The word of God says there is a time and and a season for everything under heaven. And we are now entering, and have entered, the time and the season for the prodigal sons and daughters to return to their home.

     God tests us (Deut. 8:2), and examines us, and searches us (Jeremiah 17:10), and questions us (Job 38:3), to see if we have died to our own ways. For as we have seen, the ways of the flesh are not His ways. The thoughts of the flesh are not His thoughts (Isaiah 5:8). So God deals with the root (the thoughts - the fallen nature) and the fruit (the ways - the sin).

    In Romans 8:13, it tells us “For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die. But if you through [the] Spirit mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.” So God allows for trials and tribulations — being His potters hands — to see if we have died to self. Just like He did with His Son. For our trials and tests REVEAL which nature we lean to. They reveal by which voice we are led. The high road of the Spirit, or the low road of the flesh.

     For this is all about making us ready to enter the joy of His presence (Acts 2:28; 1 John 3:1-3). For just like Jesus died and rose on the third day, man is entering the third day now. And those who have died to self shall be resurrected into the abundant life that is the manifest sons of God. Having had their glorified body restored to them, as with Adam before the fall, and with Jesus, before He ascended to enter the joy of the presence of His Father once more.

     For Jesus coming to earth is a pattern of Adam falling. That He may die to self — just like we are called to — that He may “deny Himself, take up His cross and follow the will and way” of His Father (for He only did what He saw His Father doing), and on the THIRD DAY, be both resurrected into the fullness of life as well as restored to His place alongside His Father. Just as for those who have died to self — or made themselves ready — shall now, in the THIRD DAY of man, in the twinkling of an eye, be restored to their original state, and ascend to enter the joy of the presence of their Father.

     And just like God said on the THIRD DAY to Jesus, “Today I have begotten My Son”, He will beget His sons and daughters. For God wants sons and daughters. For His house is heaven. And just like no one can just walk into our house unless you are a son or daughter, no one can just walk into their Father's house, unless they are a son or daughter.

     The Father has been waiting for the day when all His prodigals shall return to Him. For is it not written that He has gone to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house, that we may be with Him where He is? And that His Father’s house has many rooms? Why have many rooms unless you are preparing for many to dwell with you in your house?

     God the Father desires “a full house” of all His sons and daughters. For as a Father who Moses described is “from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 90:2), this is the story of a Father’s “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3; Psalm 103:17) for His lost sons and daughters to all return from the pig slop and pig trough of the world to their rightful place. For His eyes always scan the horizon, that seeing them, He may run to greet His children, and place the coat of the glorified body around His children, and have a great feast of celebration with them all. For finally, His much beloved sons and daughters have all returned home.

Romans 8 sums this up really well.

14 For AS MANY as are led by [the] Spirit of God, they are the SONS of God.

15 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit OF ADOPTION by which we cry, Abba, FATHER!

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the CHILDREN OF GOD.

17 And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with [Him], WE MAY ALSO BE GLORIFIED TOGETHER.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the COMING GLORY TO BE REVEALED IN US.

     For truly, can our sufferings be compared with the coming glory to be revealed in us? And the key word here is REVEALED? For just like the book of Revelation, the final book, is about the REVEALING of the firstborn Son of Jesus Christ before all of creation, we too shall finally be REVEALED before all creation. For the very next verse in Romans 8:19 says, “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the REVEALING of the SONS of God.”

     But after first entering “the narrow gate” of SALVATION (our exodus from Egypt), we all need to go through the second trimester (the Red Sea) and the third trimester (the wilderness) of “the difficult way” of the maturity continuum of “the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:24) called DISCIPLESHIP — BEFORE we may enter then into “the life” of the promised land (Matthew 7:14).

     Which is when the TOMB of “the death” of the fallen nature becomes the WOMB of “the life” of divine nature. Which is when, as “heirs of God”, according to Acts 2:28, we enter the joy of the presence of God. And, as “joint-heirs with Christ”, according to Hebrews 1:3, we take on “the exact representation of His being” and “the radiance of His glory”, so that all the earth (man) may be filled with the glory of God (Habakkuk 2:14).