I had this amazing revelation this morning as I was running on the treadmill. It's funny how most of my revelations come when I am running. I think I will continue to run with my bright green flashcards!
"For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:6
I just began to pray this scripture and thank the Lord for separating the darkness from His first creation. It's amazing that God's first creation and command was of light to shine out of darkness. That out of darkness shown a beautiful light and then God separated the light from the darkness. He saw that this was good. What a beautiful thing that our Father-God would create light in the midst of darkness. In the midst of a darkened void came a beautiful light! Then it goes on to say that God has shone this very light into our hearts so that this light, which is the very knowledge of all of His glory, which comes by seeking after the face of Jesus Christ. We have this very light placed into our hearts by the Father by continuing to seek after knowing Jesus Christ. By living a life of communion with Jesus, we obtain the knowledge of God's Glory. Our Father's glory will be revealed to His children, by seeking relationship with His very Son.
Card Switch:
"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you." John 15:5
Isn't it amazing? I am His friend. Let me say this again... I am His friend. He sees little me as His friend. How much I love this beautiful Man! That He could love me so much to die for me and then to call me His friend is stunning! I am reminded of these verses...
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." John 15:13
"Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame." SOS 8:6
May my Friend, my Love, be forever as a seal upon my heart, may my heart always be on fire for Him. How He will forever be my strength and the seal upon my arm. His Love endures for me beyond the grave and He is jealous for me. He is jealous for my love, my devotion, my attention, and even my daydreams. He has set His love upon my heart and my soul is this burning flame, a most vehement flame. His Love won the grave and won my heart. Let there be no compromise.
"This is my Beloved, this is my Friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!" SOS 5:16
Flash card switch:
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
As I was running... I looked up and immediately saw my reflection running toward me, as I beheld my own image in the gym mirror... I imagined the image of Christ. We always look at ourselves in a mirror and see the reflection of our human fimage. We are called to come to Jesus and this is with an unveiled face. Meaning that since the old law-the letter is gone (through Jesus' new covenant of blood that was shed on Calvary), we are now able to approach the very presence of God, through Jesus Christ. The verse calls us to come as we are. We are called to come to Jesus with all of our baggage, with an unveiled face to look upon the glory of the Lord. As we continue to seek after Jesus and have communion with Him in worship and prayer, then our baggage will become less and less due to the transformation that will take place, from glory to glory. Its like this... the more and more you are around someone, you start to pick up their traits, their personality characteristics, things that they do become things that you also do. So the more and more we continue to stare into the face of Jesus-the more we become like Him. The more we look upon the glory of the Lord, the more we hold and carry the glory of the Lord... from glory to glory. I am His little glory!!! I can see it now... He looks down from Heaven at me and speaks to the angels... “look there... (finger pointing), there’s my little glory! Do you see her? There’s my little glory!” Angels rejoice! :-)
As I came back into focus in the mirror, I realized how much I tend to focus on my image in life and how much more I need to focus on the face of Jesus Christ. I desire to behold His very image and to be more transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ, while beholding His glory.
I then was lead to the next bright green flashcard!
"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You gave Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world."
John 17:23
Its like this... Jesus is our inheritance. We drop the things of this world to gain a beautiful inheritance in Christ Jesus ... and then we become transformed through His glory (glory to glory) and we become His inheritance!!! Isn't it amazing that we are given to Jesus by the Father! I was given to Jesus by the Father.... wow! I can imagine the conversations now...
"My Son please take this one, Nicole. Let her learn from you, let her behold Your Glory which I gave to You. Son I have loved You since before the creation of the world, take this very love that I have given You and give it to her. Set the seal of My Love upon her heart that she may love You as I have loved You. Son as You are at My Right Hand, she is seated with You in heavenly places. Make her love us Son, from glory to glory."
The Father
I was reminded of the verse...
"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly place in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 2:4-7
As I began to run faster, I began to pray about my race in life. I began to feel so much thankfulness to ward Father for giving me to Jesus and placing me in Heavenly places with Him, receiving a transformation from glory to glory and receiving a beautiful inheritance while becoming Jesus' inheritance, as well as the Father's. I just began to thank Father for giving me Jesus and making Him my brother. For the first time in my life I was able to call Father-Father and not Father-God. For the first time, I completely understood the meaning of Father. Not just the words, but for the first time I understood a glimpse of “Father”. I felt the love of the Father pour down on me while running on that measly-black treadmill. All alone in the gym, I was no longer alone. The Father was there and my brother was there! I have read Matthew 12:49 over and over before and I have often questioned the complete meaning of Jesus being my brother. Now I finally understood it!!! Jesus is my brother!!! Father-God is not just God, but He is my Father!!! I am in a wonderful Family and I am loved, loved, loved. I have a beautiful inheritance in Jesus Christ, while becoming a beautiful inheritance (from glory to glory) to the Son!!!
"Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" And He (Jesus) stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!" Matthew 12:49
This is my Beloved,
This is my Friend,
This is my Brother.
How great is Father's love!
All of this revelation took place on a measly-black tread mill early on a friday morning. I think I will continue my early morning runs with bright green flashcards!
