A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him. Daniel 7:20.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
After speaking of the great and excellent works done by faith of so many who proceeded you, starting as early as Abel, Enoch, and Noah, in the eleventh chapter of the letter of Hebrews, My Spirit goes on to encourage you to run forward in your assignment by faith surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses! And above all keeping your eyes on Jesus!
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-3.
Do you understand this more since the prior Life Lesson? The cloud of witnesses with you, in Heaven and on earth, the body of Christ, is cheering you on to finish your course for every good work you do is theirs and every victory you win adds to their victory too as part of the body.
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your [i]contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:10-15.
And as you walk in love you are adding to the praise of My glory and the glory of the Head of the body as well, your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who gave His life for you so you could now live through Him.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:12-13.
Never try to hinder anyone from increasing more and more in the exercise of their gifts or their ministry out of jealousy or selfish ambition. You do not have to be the top ministry in popularity or attendance to have all the fruit added to your account that the larger ministries are accomplishing. Give to them and promote ever more the works of excellence and evangelization done in My Name, for it is increasing your account as well. Paul told this to those who were helping him financially in his ministry.
You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. Philippians 4:15-17.
The purity and goodness and every work done by Mary, the chosen mother of My Son according to the flesh, is yours as well as part of the body of My Son. Every great deed done by Peter and Paul is yours as well. And every work that you do, even to giving a cup of cold water to one of My followers who is thirsty adds to the glory of all the body.
“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:40-42.
Once you are in the body of Christ, all the works of every member and the head are a part of you as well, and all you do is part of every member and the head. It is true that each of you is rewarded and judged individually but all add to your account, especially if you encouraged and supported others in their good works. Live for the praise of My glory, for the glory is to all the body. And Jesus is returning for a glorious church.
And all this should be in your heart as you receive the body and blood of My Son for you are in a a family, a body, a Church that is far greater than you could ever be alone. Unless the seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it produces a harvest. Die to your selfishness, jealousies, envy, and wanting to take all the credit and began to realize all the greatness that is yours in the body of Christ from every member making up the whole. Beautiful indeed is your inheritance. But above all, like the priests of old, I am your portion and your inheritance, all I have is yours. There is no reason to be after what another has, because actually you have it too.
For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.
And let us continue on our journey of remembrance that Jesus directed you to undertake each time you partake of His body and blood.
On the Road of Emmaus, Jesus gave you the criteria, or should I say the curriculum, for your journey of remembrance. He was speaking with two disciples who knew the words of Moses, the prophets, and the writings well (the Hebrew scriptures or the Old Testament, as you call it today, are made up of three parts, the teachings of Moses (the Torah (תורה), which means teachings that make you hit the mark every time, like a perfect archer, and consists of the first five books of the Bible), the books of the various Prophets (Nevi’im (נביאים), which means “prophets” in Hebrew) and the Scriptures, being history books, wisdom books, poetry books and psalms (Ketuvim (כתובים), which means “writings”), are called the Tanakh (תנ״ך), after the first letters of its three parts), but they had not seen the revelation of the Messiah, of the tremendous grace that was theirs in Christ Jesus though it was there as the substance casting the shadows of the Old Covenant types. But as Jesus, beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (the writings), faith came by hearing the anointed Word about Christ, the Messiah and Lord. They had the best Teacher because they had the Word Himself revealing Himself in the Word that was, is, and will always be Him.
But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. Matthew 23:8.
If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. John 13:14.
My Word is for all time and all eternity, established forever in Heaven. Psalm 119:89. And Jesus told you that He was sending you another Paraclete, your Helper and Teacher, just like Him to teach you all things and remind you of all He said to you. And He is in you and with you always. He did not leave you orphans. And where two are three are gathered in His Name, He is there with you, right in your midst. Make sure He is your teacher. The Word is your teacher and the Holy Spirit will reveal that Word to you for He testifies to Jesus and so must you.
So today on our journey of remembrance we will look at Daniel and at the psalms and what they foretold of the ascension of My Son to glory when He had finished the work I gave Him to do as Messiah and this ties in to the fulfillment of Pentecost in the pouring out of My promise of My Spirit so that you would all be taught, led, and prophesy.
I gave Daniel visions and dreams and the interpretation of them. Nebuchadnezzar had experienced this and said of Daniel:
The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Daniel 2:47.
Do you see the three in One God there? I AM the God of gods, Jesus is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and My Holy Spirit is the revealer of mysteries, even My deepest thoughts, to you.
And here is the vision Daniel saw, which My Son quoted the second part of before the High Priest when He asked Him if He was the Messiah. So you know the vision is of Him.
“I kept looking until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him, the court sat, and the books were opened.” Daniel 7:9-10.
My vesture was white like snow. I am Spirit. Jesus told you that. You look like Me but you are of the flesh. The Spirit is clothed in garments of white light spun of heavenly substance, of light itself. That is why the angels are emanating a white light and are clothed in white when they are described. It is not only the clothing but also the substance of a spirit, it is spun of white light but is real and can be held onto. The angels took hold of Lot’s hands in their hands and they took and carried the coal from My altar of incense to touch the lips of My prophet Isaiah. The angel’s took ahold of Ezekiel and flew him a great distance very quickly. The hair of angels, indeed every spirit, is also spun of light and shines from within filling the entire area with a soft white light. A spirit connected to Me is beautiful beyond compare and shining with My love. And that is what your spirit within you looks like too once you are born again and your spirit has become alive to Me and dead to sin. While you are still in your sins and not born again by receiving Jesus, My Word, your spirit is dark, dead to Me and alive to sin, the realm of death and darkness.
Now I particularly want you to notice the river flowing from My throne. It is a river of fire coming out from before Me. Fire. Do you remember when Elijah offered up the evening sacrifice before an apostate nation to bring them back to their senses in the revelation of the sacrifice for sin? Fire came as a river from Heaven and consumed the sacrifice and all fell on their faces and said, “The LORD is God! The LORD is God!”
And what did Jesus promise you? That He would baptize you in the Holy Spirit and FIRE! And that rivers would flow out of you to set the whole world aflame with My love! And that besides fire there is a river of the water of life, crystal clear, flowing from My throne and Jesus asks all who are thirsty to come and drink. And when you do in faith, that living water becomes a wellspring in you leaping up to eternal life. But the river of fire is there as well.
And that is what will happen when we get the fulfillment of Pentecost.
When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4.
That living river of fire had come onto the earth!
This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. Acts 2:32-33.
I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! Luke 12:49.
But Daniel kept looking deeper and deeper and he saw the return of My Son, the Messiah, God and Man, return to My throne to receive glory. Remember that Jesus left them going up with the clouds.
“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14.
I have rescued you from the domain of darkness, and transferred you to the kingdom of My beloved Son, 1in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13-14.
And that night of the Last Supper Passover seder, Jesus had prayed:
I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:4-5.
And I did. But He also shared that glory with you. Think about that you are a member of His body, as you read more of His prayer to Me the night He was betrayed:
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. John 17:22-24.
If you are prepared to receive this, do you see what I am revealing to you here in the prayer of My Son for you? For you know that I always heard Him and gave Him all He asked. John 11:41. He prayed that not only would you, as His body, share in His glory as one with Him, but also you would, through and in Him, be one with Me, one body with Him and Me, filled with My Spirit by which you access Me. And all I have is yours. It has pleased Me to give you the Kingdom. You who are joint heirs with Christ to all I have plus the double portion of the firstborn.
And was it a quiet return to Heaven of My Son? Oh no! it was amazing celebration. And it began with a great shout and a trumpet blast! I tell you a little about it in the psalms.
God has ascended with a shout (blast of the trumpet), the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. Psalm 47:5-8.
I gave Him the nations for an inheritance and He in turn gave them to you who are overcomers.
And the ancient gates that had shut with Adam’s fall flung open wide to let the King of Glory in! And with Him came those who had waited in the bosom of Abraham for the real eternal blood to be shed and paid.
Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORd mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah. Psalm 24:7-10.
But something else happened the day He returned and arrived before Me. David wrote of it and I proclaimed it and anointed Him. Yes, a king and a priest forever according to the Order of Melchizedek. And that same anointing He poured down on you. Pentecost fulfilled. The anointing of Melchizedek, the Holy Spirit as King and Priest, the anointing with which I anointed Jesus and He anointed you. As the head so also the body.
The LORD (Yahweh) says to my Lord (Adonai): “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” The LORD (Yahweh) will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of Your enemies.” Psalm 110:1-2.
First, I anointed Him King and then High Priest.
The LORD (Yahweh) has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord (Adonai) is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations. Psalm 110:4-6.
And He had released you from your sins by His blood and then poured the anointing on you to make you a kingdom, priests unto Me.
And I recount the same of His ascension in the New Testament in the letter to the Hebrews:
When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again, “I will be a Father to Him and He shall be a Son to Me”? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, “And let all the angels of God worship Him.” And of the angels He says, “Who makes His angels winds, and His ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions.” Hebrews 1:3-9.
When He had purified you of all sin, He sat down at My right hand for He had finished the work I gave Him to do and I anointed Him King and High Priest forever and gave Him the Name above every other name by inheritance as My Son, your redeemer.
But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies
A footstool for Your feet”? Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Hebrews 1:13-14.
Jesus put Satan under your feet and anointed you kings and priests forever according to the Order of Melchizedek. And in the next Life Lesson we will remember Pentecost in our Eucharistic journey.
I love you. You have far more than you realize, or you would be living a very different life. Isn’t it time you claimed your inheritance and took possession of your possessions? They are all yours in Christ Jesus your Lord.