Back to Front part 4
In the Kingdom, you start at the end. Which is actually very encouraging when you understand Jesus' words in Revelation 21:6, "...It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Starting at the end is starting at Jesus. Starting at the beginning is starting at Jesus. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). The Word is Jesus. The Word is love. That's where we start, and that's where we end. I've heard this phrase applied to prayer, but I think it fits LOVE even better: Let's make prayer (LOVE) first choice not last chance. Even though God WILL save us when we break the glass in case of emergency and cry out to Him... how much better if we just started with Him and didn't get into an emergency situation in the first place? There's a more excellent way. It's love. It's starting at the end and knowing (and believing) that we have everything we need. Jesus did it all so we could get it all. And now we have it all, because we have Him. We have been blessed with all Spiritual blessings. It is done. We have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is finished. The latter rain came and God poured His Spirit (His love, HIMSELF) out on all flesh. He EMPTIED Himself out ON us and INTO us. We have been FILLED with the Holy Spirit. We don't need to wait for the latter rain to bring the harvest. That happened 2,000 years ago on the cross. And now the former rain is coming on a continous basis, softening our hearts so that we can receive what we have been given. So that we who are thirsty--and come on, we are ALL thirsty--can come to the source and quench our thirst. I'm not talking about quenching the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about being baptized, or immersed, in it. In HIM! In LOVE! I'm not talking about getting something we don't have. I'm talking about coming into the realization that we have it all. Not seeking the Kingdom in order to "get it." But seeking it, exploring it, because we HAVE it. Because we ARE it! We aren't changed from crap to glory. We're changed from glory to glory as we behold the image of His glory in the mirror. When He appears (in, and through, and as us) we know who we really are because we see Him as He really is. When the Word is made flesh... when love is made charity... when we begin to walk in the glorious truth of the finished work... that's when front to back, or back to front, it really doesn't matter. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. Beginning and end. And He is everything in between. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Way TO the Father, the Truth ABOUT the Father, and the Life OF the Father. Manifested in the Son. In us. Jesus is God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. That's how this thing all ends... "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter 1:9). It ends with salvation--which, again, happened 2,000 years ago on the cross. It ends with Jesus. It ends with love. And, on this side of the cross, that's where it begins. The work is finished. It's in your past, not in your future. And it's manifesting in your present, because it's the GIFT of God! Eternal, abundant, everlasting, Resurrection Life. No beginning or end. Just Jesus. Just love.