From the late 1950’s Alaska has invoked a strong curiosity in my heart. My husband and I have had the blessing of visiting Alaska two times. It’s marine and animal life, mountains and glaciers as well as its wide open spaces have attracted millions to “come and see” annually. We were not disappointed.
The salmon run in late summer is a most intriguing annual occurrence. The birthplace of the salmon is in the fresh-water rivers and streams of Alaska but their adult life is spent in the Pacific Ocean in northwest coastal United States and southern Canada. This is where they become strong and gain the majority of their body mass which is necessary if they intend to spawn. Natural instinct and amazing scent glands motivate the adult salmon to return to the river of their birth to reproduce in order to keep their species (kind, image) alive and flourishing. The trek is grueling and many die in the process never reaching their goal, but they continue to fight through treacherous obstacles to reproduce their kind.
They must swim upstream, against the current of the river the entire way to their birthplace. Predators like Grizzly bears await their arrival and gorge on many who risk everything to reach their purpose to reproduce. The salmon’s nutrients keep the bears alive during their season of hibernation. Eagles that hover overhead thrust downward at speeds between 100-200 mph to catch them with their powerful talons. They transport them to their huge nests perched at the tops of high trees and cliffs in order to sustain their young. Fishermen wade into the swift flowing rivers hoping to catch the prized delicacy for their family to enjoy; while fisheries gather them by the thousands in nets to process and send salmon fillets and various salmon products all over the world.
The salmon that die during migration provide nitrogen, sulfur, carbon and phosphorus nutrients which replenish the ocean and land wildlife. They also enrich the woodlands surrounding the rivers and streams as well as nurturing estuarine birds during their breeding season. The oil they produce in their bodies helps several human needs: it reduces the severity of anxiety and depression, helps relieve arthritis pain, fights dementia due to Alzheimers, helps prevent cardiovascular disease, and complications of diabetes to name a few. Every salmon swimming upstream will die; it’s just a case of where, when and how. Dying is not their focus, reproducing themselves (their kind) is what motivates and empowers their selfless dream!
In the book of Genesis, God created the heavens and the earth and then filled it with every living animal, reptile, bird, fish and sea creature, each of their own kind (species). “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens. God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, which the water brought forth abundantly, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God said that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved it. And God blessed them, saying Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth…And God said Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds; livestock, creeping things, and [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so…” Genesis 1:20-25. AMP
Then God made man and woman in His image (after His kind) and placed them in the garden. He gave them dominion over everything He created delegating His authority to them. They were sinless and pure. They would have lived forever but in their one act of rebellion, their sin perverted every living thing upon the earth and nature itself. Their kind (created in His eternal holy image) now had a sin nature. Therefore, they lost their God given dominion and authority. Satan, death and destruction began to rule over them. See Genesis 1:26-2:19. See Romans 1:17-32, esp. vs 23.
Image, likeness: d’muwth- resemblance; model, shape; fashion, like, manner, similitude. Key Word Study Bible KJV.
Four thousand years later Jesus came to confront the works of darkness. Having surrendered His own deity and rights as God’s Son, He became a servant to lead the people out of bondage. ‘Swimming upstream’ against a Jewish hierarchy that was polluted and perverted by their religious pride and self-righteous judgment of others He came to redeem His people. Several hundred prophecies were recorded about Israel’s coming Messiah, what He would be like and how He would suffer and die for their sake. Totally blinded by their lust for power, they assumed He would overthrow all their enemies and set their religious hierarchy up to rule the earth. However, their corruption was not what He wanted to replicate in the earth. Instead, Jesus came to reproduce Himself in unlikely places and die as a seed to keep the new “species/kind” of mankind filled with God and empowered by the Holy Spirit alive and flourishing. He was God’s answer for His people but most of them rejected Him, mocked Him, spat upon Him and crucified Him. Regardless, He was able to reproduce Himself (His nature) in order to change the world. His self-less sacrifice was to give us life in order that we too, would ‘swim upstream’ to reproduce, generation after generation until He returned.
“And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust (Adam), so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven (Jesus). But I tell you this, brethren, flesh and blood cannot [become partakers of eternal salvation and] inherit or share in the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (that which is decaying) inherit or share in the imperishable (the immortal). Take notice! I tell you a mystery (a secret truth, an event decreed by the hidden purpose or counsel of God). We shall not all fall asleep [in death], but we shall all be changed (transformed) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the [sound of the] last trumpet call. For a trumpet will sound, and the dead [in Christ] will be raised imperishable (free and immune from decay), and we shall be changed (transformed)…” 1 Corinthians 15:49-55 AMP. Emphasis mine.
His seed was sinless. His power and authority were matchless. His love was boundless while His ways were holy and righteous. His motives were pure and completely surrendered to His Heavenly Father. His mandate was to make a name for His Father giving all glory to Him and reproduce a family consumed with His nature; but in return, the Father made His name become the name above all names.
“He existed in the form of God, yet he gave no thought to seizing equality with God as his supreme prize. Instead he emptied himself of his outward glory by reducing himself to the form of a lowly servant. He became human! He humbled himself and became vulnerable, choosing to be revealed as a man and was obedient. He was a perfect example, even in his death–a criminal’s death by crucifixion! Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name–in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father!” Philippians 2:6-11 TPT.
He, being a good spiritual shepherd, warned His offspring of the persecution, hardships and trials they would face but when they became filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit and fire, they were willing to follow Him because the vision was worth the suffering.
“And he said to them, As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race! Whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues. They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. They will lay hands on the sick and heal them. After saying these things, Jesus was lifted up into heaven and sat down at the place of honor at the right hand of God! And the apostles went out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that accompanied them!” Mark 16:15-20 TPT.
His sinless kind was reproduced by His death, resurrection, and blood covering of righteousness once and for all times! Through their baptism of death to self, true disciples have become self-less and fully dedicated to His every command. Through the infilling by the baptism of the Holy Spirit they have become infused with His power and authority and set ablaze with passion and zeal to do the same works He did and more. See John 14:12.
“Through Him you believe in (adhere to, rely on) God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him honor and glory, so that your faith and hope are [centered and rest] in God. Since by your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy] Spirit you have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a pure heart. You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God…” 1 Peter 1:21-25 AMP. Who is the Word of God? Jesus!
We, the transformed sons and daughters of the Most High God, the Ever-Living Word of God, Jesus, have been given His seed, and not only challenged but charged to reproduce spiritual sons and daughters for Him. Not only sons and daughters but grandsons and granddaughters and great grandsons and great granddaughters!
We are to die to self, rise up in Him, and carry His seed in order to reproduce future generations who love Him, believe in Him and take upon themselves the same charge we were given. It is not about us, nor about whether we live or die in the natural, it is about ‘swimming upstream’ against the currents of the world, among predators (spiritual forces in heavenly places) who may try to stop us, to keep the seed of Christ alive in the earth.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also]. For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it …” Matthew 16:24-28. AMP
Jesus made it very clear, only the true disciples of Christ will inherit His eternal Kingdom. The world is falling deeper and deeper into depravity. We are standing at the precipice of the final harvest of souls. God is looking for those who are willing to ‘swim upstream’. Are you one of them?
