The Earth Isn't Our Mother - New Jerusalem Is

New Jerusalem

For many Christians buying into the myriad causes and schemes to save "mother earth" through environmental activism, it's past time to throw that mostly nonsense away and find you who your real mother is. It isn't earth, it's New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven.

Environmental activism is one of the biggest swindles since Darwinism, and far too many Christians are entering into it in belief they're saving mother earth, which as I said for Christians, isn't our mother.

As a matter of fact, if Christians were to do a little research and studying past the hype and tenets behind much of environmentalism, they'd find out a lot of it is not only based and sourced in paganism, but a lot of it is based on lies and innuendo, rather than facts and reality.

Global warming is one of those, as the earth has been cooling for over a decade, thousands of scientists say the computer models it's based on are faulty, and many of the areas it's being measured in are close to local areas like plants that are warmer than the real air around it.

I could go on with this, but I don't want to get off the real purpose for writing this article, and that is to remind believers in Christ that New Jerusalem is our mother and not the earth.

We are born again from above by the Spirit, and when that truly happens in someone, we are no longer part of this world, in the sense that we don't live by its premises and ways of life, which are always against the image and reality of Christ Himself.

Jesus said of His disciples near the end of His time on earth that just like He wasn't of this world, neither were they, and by extension, neither should we be.

Paul said again in one of His letters to Timothy that a good soldier of Christ doesn't get involved with the affairs of this world.

The New King James Version says, "No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

In Colossians 3:1-3 Paul said, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

How much plainer can it be than that? Paul says "if." If you've been raised with Christ (which you have been if you're really a believer in Christ), then you are to seek those things which are above, not things on this earth. Any questions? There shouldn't be.

This is part of what Jesus meant when the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, and part of Jesus' response was for the Father's kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

When we see New Jerusalem -our true mother - coming out of heaven, that's part of what that is referring to; not some silly idea of a physical entity dropping out of outer space, like some people have implied.

What is New Jerusalem? It is God in His people. That's our mother: Christ in us. (But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all Gal 4:26.)

When we read about New Jerusalem and listen to the language describing it, we can get so caught up into its grandeur, that we miss the simple and easy understanding of what's inside of it.

So what is inside New Jerusalem that makes it our mother? There's a throne, a street, a river and a tree, and an exit out where all the evil lies. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie."

We must understand that when Jesus came to earth, He was New Jerusalem come down out of heaven, it was just that He was all of it in Himself, which wasn't His purpose, as He was meant to inhabit and fill a people with and unto Himself, which results in the fulfillment of His eternal purpose, which is to be all in all.

This is why when John is taken to the city he first sees the patriarchs and the twelve apostles before entering the city. That's significant. Not because man is first, but because the new man holds that which John was about to be revealed: Christ Himself in His people; the very purpose for creation.

There are a lot of things mentioned about the outer part of the bride of the Lamb, but it's because of what's inside that makes the outer what it is.

So what does it mean to have New Jerusalem as our mother? It means the spirit of God has now come down from heaven and inhabits His people. He's brought His throne, a river, a tree, fruit, light, a lamb, God and a street of gold with Him. Those things are what make up what births us in Christ. That's what begins to work in us when we are born from above, or born again.

Another significant factor in John seeing this is there is a oneness there between Christ and the people He's indwelling. She has been "prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

What is New Jerusalem adorned with? The very nature of Christ which we partake in. When the description of the outward things of the bride are revealed, it's saying what is being seen without is the result of that which has been birthed within. This is something that has come down out of heaven from the only and one true God and planted within His people. That's what's supposed to happen when a person is born again. The very life or sperma of God is planted within him as a seed, and it grows throughout his lifetime as an open heart before God is retained.

The two now have become one, as the inner and outer are without contradiction, like the life of the Father and Jesus when He lived on the earth as the son of man living only by the life of the Father in Him.

This is what we are called to in this world, as New Jerusalem, our mother who is free, comes down out of heaven to dwell within His people. New Jerusalem is Christ in us.

We need to quit focusing on a false mother and live by our mother who is free, coming down now from heaven.

New Jerusalem

What is Christ Looking For?

Another way of looking at the question posed in the title of this post is, "What do we have to give Christ that He wants?"

Do you know?

If we even have an inkling of a desire to please Christ within us, we know that there isn't much we have that interests Him. While He loves us because He is love, that isn't a reflection upon us as being attractive objects of love for Him, rather it's a reflection of His nature - which is love itself.

We know that God created with the ultimate intent of filling all things with Himself; specifically mankind.

So we know that Christ created man for Himself in order that man would be filled with His person. Overall that's the culmination of the creation of mankind, but there's an obvious path we must travel to get there.

We must understand that eternal things are always; they are there or happening at once without the effect of space or time upon them. But when those eternal things are created or brought into the physical realm, they are progressively unveiled and made.

It would take a lot of impartation to reveal much of the practicals and revelation of what was just said. But there is a simple but powerful thing to learn in the light of all of this, and it relates to where it all begins, and in reality, how we travel this fantastic path initiated by Christ Himself.

When considering all of this, there is something Christ looks for above all other things in us. Without it there really isn't any hope that His purpose will ever have a chance of being fulfilled in us to His satisfaction.

Is there anything we have to give to Christ? Is there anything we have to offer that He doesn't already have? Is there anything we can do that will add to who He is?

The obvious answer to these questions is "no"!

So when we clear all the mist away and get get down to the very basics of and foundation of Christ in relationship to His people, there is only one thing we have to offer Him that He has an interest in: our hearts!

No matter what He does in us or strength He adds to us, there is nothing in that which is really satisfying to Him. In the end and at the bottom (or really top) of all things as it relates to the heart of Christ, is that we are willing to have Him open up our hearts to fellowship openly with Him first, and then out from there with one another.

When we look at New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, we see only a few things within her. We have light, a throne, a tree, a river, and a golden street or path. That's it. That's what Christ's bride is filled with.

The path? That path travels through the hearts of God's people. It's the very center of all that is contained within the bride of Christ. Christ is of course that path or street, and that path is meant to be the heartbeat of the people of God.

If Christ doesn't have our hearts, there is nothing else He's really interested in. Without our hearts nothing else matters.

But if He has our hearts, than we are on a journey, a journey within that includes His throne, the tree of life, the river of the Spirit and the life of Christ lighting it all up.

In the end, we can offer up nothing to Christ but our hearts. Everything else of fellowship flows from that.

Having said all this, we really don't have the will or power to do this without Him. Ask Him to help and empower you to offer up your heart to Him. He is more than willing and able to do it. It's the starting place and foundation of everything else in connection to our relationship with Christ.

God's Eternal Purpose - 2

Wife of the Lamb

  Christ - The Lord from Heaven
 
The scriptures unveil to us a very telling story when they reveal to us that Abraham was looking for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker was God. Even though He was promised the land, we are told that he dwelt there in tents as if he was a stranger or alien to it. In fact they were testifying that this was for a very specific purpose.  

God had given them a revelation and insight that there was another country, another land, another city; one that already existed in heaven - one that the Lord had already prepared for them.  

They never settled in the land themselves; rather they wandered it, prophesying through their actions that they were looking for something higher and better: something born from above.  

As we talk about these things, also keep in mind that when we are told that we must be born again, in reality the fuller meaning is that we must be born from above. The term born again isn’t inaccurate, just not complete.  So when we are told that Abraham saw a city we must know that it was the city that we see at the end of the book of Revelation in chapter 21 and 22.  

The first thing we need to note here is that this is a city that is coming from God. It is not something that has originated on this earth or from the mind of man; rather it has existed in God forever. As a matter of fact we are told that God is its architect. Not only that but He is its architecture.  

Next we must note that it is a city coming down from heaven, yet also recognized as the bride of the Lamb. The fact that this city is coming down from heaven means that it is from a higher life. It is already complete, as everything in heaven is already complete - which is why we are exhorted to pray for His kingdom to come and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He’s taken care of His responsibility in heaven, now it is to come down to this earth.  I want you now to remember how throughout all of the New Testament revelation of Christ, we are told that He is the Lord from heaven. That is His roots. Well the fact that this city’s roots are also in heaven says that it obviously comes from Him.  

As a matter of fact in the Gospel of John we are revealed that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.  

Then in Revelation 21:3 a loud voice from the throne tells us to look and see for the tabernacle of God is among men. Then it goes on to say that He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.

When Jesus came to earth He was the beginning of this city, the end of the city and also the in-between. He was the tabernacle. Now the living tabernacle was with those who love Him. You might have a hard time seeing this but this was the firstfruits of the city of God coming to earth.

I want to talk about one aspect of this bride-city in this section. It is concerning the walls of this city coming down from heaven. We are shown that it is a high, massive, great wall. Included in the wall were 12 gates and also twelve foundations or foundation stones, along with all types of precious stones decorating them.  
Now what I want us to see here is that the wall, the gates, and the foundation stones, along with the precious stones were all one. They had different functions but were all part of one wall.  

These are all symbols of the great reality of Christ and His people. Like we learned in the introduction concerning the eternal purpose: Christ is all of the purpose of God existing at once. That is why when we look at this city from the eyes of God and Him revealing it to us, He sees all of it as one; existing completed and united at once. Even though the names of those mentioned cross thousands of years of time, and when the precious stones are included, we don’t know how long throughout time these have existed.  

In other words if everything is in Christ at one and the same time, so it will also be with this city and bride of His.

This is what we are being revealed: the very history of the purpose of God as it will be lived out upon this earth. We are seeing it from the eternal God’s point of view: complete, unified, and completely one, even though stretching across all of human history.

Here we are seeing another aspect of the eternal purpose, a mystery now being revealed: namely that Christ is being distributed among a people. The result is the New Jerusalem, His bride, fully filled with all that He is.