Opening Ceremonies

Re: Opening Ceremonies

Ben,

I was thinking about our place in this life and in our Family.  Family Reunion is going on up there right now.  Children are being introduced by God both to our Parents and to one another.  We all get to see “Mom and Dad”, but more than that our” meet and greet” as paired brothers and sisters is in session.  I was beginning to get a little melancholy as I imagined what we are missing because we are still stuck on earth.  Look at this.  Father is speaking to Mother and to Ezra and states this:

2 Esdras 2:30 'My power shall protect you, and save your sons from hell. Be joyful, 31 mother, you and your sons, for I will come to your rescue. Remember your children who sleep in the grave; I will bring them up from the depths of the earth, and show mercy to them; for I am merciful, says the Lord 32 Almighty. Cherish your children until I come, and proclaim my mercy to them; for my favour flows abundantly from springs that will never run dry.' 33 I, Ezra, received on Mount Horeb a commission from the Lord to go to Israel; but when I came, they scorned me and rejected the Lord's commandment. 34 Therefore I say to you Gentiles, you who hear and understand: 'Look forward to the coming of your shepherd, and he will give you everlasting rest; for he who is to come at the end of the world is close at 35 hand. Be ready to receive the rewards of the kingdom; for light perpetual 36 will shine upon you for ever and ever. Flee from the shadow of this world and receive the joy and splendour that await you. I bear witness openly to 37 my Saviour. It is he whom the Lord has appointed; receive him and be joyful, giving thanks to the One who has summoned you to the heavenly 38 realms. Rise, stand up, and see the whole company of those who bear the 39 Lord's mark and sit at his table. They have moved out of the shadow of this 40 world and have received shining robes from the Lord. Receive, O Zion your full number, and close the roll of those arrayed in white who have 41 faithfully kept the law of the Lord. The number of your sons whom you so long desired is now complete. Pray that the Lord's kingdom may come, so that your people, whom he summoned when the world began, may be set apart as his own.' 42 I, Ezra, saw on Mount Zion a crowd too large to count, all singing hymns 43 of praise to the Lord. In the middle stood a very tall young man, taller than all the rest, who was setting a crown on the head of each one of them; he 44 stood out above them all. I was enthralled at the sight, and asked the angel 45 'Sir, who are these?' He replied, 'They are those who have laid aside their mortal dress and put on the immortal, those who acknowledged the name 46 of God. Now they are being given crowns and palms. 'And I asked again, 'Who is the young man setting crowns on their heads and giving them 47 palms?', and the angel replied, 'He is the Son of God, whom they acknowledged in this mortal life. 'I began to praise those who had stood so valiantly 48 for the Lord's name. Then the angel said to me: 'Go and tell my people all the great and wonderful acts of the Lord God that you have seen.'

He has informed you and I that our numbers are like the stars in multitude.  I cannot count the stars and would not try it!  So when I look at the ceremony described and shown to Ezra, it occurred to me that I have no reason to feel bad and sorry for myself.  WE HAVE ONLY JUST BEGUN as a Family.  Ezra saw a bit of the graduation ceremony where some of the children had just learned who they are and about their heritage in the Father.  Jesus in essence was “giving them life (and victory) more abundantly”.  That group STILL HAS TO MEET AND GREET THOSE PAIRED GUESTS IN THE ROOM after they take their places.  And all guests on the roll have not yet been called upward.  Our numbers though are like the STARS.  This is just “opening ceremonies” which is continuing as Jesus calls men daily freshly redeemed from this earth by their new names.  When we finally enter Heaven, it will still be “opening ceremonies” as we are named and seated in the last part of “opening ceremonies”.  So I really have not missed a thing!  It is STILL JUST THE BEGINNING!  Can you imagine how many names have to be called and those persons introduced to the Family?  Mother wanted a humongous number of children and God granted Her wishes.  With my earthly mind I know I cannot remember so many faces and names.  If I do not see people for a long time, I forget names now!!  I will need a Heavenly mind with an unlimited capacity for memory just to be a viable and functioning member in our Family.  Yes, Ben, we’ve only just begun to live. And we will never be “too late for breakfast”!

Ezra was a very persistent questioner.  Here is another one from him.

2 Ezra 5:42 He said to me, 'I will compare the judgement to a circle: the latest will not be too late, nor the earliest too early.' 43 To this I replied, 'Could you not have made all men, past, present, and future, at one and the same time? 

His line of thought was good up to this point.  He was not aware that Father had done just that at the very beginning on the 4^th Creation Day.  But that light was not for his generation at that time.  It is light for our generation in the time of the END.

Isaiah 66:7 Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. 10 Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

The very answer to Ezra’s question did indeed happen, but it was in the very beginning on the 4^th Creation Day.  In Ezra’s mind he was thinking in terms of the earth as our birth place, and if you read more of the 5^th chapter, you will see how the angel answers him accordingly.

And if I am the last person to be introduced in “opening ceremonies”, our generation has not missed a thing.  We will not be “late for breakfast”!  But I hope God will give me a mega-capacity mind just to remember all my brothers and sisters by name and face.  And then we will have to socialize with one another and bond through constant interaction and have a personal relationship and bond to them. There will be no end to Family Reunion!  You see we have to be IMMORTAL just to be a member of OUR FAMILY.  And what kind of celebration will God have in store when we all have met all the children (married pairs) one time??  That has to count for something!  I’m just saying!

Glorify God!

God did it!