OpenHeaven.com Digest February 27, 2020

Many, if not most, people are living life at a rapid pace and at a shallow depth without truly considering the reality of depth and meaning of our own life and existence. Is God calling for us to pause from a daily rote of activities and consider who God really is, and who we really are, and what it all means?

I have often begun counseling sessions with the question, “Why are you here?” After a very brief pause and before they answer, I would continue with: “Not just why are you here today for this visit, but why are you here on earth? What is your reason for being here taking up space and breathing the air in God’s world? Why has God put you here and left you here on Planet Earth at this time?”

Most often when people consider these questions, they begin to speak of some of the things they do that are important in their lives. Christian parents often speak about raising godly children or providing a good home. Many will speak of being here to get people saved or of making life better for others by feeding the hungry or other ways of helping people. Basically their work or profession or ministry or other activity that does something good for others is their reason or purpose for being here.

The next question and response is something like, “That is good, but if you are here to help others, for what are the others here? Why does God have them here taking up space and breathing up air on earth?”

Surely all of these things are a part of God’s purpose and plan, but just as surely God has a purpose for mankind and Planet Earth beyond human existence and well-being.

Perhaps the saddest answer ever heard to these questions went something like this, “We are all hear to get saved and help one another to get through this life until we die and go to heaven or Jesus comes and raptures us out of this world.”

This answer begs the question, “If that is the ultimate purpose for life, then why did God prepare this earth with all life that is on or in it and plant mankind on it? There must be a greater reason for mankind and for us being here alive in this world today.

THE GLORY OF GOD

This line of questions and thinking usually leads to the next answer, “It’s all about glorifying God.”

More accurately said, God is the GLORIOUS ONE above all of His creation, and all of His creation including mankind and all that is in or on Planet Earth is to REFLECT HIS GLORY by its existence and function in perfect alignment with God in His plan and way.

All creation fits together perfectly and in perfect balance. The beauty and the perfect balance of all things working together from the tiniest microbe to unmeasurable space filled with uncountable stars emitting immeasurable energy or light are all beyond the imagination of our human minds.

In my own personal experience, after being born again at 21 years of age, I thought that without a doubt getting people saved must be the number one purpose of God for man on earth. But then God began to cause me to see that He had a purpose and reason for man before Adam and Eve fell, before the need for salvation even existed.

GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR MANKIND BIGGER THAN MEETING THE NEEDS OF ONE ANOTHER – A SPECIFIC OVERALL PURPOSE THAT REFLECTS THE GLORY OF GOD.

Within the scope of that purpose for all mankind are many parts or pieces that all fit together to make the whole.

THE LIVING MOSAIC OF GOD

Not only are there many parts or pieces to the ONE BIG MOSAIC, but also it is a living mosaic. GOD’S BIG MOSAIC PICTURE IS ALIVE. Unlike a still natural mosaic the many tiny stones that all fit together to make one great picture are alive.

We are the living stones in the big mosaic of God that are alive and have a will to make choices to find and fit into God’s perfect spot in His living mosaic of life on earth.

To further add to the complexity of this reality is the fact that while being prepared, we may actually fit into different progressive spots of service or function in God’s big picture.

As great and wonderful as human understanding is, it is no match for the task of finding our living spot to fit into God’s big living picture at all times.

The fact is that only God can see the entire living reality of His big picture at all times. He alone can move all the living stones exactly into place at all times to complete the magnificent living reflection of the glory of God to all creation.

The living reality is that only the direct leadership and guidance of God in Christ by the HOLY SPIRIT can guide us and empower us to find and fit perfectly in our place or spot of purpose and function in this life.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE RULE OF GOD

The BIG PICTURE OF GOD is the Kingdom of God or Kingdom of heaven on earth. The purpose for every child of God is first to become so connected with Father God in Christ by the Holy Spirit that we become one with Him and His purpose for us in this world now.

The kingdom BIG PICTURE is distorted by the lack of Spirit guidance in mankind. Without the direct guidance of Spirit God, natural human beings seek after their own place in life and the big picture is marred.

The people can never feel true deep satisfaction in life and are bound into an endless striving and seeking that is never completely fulfilling.

ONLY BEING LED OF GOD TO FIND OUR PLACE IN THE BIG PICTURE OF THE LIVING MOSAIC OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD BRINGS COMPLETE SATISFACTION AND FULFILLMENT IN THIS LIFE.

The GLORY of God is perfectly reflected to the world and to all creation by the brilliant beauty beyond description of the living mosaic of the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. The light within us is the light of the glory of God and is powerfully multiplied in the perfected BIG PICTURE of God on Earth.

GOD IN AND WITH US

Fulfilling the ultimate purpose of God for mankind is GOD IN US SHOWING FORTH HIS GLORY. THE BRILLIANT GLORY LIGHT OF GOD SHINING FROM HIS TEMPLE/BODY OF CHRIST FILLING THE WORLD WITH THE LIGHT OF THE GLORY OF GOD IS THE PURPOSE OF MANKIND ON EARTH.

This is the great mystery of Spirit God being revealed as the kingdom reality of God is coming forth into the hearts and minds of God’s people in this season.

Colossians 1:27: To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Much of the Christian Church has thought much too naturally in the past and missed the Spirit reality of Christ coming at Pentecost to indwell believers to bring forth His kingdom of love here on earth. Only by the enlightening help of the Holy Spirit can we see the Spirit reality of our truly abiding in Christ and Christ by the Holy Spirit abiding within us now to establish God’s big mosaic of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Literally the kingdom of God is in the HOLY SPIRIT. Consider Romans 14:17: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.”

There may be a return in a human body. However, it is certain from the written word and the Holy Spirit that Spirit Christ Jesus has already returned as He promised His disciples in John 14:12-21 in the Holy Spirit to live in HIS BODY of believers now on earth to do the works that He did in His original incarnate body in the first century.

John 14:12-21: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, THE WORKS THAT I DO HE WILL DO; AND GREATER WORKS THAN THESE HE WILL DO, because I go to My Father. ¹³ And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the FATHER MAY BE GLORIFIED IN THE SON. ¹⁴ If you ^[a]ask anything in My name, I will do it.

¹⁵ “If you love Me, ^[b]keep My commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another ^[c] Helper, that He may abide with you forever— ¹⁷ the SPIRIT OF TRUTH, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU. ¹⁸ I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU ORPHANS; I WILL COME TO YOU.

¹⁹ “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. ²⁰ At that day you will know that I AM IN MY FATHER, AND YOU IN ME, AND I IN YOU. ²¹ He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and ^[d] MANIFEST MYSELF TO (IN) HIM.”

We are to abide in Christ and Christ in us. John 15:4-8. Speaks of us abiding in Him and Him in us that we can bear much fruit. He goes on to say that we can do nothing without His abiding in us and us in Him and that the Father is glorified in our bearing much fruit. Christ in us produces glory to the Father.

In John 17:20, 23, Jesus praying for His disciples prayed this, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” Jesus also spoke of the Father in Him and Him in us in verse 23: “I IN THEM, AND YOU (FATHER) IN ME; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

The King is within us. We are in the King. We are one with Christ and the Father. The Kingdom is within us by the Holy Spirit now. Christ is within us in the Holy Spirit.

Arise, shine; For your light has come!
And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1.

Ron McGatlin
openheaven.com
basileia@earthlink.net