Posted: 07/02/2011 at 5:38pm | IP Logged

In Like Manner – As You Saw Him Go

By Don Atkin

“Rightly dividing” must be done on the curve of spiritual growth and understanding.  I continue to be absolutely “blown away” as the Father allows my eyes to see deeper and deeper into the mystery of Christ.  I caution you to prayerfully read this.  Do not try to get your mind around it.  Look in your heart for life and confirmation.  Perhaps you will choose to “put it on a shelf for another time.”  As it is written,

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has chosen for those who love Him.”

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

To begin, please take the time to read these first eleven verses of Acts.  Once you have done so, please link the bold words together, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal their significance.  And then, take note of the words emphasized by underlining.

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?  This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

This context supports my pretext that Jesus presented Himself and was seen by the twelve apostles who watched as He was taken up out of their sight, and the angelic messengers assured them that they would see Him come as they had seen Him go.  This is totally consistent with His promise to them some days earlier:

“A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me

It will be good for you to also read this verse in context with those before and after.  Here’s another:

To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. 

The salvation process continues within the hearts and lives of men and women in whom He lives. Jesus is preparing us for our place, and preparing a place for us in His house, not made with hands—made with living stones!

Heaven and Earth Are Becoming One
 

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven - This is a prayer that both heaven and earth dimensions would be ONE in their expression of Father's sovereignty. The kingdom of God is not a "place" as we perceive time and space from an earthly perspective. It is a dimension in Christ which is manifest in and through people. When Jesus said "I go to prepare a place for you" it was a "place" in Him in the realm of the Spirit. It is a "seat" in the heavenlies where we are seated RIGHT NOW. 

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 places in Christ Jesus.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

IN THE IMAGE OF THE PROTOTYPE

We, His body together, are the replica of Jesus, the Prototype.  We are, together, the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan for the glorious governance of His creation.

We are seated together—we have been made to sit together—in the heavenly places.  That is, we have been created to sit together, and we have been reconciled to sit together!  One of the great manifestations of heaven’s kingdom coming in the earth’s realm will be the saints, all seated together!

Creation’s cry for the revealing of the sons of God will be answered when we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.  And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

(Jesus is) the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 

(He prays) “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.”

The fullness of Christ in His church, filling the earth with His glory, awaits the coming of heaven to earth.  We will find His glory in one another, and thereby embrace one another in the fullness of Christ. 

“Come quickly, Lord Jesus—in us!  Help us to see You in one another.  Help us to embrace You in one another.  Help us to move into the mystery by faith.  Thank You that You have revealed yourself in ways that defy human search.  I am blinking back the tears of carnality that the brightness of the Son in others may shine in my heart, and the fullness of You in my heart warms the hearts of my brothers.”

“The glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

“I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me” – Jesus

God does not arbitrarily open “portals” here and there, now and then.  Because I have eyes that can see in heaven’s realm (by the grace of God), I can see Christ in others, love them and be loved by them, submit to them and serve them, and enjoy the kingdom in our midst.

Don Atkin
www.donatkin.com/
DonAtkin@Kingdomquest.Net