Citizens of the Jerusalem Above!
Passage of the Day:
“His foundation is in the holy mountains. Yahweh loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God. Selah. I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me. Behold, Philistia, Tyre, and also Ethiopia: “This one was born there.” Yes, of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one was born in her”; the Most High himself will establish her. Yahweh will count, when he writes up the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah.” (Psalms 87:1-6 WEB)
In the psalm above, even the Gentiles (non-Jews) are registered as being born in Jerusalem. It’s talking about the second birth—being born again through the Holy Spirit.
When we were reborn in Him, we became a new creation, registered by God as citizens of the eternal nation of Israel. We were wild olives that God engrafted into the rich olive tree (Romans 11:17).
This is the Israel born of the Spirit and not born of the flesh. God’s holy nation of royal priests which we have become.
What many don’t realize is that the Mount Zion and Jerusalem on earth is patterned after the true Zion and Jerusalem that is in Heaven.
“For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to the Jerusalem that exists now, for she is in bondage with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Galatians 4:25-26 WEB)
There is a natural city of Jerusalem here on earth now, and there is an eternal city of Jerusalem in Heaven above. The Jerusalem above is the same one that will descend out of Heaven and land on the new earth in the future.
“I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2 WEB)
As Jesus said, God’s will is for His Kingdom to come, and for earth to be as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10)—a mirror image of perfect peace and glory.
When God chose the site for the first temple to be built, He positioned it to reflect the heavenly reality. It’s a beautiful truth and when you study the Scriptures, you’ll understand that the layout of Heaven is the same as the layout of the Jerusalem on earth.
In my book “A Tour of Heaven and Eternity”, I explain the layout of Heaven and how God has already revealed to us its geographical aspects through His word.
Heaven doesn’t have to remain a mystery to you. Those who take time to read the whole Bible and piece together the layout of Heaven and Jerusalem will understand that the earthly city reflects the heavenly one.
Also, you’ll understand the difference between Paradise, God’s sanctuary on the mountain of God, and the city of New Jerusalem. Check it out: https://www.miltongoh.net/store/p15/a-tour-of-heaven-and-eternity-milton-goh.html
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Empowered and Supplied for Godly Work
“God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food.” (Genesis 1:27-29 WEB)
When God created the heavens and the earth, He made everything before making man on the sixth day.
This shows us His fatherly love, that He wanted man to enjoy His finished work.
Adam didn’t have to toil for food. The trees in the Garden of Eden already had fruits growing on them as a result of life.
If Adam felt hungry, he only needed to reach out and pluck the fruit to eat it. He could eat anything he wanted and as much as he wanted—except for the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Adam did work: he cultivated the Garden of Eden, sowed seeds which sprang up easily without toil because there was no sin in the world at that time, and Adam named the creatures in the garden and God told him to be fruitful with Eve and fill the earth.
Adam was tasked to grow mankind’s population and to lead them, as well as all other living creatures on earth, as a ruler.
However stressful labor was never part of God’s design for man.
Although there was much work assigned to Adam, coupled with a grand vision of splendor, it was meant to be easy and enjoyable work.
After all, Adam was perfectly healthy and abundantly supplied with everything he would ever need. He had authority over all creatures which could assist him in any way he needed. Adam also had close fellowship with Yahweh God (the pre-incarnate Christ).
Stressful labor was a curse upon mankind as a result of Adam’s sin.
“To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life. It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”” (Genesis 3:17-19 WEB)
Fast-forward to today, through the cross, Jesus has already redeemed us from the curse of stressful labor by shedding His precious blood to make atonement for our sins.
God assigns a calling to each of us, but we aren’t supposed to fulfill it in a spirit of heaviness or stress.
Abba God’s will is for us to enjoy life through Jesus’ finished work at the cross, to freely receive everything we need in life, whether it be provision or health.
Out of that rest and blessed state, we can go forth in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit to grow the population of the “new mankind” on earth.
A new race born of the Spirit and not of the flesh.
Abba God still wants us to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the whole earth with a church that’s holy and prepared for Him.
A royal race of priests that are adopted into His family.
What was lost in the Garden of Eden is being progressively being restored to even greater glory than before.
Dear child of God, you have meaningful work to do, and it’s not for the sake of trying to get provision.
See yourself as being planted by Abba God in a garden. Wherever you are working, reframe it from being just a job, to a realm you’re meant to exercise dominion over in Jesus’ name.
Feel free to receive as much provision and health as you need to fulfill your calling—see abundance of supply all around you.
You have been redeemed from stressful labor, so enjoy your work and fulfill your destiny of growing the new human race through impregnating the hearts of men: sow the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
God gave Adam herb-yielding seeds to sow if he needed food. Remember to set aside a portion of your finances as seeds for sowing—don’t eat all the seeds.
Be a blessing to those whom the Holy Spirit directs you to.
The seeds you sow will bear fruit and produce food for you by causing abundant harvests of provision to come your way.
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“But refuse and avoid irreverent legends (profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales) and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them. Train yourself toward godliness (piety), [keeping yourself spiritually fit]. For physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come. This saying is reliable and worthy of complete acceptance by everybody.” (1 Timothy 4:7-9 AMPC)
I have been doing full body workouts at home since we’re staying home more in this season and I feel more energetic, more flexible, stronger and overall happier.
Physical training produces these benefits. But it also parallels some of the benefits of spiritual training toward godliness.
I would describe godliness as reflecting God’s nature, character and will through our words and actions.
Do you have a fitness model or athlete you aspire to become as fit as?
The shining example we aspire to emulate is our Lord Jesus Christ.
When you’re spiritually fit like Jesus, you will have strong endurance when going through tough times.
The enemy won’t be able to wear you down easily because you’re spiritually fit and able to quickly respond to his attacks with the prayer of faith.
You’re also overall more joyful, manifesting the fruits of the Holy Spirit and enjoying the supernatural peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
How do you train yourself toward godliness? Based on the context of the passage above, we do so through studying God’s word and through prayer.
When you see more revelations of God’s love for you demonstrated through Jesus’ finished work at the cross and in the entire Bible, you are being transformed into Jesus’ glorious image as you believe and confess it—becoming more spiritually fit.
Being spiritually fit means that you’re more frequently in the state of faith rather than unbelief, and able to receive God’s blessings for your life. This is the promise for your present life.
When you’re spiritually fit, you also unconsciously end up accumulating more eternal rewards as you’re allowing yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit.
You produce more fruits of good works for Jesus’ sake, and these cause eternal rewards to be added to your heavenly account.
This is your promise for the life which is to come.
Rulers over nations during the Millennium and beyond are those who dedicate themselves to spiritual training in the ‘gym’ of God’s word and their ‘prayer closet’ in this present life!
Dear brethren, while you’re staying home more in this season, take advantage of the opportunity to do more physical training and spiritual training. These are profitable to you! Shalom 🙏
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#Jesus #Devotional
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