Living from Heaven to Earth

No one has ascended into Heaven, but He who descended out of Heaven, the Son of Man, who is in Heaven. Jn 3:13

The Holy Spirit brought my attention to the phrase Jesus used here in speaking to Nicodemus, "who IS in heaven".  I really didn't want to miss this, for Jesus was intimating the present tense "is" in this sentence.  In other words, Jesus was actually saying that He lived in two places at one, the Heaven and earthly realms.  It certainly lines up with Eph 2:6

"and raised us up WITH Him, and made us to sit WITH Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."

We know that scripture teaches us that truth is established out of the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses.  Well we certainly have this here - Jesus testified to it and the Holy Spirit inspired the same message through the Apostle Paul.

So...... How do we live out of these two realms?  Actually I don't think that we are too!  Jesus said we are not of this world even though we are in it. (Jn 15:19; 17:16; 2 Cor 1:12). That leaves us, living from the Heavenly realm, of which the Ephesians passage also teaches, we have been given every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. (Eph 1:3)

We tend to focus our prayers from earth to heaven, hoping to touch God's heart of mercy and compassion.  But our prayers should be focused from where we sit.....in the heavenly realm.  Practically what does this mean....doing what Jesus did as we are to follow Him.  He went about doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)  Jesus was bringing Kingdom light and life, exposing the darkness and healing all, effectively making void the kingdom of darkness on earth in the lives of those He touched.

I believe that everything comes out of intimacy with God firstly, and having a correct and  truthful belief of our identity as Kingdom Kids.  God's desire is that we imitate His Son and do good, but doing good on earth is not His first priority.  He desires that we know Him and that He loves us for who we are (who He created us to be and not like anyone else) - not for what we do.  He certainly does not love us more or less based on what we do.  We don't put the great commission above the first commandment (from a wonderful preacher Graham Cooke).  The first commandment, to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and body is our priority and out of that relationship with Him will flow the good works (rivers of living water Jn 7:38). Works that He prepared before hand for us to do (Eph 2:10)

Jesus was totally confident in His identity and relationship with Father, as the Father's beloved Son. (Matt3:17; 17:5). Having an intimate relationship with God, and knowing who we are in Christ gives us the heart of compassion for the human condition.  It is out of the Father's love and compassion for humanity that we are compelled to move and pray for people, touch them and command healing to their bodies and souls.

We need to understand and fervently believe that the authority Jesus gave us as His disciples was for us and didn't pass away with the Apostles.  We need to "kill" this traditional way of man that makes void God's commandment to us. (Matt 5:6). Thankfully God is raising up followers of Jesus Christ who understand their identity, who are filled with the Holy Spirit power,  to see the most amazing healings, miracles and salvation around the world, because they have the audacity to believe that they have the authority over darkness that Jesus gave them in the great commission.  That is living from
Heaven to earth.

Another "religious tradition" we have to break out of our belief, and beloved ones of God, I do not want to offend you, but we need to consider this.  God is our loving Father and what good Father desires to inflict His children with illness.  Yet we, beloved ones of Jesus, believe if we are sick or poor we are more holy.  Sorry, this is incorrect because we try to match up our experiences with God's word to make excuses as to why someone was not healed.  We need to stand firmly on God's truth rather then our experience for His word teaches us He is our healer. (Ps 41:3; 103:3; 107:20; 147:3; Is 53:5; 58:8) we are hypocrites if we think God has inflicted us with sickness and then go to doctors to be healed.

When the bible talks of trials and tribulations, I believe these are not in the line of sickness but persecution. People will reject us because we stand up for Jesus and righteousness, and we are told to rejoice in these as they will ultimately bring us great reward. (Rom 5:3-5, Pet 1:6, Jn 16:33)

Something a lady preacher said the other day really stuck a cord in me.  When sickness, depression or pain comes upon her, she immediately rejects it because she didn't "order" it.  Satan will find any legal  entry to afflict us and make us lose faith, joy, peace or health, but we don't order these things.  If you went to a restaurant and ordered something you wanted off the menu and they brought you a wrong order, you would respectfully ask them  to take it back and bring what you ordered.  This spoke to me as a spiritual principle.  We reject the wrong order and we command the right order with the authority we have in Christ.  We have the authority to "order" healing and life, the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have.

As Jesus said, "The thief comes ONLY to kill, steal and destroy but I have COME ...(He has come).. that you may have LIFE and have it to the FULL." (Jn 10:10)

Celebration of Life

Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage. Jn 2:2

It really struck me this morning as I was thinking about this passage of scripture and asking the Holy Spirit to give me fresh revelation, that this passage is written in the scripture to show us clearly, Jesus celebrated life and love.  This marriage was a celebration of life and love and the first recorded of His signs performed in Cana of Galilee that showed His glory.

I had to repent because I know that I haven't enjoyed life the way Jesus wants us too.  After all, it was Jesus who emphatically said:-

The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. Jn 10:10

We get so caught us in the rush and frustrations of life, past unsealed wounds, and offences we carry, that they taint life for us.  We no longer stop and even enjoy God's creation.  I can image Jesus beingdelighted in everything around Him, for He is joy, and passing that contagious joy onto His disciples.  I see Him saying things like, touch this leaf, look at the clouds, feel the rain on your face, examine this delicate flower, look at the ants - how industrious they are.  Let us just enjoy this moment we are in and give glory to God.

That was the key for me this morning as I took the puppy for a walk and got frustrated with the stopping at every bush and tree.  In fact, I tugged a bit hard at the lead a few times to get going again and a Holy Ghost thought came to me....it had to be the Holy Ghost and definitely not my own....why don't you enjoy even this moment that you have stopped.  Wow, that was revelation to my heart.  So I put my eyes on Jesus and asked Him to help me enjoy each and every moment, as if He was walking with me, and to see through His eyes.  It was as if I suddenly saw the fresh blue sky and beautiful clouds, the deep shadows the sun cast and the light shining on the beautiful gum trees.  This is obviously is something to practise as a few moments later, I tugged on that lead again, and immediately apologised to Jesus and quieted my heart and declared I will enjoy this moment.

I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. Jn 15:11

In this passage, Jesus was talking about abiding in Him, the vine, and abiding in his love.  If we keep our eyes on Him and practise walking with Him and looking for His glory, he will teach us about enjoying and celebrating life and love, even as He did at that wedding in Cana of Galilee.  After all, He turned the water into wine....and I would have said, "don't you think they have had enough?"  The issue for Jesus was to not let anything mar that celebration of love, life and joy.

The Image of God

... and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. Rom 1:23

I was mediating on this scripture and asked God to ensure that I have the right image of Him and not one that traded His Glory for a lie, even of my own making, and this got me to think about God's image.  How do we, incorruptible created beings, see God in truth and purity?

The answer, of course, is in Jesus Christ.

... seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 4:6

Jesus came to show us the father for He is the "image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation." Col 1:15.  So who is this Jesus?  How do we see Him, for if we look intently at Him, we should clearly see the Heavenly Father, creator of all things in Heaven and earth.  It is one thing to know God is the Creator but we need to see His relationship with us created beings, and how He so longed to make Himself known, that He sent Jesus to reveal Himself through His precious Son.

There are beautiful aspects of God's nature that Jesus so clearly displayed.  The first is LOVE as Jn 3:16 tells us.  God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  Jesus loved us so was willing to lay down His life for us.  The question to ask is do you see God the Father as one who was willing to rescue you through the death of His Son and give you eternal life that you can live with Him forever.  This eternal life happens from the first moment we believe until He calls us home one day.

Jesus was so compassionate toward human suffering and grief that He was moved to act and relieve and restore.  Do we see God compassion toward our suffering that He will run to our rescue to restore us?

Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break forth into singing, mountains: for Yahweh has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted. Is 49:13

Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.....
Like a father has compassion on his children, so Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.
For he knows how we are made. He remembers that we are dust.....
But Yahweh's loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children's children;  Ps 103: 8-11,13,17

Do you see God as an angry God, or one who is willing to forgive all wrongs perpetrated against Him and others?  Some of the most touching times were when Jesus forgave the sins of the "worst sinners" according to the religious groups.  One was when Mary (sister of Lazarus) came and anointed Jesus feet with tears and perfume whilst He was at the house of a religious leader who was indignant at the sinner's display of worship.  She was touched by mercy and forgiveness, yet the religious leader was not changed at all.  There is no one beyond the mercy and forgiveness found in the cross at Calvary, if we really repent on the level of our hearts, and receive this wonderful Grace paid for by Jesus.

Let's look at Jesus for a right perspective of the Father and sincerely ask Him to reveal the correct image of His beauty, majesty and glory.  We will never be able to pass up the fact that God is good, for no evil exists in Him, only goodness, light and love