December 2005

“PROVIDENCE”

Part Three

            Man prepares for his future by setting aside provisions for crises, and saving for retirement. Of course to the poor, providing for the future just means surviving till tomorrow! Jesus says to all, “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth where moth and rust corrupt, or where thieves break through and steal! Rather, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven where moth and rust cannot corrupt, nor thieves break in and steal. Where your treasure is, there your heart is also! O, you of little faith, take no thought about your life asking, What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? (like unbelievers do) Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things! He only asks you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness; then all these things will be added to you! (This way, HE gets all the glory for being our Provider- and not “self”!) So take no thought for tomorrow. for tomorrow will think about its own things. Each day has its own abundance of evil to deal with. (Mt 6:19-21; 30-34)
             God is not miserly with His endless resources; He says, “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you His Kingdom!” (Lu 12:32) Also, “The meek inherit the earth!” (Mt 5:5) Jesus adds, “Overcomers will inherit all things!” (Rev 21:7) Overcoming means unpleasant experiences; but Jesus encourages us, “Let not your heart be troubled! You believe in God, now believe in Me too!!
             In My Father’s house are many *mansions; if this was not true, I would have told you. Now I go to prepare [Gk 2090 “provide”] a place for you. And because I go to prepare (provide) a place for you, I will return to receive you to Myself; and you shall be **where I am!” (Jn 14:2-3)

*Gk 3438 defines mansions as, “A staying, residence, and abode.”
[This word, abode, is once in Jn 14:23 as Jesus says, “If any man
loves Me, he will keep My Words; and My Father shall love him,
and we will come to him and establish our abode (lit. mansion)
within him!”] Mansion is also from Gk 3306 meaning: “To stay
in a given state, place, relation or sense of expectancy; to abide,
continue, dwell, remain; also to stand, endure and be pressed!”

**This place Jesus refers to as: “where I am”, is not a geographic locale,
but a spiritual state! He tells us three times, “I am IN THE FATHER!”
(Jn 14:10, 11, 20) So the place He is preparing for us is in the Father!

When our spiritual vision is restored, we will see that man’s doctrine
of the “trinity” (a word not found in Scripture) is flawed! God often
states, “I am God, and there is none besides Me!” (and this is found
in Scripture like: Isa 45:5-6, 18, 22; 46:9: 47:10) Jesus Christ was the
visible manifestation of our heavenly Father’s HOLY WORD! Also,
He was an open exposition of our heavenly Father’s HOLY SPIRIT!
Thus, He was OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IN HUMAN FORM!

Jesus said, “He that has seen Me, has seen the Father!” (Jn 14:9)
He also said, “The Father is in Me!”(Jn 14:11) And that confirms
His revelation, “The Kingdom of God is within you!!” (Lk 17:21)
How glorious that the mansion and place Jesus is preparing for us
is dwelling with Him in the Father in our hearts!

[Stop and read the attached excerpt from a daily devotion that I had
not yet read till the Spirit led me on the day I was preparing this!!]

             Carnal man hears of “mansions” and “streets of gold” (Re 21:21) and his lusts are stirred to see these glories for himself but God says, “The natural man cannot receive spiritual things.” (1 Co 2:14) Only men of spirit can receive spiritual things, since “God is a Spirit!” (Jn 4:24)

[TO BE CONTINUED]