LIVING IN THE BEST

by Michael Reynolds

God has already given all of us His best. Receive it now freely.

The Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about how Christians are to live and respond in times when the “world economic and political systems” seem (in the natural) to be falling apart. In the “natural” realm, America appears to be in the midst of heavy political and economic turmoil. This has led some believers to be anxious about the future. I have good news, however, for every Christian reading this: be at peace, because from God’s heavenly perspective, in His economy, in His Kingdom, according to His Word and in His love, all is well. In fact, it’s great! We are living in the best of all times on heaven and on earth. And God is excited about the next season for His Body. The shift has happened. He has come to us. He brings His Economy and His Kingdom to earth and to every believer willing to receive His blessings.

God recently said to me "I have given you my best." When we are in Christ, we are literally in the best place that God has to offer. We really can have it all. We have the best. There is no second place. No lack or want. The awesome God of love looks upon His children and says again and again "give them the best of everything I possess in my Kingdom."

We already have it all.

We have Jesus and the Kingdom and every spiritual blessing in heavenly places. In other words, we have it all. So I say "bring on the fatted calf and let's all eat and make merry." The bread and wine are free. And to those faithful servants, who have labored for the Lord through hardship and distress for many, many years. Don't just labor in vain without also receiving the Father's inheritance. Come on in to the party. It's free for us, because Jesus paid the ultimate price of admission for all of us who believe.

Of course the Father sees the "natural" state of America, but He has great love for His people. Mercy always triumphs over judgment. The love displayed at the Cross by Jesus is so much more powerful than any created power or force. The Cross is a sign of victory, not defeat. Can a Nation be saved in a day? You bet. And will we return to our true spiritual roots? Just look up. Can you see Daddy running toward us? Look at the path ahead. There is nowhere else to go, but closer to God. So cast off all natural burdens and fly into the arms of our loving Father with overwhelming joy!! We have arisen and in 2009, we have begun the humbling walk back home. We have tried it every way in America, but now we have no choice. Our inheritance is waiting for us. We think we've finally blown it. But we have not.

All He has is still ours. Again and again and again, He will always reach out His extended far reaching hand of love and give us His best. And we won't need to walk far because our loving heavenly Father is running towards us with tears flowing down his cheek, saying "here you go, sons and daughters of America, all I have is yours once again." In America, 2009 will be the year that God will seek and find His children in the midst of tribulation and distress and will place us in the middle of heaven mansions to freely dine and celebrate with Him. It will also be the year where He pours out His Holy Spirit like never before. Do we deserve it? I'll leave that to the theologians. I may not "deserve" it, but who cares? Jesus has already given me an invitation to dine with him and I am ready to party! So bring on the fatted calf. Bring on the bread and wine. And let's have the best party ever!! Get ready Body of Christ, because the best is yet to come!! In fact, the best is here. It is now.

Receiving the best in a time of famine.

Genesis 47:11 "And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded."

Even in the land of Egypt, during a time of famine, Joseph and his family still possessed the best of the land. Joseph always looked at his situation from God's heavenly perspective. Some called him a dreamer. Some even persecuted the favorite son, but he always knew in his heart that he was favored and nothing could change this fact. Nothing could separate Joseph from God's love. This sustained Joseph in the land of Rameses. God's absolute and unchanging favor fulfilled Joseph's destiny in God. Genesis 47:13 says that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan "fainted by reason of the famine." Some fainted by the appearance of tribulation and economic distress. But Joseph only saw promotion, opportunity and abundance. He saw the best.

1. The best bread from heaven: economic provision and blessings are here now.

Joseph not only provided his family with the best land, he also "nourished his father and his brethren" with the best bread. Genesis 47:12. We too are nourished daily by the freshest best bread that comes straight from heaven. We are nourished by “the Bread of Life. John 6:33 “For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and gives life unto the world.” John 6:34 This type of bread is beyond eating well, it is daily bread from God’s heavenly realm. Jesus instructed us to pray for our daily bread. And it is given to us every day. So we never hunger, we never thirst and we never lack.

John 6:35 “Jesus said unto them. I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Bread means more than heavenly and earthly provision, it also means intimacy with Christ that sustains us. Bread is part of our communion with Him. We cannot be a part of Christ without eating the Bread of Heaven. And of course, what is even better than the best bread: it's when the bread is mixed with the best wine from heaven!

2. Dreaming of the best heavenly wine: spiritual empowerment in 2009.

Son 7:9 “And thy mouth is like the best wine, That goes down smoothly for my beloved, Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep.” Recently, I dreamed of bread and wine. And as I dreamed, the Holy Spirit said: “I have saved the best for last. So I tasted the goodness of the Lord and I drank my full of the best tasting spiritual substance ever! Wow! He is all good. I continued to see not only myself feasting, but saw many Christians feasting at the great wedding feast, where once again, Jesus could only deliver the best!! Wine speaks of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit visiting His people in power, in joy and in love in 2009.

John 2:9 And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom,

John 2:10 and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse: thou hast kept the best wine until now.

John 2:11 This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

When God gives us His best, he manifests His glory and His goodness. His glory is all that is wonderful and majestic and awesome about Him. And in the case of our Nation, God has saved the best for last. So it’s time to get ready to be blessed! Because a shift has happened in the Spirit.

3. The best robe for a prodigal Nation: America, get ready for heaven visiting earth.

In the natural, it didn't look very good for a certain prodigal child, who was smelling like pigs and mug, as he walked back home to father with his head down. This is a prophetic picture of some American believers. We are now pondering walking back to our strong Christian spiritual roots, in the midst of a prodigal Nation. And there is a loving Father just waiting to place his best robes on us and put a royal signet ring on our finger. And yet, some just stand in the midst of tribulation with their heads hung low. But look up! Can't you see the Father running to the Body of Christ in America with love and compassion, just waiting to give all of us His best? But like the prodigal, we say that we are not worthy of His unconditional love. But the opposite is true from the perspective of the Father.

Luke 15:19 I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Luke 15:20 And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 15:21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

Luke 15:23 and bring the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat, and make merry:

I wrestled with this in my spirit and asked Jesus "is the Body of Christ in America really like the humble prodigal who simply wants to come home?" Aren't we sometimes proud, arrogant and self-righteous? And I heard the Lord say "no. Not now. There is a shift. I gave you a righteous inheritance from the foundation of your Nation and you spent all of it, but I am restoring my best spiritual inheritance back to you in 2009."

This does not mean that the world or our Nation will be immune from the natural consequences of sin. But believers are not natural. We are supernatural. We are born of the Spirit, We are adopted as spiritual children of God and we are not subject to the realms of natural law. We have already overcome. So cheer up! We are welcome into the heavenly mansion realms where we receive true riches and true bliss. The natural world and everything around it could collapse, but we must still receive the best. Why? Because our God is good.

Weekly Scripture Meditation

Week ONE - Genesis 47:11-13
Week TWO - John 6:33-35
Week THREE - John 2:9-11
Week FOUR - Luke 15:19-23