GOD'S LIFE REPRODUCED IN EARTH

December 20, 2009 pm
MF Blume
2 Corinthians 3:2-18 GNB  (2)  You yourselves are the letter we have, written on our hearts for everyone to know and read.  (3)  It is clear that Christ himself wrote this letter and sent it by us. It is written, not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, and not on stone tablets but on human hearts.  (4)  We say this because we have confidence in God through Christ.  (5)  There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God;  (6)  it is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant, which consists not of a written law but of the Spirit. The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life.  (7)  The Law was carved in letters on stone tablets, and God's glory appeared when it was given. Even though the brightness on Moses' face was fading, it was so strong that the people of Israel could not keep their eyes fixed on him. If the Law, which brings death when it is in force, came with such glory,  (8)  how much greater is the glory that belongs to the activity of the Spirit!  (9)  The system which brings condemnation was glorious; how much more glorious is the activity which brings salvation!  (10)  We may say that because of the far brighter glory now the glory that was so bright in the past is gone.  (11)  For if there was glory in that which lasted for a while, how much more glory is there in that which lasts forever!  (12)  Because we have this hope, we are very bold.  (13)  We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear.  (14)  Their minds, indeed, were closed; and to this very day their minds are covered with the same veil as they read the books of the old covenant. The veil is removed only when a person is joined to Christ.  (15)  Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers their minds.  (16)  But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: "His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord."  (17)  Now, "the Lord" in this passage is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom.  (18)  All of us, then, reflect the glory of the Lord with uncovered faces; and that same glory, coming from the Lord, who is the Spirit, transforms us into his likeness in an ever greater degree of glory.
2 Corinthians 3:18 ASV  But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Look at it from another angle of translation.
2 Corinthians 3:15-18 CEV  (15)  When the Law of Moses is read, they have their minds covered over  (16)  with a covering that is removed only for those who turn to the Lord.  (17)  The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord's Spirit sets us free.  (18)  So our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord's Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord.

NOTICE IT SPEAKS ABOUT OUR FACES.
  • Glory shines onto our open unveiled faces.
  • Light goes forth and affects us.
  • And Paul was speaking of the heart that turns to the Lord so a veil is removed, before he mentioned our opened and unveiled faces.
  • This shows us the FACES he is speaking about are our hearts.

God told Moses he could not see God's face:
Exodus 33:20-23 KJV  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.  (21)  And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:  (22)  And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:  (23)  And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

But then we read:
Exodus 33:11 KJV  And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

This is because face to face does not mean literal faces seeing each other, but intimacy and closeness.
  • It means HEART TO HEART.

The faces of our hearts.

And keep this in mind as we go back to the first time we read about God shining glory where faces where mentioned.
Genesis 1:1-3 ASV  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Notice that GLORY or LIGHT and FACES were mentioned at the very start of the Bible.

It's like GOD SPOKE HIS IMAGE into the earth.
  • Since God is LIGHT, and He said LET THERE BE LIGHT when He spoke into the face of the waters, it is like HE SAID LET THERE BE MY IMAGE in the physical.

And before God was finished, FROM THAT EARTH CAME FORTH THE IMAGE OF GOD NAMED ADAM.

As God ruled the Heavens, Adam was given dominion as God';s image to rule the Physical earth.

The same idea of beginning and SPEAKING and light is found in John.
John 1:1-5 ASV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.  (4)  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.  (5)  And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.

Jesus was that LIGHT.

Instead of God using a verbalized WORD, He used CHRIST as SON OF GOD to cause LIGHT.
  • God caused light in Genesis by His word.
  • And He again used HIS WORD here.
  • And then we read...
John 1:14 ASV  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

That WORD, though, BECAME FLESH LIKE A MAN.
  • AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY.
  • Just like God said let there be light with the spoken word in Genesis, and there was light, Jesus was the WORD who ENLIGHTENS all men by his coming into the world, and there was LIGHT.  WE BEHELD HIS GLORY.

We even read of the Spirit moving on the FACE of the waters.
John 1:31-33 ASV  And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.  (32)  And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him.  (33)  And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:16-17 ASV  And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him;  (17)  and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

We see water, and the Word and the Spirit of God moving over the face of the waters, just like in JESUS.
  • And God SPEAKS.
  • THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

Did not God show he was pleased in Genesis when He said IT IS VERY GOOD!?
Genesis 1:3-4 KJV  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  (4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

God saw the light and it was good.

He would use that light to divide light from darkness.
John 1:10-14 GNB  The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him.  (11)  He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him.  (12)  Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children.  (13)  They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.  (14)  The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.

Some accepted Him and BECAME OF THE LIGHT, while others did not, and that is why God had to separate the light from the darkness in Genesis 1.
  • He did not cause light to see there was no darkness at all.
  • But in the beginning when there was NO LIGHT, God spoke and made light, and light and darkness abide at the same time, but distinctly separated, and Revelation shows THERE WILL BE NO NIGHT at all later.

You can see a process here.


We become God's CHILDREN just as the SON OF GOD IS GOD'S CHILD.
  • He is light and God reproduces Himself this way.
James 1:17 KJV  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

FATHER OF LIGHTS.

The same WATER AND SPIRIT AND KINGDOM emphasis in Genesis must occur with us, too, as it occurred with Jesus in water baptized with SPIRIT.
John 3:5 ASV  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!

NEW BIRTH is the process to make us CHILDREN OF LIGHT.
John 12:36 KJV  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Ephesians 5:8 KJV  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

1 Thessalonians 5:5 KJV  (5)  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

John 17:22 KJV  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:


And after speaking of the LIGHT, we read OF A WEDDING.
John 2:1 KJV  And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

Remember the light has come through the WORD who is CHRIST.
  • God is going to reproduce Himself.
  • He spoke of Jesus enlightening all men.
  • Some receive and some do not, which causes some to become light and others to remain darkness.
  • He spoke of giving power to people to become the sons of God.
  • Children occur.
  • THIS REQUIRES A MARRIAGE.

And a wedding occurs where Jesus did His FIRST BEGINNING OF MIRACLES.
  • Water turns to wine.
  • Sort of like Darkness turns to light.
  • Wine means to effervesce.
  • He charged up that water to become alive.

And the 6 waterpots of earth -- man created on sixth day -- were dipped into water, a reference sort of like water baptism, and lifted up to be filled with wine, Holy Spirit baptism.
  • MARRIAGE OF BRIDE, the CHURCH.

After wedding, children come into play.
John 3:3 KJV  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:28-30 KJV  Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.  (29)  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.  (30)  He must increase, but I must decrease.

Groom increases by having children.
  • John had disciples, but GOD WOULD HAVE CHILDREN.

John 4 shows woman at the well.
John 4:18 KJV  For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.


JESUS IS NUMBER 7!
  • Perfect Number!

Going back to Jesus' baptism.

It is interesting that the same picture of the Father saying THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED is repeated in a place where there is ONCE AGAIN LIGHT associated with Jesus.
Matthew 17:1-5 ASV  And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:  (2)  and he was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.  (3)  And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.  (4)  And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.  (5)  While he was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

And here, Jesus;' face is shining as it is described in 2 Cor 3 where we began reading about MOSES' FACE BEING VEILED, but we look to Jesus and are changed into his same image.

Moses is even there on the mountain.
  • The one whose face shone in glory when he was on a mountain and could not see the face of GOD that day, is here in Matt 17 with GOD IN THE FLESH, whose face is shining and MOSES IS FINALLY ABLE TO SEE IT!
  • And Peter and James and John see it!

And God says the same thing He first said when Jesus was called the LIGHT, and God's Spirit came down on Him in the water like it came down on the face of the waters in Genesis, saying let there be light.

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELLPLEASED.

There is a strong connection between these two stories.... Jesus baptism in water with the Spirit, and Jesus' face shining like the sun!
  • Both accounts have the same thing spoken.

This is very important to notice.
  • John is like Genesis 1
  • It even starts the same.
Genesis 1:1 ASV  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
John 1:1 ASV  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1 John 1:1 ASV  That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life
1 John 1:5 ASV  And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

Remember that Moses looked at God's glory and shone fantastically bright!
  • But he had to veil his face after he spoke to Israel.
Exodus 34:29-35 LXX  And when Moses went down from the mountain, there were the two tables in the hands of Moses, —as then he went down from the mountain, Moses knew not that the appearance of the skin of his face was glorified, when God spoke to him. 30 And Aaron and all the elders of Israel saw Moses, and the appearance of the skin of his face was made glorious, and they feared to approach him. 31 And Moses called them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the synagogue turned towards him, and Moses spoke to them. 32 And afterwards all the children of Israel came to him, and he commanded them all things, whatsoever the Lord had commanded him in the mount of Sina. 33 And when he ceased speaking to them, he put a veil on his face. 34 And whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak to him, he took off the veil till he went out, and he went forth and spoke to all the children of Israel whatsoever the Lord commanded him. 35 And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that it was glorified; and Moses put the veil over his face, till he went in to speak with him.


It is confusing due to the italicized addition TILL in the KJV.
Exodus 34:33 KJV  And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
Exodus 34:33 (LXX) And when he ceased speaking to them, he put a veil on his face. 
2 Cor 3 (13)  We are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face so that the people of Israel would not see the brightness fade and disappear.  

Israel never knew the law would end, and this was symbolized by Moses veiling his face so they did not see the light fade.
  • But Moses would go in unto God and the Lord would shine and cause his face to shine again.
Exodus 34:32-35 GNB  After that, all the people of Israel gathered around him, and Moses gave them all the laws that the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.  (33)  When Moses had finished speaking with them, he covered his face with a veil.  (34)  Whenever Moses went into the Tent of the LORD's presence to speak to the LORD, he would take the veil off. When he came out, he would tell the people of Israel everything that he had been commanded to say,  (35)  and they would see that his face was shining. Then he would put the veil back on until the next time he went to speak with the LORD.
 2 Cor 3:(15)  Even today, whenever they read the Law of Moses, the veil still covers their minds.  (16)  But it can be removed, as the scripture says about Moses: "His veil was removed when he turned to the Lord."  

This light and glory does not fade.... IT GROWS BRIGHTER AND BRIGHTER!
Revelation 21:25 KJV  And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.