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As we come to the end of another year it means we are also at the beginning of a new year. It seems appropriate in this season that we understand our heavenly Father. At times we use the word Abba to refer to Him but the original Hebrew word is Ab. So what does it mean? The word Ab, father, is first used in Genesis 2:24 where Adam refers to a man leaving his father and mother. The term father is applied to Yahweh a few places in the OT, three of which are in Psalms.

⁵  A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. Psalm 68:5 (NKJV)

²⁶  He shall cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ Psalm 89:26 (NKJV)

¹³  As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13 (NKJV)

The meaning of the word Ab is to be a father, ancestor or progenitor. In 1 Samuel 25:14 we are introduced to Abigail, who later became one of David’s wives. Her name means father or source of joy or delight.

So why bring in Abigail when talking about fathers? To highlight that the word Ab is not focused on gender. Ab captures not just the idea of being a father or ancestor, it is also about being a source. I believe our Father wants us to know that He is our source. No matter what other places, people or things we look to, He wants us to know that He is our true source. That means He is the origin of our life, the source that sustains us and our future provision.

So as we end this year I pray that as we look back we will see how He has sustained us and as we look forward we will anticipate Him sustaining us in the coming year.

In my next post I will open up Ephesians 1 in relation to the role of our Father.

I noted that in this post I would look at the eternal internal realm we are called to live from. Hebrew 4 references this reality.

⁸  For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. ⁹  There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. ¹⁰  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. ¹¹  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. ¹²  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. ¹⁴  Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:8-14 (NKJV)

There is a lot in this passage but the key is the last phrase in the last verse, “let us hold fast our confession.” Confession of what? The context above connects rest to salvation yet few Christians I know believe in or function from this rest. Why is that? One, I think it is because we don’t believe it and two, if we do believe it we don’t hold fast to believing it.

There are external realities and eternal internal realities. It is a question of which are we holding fast to and confessing. There is war, famine, murder and a host of other evils in the world. That is part of the external reality we face. We also have very good experiences of love, pleasure and peace, other aspects of our external reality. These things change, ebb and flow. They are neither static nor eternal. Yet, in the midst of these things we are called to live from the eternal internal reality. The scriptures below are a sample of the eternal internal reality we possess.

⁴  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV)

⁵  even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), Ephesians 2:5 (NKJV)

²  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2 (NKJV)

¹⁸  We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 1 John 5:18 (NKJV)

¹  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ²  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)

The scriptures above are in the order they appear in the NT with the exception of the last passage because it sums up the reality of the rest. We are to set our thinking and affections on things above. If we let scripture inform scripture we can see how this was laid out in the OT.

³  And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” Isaiah 6:3 (NKJV)

¹³  Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts That the peoples labor to feed the fire, And nations weary themselves in vain? ¹⁴  For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:13-14 (NKJV)

In the two passages above Isaiah had a prophetic encounter where he was experiencing the reality of the eternal internal realm. This is what lives within the one who has been born again! Habakkuk was sharing what we see from an external perspective. He saw from an earthly perspective what would be unveiled in the fullness of time. Isaiah was exposed to what was from an eternal perspective. Our perspective determines whether we function from rest. We need to exercise effort to stay in rest but it changes how we see. So, what perspective do we have? Are we regularly living from the reality of the eternal internal realm?

A key step in understanding the idea of two realities is Jesus interaction with Nicodemus in John 3.

³  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴  Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵  Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:3-5 (NKJV)

When Jesus spoke of seeing the kingdom and then followed it up with referring to entering the kingdom was He just being casual in His speech or simply referring to conversion as seeing and death/translation as entering the kingdom? Prior to answering that, in the spirit of letting scripture interpret scripture, what did Paul say about the kingdom of God?

¹⁷  for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17 (NKJV)

In describing the kingdom Paul referred to a state of being rather than a place. When Jesus spoke of ‘seeing’ the meaning of the word in Greek in this context is that of perceiving or realizing something. Jesus was telling Nicodemus, and by extension us, that we need to be born again to perceive the activity of the kingdom in our lives. The word ‘enter’ means simply that, to enter or go into.

So why the distinction? I believe we can be born again and become aware of another reality. This is like the key to unlock the door. We have arrived at the door and opened it. We now look into this strange new building and become aware of activity that is new and wonderful. However, we now have a choice as to whether we continue through the doorway. How do we know if we have entered into the kingdom? We look at whether our lives are marked by what Paul described. Do kingdom realities pervade out thoughts and actions? Does His presence and purpose overshadow our life? Do we have a desire for His word and worship? Are our thoughts drawn to Jesus presence during the day? Do we look forward to just being with Him?

These things mark whether we have learned to live in these two realities that mark our lives once we have crossed the threshold through the new birth.

In my next post I will look at the eternal internal realm we are called to live from.

I referenced the passage below in my last post looking at the greater reality of the spiritual realm in Hebrews 1.

¹  God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²  has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³  who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV)

My point was that the spiritual realm is more real than the natural realm. Part of what highlights this is that the natural realm was birthed by the spiritual realm, and as per the passage above, is sustained by the spiritual realm. What else is important in that realm? What about the application of Jesus blood in this greater realm? What about His role as Priest in this realm? Hebrews 9 contrasts the tabernacle of Moses and the earthly sanctuary, a copy of the heavenly one, with what took place in the eternal realm.

¹¹  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. ¹²  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? ¹⁵  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-15 (NKJV)

When Jesus blood was being poured out on earth at the cross it was also being poured out in the spirit realm in the heavenly tabernacle on the Mercy Seat. What did Jesus obtain for us as our High Priest? Verse 12 says His shed blood obtained for us ‘eternal redemption’ and is able to cleanse our conscience. Verse 15 tells us that His blood also purchased this ‘eternal inheritance’ for those who walked in faith but died under the old covenant.

I recommend reading and studying all of Hebrews because it is primarily about contrasting the benefits of the old and new covenants. Jesus as a sacrifice, the Lamb of God, offered His body and blood. As High Priest He applied it in the real realm, the spiritual one. See the passage below.

¹¹  And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. ¹²  But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³  from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. ¹⁴  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Hebrews 10:11-14 (NKJV)

Do we get the power of the language? Jesus has by the one offering of Himself perfected forever those who are being transformed into His image. His one time work had eternal efficacy. That is the meaning of the verse below from earlier in Hebrews.

²⁵  Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV)

Jesus one time sacrifice was the ultimate act of intercession bridging the gap between humanity and God and eternally opening the door for all who would receive Him. Does it get any better than that?

Rita Springer This Blood

https://www.bing.com/search?q=rita+springer+his+blood&form=EDGNTT&qs=PF&cvid=ab4d84f983974beeaaf627f37e330adc&refig=96eb804156ff4572fa50d31f4b619d65&cc=CA&setlang=en-US&PC=ASTS

So why did Jesus become a man? It was necessary as only a sinless man could redeem what was fallen. Our Father could not simply ignore our sin. While He is by nature love, He cannot violate justice, which is also an aspect of His love. Prior to Jesus sacrifice on the cross sins were set aside but not paid for. Had Jesus never done what He did there would have been a point when people would have had to suffer the Father’s wrath for their sins.

I said I would give some attention to the passage below.

⁴¹  There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. ⁴²  So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

This is our ultimate destiny. Our natural body will be transformed into a spiritual body at our resurrection, or at out translation if we are alive when Jesus returns. I believe the idea of the different glory carried by different celestial bodies is reflective of the fact that we will carry different degrees of Jesus glory in eternity based on how we have been conformed to His image in this life (Gal. 4:19). While we wait for this consummation we can sow into our future by how learn here to function in our present state, the here and now. The section below is something I wrote in recent years in my commentary on Ephesians.

If we reflect on the original creation of humanity, Adam and Eve were designed to live in two worlds and to bring the dominion present in the spiritual realm over into the natural realm. We all know that they failed, yet Jesus came as the consummate man, “the last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45) to restore what was lost. Jesus was a man able to function in two realms, not because He possessed divinity (Jesus was fully God and fully man), rather because He functioned as the first Adam was originally designed to function. Jesus was simultaneously in heaven, the spiritual realm, and on earth. As Jesus Himself said, “¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.” (Emphasis mine John 3:12-13 NKJV.) Jesus declared to Nicodemus that while He was standing there speaking with Nicodemus He was also simultaneously functioning in and from heaven toward earth.

Clearly Jesus physical body was not in heaven, yet His spirit was. We need to understand that while two physical objects cannot occupy the same place at the same time, something one or both drivers in every collision fail to grasp, the spiritual realm can intersect and exist both within and beyond the physical.

Jesus functioned out of wholeness in His spirit and soul and body. We need to learn to do the same.

Jesus did what Adam failed to do – He lived as He was designed and functioned simultaneously in two realms. Jesus came to demonstrate what was possible and calls us to look to this standard. What He has called us to do is to develop the habit of listening to His spirit within us in all of our day to day activities. This requires developing the habit of internal quiet in the midst of a noisy external culture. It is often not easy but it is possible. Part of us is seated with Jesus in heavenly places. When we give more attention to that realm (Col. 3:1-4) we are more effective in this realm and better representatives of His glory and better prepared for our eternal destiny.

I began by looking at Jesus conception as a Man. What about His glorification? Paul said the following.

⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5

Strange as it may seem the one who bridged the gap between God and humanity was a man! I in no way want to diminish Jesus deity. He is the creator of all that is! At the same time we need to look at what scripture teaches about the significance of His humanity in relation to our lives and why Paul focuses on there being a man as the Mediator in heaven.

²⁰  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹  For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NKJV)

⁴¹  There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. ⁴²  So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. ⁴³  It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. ⁴⁴  It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. ⁴⁵  And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. ⁴⁶  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷  The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸  As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. ⁴⁹  And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:41-49 (NKJV)

If we reflect on the passages above it becomes clear that everything in creation is about two men, the first man Adam, and the last Adam – Jesus. In the end our eternal destiny is determined by the image we bear. Which Adam are we found in? We are in the first Adam by our natural birth, we can be found in Jesus, the second Adam, by the surrender of our hearts to Him. Back around 1990 I was speaking in a church a said there was only one person getting into heaven Jesus. It created a bit of a stir but is true. While millions will get there He is the only one worthy and we get in by being IN Him and carrying His righteousness. The idea of being IN Christ is a core message in the book of Ephesians.

I invite you to reflect on the significance of being in Him and bearing His image and in my next post I will give some attention to verses 41-44 and there significance for our eternal destiny.

Who is Jesus? I am sure we can all provide answers about Him being fully God and fully man and answers about His virgin birth, role in the Trinity and other aspects. Yet what does that mean? What took place when He stepped from eternity into time and entered and settled into the wall of Mary’s womb? What effect did this have on the Godhead? While He never lost His deity, He set aside the use of it for over three decades. I invite you to meditate on the passage below.   

²⁶  Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷  to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸  And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’

²⁹  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰  Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. ³²  He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’

³⁴  Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’  ³⁵  And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

The Holy Spirit in some way settled upon Mary’s life and an egg in her womb was fertilized and the divine settled into human flesh and began to grow. It is easy to miss this when we celebrate Jesus birth every Christmas season (though He was likely actually born in the fall, not December). Post creation, this was the most significant event to impact humanity outside Jesus death and resurrection. Yet neither would have taken place without this incredible act of humility, favour and grace. In the coming weeks I will delve deeper into the significance of this Glorious Man who still is fully God and fully man and trust we shall learn some things together. For now let us stand in awe at what took place 2,000 years ago.

 

What do you need to build a house? Where do you start? The building of a structure first requires the laying of a foundation. When it comes to spiritual houses we get the best foundation possible, Jesus (1 Cor. 3:9-11). However, what we take from time into eternity depends on what building material we use on this foundation. How we build is tied to how we invest our time.

A couple of decades ago now Andy Park wrote a song called ‘We Will Ride,’ calling us to join Jesus in His purposes in the earth. The lyrics are at the end of this post. The question for us to consider and hold before Him as we read, is this, ‘Are we riding with Him?’ How much of our time is being directed by Him will tell us how well we are riding.

A good friend stepped from time into eternity on December 10, 2016. She used to say, “If God doesn’t have your wallet He doesn’t have your heart.” I believe that is true yet let me share another idea. There have been efforts made over the years to create a perpetual motion machine. While I think it has been unsuccessful in the realm of engineering and physics it has been very successful in terms of busyness in western culture. The majority of us are always moving about and striving. Rarely taking time to just sit with Him. Perhaps a fulfillment of what Daniel prophetically declared?

⁴  “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12:4 (NKJV)

I have said many times over the years that we live in a culture gorged on knowledge and starving for wisdom. So, in this hour I think a concept to add to the wallet one is, “If God doesn’t have your calendar He doesn’t have your heart.”

A good scriptural example of a people who embraced their agenda instead of Jesus agenda were the believers in Corinth. Corinth was a very cosmopolitan city of about 700,000 people famous for its vices. A reading of 1 Corinthians will reveal a group of believers who focused on their agendas, were selfish, and excelled in spiritual gifts. Out of concern for them and seeking to correct their focus Paul warned them about the lives they were building and how it affected their eternal destiny.

¹¹  For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²  Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³  each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 1 Corinthians 3:11-13 (NKJV)

The reality is that our agendas, like the Corinthians, are producing wood, hay and straw or gold, silver and precious stones. Paul says that a fire will reveal what building material we have used, what we have invested our lives in. The source of the fire coming to test our lives is revealed in scripture.

¹¹  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹²  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Revelation 19:11-15 (NKJV)

Jesus will examine our lives and the fire of His gaze will consume all the wood hay and straw so that the gold, silver and precious stones will be revealed. We all have some wood, hay and straw but none of us want to step from time into eternity and discover we have built almost nothing on the foundation He provided. So, how are we responding to His call to ride with Him and take up His agenda? Are we building with precious things in how we use our time?

We Will Ride https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV99E2_7cBc 

He has fire in His eyes and a sword in His hand

And He’s riding a white horse across this land

He has fire in His eyes and a sword in His hand

And He’s riding a white horse across this land

And He’s calling out to you and me

“Will you ride with me?”

He has fire in His eyes and a sword in His hand

And He’s riding a white horse across this land

And He’s calling out to you and me

“Will you ride with me?”

We say, “yes, yes Lord, we will ride with You”

CHORUS:

We say, “yes Lord, we will ride with You

We will stand up and fight

We will ride with the armies of heaven

We’ll be dressed in white, we’ll be dressed in white”

We say, “yes, yes Lord, we will ride”

He has a crown on His head and he carries a scepter in His hand He’s leading the armies across this land

And He’s calling out to you and me

“Will you ride with me?”

We say, “yes, yes Lord

We will ride with You”

That fire in His eyes is His love for His bride

And He’s longing that she be with Him

Right by His side

That fire in His eyes is His burning desire

That His bride be with Him, right by His side

And He’s calling out to us right now,

“Will you ride with me?”

Yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord, yes Lord

 

 

I suppose at some point in our lives we would all like to see “Great and mighty things.” This is something that Yahweh promised to Jeremiah.

³  ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

At first glance this can seem like a promise we can just reach out and claim. However, context is always important. In this case Jeremiah would never see the ‘great and mighty things’ referenced in this verse. It was about the return of a remnant of the nation of Israel to rebuild Jerusalem, after 70 years of captivity in Babylon.

This brings us to something we rarely reference in the Western church. Jeremiah, like most OT prophets, was living for something beyond himself. The tagline I have on my blog and in my home email signature is, “An Eternal Perspective: Living in Time, Preparing for Eternity.” Easy to say, not always so easy to do. Living this way requires regularly stepping back and gaining perspective. Am I willing to invest my life in people and things when I may never see the fruit of them this side of the grave? Yahweh was inviting Jeremiah to stand in the gap and intercede for things he would never see. Doing this requires faith.

This past spring I was in Europe. I remembered hiking up a hillside by the Danube to an old cathedral. Interestingly I think the cathedral could have held the entire population of the town. The main doors were about 10 metres high and the huge pillars about 30 metres high. As impressive as it was the most impressive building I saw was the ornately carved parliament building in Budapest. What is notable about these buildings is that the stone masons who began the work would never see the culmination of their efforts, perhaps their grandchildren would. In the same manner, Jeremiah would never see what he was to intercede for and I think the Holy Spirit regularly invites us to pray into or invest our lives in things that have significance far beyond ourselves. Are we responding and investing in our own ‘great and mighty things?’