In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
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A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.
Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the scripture has said: Streams of living water will flow from within him”.
God rested on the seventh day as he had finished his work.
So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
All scriptures is inspired of God, God breathed, thus there is a redemptive incorporation of mankind expressed in the Lord God making no distinction between the earth and the heavens. To express his great heart of love, after the sabbath God affirms the unity, the oneness and its liberty. All of creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
The heavens are higher than the earth, and the place of the throne room. Yet, the earth is not less a part of Gods creation, and Gods intention was that heaven should always reside on earth.
God is industrious, God worked during creation. And as Man is made in the image of God, the original intention for man was to work the ground.
The Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. **
The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Lord God planted the garden, and he put the man whom he had formed there. Here again we have an expression of the love of God, there being no division or separation from that which God does and mankind.
The Lord God made every tree pleasant to the eyes, this is later affirmed by both Adam and Eve. Again this shows a symmetry between Him who created all things & those made in his image.
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’.
God had made the tree of the knowledge of good and evil no less pleasant to behold that any of the trees that were good for fruit.
God gave mankind a commandment that contained an immense liberality, all the trees of the garden where accessible.
Only one tree was he not to eat from, as it would bring death.
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”
Previously, I have touched upon a sequence here which quite frankly is beyond my intellectual ability to compute.
Immediately, after man is given a commandment of great liberty and of the way to preserve life, God states that there is something in his creation that is not good.
Now this has to be considered, as all that which God has created is good, as affirmed by the very sight of God himself.
Here we see that their is a link between the ‘first commandment’ and a union of love.
Here we see that in Gods eyes mankind being made in his image necessitated a plurality, as God is triune.
Man alone, did not mirror his creator and his God, his Lord God. The earth in its generation was not in harmony with heavens love accord.
Here we have, right here between and within these verses the narrative of Gods redemption of mankind. Jesus Christ, when nailed to a tree, cried out as a man alone, forsaken by his God. The people who heard it and saw the scene knew that he was good, and the evil of men’s hearts that had crucified LIFE! When he died, he cried ‘It is Finished’, having completed his Fathers work here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
When the prince of Life, died, the work of God was finished. His opening words upon that cursed tree where ‘Father forgive them, for they do not have the knowledge of what they are doing’.
How can the work of God be finished through death? The tender, the exquisite love of God. No wonder that the Lord arose in a Garden, appearing first to a women who had broken many of Gods commandments but through the knowledge of His life, his light, sought him through the darkness of the night, her life transformed by a ministry of total forgiveness.
She was not caught that night by the weakness of the flesh, but rather she was lead by the Spirit to be the first to hear the glory of the resurrection, of the restoration, of being one again with God, sons and daughters of the Father.
The inspired word of God, finishes with the words, ‘The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come”. He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come Lord Jesus!
The beloved apostle John, adds to his Lords statement, a reciprocated response, ‘Come Lord Jesus’. This is what the Lord longs for, his desire from before time began has always been for a bride, male and female, who choose him due to the love where with he has loved them.
John is upon earth, and he is seeing heaven opened. He is responding to a vision of a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.
Hardly a surprise that Paul had a thorn in his flesh. He had seen higher into the redeeming love of God, of that union of love between man and God through Jesus Christ are Lord and saviour. Perhaps it was a dimming of his sight upon this earth, due to the brightness of that love that had shone so brightly upon the Damascus Road. The third heaven must be seeing things unlawful in this age even to pen due to the exquisite and tender deep love of God.
A thorn in his flesh, having seen the Church glorified with her bridegroom.
Reciprocated.
In the garden, in the trees, in seeing that they were good. In making man plural and not singular. Oh may my heart sing, this is a song that the the Lord himself has sung, ‘O you who dwell in the gardens, with companions listening for your voice; let me hear it’.
Come Lord Jesus.
When it pleased God, ‘Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I awakened you. There your mother was in labour with you; there she who bore you was in labour.
And God blessed them.
Nathaniel, proves that its plural. And the sons of thunder show us that from the bookends of scripture the way to life is the revelation of Gods tender, exquisite redeeming love. Gods love, and his desire for a union with love, in love, with mankind is a seal, sealed through the furnace of Calvary.
We cannot enter the kingdom of heaven, without faith, as it is through faith that it ‘works’ through love. Faith and its testing is the furnace of Gods pure transparent love.
Faith is not an industrious building. Faith is a resting place of a sealed covenant.
And God saw that the light was good. And he separated the light from the darkness.
Man is given his greatest gift, from within the Lord brings to him her who is dually made in the Lords image. And man affirms the Word of the Lord to be true, having waited for someone who reciprocated his own uniqueness. It is a good thing.
The serpent, appears on the scene. This crafty creature has fallen from glory and as an enemy to the source of true love seeks only to create division and isolation. As a crafty creature he sets out to deceive as his own voice is unable to create life, his sphere of dominion is only darkness as he has chosen to reject pure love as his source of life.
Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’!
Here we find the source of all legalism. Here we see that darkness is not only a hedonistic corruption of the true comfort of love, but also the orchestrator of the bondage of religion!
Yes, the serpent is the orchestrator of the bondage of religion. Before sin there was no death, and before death there was only a liberty of life.
This is an important truth, especially to all who separate Grace & Truth into separate fullnesses.
The laws of God, only came due to that which darkness orchestrated. And how did, darkness, start his narrative, portraying God completely opposite to all that he had demonstrated himself to be. He cannot be creative, no wonder the Spirit of the Lord comes to heal the broken-hearted and to set the prisoner free.
She responds with truth, and unfortunately, her man was standing with her and remained silent. He had an opportunity, to receive the word of God within, to become as his Lord, to be joined in harmony with the source of all love: if he had believed and affirmed the word of the Lord as his personal truth, his choice. He could have rebuked the serpent, ‘Be silent’ you lying creature.
The serpent, what a rebellious spirit he is! The serpent has the audacity to lie concerning what God has said. He has taken it upon himself to corrupt unto others that which is without corruption! Gods word is always fulfilled and shall be fulfilled in its season, always and forever, Amen.
We see here why there is no redemption for the serpent. And why he has a place reserved for him, cast away into a place where pure love will not reside. His rebellion against the truth of Gods word, his nature and character. Wow to any preacher who adds or takes away from Gods inspired Word: Emerging Church or apostate Church.
Having done that which they had been commanded not to do, immediately, their eyes where opened and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
What has just happened to them? Prior to this they were both naked and not ashamed.
Adam as yet had not known Eve his wife in a sexually intimate way. There is a correlation, a spiritual principle concerning temptation and victory. Gods opportunity of forming Christ in Adam, came when they were tempted, the victory over temptation was Gods foundation for the sealing of their union one with another to fulfill the great commission: Be fruitful and multiply.
But both man and women knew that they had been given this commission, they both had open eyes in respect to their respective differences concerning anatomy.
Friendship, is a deeper bond than any sexual bond. Adam and Eve where utterly content in each other’s company without a compelling need for sex. That does not minimize nor reduce the physical bonds a man and women may enjoy. It does not mean that chemistry is not ever present in the friendship.
So what has just happened to them? From absolute freedom and liberty, to sewing the leaves together from a tree that had been given to them for its fruit, to using it to hide their own uniqueness.
Immediately, they became aware of their bodies and had a sense of shame.
The Lord God knew precisely where this shame came from! Here again we see that the orchestrator of religious bondage is darkness. God is not taboo about the sexual union between a man and his wife, he has formed both the male and female to fit together. Sexual intimacy is to be a comfort, a sacred place of union where Gods pure love is reciprocated in kind.
What had just happened to them?
Nothing on the outside had changed at all. Their eyes where not beholding anything new.
Now this draws are attention, to a key truth whether we believe the garden narrative to be literal or figurative. I believe both.
That which had changed was their perception to Gods love.
Prior to this, as Children they had no fears or insecurities. Babies have no shame at their birth!
A knowledge of evil had come to them, and that knowledge came directly from the serpents lies concerning the liberality of Gods nature.
This knowledge of evil had removed from their knowledge all the absolute goodness of God.
It was a radical and deep transition. Adam did not run to the Lord his God and confess his sin knowing the heart of his Father would be running to clothe him again with the knowledge of his love.
Man had been given prophetic gifting ‘She shall be called women’, when meeting his bride. But alas silent when the serpent spun his deception.
Man had been given prophetic gifting, but alas after he has his eyes opened to the knowledge of evil, he is unable to Cry: Behold the Lamb of God.
The man and his wife hide themselves among the trees afraid of the sound of the Lord God walking in the Garden.
This is so clearly a consequence of having consumed the lie. The utterly ridiculous notion the serpent conceived that Gods Word would not hold true, that it could be altered is being demonstrated here in some measure. Hiding amongst the trees, that God had planted each seed of, in fear of the God who had given all these things unto him.
From Gods perspective we see that it is clearly figurative, it was never concerning a literal fruit in respect to an apple tree, but rather choosing to digest lies concerning who God really is.
Oh the glory of God, that Glory that appeared to Father Abraham. That produced in him a desire to see a City that has foundations, whose builder and maker is purest love.
Gods Character is incorruptible. Gods word is always fulfilled. To all the lies GOD speaks truth. God speaks to man, God speaks to women and God speaks to the serpent. Gods truth always prevails, its immutable.
GOD the Father speaks prophetically through that which he will finish through his SON: For this my Son was dead & is alive, was lost and is found.
‘He shall bruise your head’.
Straight after God has spoken prophetically, asserting his authority, no! He is all authority, God only speaks it so that we may lay hold of it by faith. God is after are affections through a freedom of liberty. It only takes one tree to be forsaken to know his promises true: Have faith IN God. Choice is the only tree of division between God and man, as God has reconcile us unto himself.
Choice, is the cross the doorway of eternal life.
Repent and believe the gospel.
Straight after God has spoken prophetically, man names his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living – life giver.
Now we know due to the fall that the first-fruits where not good, due to mans inward corruption.
But God has separated the light from the darkness.
No sooner has man obeyed that which God has declared as good, and God seals this with the blood of the lamb.
Adam, was obedient to the original mandate of God, when he calls his wife, life giver. God saw that it was good, that man held to his wife
God clothed them both with the mantle of the Lamb.
That which had been lost, was assured again unto them
The notion that Adam and Eve had less grace availing towards them is unbiblical – the same seed prevailed for them. They lived before any Mosaic or Abrahamic covenants, they lived in an age where it was all down to faith which works by love. Gods love has never changed: Choose this day whom you will serve, as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord. Will you believe that I love you and will carry you through the flood and the fire, will you believe that I will never leave you nor forsake you.
The Gospel necessitates free will for love to be reciprocated. Their is a bondage of the will, but it is faith that sets the heart free to respond in love.
Why does Jesus, when challenged concerning eating with publicans and sinners narrated three parables; What Man, What Women and a Father had two sons! Why, because it has always come down to coming to yourself and speaking the truth again concerning the nature of God, ‘How many hired servants have more than enough bread’ – is he not a faithful Creator.
Cain, God comes to him and affirms that only through faith in the lamb can he know the liberality of all that God has done, finished. God the true Father of all faith, is speaking prophetically to him: God shall provide himself a sacrifice. The Lord God wanted him to know that he could come boldly to the throne of Grace and ask, ask for the provided sacrifice that brought the celebration at the heart of all weddings. Friendships underpin all weddings, marriage is a union with your best friend.
I never disobeyed your command! Cain judged himself that his offering from the field was of as much worth as that pattern unto which God himself had clothed his Father & Mother with.
Cain had not sinned akin to his parents. Did he resent deep down the requirement to worship. The Father comes to him in a special way, to tell him that he takes no pleasure in the sacrifice but that he only seeks worship in Spirit and truth. ‘I just want you to know me as I really am’.
I have never disobeyed your command. The original disobedience was to digest that God had not given all of himself to his creation. Obedience to God is a tree of spontaneous life, obedience to love is a river of abundant life, sharing outwards with all ones friends and even enemies.
I have never disobeyed your command! Why where these words not full of reciprocating love, ‘Hearing’ reciprocated love within the unity of God himself, Love begets love, and love does not seek less for ones neighbor.
Cain lead his accepted younger brother, a type of Christ, into his own field of works and burnt offering, and rose up and killed him.
What has just happened! Murder the diametrically opposite action to LIFE.
Oh what a tyrant comes within when we digest the knowledge of evil, Cain allowed his own judgement of the situation to corrupt him further away from God than both his parents combined.
Then the Lord said to him! Those in prisons who consider themselves beyond redemption.
‘Not so!’ If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on his sevenfold. Cain becomes a mark man. Marked by God, so that he knows that God always keeps to his Word.
God rested on the seventh day, after he had finished all his work.
The Lords judgement was not unto condemnation but for godly repentance to be outworked.
The goodness of God leads us to repentance – those who are lead by the Spirit.
(Genesis Ch 4 v15 – Barnabas was allows to go free. Politics and its ability to polarize is not a characteristic that comes from God – Mercy unto all)
Methushael fathers Lamech.
Lamech, ‘If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold’.
Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, the purest scholar and expositor concerning the truth of scripture: Affirms that fallen man is able to have both a knowledge of that which is good despite being evil – ‘I do not say to you that you must forgive seven times but seventy times seven’.
Did Lamech or Cain get away with their sin? Not at all, it had its consequences. But the cycle of Sin is broken at Calvary, the nature of sin can only be separated from us at Calvary. Judgement is reserved by God unto Calvary.
It’s incredible that Lamech should take Gods word to Cain and multiply it unto himself, its astounding that Jesus Christ would ascribe it as being words spoken in truth.
Is this not the kind of mercy we all desperately need. Do we not know ourselves how desperately we need a total and comprehensive covering of mercy.
Does this not get at the very heart of distinction between the two kingdom, between the light & darkness, good and bad, a home in heaven or eternity in hell. Does it not place a foot right firmly upon the serpents head – does not Paul shake of that snake, and the judgement unto a murderer, and cast it onto a fire. Calvary is what transforms a man, Calvary is where deliverance comes from.
Cain & Lamech were both in disharmony with God, but God only has one sacrifice through which mankind can be saved.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.
Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
Man, both male and female, codependent and equal – this reflects Gods image.
When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his own likeness, after his image and named him Seth!
What has just happened here?
Really!
Has the inspiration of scripture, after all that has happen just implied that all that God had originally intended for man, in his mirroring of God himself (planting Garden, working, naming, adding to him), that this is continuing, that man is able to pass on a heritage to the next generation.
Has God not detracted from his promises, is God Faithful to his own Word and purposes.
The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters.
Incredible. Sevenfold and seven, and then Adam lives 800 years after Seth is born.
God is making a clear demarcation prophetically concerning this seed line – it is the seedline of His coming testimony.
Gen Ch4 v26 – Isaiah Ch 7 v14-16 & Ch 9 v6-7.
7! The sabbath, multiplied.
8 always comes after 7, **).
God who is always on time, has Adam live 800 years, the day he died only spoke about the ‘provided sacrifice’ that the Father had covered them with. Is Adam inside the ark of covenant, one thing is sure, the seed of his redemption came through the appointed seed.
Does this alter established doctrine, No, it just shows that Paul understood the seed, and the Son of promise and the second man of grace, through whom better thing are spoken.
As with Isaac, God establishes for all are benefit a unique relationship with the appointed seed instead of Abel. God is speaking prophetically through Adams life span after Seth concerning the redemption through his provided sacrifice.
Enoch walked with God and was not, for God took him. God did this also due to his own timeframe and purposes upon the earth.
Methuselah begat Lamech, and Lamech fathered a son and called his name Noah.
The days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
No wonder Paul would later write concerning the middle wall of partition.
God who in such tenderness, does not cast Adam and Eve off. God who loves Cain and Lamech despite their horrific crimes.
God who is seeking reciprocated love.
God weaves into the chosen line of redemption, the same names of mankind who desperately needed a New Testament, having comprehensively broken the first.
What does he not have authority over? He who has taken separation captive, he who remained faithful to his Father during the three hours of utter pitch darkness.
The generations of Noah.
8 souls go into the ark. Four men & four women. God never departs from his own image.
At the end of 40 days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made. Mirroring his maker. Obedience brings a prophetic reciprocation of good things still to come.
Mark Ch 1:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his path straight’. Adam and Cain were driven out of the garden – and the flaming sword guarded the way to the tree of life. Holiness without which you cannot see God. Tender and exquisite love can be missed or robbed if its not guarded.
John appeared not in a garden, but a wilderness. Baptizing, in water for the forgiveness of sins – Gen Ch 1 v2.
The voice of one crying: Where are you?
Clothed with an animals skin.
After me comes one mightier than I, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
And after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John, Immediately, the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’.
Then he is immediately driven, aka Adam & Cain, into the wilderness being tempted by the serpent.
Now after John is arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God.
Saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.’
42 generations from Abraham to Jesus Christ.
The time is fulfilled! Around 4000, years of biblical history, covering the fourth generation for the inquiry of the Amorites.
The time is fulfilled – a land of covenant promise – a greater possession than just that which reached the borders of the Euphrates.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters.
Repent and believe in the gospel – John Ch 3 v16.
Jesus the very Word of God and all creation preached the gospel.
Jesus then call two brothers to follow him.
Then he calls another two fishermen brothers to follow him. Stating ‘Follow me and I will make you fishers of men’.
Teaching on the Sabbath – the serpents minions know that authority is in the midst.
Uncleanness, man is not destined for uncleanness. Man can know and experience a purity of love, Gods loves can bring a separation from that which is unholy.
A leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘if you will you can make me clean’.
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean”.
And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was ‘MADE’ clean.
And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them”.
Genesis Ch 7 v1-4
Leviticus Ch 14 v1-57
(Follows on from the purification after childbirth – Lev Ch 12 Jesus at 33 year old: Finished his Fathers work – a multiplication of 66 days for a female – Noah was 600 when he entered the ark – Jesus covering the number of Man: both male and female the united body for bringing forth fruit after the image of God).
Jesus teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath, having himself been washed in water as a forerunner to the scarlet cord of redemption in which God is miraculously able to graft in sinners and separated ones into his generation.
The tree of life, stretched forth his hand and touched an unclean man. Noah had to take a pair of unclean animals into that ark, as they where yet to be cleansed and defined as no longer common, a delight to all those afar off or near who love the Danish.
Jesus had clearly, commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Jesus had clearly spoken to Cain, imploring him to trust in the saving work of the lamb of God.
And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them’.
Moses commanded for a proof to them!
He changeth not, he who ached for Adam, he who spared Cain due to the blood that speaketh better things, he who multiplied it unto another man, he who knows that the religious legalistic needs the love of God just the same as the reckless sinner.
Jesus his fame was beginning to be spread, everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
This man was given a directed commandment, yet he went out to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Why did Jesus give this man such a stern commandment?
It is a more difficult scripture to digest than we may like to consider. I have no doubts that the reasons where more than one, but it is certainly true that this man was not just instructed to do what he was commanded just so that Jesus could moved around more freely.
And this gets to the heart of why its more difficult to digest, as I doubt there is a single believer past or present who in their walk with the Lord can not thing of an occasion that they feel that the Spirit of God was asking them to hold their peace, to stay silent, or not to share some secret with this one or another but rather to keep it as a personal treasure within the heart, and yet the matter was shared!
During the Welsh revival the presence of God was so tangible one night that two men walking home together over the hills did not speak one to another lest they loose the sense of his awesome holy loving and tender presence. Eventually, one man spoke to the other and asked why it was so rare for the Lords presence to come in that way, his friend replied that it is because the Lord cannot trust us.
The love of God, was totally intentionally towards all those men despite most being impostors within the priesthood.
Jesus was mindful of them and desired for them to have their hearts enlightened to the fulfillment of the law and prophets. How meek is the provided lamb of sacrifice, seeking men hiding their nakedness behind long robs and stone pillars.
This cleansed leper was given an opportunity to represent the fulfillment of scripture. This man was given a gospel mandate second to known, to demonstrated that the veil had been taken away, so to speak, that the blood to sprinkle on the Mercy seat had come.
This mans slap dash response to his immediate healing, did not take him further into a union with Gods great love. This makes us consider aspects of Charisma which may attract a crowd but are not the intimacy that Jesus is seeking. He had started so well, imploring and kneeling and requesting for what his heart needed. But his subsequent response, shows how important obedience is amongst all the trees of the garden, it brings a unison with Gods love and mission: It is Finished.
Jesus was out in desolate places, yet they came to him from every quarter.
He is the foundation head where he goes, whether in a town or in a desert place. He is the unseen man of Genesis Ch2.
And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
This I don’t fully understand as its implied that Jesus was able to return to his own town Capernaum, despite the disobedience of the leper.
And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
And he was preaching the word to them.
The Word of God himself, was preaching the word to them. He is the message.
And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
Due to the crowd they could not get near him.
He who had sternly told the leper not to spread what had been done to others. Was it in part so that others could have access to him too. He had not come to be competition unto the scribes and Pharisee, can we hear the cords of Gods tender love, that had made man in his own likeness.
So these four men removed the roof and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
Now when Jesus had been baptized in water as a man, he is the one unto whom John had said he was making his way straight for. The one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
When he was baptised the heavens were torn open: and a bird of purity, faithful throughout life rested upon him. His baptism is according to the fulfillment of Gods Word – Gen Ch 1 v3.
It is a word unto his whole body, the bride of Christ. Come out of all uncleanness, my people, and be yeah holy.
And a voice came from heaven, it was a voice totally in tantrum with that wind that rushed into the upper room upon the day of Pentecost. It was the same voice, but a different tone, that had cried unto Adam: Where are you?
‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased’.
Jesus had said to these two sets of brethren that they would become fishers of men.
How where they going to catch men, what kind of a word was this.
Light, is plural by nature, it brings sight unto another, unto all things. Another gospel has a man seeing men clearly, not in a fallen depravity hiding from God amongst the trees.
This word from God, the Father speaking of his beloved Son, this word was going to be shared with these fishermen from Galilee. This word, of sins stain and condemnation being placed in a grave, of an empowering through his death and resurrection and ascension, was going to catch other men.
‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.
These four men who took the roof off the ark of covenant, they are showing these fishermen the outworking of the gospel truth of the Word they were following and the Word who had called and commissioned them.
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, you sins are forgiven’.
Incredible, doctrine defiling and revolutionary. Their faith brought forth a word from the beloved SON of God: ‘Son’!
Had he repented! Scripture is silent.
Did he obey God afterwards, this man who hadn’t even been able to implore and kneel before him. This man obediently went to his own home and through his obedience, the scribes and the priesthood saw and beheld the end of loves tender cords. Liberty, to be at home with the Father in the cool breeze of the day. Rest, harmony and symmetry on earth as it is in heaven. No frantic work or heavy weight to bear, just a bed his saws to heal, and innumerable thoughts for the days ahead; swimming, running, family to visit, a dance with his delight.
Oh obedience a tree of manifold and abundant life.
Those four friends, opened the window of heaven, they believed that they could lower a man from were he had fallen from, but when it was to the feet of the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, that despite his many sins, JESUS would be faithful to his nature and his name.
Friendship a bedrock for fellowship with God a true representation of Gods likeness.
‘Follow me & I will make you fishers of men’.
‘Son’
’This is my beloved Son, hear him’
What does Sonship represent, is it not a ministry of total forgivenesses.
Note:
The door of eternity is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. The Lamb slain for the sins of the whole world.
I had gone back to the start of Mark Ch 1 at the start of this week. And while in partial knowledge of part of that to come, it is only this morning that I have turned to Genesis to discover some of the terrain in which Mark drew forth his gospel template. Many hands penned the 66 books that make up the bookends of Gods authoritative and inspired word: 66 the imperative number given to man: male and female, a multiplication of the finished cry of the beloved Son of God: It is Finished. The Church the ransomed Church of the bridegroom. Be fruitful and multiply. Not a ministry of condemnation to the confused or afflicted but a clear note not clanging
Two become one: This is that, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. To reflect the tender love of God, that has visit us from on high.
In the beginning it was not so – love is an immutable characteristic of GOD.
Romans Ch 8 v20: In Hope of the dominion of the Lord God in a mutual reciprocation of loves call.
Mark Ch 2:
When the four men lower their friend through the roof to the feet of Jesus, they are a demonstration to the four disciples who had forsaken their fishing nets of how to catch men.
The paralytic was lowered down on his bed perhaps even with ropes used in the fishing industry.
And while it is their faith, in bringing this man to Jesus that draws forth his healing, it is the words spoken by Jesus directly to this man that will make them fishers of men.
Jesus speaks to this man, the same word of belonging and acceptance as his own Father heralded from an open heaven, after his baptism. This is a word that catches men.
This picture was taken on Thursday 3rd Sep, having had coffee down the road at cafe Nero. It’s looking down Huskisson St in Liverpool. It was an impromptu snap, having appreciated the light streaming through the clouds. I had hoped to get the Victorian street lamps, the roof dome building, the end of the Anglican Cathedral and the willow tree, clouds and light all in one shot with a better alignment, but time didn’t permit and I was getting carried away having left my bike unattended. During the worship the following Sunday, while a new component lead, my mind was refreshed by a previous occasion some years ago when working at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Hope street connects the Anglican and Catholic Cathedrals but the third Church in alignment is the University Hospital Chapel – God had previously used that to encourage me concerning the third parable his Son taught about the Prodigal son in Luke Ch 15.
Saturday morning work started at 7am, but I woke earlier than planned with a distinct sense of the Lords presence. Knowing that I have to work this Sunday too, I was slightly disappointed that my response to being awake was quite calculated rather than simply trusting his supply. Nevertheless, I read two post visited on this site.
In and of themselves they were an encouragement to me, especially as this week I have been in Luke Ch 1, and that concerns the birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World.
Secondly, I have just finished reading the heavyweight Champion of the worlds auto biography ‘Behind the Mask’ by Tyson Fury. I am a big supporter of his, not least because I know that God has indeed called this man and has his hand upon his life, and is now using him to speak into other peoples life’s who have known panic attacks and depression. Some parts of his journey are not included in detail, and that has wisdom in it, but I love the fact that he is true to his testimony in the Lord. I have found the book to be an encouragement on many levels, especially his journey towards helping people who need hope in their despairs. I hope to take a leaf out of that book.
When in Scotland 7th – 11th Sept, I choose to take this book over another book, as it was a much more recent purchase. So this Friday night I turned to start this other book which I have had on my heart to read again.
During my shift I got into conversation with a lady who attended a Pentecostal AOG Church in Coventry. I noted that she was a Christian so the conversation was easy. I shared with her a quick couple of blessing to me in the Word of God, the first being centered on Gabriel going to Zechariah and then Mary as being a demonstration of Gods heart unto all, all needing repentance and forgiveness and all needing the relationship of family, that comes through the sharing of the Sons life with us, as Gabriel demonstrates being personally involved in sharing Gods heart with humanity, God sharing his heart with Gabriel as a friend.
And one from Luke Ch 15.
She was evidently really into praying in tongues, like a passionate Pentecostal, and it was a blessing to hear how her 5 year old daughter had recently been filled, her mother having actively encouraged her to keep asking.
She certainly honed in on a comment I made that alluded to the Word being the spring board of my spiritual life as opposed to prayer. And when asked I said that I am not as fluid as I’d like to be in speaking in tongues but that I have had times and seasons when I have. Well like a passionate Pentecostal who was getting a life stream through this avenue she encouraged me to keep asking! I appreciated the fellowship and its good to encounter someone who challenges you. And while time didn’t permit a defense of my own experiences, to her my lack in this area was evident, as unlike her 5 year old daughter I was not daily being sustain by this gift. It’s a good challenge to be stirred spiritual to anticipate that God always has more.
Anyway, she said some very encouraging things like that I should thing about being a pastor etc, affirming that her Father was a pastor, and that I had gifting for it.
That kind of statement has been said to me on numerous occasions down the years, always from non believers or people outside my own Church affiliate!
During a break from work, I read the introduction to the book, having only read the Preface and ‘Our Indebtedness pages’, the following evening.
You kind of despair a bit reading it, knowing that they are focusing on an exemplary life, but it takes a beautiful turn as it casts light on his disposition towards those who did not have the same capacities.
It was an encouragement, having been in Luke Ch 1 this week, and having been in conversation with the customer on the phone regarding the ministry of John the Baptist preceding that of our Lord.
I also read while waiting for a call at the start of my shift, a daily read called ‘Voices from the Past’ Puritan Devotional Readings. I seldom read it, but today I made use of a rare wait time. In particular the consideration that the Lord is cutting and polishing stones for New Jerusalem.
From whom the encouragement came I know not but I am happy to relay that it was an affirmation in the Spirit.
eternalrays 