Like a vine tender cares for their vineyard, Jesus nurtures each branch. Nicodemus, once overgrown and shadowed, needed pruning to grow in the light. At the cross, after 3 years of pruning, everyone else saw only darkness, but Nicodemus saw the light of the King.
We traced Revelation 21–22 as the climactic reunification of heaven and earth, connecting its temple/tabernacle imagery, priestly stones, and the Bride/City to Eden’s river and tree of life, contrasting Babylon’s coercive economy with God’s freely given water of life and the Lamb’s healing light for the nations.
Overturning the common belief that grace is reluctantly earned, the freely given reality of the Gospel is that God's salvation flows from His eager delight to love and forgive us.
We are the recipients of God's overflowing grace and boundless love. This gift transforms our very identity, compelling us toward a life of radical gratitude and contagious generosity. Let's fully embrace this joyful way to live by sharing our time, talents, and resources.
Moving past a fearful view of evangelism, the richer meaning of the Great Commission is found in Christ's established authority, which turns our lives into a confident declaration of His victory.
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Shifting focus from the temple as a static building, the freely shared reality is that God desires to dwell among us, using our diverse and imperfect gifts as the very means to make His presence known for the benefit of all.