaiah 53
Hundreds of years before Christ's coming, his birth, death, and resurrection was foretold by the prophets. Jesus continually reminded his disciples that he came in fulfillment of the prophet's words, and he told them that it was this fact which proved he was who he said he was: the only begotten Son of God. The prophet Isaiah saw the glory of the Messiah and he recorded numerous prophecies concerning the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christ was rejected by men, slain as a criminal, buried in a rich man's tomb, and brought to life again: "He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death . . . he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand." (vs. 9-10). A dead man isn't here to see his offspring, his days aren't prolonged, and he can do nothing for God from beyond the grave. God spoke here of a man who died, yet continued to live to do his will. Look at what is said prior to this: "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (vs. 1). This prophecy stated that Christ's message would not be believed by all. Even Jesus' own disciples didn't believe him, when he told them he was going to rise from the dead. Would it have been any easier for the rest of the people to believe in him? Why were they so reluctant to believe in the resurrection? They found it difficult to believe in Jesus, because they failed to believe the scriptures which foretold of him.
When Isaiah wrote the words believes and reveals, he foretold that only to the believing ones, only to those who trusted in his message, would Christ be revealed. And Isaiah asks who, as if not everyone would believe the message. Is this not true today? Has Christ appeared to the world? Has he shown himself in the eyes of the nations? Have the nations crowned Christ as King? Have they all believed? No. Jesus is only revealed to those who believe. He is only the Messiah of those who believe his message. Christ is not visible to the world. The arm of the Lord is not revealed to all men. He works beyond the realm of sight. This is exactly what the prophet foretold would happen, and even in light of the fulfillment of these scriptures, people still refuse to believe the scriptures.
Christ appeared, not as an earthly King, but as a heavenly Redeemer. The scriptures plainly declared that Christ would not be revealed to all, nor would all believe in him. The Jews who were looking for an earthly king were following religious tradition, rather than the word of God, much like those today who reject Jesus because he doesn't fit their conception of divinity. Isaiah continues: "He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (vs. 2). Christ did not appear in splendor. Christ was born in a manger, the child of a humble carpenter and his wife. There was nothing regal and royal about his appearance which signified and proclaimed who he was. He was despised by the leaders of his day. They had no regard for him whatsoever, and they pierced his hands and feet on a cross: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities." (vs. 4-5). This is not the typical picture we have of an earthly king. This is a description of a sacrificial lamb: "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." (vs. 7). Yet, this was the Son of Almighty God. He willingly suffered, for it was the will of God that he do so. He could have called ten thousand angels to rescue him from the hands of evil men, but he didn't.
But this scripture also prophecies that the Messiah would be a conqueror: "Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong." (vs. 12). He would be raised to a position of victory, of strength, of exaltation. Whom God has chosen he has raised up, and now Christ Jesus is seated next to the throne of God itself, ruling over the heavens and the earth, invisibly, through the hearts of those who believe. Yet we have not seen the completion of Christ's victory. Complete victory will come on the day when he appears in the clouds to make his followers kings over the earth. Many scriptures spoke of the Messiah reigning over the earth, and these are the scriptures the Jews of old hoped to see fulfilled. The children of God still wait for these prophecies to be fulfilled.
Isaiah also foretold of a complete and utter deliverance from the effects of sin through the suffering of the Christ: "by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities." (vs. 11). Isaiah saw one who would come and save many people from the guilt of their sin. But this deliverance, this absolute redemption, would only come to the believers. The rest would be cut off. For Moses had spoken of another prophet, like himself, who would come and perform great wonders. Moses warned that whoever would not listen to this prophet would be cut off. Can God lie? Is he a man, that he should lie? Have some been cut off from God? Has the world embraced the knowledge of justification through Christ? God's word has come to pass. Those who believe, see the arm of the Lord revealed in Jesus. Those who don't believe, are cut off from God. This is the very reason why we believe. We don't want to be one of those who get cut off. His word is what gives us strength. He shall divide the spoil with the strong. Jesus is the living word. He makes us strong. He has given us the spoils of forgiveness, grace, faith, joy, and everlasting life.
Jesus became sin. He became sin on the cross. All the sins of all mankind he bore: "As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up." (John 3:14). When Jesus spoke of being lifted up like the snake, he identified himself with our sin and the penalty for our sin--death. Yet the life he lived, the faith he displayed, the power he possessed, could not be overcome by our sin. He rose again, reborn with an immortal body: "After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied." (vs. 11). By all rights, Jesus should never have died. He had never sinned, so death could not touch him. He would never have died, had he chosen not to. But if he hadn't taken our place, then we would still be under the penalty of our sin. Thus, he consented to die and take our place, and still death could not defeat him. He rose again by the power of God who gives life to all, and now Jesus offers his own life to all men. Love is stronger than death, stronger than the grave. All the sin of mankind could not overcome God's love. When we accept Christ, we have all we need to be totally victorious over death and sin. What Jesus did at Calvary was greater than what Adam did in the garden, when by Adam's disobedience death and sin entered the world. What Jesus did brought life and peace back to the world. Jesus provides hope to a dying world.
Jesus knew he had to die. He was a carpenter by trade. He spent his days hammering nails. He knew he would die by the emblems of his trade. Did Jesus ponder the agony he would endure, as he worked in his carpentry shop? Or did he keep his eyes on the prize awaiting him beyond the cross? Jesus was his own finished product, made perfect through the Spirit and the suffering he endured. The seed of grain died, and it became a stalk of wheat. Those seeds then died, and then many stalks were created. This continued until there was a vast field of wheat, all from the one seed which died. This wheat derived its' life from the soil, the rain, and the sun. Then the wheat was cut down, the grain was beaten and threshed, the wheat was ground into flour under the wheel of the mill. Then it was given water, and kneaded into dough. Finally, the yeast was added, and both the yeast and dough came to life. As the yeast multiplied in the dough, the bread rose to life. Now this bread gives food, strength, and life to man.
Jesus is the bread of life. This is his broken body. This is the communion of his flesh and blood, for as the seed of wheat gives its' life, so the grapes are crushed and drained of all their juice: "He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors." (vs. 12). The blood of the grapes is transformed into the finest of wines, which gives gladness to men's hearts. So Jesus gave his body and blood to give life and gladness to all, and what he gave is free to all who would drink and eat, and thereby live forever. And we are his Body, the grain which has multiplied from the seed of his death. We are all one Body in him, and of the life of Jesus do we all share. His Spirit is the yeast which gives life more abundantly, and in his Spirit we all grow together in love as one family--the Family of God.
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25). We must be broken for God to use us. Jesus was as ointment poured forth for the healing of the world. He was the seed planted in the earth for three days, and he has grown into a mighty vine to fill the earth with his branches. A seed has to have its' shell broken by the heat and moisture, and so we are nurtured by God to the point where we are willing to be broken. We have to be broken to bear fruit. A bud has to break open, to bring forth the fragrance of the flower. Accept your brokenness, so you may die to sin and live to God. He died for you and rose again, that you might die with him and rise again to new life.
Jesus became a part of the cross, by placing himself upon the very wood and stone he had once created. He died for nature, as well as for mankind. He died for the entire sum of fallen creation. There was nothing in all creation left untouched by his death on the cross. He became flesh, so he could represent mankind, but creation was represented by the wood which bore the nails that pierced his hands and feet. All creation groans and travails, awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God, and if he cares even for all of nature and longs to make it whole again, how much more does he care for our health and our wholeness? Not only did he bear our sins on that cross, but by his stripes we were healed, as Isaiah foresaw, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows." (vs. 4). Even if God's word didn't explicitly promise healing to us, wouldn't we know it was his will to heal us anyway, couldn't we deduce this for ourselves, simply because the word says that God is love, and so out of love, he would surely heal us if only we asked? Don't we know that God is a good God? And what earthly father would wish his child to be sick? Our Father said he would give us the desire of our heart. What if we desire to be healed? Isn't healing part of the promise? Why would God want us to be in pain?
He calls us his sheep, and he's the Good Shepherd. If a shepherd has a sick sheep, doesn't he at least bother to take care of it? Our heavenly Father wants to take good care of us. He wants to give us the Kingdom. Didn't Jesus say to pray, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven"? Are there any sick people in Heaven? He wants us to rest in him, rely on him, and give ourselves up to his care. He wants to watch over us, feed us, and guide us. He longs to be close to us. He wants us to be acquainted with him, to know his voice and his tenderness. We mustn't accuse God of wanting to make people sick and afflicted. This shows that we really don't know who God is. Jesus showed us the Father. He was the will of God in action, and he healed all who came to him for healing. Never did he turn anyone away. Lord, let us be your gentle lambs in every way toward you, and not blame you when we're sick or troubled by sin, but trust you to heal and deliver us, and thus always believe in your goodness and mercy.
We are his sheep who had gone astray, and through Christ we are brought back to the fold: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (vs. 6). When Christ was born, the non-Jewish world worshipped demonic idols. They were not the people of God. Their ancestors didn't have a covenant with God. They were ignorant of the promises made to Abraham. The nations were living in darkness. But as Hosea prophesied, "In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" (Hosea 1:10). And thus the word of salvation in Christ appeared to all men, and his Kingdom was proclaimed to our forefathers.
But we can't rely on the faith of our forefathers. We have to have faith for ourselves. We have to believe for ourselves. For although the scriptures concerning Christ have come to pass, if we don't know or believe them, it doesn't matter whether there is a Savior or not. Without faith or knowledge of him, Christ wouldn't be our Savior. But we do believe. We do know the Savior. Therefore, we are a partaker of the riches of the resurrection of Christ. We have believed the message, and seen the arm of the Lord revealed, and we are witnesses of the resurrection of Christ, because he lives in our heart.
Do you believe? Or are you blinded to the truth? What will it take for you to believe? Will you wait until Jesus comes in the clouds and makes the earth his footstool, before you believe the scriptures? For as surely as the sufferings of Christ were fulfilled, so shall the scriptures concerning his Kingdom be fulfilled as well, and then every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and he shall separate the wheat from the chaff, and the chaff he will burn up with everlasting fire, but the wheat he will gather into his barn and preserve as his own forever. Sounds silly, huh? Blessed is he who has the last laugh, for he shall laugh forever. Woe to those who laugh and scoff now, for they shall weep and wail eternally.

GENTLE KING

Mark 3:27

No one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.

Christ Jesus, mighty warrior, just and gentle king, close friend, eternal God, all in all, everything and more, who and what we need even when we are not aware of our need, you are our wisdom, peace, life, help, strength, health, wealth, rest, righteousness, justification, joy, hope, light, brother, master, deliverer, rock, breath, salvation, tower, shield, refuge, protector, defense, pride, boast, comfort, teacher, boss, partner, pal, father, mother, love, hero, guide, instructor, counselor, prince, our Maker and Lord. You command the sun to rise each morning and to set every night. Your voice shakes the earth and sky. You call each of the numberless stars by name. You ordained that the seas should toss their waves upon the shore. You knew us before we were born. You formed us in the womb. You rescued us from our enemies who were stronger than we. Thank you. We would be nothing without you. We would be lost without you. We would be undone without you. We would be wandering without you. We would be wretched without you. We would be dead without you.
Jesus, you are the one who has shown great vigor, courage, and aggressiveness. The Kingdom of Heaven presses ahead forcefully by the power of your endless life, and the forceful lay hold of it. You are the King crowned to rule over all, a chosen one among many princes, a warrior exalted above the rest, the strongest of the strong, mightiest of the mighty, feared above the most fearful, and raised upon the shields of the most courageous ones. You are King above all kings, and thus no other shall rule over us. No foe shall defeat us, with you on our side.
We are in a battle, never forget it. We have a crown to gain and a fight to win. We need a king. We need a leader. We need a protector. We need a helper. We are helpless against the enemy, without a sword and a shield. We need to arm ourselves against the foe. We need to raise up a banner, an emblem, a standard, an unmistakable sign of our position against the wicked. We need to take a stand and stand our ground. We need to be strong and not quit. We need to be fierce and not back down. We need to be bold and not be afraid. We need strength; more strength than is in ourselves. We must draw strength from our union with the Lord Jesus. We must rely on his might, his strength, and always remember his victory over the enemy. We must ever be vigilant and not give up the fight. We cannot afford to lose this battle. This battle is the fight for our soul, and for the souls of others. If we lose faith, we have nothing. If we have faith, we have everything we need to win. By faith we cannot be defeated--no matter what. Through his confidence in God, Jesus defeated satan's power and rose as the first man to be victorious over death. This is what faith in God can do.
Faith in God found Daniel sound asleep in a den of lions. He rose refreshed in the morning, unharmed by claw or tooth. Daniel was a warrior, a prayer warrior. He trusted in his God. He had a relationship with his God. He knew that his God was the one who made the lion, and therefore he had nothing to fear. Our warfare is not fought with man's weaponry, but in God's arsenal of weapons do we trust. This is a spiritual battle and we are spiritual warriors. The only battle we must fight is the fight of faith. Doubt is our worst enemy. This is a war of words. The battle is in our mind and heart. Words of doubt and fear attack our faith. Once we learn that resting in God's word and putting our trust in him is all we must do, then the battle is over. The battle is over before it's begun. It's not over until it's over, and when we stand in faith it is over; that is, the outcome is settled. When our trust is in the Lord, then the battle is the Lord's, and he's never lost a battle.
The word of God is our sword. Daniel had the word in his heart, and he was triumphant over all his foes. Though he knew death was the punishment for praying, yet he prayed, willing to pay the consequences. In trusting God to deliver him from his enemies, Daniel was able to win the battle. Daniel was tried, tested, tormented, unloved, despised, and envied; but the Lord was with him! God came through for him, and all of Daniel's foes were destroyed. When you know your God is mightier than any foe, you will not doubt in the face of seeming defeat. You will still have confidence and trust in God.
This is a wrestling match. Not like those on television, which are phony. This is for real. The war for your soul is more important than any other war ever fought, because the outcome determines the eternal destiny of your soul. The physical wars waged in this world stem from spiritual wars which rage in the human heart. Thoughts of lust, greed, envy, and hate spill over into the world as wars in the home, on the job, among friends, and among nations. Bullets can at most destroy the body, but lies can destroy the soul forever. We are wrestling, not against men or against the devices of men, but against the dark powers residing in the invisible, spiritual realm.
We are fighting against demons and demonic forces which have deluded people. We are fighting against all the lies which have been taught and passed down through the generations, which enslave men and blind them from the truth. We are in constant conflict with the philosophies and goals of the world. We are in constant conflict with the world system which reigns over nations and peoples. We wrestle, too, against the desires which war in our flesh. Our flesh is often our worst enemy. Our flesh will never want to submit to God's authority. Our flesh is always in rebellion against God's will. Our flesh has no faith. It cannot believe in anything other than what it feels, touches, tastes, and sees. Our flesh is full of selfish, foolish, and deadly desires. Only by the power of a supernatural God can the flesh be conquered. This is why we all need Jesus. Otherwise, we would all be lost.
Rom 6:9-11
We know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin {once and for all} but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In our heart, in our spirit, we have the Spirit of God. As believers in Jesus, born again of the Spirit, we have the capacity to overcome the world. Our flesh is redeemed, but it is not yet glorified. Our flesh has a price on it, like the old outlaws of the Wild West, for our flesh is lawless and dangerous. The price is death. But the price was paid by the blood of Christ. With his death, he purchased our life. Our flesh is no longer our own property. Our bodies have become God's property. The price for the iniquities of our flesh has been paid in full. The flesh is still subject to death and decay, but it will be glorified and resurrected one day. Until that day, the struggle against our flesh is constant. It will never go away as long as we live in these bodies. But with the God of the universe residing inside our bodies, we rule over the flesh through his Spirit. In fact, God considers our flesh as dead already, because our flesh died when Christ was crucified. We have won the war against the sinful desires of the flesh, for although the flesh is not yet perfected, it is covered under the covenant of redemption. Since our bodies are God's property, his Spirit can make our bodies his home. The Spirit gives us power to overcome the world. We have all we need in the gift of redemption to live as children of God. This is all ours through trusting in Christ.
How does the enemy wage war against us? What tactics does he employ to defeat us? The warfare starts first in our heart, through thoughts which enter our mind. The lust of the flesh is generated by our innermost self. We had to make the decision to lust, before our body followed suit and lusted. The body will always want to lust, but the mind of Christ overcomes the body, and we have the mind of Christ. We have chosen to put on the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ working in our life the moment we decide to follow the word of God and give it first place in our heart. God's word declares that Christ is greater than anything in the world. We have the mind of Christ, by believing that he is stronger than our flesh. We made the decision to trust Christ over all and became willing to let him rule in us, and so the flesh is defeated, for the Lord never loses a fight.
We do not need to fear the forces of the flesh, any more than we should fear the devil and his power. We have a Spirit in us, who is the only Spirit with all power. The devil has some power, and our bodies have some power, but God has all power. Through him, we can overcome and conquer anything this world holds. There is nothing too hard for the Lord, and since he is on our side, there is nothing which can defeat us. We need only to be willing, and have the desire to let his word rule in us. We must renew our mind with the word of God. Once our mind is renewed to think like God would have us think, then our faith will grow, and as our faith grows, we will experience the power of Christ in our life. Then we will come to rely on him fully in every situation, and the victory shall always be ours.
Those who know their God will do exploits, and we need only to know our God. Our God is longing for us to come to him for help. He is a shield for us. It is when we fear and doubt, that we lose our victory. It is when we believe the lies of the enemy, that we resist God's power to help us. This is why we must put on the whole armor of God. Christ Jesus and his word are all we need, and the moment we know this, we are guaranteed success. Why should we listen to our flesh and the lies of satan, when we can have victory all the time over everything which tries to draw us away from Jesus?
Ps 139:21-22
Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
Truly the Lord, much stronger in might than man, even vastly stronger than any of our enemies, has bound the weaker one and removed the devil from our life. The Lord is a victorious God of war! He has equipped us with all the armor necessary to pull down the strongholds of the enemy. We hate the flesh, the devil, and the wicked ways of the world, because a new and different Spirit is within us. Jesus proved his hatred of the enemy, when he stripped him of all his power, crushed his skull, and arose victorious from the grave. We are not going to side in with the Lord's enemies. We are going to side in with him against all his enemies. We are on the Lord's side.
At the name of Jesus we bow our knee and confess that Jesus Christ is our Lord! He is Lord of Heaven, Lord of hell, Lord of earth, sky, and sea, Lord of things visible and invisible, all mighty, all powerful, to the eternities of eternity. He reigns supreme in our life, and he has broken the power satan had over us. The Lord is a loving, yet powerful, God over all creation. All the work of justification and salvation is finished, and we have been given the power to bind all the enemy's work. The enemy's power is shattered, and the true light now shines. Nothing hinders the light! Rejoice, you angels! Rejoice, you who have been redeemed!

ANGELS AND SPIRITS

Brother Joshua spoke saying,
"How much do we really know about the love of God? There's hope we may yet learn more, as we pay more attention to what he says. By taking heed we may avoid the pitfalls in life, for he knows us better than we know ourselves. To know him better is our goal. To behold his face is to behold pure love. The face of the Son of God has been revealed to us. The veil which was upon our heart has been removed. As we gaze steadfastly upon his face, we shall be changed into his image. His glory will be reflected from our face, even as Moses, whose face shone with the glory of God. Our face shall shine with his glory like the brightness of the noonday sun. We are lights in a dark world. Let his Spirit come upon you, not in measure, but in his fullness, and you will never be the same again. His spirit will change you not just for this moment, not just for today, not just for next week or next year; but from this time forth and forever, because his Spirit is strong within you, and he shall dwell with you until the end of all time.
Continually look to him. Do not look behind you, but look ahead, in front of you. Look forward to the joy which awaits you. Look to your Creator, to the Rock who formed you, and out of whom you have been hewn. Look to the Rock, for the Rock is Christ. And you have drank from the Rock, you have eaten of the Rock, you have partaken of the Rock, you are part of the Rock, the Rock is in you and you are in the Rock, and the Rock stands firm, and upon the Rock you shall stand firm. If the Rock could be crushed, then could you be crushed. If the Rock could be moved, then might you be moved. If the Rock could be defeated, then you also could be defeated. But the Rock is firm, and the Rock is Jesus Christ, Creator, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and he cannot be moved. He will never be moved. So look ahead, not behind you.
Behind you is the past and it is gone, along with all its' sin and transgression. You were bought back out of slavery to sin. He has washed away your iniquity, and all trace of sin is gone. You have been made holy, unblameable, and unrebukeable in his sight. You have been given his righteousness. He commands you to come boldly before his throne, the throne of grace. You have been give a place before his throne. It is your rightful place to stand before him, with the opportunity to plead before his throne. The Lord Jesus pleads for you, intercedes for you, and goes before God in your behalf, and the Spirit himself intercedes for you and goes before the throne in your behalf. The Lord Christ stands between you and your accuser, and between the Father and your accuser. The accuser must accuse Jesus, before he can accuse you before the Father, for the Father sees you as in Christ. If the accuser could find fault in Jesus, then he could find fault in you, but he cannot, because you are in Jesus, and you are clothed in his perfect righteousness.
This is true. Stand in this truth. Stand on the Rock. Stand on the Rock, which is the Word, who is your Savior, and look ahead. Do not look behind. Forget, for he has forgotten your past. As far as the east is from the west, so far have your sins and transgressions been removed from you. So do not believe the condemnation of the accuser, but walk in the light; the light of him who has forgiven your iniquity. Then you will have fellowship with God, and you will grow and grow, until the day when you shall become like him. So let your roots grow deep in him. The earth holds the tree up and the stronger the roots, the stronger the tree. He holds you up, so grow deep in him, for he is the one who produces the fruit. Just as a tree sheds its' old leaves each year, so you must shed your old thinking and way of living, in order for the new fruit of the Spirit to be revealed in your life. Forget the past when you bore the fruit of sin unto death. Let your lips bear the fruit of praise, and you will not be unfruitful any longer. What good is a tree if it bears no fruit or grows no leaves? Rejoice in hope of the Kingdom of God, and you shall be like a tree planted by the waters that bears fruit in every season, and you shall be a blessing in the earth.
Angels shall guide and protect you. The Spirit will, at times, as you yield, completely override your flesh, and perform great wonders which you did not realize could be done through you. The very core of God's power is created out of a heart of love, so let your imagination run deeply into the depth, height, length, and breadth of the great love of Christ, and you shall be so transformed that you will become even new to yourself, and you shall wonder where the old man has gone so quickly, but you will be glad he is gone. So glory in your weakness, that the strength of Christ may rest upon you. The Lord will do what you've asked him to do. He knows how to deliver you, and you will see his power, his glory, and his salvation working in the earth, during your lifetime, as you allow his Spirit to flow through you unchecked and unabated.
Learn to listen only to his voice. Discipline and train your ears to listen only to him, because he will lead, guide, direct, teach, instruct, comfort, aid, deliver, and help you. He will show you things to come, prepare you for the things you must face and do, and reveal to you his very self and his great glory. He will open doors, open hearts, open eyes and ears, and many mighty works besides these, but only by listening to him shall you come to know him fully. As you learn to listen and cultivate your spiritual hearing, then you'll find the answers to those problems and questions which arise in life. He will listen to you anytime you need him, and if you ever need any advice or counsel, he's there to help you. So take advantage of your relationship with him and cultivate it until it grows. Then clearly you shall hear him speak to you, and clearly will he guide you, and more real and clear to you will he become, each moment of each day.
He longs to see you helped. He knows how to help you. Now you know how to get his help. Call on him, whenever, wherever, for whatever, for whosoever is in need, and he'll help you as much as he can, which is more help than you will find anywhere else, more help than you could ever need in this life. Recall that he said he would never leave you or forsake you. He is there. Call on him and he'll come to your aid, your deliverance, your need, your help, and he'll uphold you with the right hand of his righteousness. So turn away your ear from the voice of the darkness, and listen to the truth of the light. His grace will help you to do this, and you and those around you will be blessed with a rich life, full of the goodness of the Lord. Be faithful to this charge, and you shall fully see the manifestation you long to see, which his Spirit longs to perform in the earth.
And it shall come to pass that in those days the glory of God shall be restored in his Kingdom on earth, and men shall find joy in their Maker, and all idols shall be cast aside from their hearts, and the Lord alone will be their praise, glory, joy, and the love of their heart. And the joy they shall have will be tremendously overwhelming, for he said that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled, and he will fill them. Even the trees will rejoice in the Kingdom, though now all creation groans and is in pain. So rejoice in the promise of redemption from the bondage of corruption. For the salvation of the Lord shall surely be revealed, a light to enlighten the nations and the glory of his people, the people close to the Lord.
We must begin to use our spiritual imagination. The world uses their wicked imagination to create lustful and evil works. They act on their imaginings and bring their evil desires to pass. If we would take our mind off the carnal, material realm, then we could reach out in the imagination of our spirit and dream faith dreams and see spiritual visions, and since he said he can do above all that we can imagine, no dream is too hard to fulfill or vision too great to accomplish. If it's in his word and we can imagine it, he being the author of our spiritual imagination, then we shall see that he surely can do more than we imagined or dreamed possible. So stir up, arouse, awake to this gift of the Holy Spirit and be spiritually-minded, and dream godly dreams through the power of the Holy Spirit within you. No man can steal your dream, or stop you from thinking, and if you will begin to think of him, he will so quicken your heart that those dreams will become reality to you, and then you will begin to live them out through the living power of his word, and then, even then, will he show great signs and wonders in the earth, for nothing shall be impossible with God. For if you can imagine it from his word, then it can be, for he said he would do exceeding abundantly above all that you think."

UPON THE SHORE

Eph 3:16-19

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Who have we in Heaven but you? Who are we serving? Who have we been wanting to see all this time? Who has been walking with us, talking with us, guiding us all these years? Who do we want to see first when we get to Heaven? Who will we be praising throughout the ages? Who on earth do we desire beside you? Who loves us more than anyone else? Who has been our most faithful friend down through the years? Who has always stuck with us, been by our side, been on our side, and never forsaken us? Who cares for and loves us more than any mother, father, brother, sister, friend, relative, or anyone else, even a spouse, could ever love us? Of course it's our lover, friend, companion, guide, our supplier, the wielder of all power, the loving Savior, Jesus Christ. No one else even comes close. We don't even love ourselves as he loves us. Praise his name forever and ever!
Let this be your fervent prayer as you wait for the day you will be with your Lord: "Jesus, as I your face behold, so my feet stand within that strand. For I hear your voice coming from the mountain, resounding among the hills. The very hills which encircle me round about, as they did the children of Israel when they were faced with the sea on one side and the enemy hotly pursuing on the other side. But your voice reached across the sea and opened up a path for them, until they passed through safely, while their enemies were drowned. Then they did sing a great song of deliverance to you. Then they did sing and rejoice, when they stood securely on the other shore. And with the faith you have given me in your word, I stand upon that other shore right now, and so founded upon a solid hope (my hope is in you, Lord Jesus), the hope of becoming made in your image, I your face shall behold, and I shall clasp your hand, never to let it go, and I shall be made like you--perfect in beauty and love--and I shall forget all the past. All the sin, all the woe, and every tear from my eye, you shall remove, Lord Jesus.
So now, Lord Jesus, as you stand before me here upon this earth, as you stand by me, my ever constant friend and companion, as your Spirit now rises up within me Lord, I rejoice in what I have in you now. It is mine now. By the eye of faith I see it now. I see a beautiful land fairer than day, and in joy I rejoice. I bind the evil spirits in the name of Jesus Christ. Satan, get behind me. I resist you. There is no room for doubt, or any other sin, in my heart, as I submit myself, oh my Father, to you. My Father, my heart is yours. My Father, my joy is in you, for all the joys of earth shall pass away. For the earth is changing day by day. It changes; no two days are alike. For each day holds new things, but always and ever my heart rests in your word, the sure foundation, the rock of my salvation. And with the knowledge that my feet shall stand on that strand, I stand firm upon this hope, as though it were already accomplished, and so my joy ever flows and never ceases. Thank you, Father!"

ENLIGHTENMENT

Eph 1:18-19

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

You met Jesus and all was changed. Now things must change again. Jesus was your first love. Have you lost your first love? Sin, doubt, earthly cares and pleasures, forgetfulness of what Jesus did for you; have these replaced or taken away from the love for Jesus in your life? You must meet Jesus where he wants you to meet him, on his own terms. You must meet him anew, to renew that which has been tarnished. You must cast out the old and receive the new. At the very beginning, you received Jesus. You must still receive, and not reject him. He is the fountain from which all blessings flow. You have tapped into that fountain. It is flowing through you. You must continue to drink and continue to tap into that fountain. Listen to his Spirit, and by his great love he will help you find the joy you once had in following him. Jesus is all in all. He is all. He is all your joy, your life, your everything. There is nothing good in life which is not from Jesus. Jesus is the author of eternal life. Jesus is the finisher of eternal life. Jesus is the one who gave you eternal life. Jesus is the one who has kept you in eternal life. Jesus is all that is good. All that is good is Jesus. Fill our willing vessels with your loving Spirit once more!
The life of God in us is not stagnant. His life is like a spring, bubbling up effortlessly. The Holy Spirit is not a stopped-up well, which one must unstop to draw from. He is a river running freely. The life of God is an ever-flowing, naturally vibrant source of energy. We do not have to strive to draw from this source, but rather he flows within us, for he has boundless energy. It is we who stop up the flowing fountain within us. It is by yielding to the desires of our own flesh, that we cut off the flow within us. If only we would get out of the way and allow his life to flow through us as he desires to flow, then we would be full and overflowing with life. We could not contain all of his fullness. We would have to let him flow out of us.
God's word is like sunshine, but grass will burn up and die without water. The Spirit is the water. We can hear the word, but without the Spirit quickening it to us, or enabling us to act on the word, it will burn us up. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Without the Spirit we are no more alive than dead, dry grass, which is good for nothing but to be taken and burned. Many hear the gospel, but the people who do not believe it and receive Christ into their hearts, remain dead and dry. People's hearts are so hard, that they allow the enemy to dull their minds and blind their eyes. Who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? How imperative it is for us to have the Spirit of the Lord in us, enabling us, endowing us, giving us the power we need to overcome the world! We who have the Spirit are alive, for we water the seed of the word with prayer and praise from our heart. Then God our Father causes the seed to grow and bear fruit.
We must continue to walk in a spirit of faith. If we can see through the eyes of faith, through the eyes of our spirit, then spiritual things will become a reality for us. For if we are to do anything for the Father's Kingdom, first we must get a clear picture in our spirit's eye, of what his Kingdom is like. Then it will become more real to us than anything of earth. For our Father is able to do far above all we think, or conceive through the imagination of our heart. If we see the things he says to us in his word as being real, then nothing shall be impossible to us. All mountains shall be removed. We must have his Spirit inside us, in order to have this spiritual vision. The Spirit opens our eyes to all the unseen realities of God's Kingdom. Our spirit, connected to the Holy Spirit, becomes alive to spiritual things. When we didn't have God's Spirit, we were dead spiritually. Now that we know God, we hear his voice, we feel his presence, and we see things we never saw before.
Most of all, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for only he can save, only he can deliver, only he can heal, only he can do great things. We simply watch as he does all things well, and he will do all these things through us, as we see him through the eyes of our heart, for did not the Savior say, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these." (John 5:19-20). The eyes of the Lord go searching through the earth, so he may show himself strong on the behalf of those whose hearts trust in him. Let your hand, oh great Father, be upon those whom you have made strong with your strength!
He shows us his salvation. He shows us his life abundant. He opens our eyes to see a portion of the marvelous light in which he dwells, the light which no man can behold in all its' brightness. He has shown us a glimmer, a glimpse of the reflection of that light, that pure light, illuminating the path to abundant life. See it with your eyes; the eyes of your spirit. The exact same Spirit who lives in Christ, dwells in us. Jesus is not half-God, half-man. He is all God and all man, and his Spirit lives in us. We are as Jesus was in this earth, and he was our example. We are sons of God. We have his abundant life. We are empowered by the same power Jesus had while on earth. We are fully God's new creation in our spirit, yet we are still flesh. But greater is he who is in us, than that which is of the world. Jesus showed us, by example, the life we could live if we follow him, and we want everything he has for us. We consider all things blocking the way to his abundant life to be not worth having, or even worthy of our attention. We want to see more of the great things he has in store for us.
To know Jesus, this is our determined purpose. Searching out his ways, walking in his paths, seeking his face, knowing his will and the intents of his heart, knowing his ways are best, experiencing his love, hating the things he hates, and loving and cherishing the things he loves and delights in: this is our only purpose for living. More like Jesus we would be. More of him we wish to see. All his words we want to hear, until our path is bright with cheer. In his paths we want to walk, of his glory we want to talk. Only his thoughts we want to think. Of his pleasures we want to drink. Following his call, like sheep who listen only to their shepherd, we will lay down beside him and find rest in green pastures.
The visible things of creation were spoken into existence, because God knew that what he said, had to be. By the invisible word of God all the visible creation came into being; we being a part of it. We have God inside us, and we can also exercise the power of God by speaking into visible existence, things which are now invisible. All we have to do is believe in our heart, say it, and receive it, for it shall come to pass. This is the faith we earnestly covet. We desire to be like Jesus. We speak mountains out of existence. We speak Kingdom realities into existence. We say the same things Jesus said, and see them happen right before our eyes. Then we are being like Jesus. We strive to keep his word before our eyes, so we may see the invisible things of God. Unless we see the invisible things, we can never make them visible in our life.
May our goal be to make the Lord number one in our life, in every way, for how futile is any effort without the blessing of the Lord. How useless are our efforts without the power of his Spirit behind us. May the Spirit flow like a river in our life, and may we then find joy in all our labor, for this is a gift from God and the greatest good a man may find in this life. May the Lord then prosper the work of our hands, so we may have the time and resources to not only work, but spend time with him, and fulfill his destiny for our life by spreading the message of salvation. His ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts higher than our thoughts. May the Lord direct our goals, plans, and hopes. Even if it is not what we want, may we trust the Lord and follow him, for his way is best. His way is the only right way to live. It is not what we can accomplish that matters, for it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God that lives are transformed and miracles are performed, and with the Lord behind us, we shall accomplish the works which will last forever.