WE ARE UNITED: BONDED TOGETHER IN LOVE, HAVING FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, AND WITH ONE ANOTHER

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​Hebrews 8:10 ESV

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For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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God Has a Plan for Us. We were created by Him, for His purpose; He made a way for us to be back in fellowship with Himself and others. He gave a promise, through Abraham, to be our God and for us to be His people. A relationship of Him leading and us following, and obeying the truth of His word. He would even live in our hearts, speak to us and guide us into all truth. First He had to correct the wrongs of mankind, which was accomplished through the giving and fulfilling of the law. He is the light of man, and He wants to shine through us in this dark world.  We are like unleavened bread, for He will raise us up on the last day (John 6:44).

They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation. For a fire will be kindled by my wrath, one that burns down to the realm of the dead below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. (Deuteronomy 32:21-22).

Jesus Opened the Throne Room To Everyone. Once Jesus died on the cross, the veil which separated the Holy of Hollies was torn in two (Matthew 27:51), opening up the presence of God to all; and He stands at the door and knocks. Upon his death, the presence of God left the temple as we read in Ezekiel 10:18. From my understanding, Ezekiel's vision in chapter 10, explains what happened in the heavenly places. He saw a temple that has a throne, above a vault, above cherubim with four faces, and four wheels filled with eyes that was beneath them. In under the wheels were burning coals. A 'man in linen' was commanded to enter and take coals in his hands and scatter them over the earth. When he entered, a cloud, which was the glory of God, filled the inner court and the glory rose from above the cherubim and went over above the threshold, causing the radiance of the glory of God to fill the temple and the courtyard. The wings of the cherubim made a sound, like the voice of God speaking, which could be heard to the outermost of the courtyard. (Ezekiel 10:1-22). When Jesus came to earth, the promised of God went to all the ends of the earth, not just to the Jews, and He promised to speak to us and teach us Himself. The glory of God is His Spirit coming to spread the gospel message of the promise to the ends of the earth.  Before Jesus ascended, He said the fire, the Holy Spirit, would come; to burn and dwell in the hearts of all believers. He would convict the world of sin and righteousness (John 16:8). Jesus said, I have come to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it was kindled already (Luke 12:49). The glory of God came near to the gentiles, and the Jews; God is speaking. Are you listening? Are you obeying His commands?

He is Standing at the Door. As Ezekiel continued in Chapter 10, after the man in linen was handed the coal by the cherubim, he left; and the glory of God went back to being above the cherubim, from the threshold. The cherubim spread their wings and rose and moved. The glory and the wheels went with it; and it stopped at the entrance to the east gate of the Lord's house. Wherever the face of the cherubim faced, the wheels beneath it with the eyes, moved with them for they were united, for the Spirit of the living creatures was inside them. When they moved, they all moved; and when they stopped, they all stood still. Only moving straight, not turning to the side. There they stood, at the entrance of the temple gate (Ezekiel 10:1-22). Ezekiel explains in v3:15, that after his first vision of the four living creatures, he was taken to Tel Aviv near the Kebar River, where he stayed with the Jewish exiles for seven days. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days—deeply distressed.This is a metaphor, for me, of Jesus making the sacrifice to be able to set the captive free taking them with Him; the captives being the saints bound in deaths understood as those in the wheels that had the Spirit in them. Together, with God, they are standing at the door of temple at the east Gate, which has been closed and no one but the LORD can enter, for it's the door He exited. (Ezekiel 44:1-3). He stands at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20).

Again, I say He is Standing at the Door. We also read in Matthew that when He died, the earth shock, rocks split and those who had fallen asleep, dead saints, came out of their graves, after His resurrection, and went into the holy city (Matthew 27:51-52). Jesus is at the door and knocks (Revelation 3:20). Those of us who have died with Him will be raised in the resurrection with Him (Romans 6:5). And when the new Jerusalem comes, we will enter with Him. (Revelation 21:1-8). When Jesus made His acceptable sacrifice, He was able to be seated at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 9:12; 10:7, 9; 12-17). No more work and no more standing for the daily sacrifice of the priests in the temple to bring peace to earth; It is finished. (John 19:28-30; Hebrews 10:18). He ate the last supper with His apostles, and He will not eat or drink of it again, until we are united with Him in heaven (Matthew 26:29).

Jesus Holds Everything Together in the Bonds of Peace. Jesus' work on the cross made fellowship in two ways, lateral and horizontal, in the shape of the cross. He, laterally, made God our friend, with peace between God and mankind (John 15:13-15; Luke 12:4-5), and He, horizontally, made peace between men. He ended the wars of the gender, sex, color, ethnicity, age, marital status, and religious observances. (Galatians 3:27-29). Before Jesus ascended, He called His people to Himself in unity of all (John 17:21-23). God is peace, so His peace, the Spirit, indwelling the hearts of believers (2 Corinthians 1:22). Now the peace of God can manifest in the believer's life, which is the light of Christ shining from within (Matthew 5:15; Colossians 3:15). The strength of His light shining is proportional to the amount of His word that we eat, or take in. 

Give Your Life To Christ. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3 ESV). When we walk closely with God; He walks closely with us. (James 4:8). Chapter four of James, Ephesians, first Peter, Philippians and Colossians instruct us to dedicate, submit, yourselves to God. Together they have a message: don't sin or be anxious for it grieves the Spirit, walk in unity and love, living for God even if suffering, pray for your needs with believe and pureness of heart; then He will answer them. Always be watching for answered prayers and give thanksgiving and praise to Him.

• James (resist sinning) explains more of the negative side of not submitting. When we seek the desires of the flesh, it causes conflict in our daily lives (James 4:1-3; 4-5; 11-12), and these prayers are simply not answered (James 4:3).
• Ephesians (loving unity) is a sweet beckoning to righteousness, where Paul urges us to be worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1). He calls for the unity for we are one with each other and with God (Ephesians 4:3-13, 16, 25). We are to be humble and gentle, always speaking the truth in wholesome love, while keeping unity with the bonds of peace, patient and forgiveness which is to not grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:2-3; 25-32).
• 1 Peter (Living for God, Even in the Suffering). Since Christ suffered in the body, whoever suffers in the body has also put sin to death, as they've put away their earthly desires for the will of God so don't grumble or be shocked at suffering (1 Peter 4:1-2; 12-19). for those in darkness are shocked that you're not doing the worthless things with them so they abuse you (1 Peter 4:3-4). Love and humbly serve one another without grumbling, being alert to pray (1 Peter 4:7-11). 
• Philippians (pureness and thankfulness, even in prayer requests) is instruction to help one another (Philippians 4:3); and a call to always rejoice in the Lord, and tell him all our needs in prayer, instead of being anxious, and God's peace and provision will be with us (Philippians 4:4-7; 10-20). And the instruction to think of what is true, honorable, pure, lovely and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8-9).
• Colossians (gracious thanksgiving for all) is the grand finale of always being gracious, prayerful, thankful, watchful and wise (Colossians 4:1-5).

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 ESV

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to have the courage to take the bricks down around our hearts so we are free to love one another as freely as You love. Let us come together in unity with fellow believers, leaving the depravity of our sinful ways behind, so we can be united as a body in pureness of heart and intentions so we can display your true and perfect love and peace in this sinful and lustful world. Help us to overcome our sinful ways so we can walk in the newness of life, with you as our guiding light. AMEN.