And, what we now know about what we will know.
Some unconnected thoughts from Scripture were meandering through my mind, so I asked the Holy Spirit to flesh them out for me and enable me to write them. There is no end to our treasure hunt through the many shafts of the bottomless gold mine of the Bible and there is immense profit and increasing riches as we see the sin, desperation, suffering, persecution in this world. The ways of our Sovereign God are unfathomable to us but we remain steadfast in confidence because (Romans 11:33) we know there is a limitless depth of riches in His wisdom. This TRUTH should also shine in every aspect of our personal lives.
Our beloved and longed-for Bridegroom will not come to take us home to the Father’s house until He has completed the building of His Church. Jesus is building (Matthew 16:18) His Church and the gates of Hell are not able to stand against the onslaught on the Gospel. Our part is to represent the Master in every thought, word and deed and to take every opportunity to tell others about the mercy and saving grace of God. We are on the winning side and Resurrection conquers death.
There will be no marriage in heaven (Mark 12:25) until heaven’s human population, the church will be complete and final. But on the new earth, the nation (Genesis 22:17) of Israel and the (Matthew 25:32-34) sheep nations will marry and have children. Boys and girls (Zechariah 8:5) will play on the streets of Jerusalem. When God created Adam and Eve, he could have made billions more humans in the same way but He ordained marriage, children, families to populate the world. There will be no lack of space in our expanding universe for the increasing population. Just think! Our history Maker, the Lord God, started the whole human program from dust. God promised Abraham (Genesis 22:17) that his descendants would be as many as the stars. The Lord confirmed it. (Genesis 26:4) with Jacob. It will be thrilling for us to see what He has planned for the world to come.
Paul reported (1 Corinthians 11:26) that Jesus said “Whenever you eat this Bread and drink this Cup, you show forth My death until I come.” When we participate in the Communion Service, we proclaim His death because His death was the final Passover and ended forever all need for future Passovers. All former Passovers belonged to (Hebrews 12:18-24) the old Covenant. Now we come not to that (Genesis 19:18-21) terrifying mountain but we come to Mount Zion the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. When you take Communion, where is your mind? Do you forget that it is to be (Luke 22:11) in remembrance of Jesus, to show the amazing scope covered by His triumphant death? Don’t you think this forgetting would be (1 Corinthians 11:30-31) taking Communion unworthily? All that the death of Jesus purchased is made gloriously available to us by the Eternal Statement of His Resurrection.
The angel sitting on the rolled-away stone (Matthew 28:2-7) ignores the unconscious guards and said 3 things to the women, which are essential for all believers (1) Do not be afraid. (2) Come and see. (3) Go and tell. Because our security is in God’s Sovereignty, we have nothing to fear even if there is panic all around us. As we come faithfully to God’s Word, we will continue to see more clearly (John 14:21) with spiritual comprehension the riches in Jesus. Then we will have a growing desire (Acts 1:8) to share the Good News of the Gospel with others wherever we go.
Jesus entered the room (John 20:19) through locked doors. He is supreme over space and time, matter and energy because He is the Creator of them. Jesus rose from the dead to a life He had never lived before, a life that had never been lived before Jesus rose in His glorified body. Jesus was the first and because He lives that life (John 14:19) we can confidently look forward to living that life also, when our bodies are glorified. In spite of all He had suffered and endured in the previous days, when Jesus came out of the tomb He had no pain, no weakness, no tiredness, only scars. This is what is just up ahead for us. Not now but when we see Jesus (1 John 3:2) we will be like Him and our new bodies will possess vibrant health, timeless radiant beauty, fabulous intelligence and unending holiness.
How could the Son of God become the Son of Man when He had no earthly father? We all know that in the Bible – man – refers to mankind, which includes all male and female human beings. We know that being called (1 John 3:1) the sons of God does not exclude women but refers to all the children of God. We are the family of God. This is rather superficial but I had a sense that there was more to it, something deeper. So, I’m asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the treasures to me. Unto us (Isaiah 9:6) a Child is born (Luke 1:31) the virgin-born Baby of Bethlehem and a Son is given (John 3:16) God so loved that He gave His only Son. What did it all mean for Jesus back then and what does it mean for me now? For the Son of God, it meant leaving the brightness, beauty, worship, and perfect love of heaven to come into a world dark with wickedness, rebellion, oppression and hatred. Right from the start He was rejected and scorned as the illegitimate son of Joseph or possibly His mother was raped by a Roman soldier (a false rumour being circulated at that time). Where is (John 8:19) this father of yours? They said His miracles were performed (John 7:48, John 7:52)
(Luke 11:15) because He was demonized. When he spoke the Truth (John 8:59) they tried to stone Him. The religious leaders envied and rejected Him and plotted (Mark 11:18) to kill Him. He was tested, tried, a Man (Isaiah 53:3) of sorrow and grief. There must have been many times when Jesus longed to go home to His Father but He had a mission to accomplish, so He remained on earth until His mission was completed and fulfilled in holy perfection.
For you and me it means forgiveness of all our sins through the shed Blood and Atoning death of the Son of Man and His Blood continually cleanses us, to have the indwelling Presence (Ephesians 3:19) of the Triune God. Because it was essential (Hebrews 2:17-18) that Jesus was made like His brethren in every respect with all the limitations of a human body, He is now a faithful High Priest Who makes atonement for sinners. He fully understands us (Hebrews 4:15-16) and responds immediately to our prayer. He knows our needs (Matthew 6:32) before they exist and has already planned and prepared for them.
To be constant (Romans 12:12) in prayer, to pray (1 Thessalonians 5:17) without ceasing, to pray for persecuted Christians (Hebrews 13:3) as if we were fellow-prisoners with them - - - is unbroken communion with God at a higher level as the Father shares His heart and the interests of His heart with us. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life yet He entered so completely into the human experience that He now lives, not a copy, but His own victorious Resurrection Life in obedient Christians.
What a holy privilege and how precious it is to have unbroken communion with Him, which is continually increasing by (Psalms 119:5, Psalms 119:10, Romans 12:12) the Word of God and prayer. There is no end to the treasures for us because the Son of God was willing to pay the horrendous cost to become also the Son of Man. What it means for me that He, Son of God became also the Son of Man is that God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:17-18) was fulfilled in a virgin’s womb and in an empty tomb.
Prayer is the gift of Kingdom authority. With the keys of the kingdom (Matthew 16:19) we are privileged and responsible to open and shut as God directs. We are to pray for the opening of minds (2 Corinthians 4:4) blinded by Satan, to pray for persecuted Christians as if (Hebrews 13:3) we were fellow prisoners with them, to pray that the perfect love of God for them and their love for God (1 John 4:18) would cast out all fear and that they would have continual insight into God’s Sovereign holy purpose. We are empowered through Spirit-filled prayer to loose or bind according to the needs in individual lives, in situations all over the world. We continue to pray for ourselves that we will fulfill God’s purposes for creating us and redeeming us.
That is why we need (Colossians 1:9) Godly wisdom, knowledge, understanding, insight, discernment and sound judgment in every area of our lives. So that we will continually represent and (Acts 1:8) be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14) witnesses to our precious Lord Jesus.
I marvel and am filled with admiration for all that God does but I am deeply moved by the reason for which He does all that He does. When I take time to consider WHO and ALL that Jehovah Elohim is and then consider that He does what He does just because (Romans 8:32), (1 Peter 5:7) He cares for me – cares so much – so very much - - it is a heart-moving experience. I want to be consumed with burning love for my Lord, to love Him deeply, supremely, more and more every day of my remaining days with every fibre of my being.