Dream

On the first month of the 26^th day of the year twenty fifteen I was given a dream…

I had never experienced a dream quite like this before.  In my dreams I have always been myself, at least I believe it to be so, but this time I experienced the position of someone else's point of view.  And after the dream I had to ask if this dream was from God and if it was... "What did it all mean?"  He directed me to Song of Songs.  I will do my best to reference these illustrations with biblical texts.
      

In this dream I was put in the position of the groom.   The groom had been away and was returning from afar.  Jesus is the groom/bridegroom.  (John 3:29-36)

References

“Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke along the ground? Who is it that smells of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice?” Song of Songs 3:6

“Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her lover?” Song of Songs 8:5

When the groom enters the house “He” sees his bride and her father.  The father is dressing her in white. The Father (God) tells the groom, the bride’s dress is modest and conservative where not even the backing of the dress shows the skin on her lower back.  Her blond straight hair is made up into a bun on the back of her head.

(There is something beautiful about a modestly dressed woman with her hair up.  A woman who has saved all the enticing attributes of her physical body for her husband.  Now think about this in a spiritual sense as our bodies are the temple of God.)
 

The bride is an illustration of the Christian church.

 References:

“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.” Isaiah 54:5

“And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church.  He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the baptism of God’s word.  He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead she is holy and without fault.” Ephesians 5:26-27

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” Revelation 19:7-9

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  Revelation 21:2

And let us not forget the verse “first love” in Revelation 2:4

I noticed a label on the dress that read “Infinity”. Think about what a label represents... When you think of a label you think of the maker of the label.  You think of the designer.  You think of the person who owns it.  The label is a seal.

References

The “seal” has nothing to do with us but Jesus to whom we belong and those who belong to Jesus have been given the Holy Spirit.

^“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  2 Corinthians 1:21-22

The groom kisses his bride’s warm moist lips that were full of passion for her soon to be husband.  She has been waiting for Him with anticipation.  She loves Him with all her heart, mind, body and soul. 

References

“Your lips, my bride, are as sweet as honey.  Yes, honey and cream are under your tongue.” Song of Songs 4:11

“May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine, smooth and sweet, flowing gently over lips and teeth.” Song of Songs 6:9

“As the deer pants for the streams of water, so I long for you, O God.  I thirst for God, the living God.  When can I come and stand before him?” Psalm 42:1-2

“Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind’.” Matthew 22:37

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

“You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride!  You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own.”  Song of Songs 4:12

These last two verses reminds me of our "personal" relationship with the Lord.   It seems no matter how well we may verbally or inscribe that content we receive from the God it is not to the depth and meaning in which we received it.   It's personal....  and with anything personal- no words can accurately convey it's meaning.   It is a "spring" and "fountain" with the Lord that we only can fully enjoy.  


It is as Proverbs 14:10 states: "Each heart knows it own bitterness and no one else can fully share it's joy."
   

It is spiritual matrimony of sorts because it is an intimate partnership.   God invented marriage to illustrate this truth as well.  Our relationship with our spouse is like a fountain no one else can drink from.  It is meant to be an intimate partnership just as our relationship with the Lord is to be.  And in that partnership precious spiritual fruit is grown.

“You are like a private garden, my treasure, my bride! You are like a spring that no one else can drink from, a fountain of my own.  You are like a lovely orchard bearing precious fruit, with the rarest of perfumes: nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, myrrh and aloes, and perfume from every incense tree, and every other lovely spice.   You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, as refreshing as the streams from the Lebanon mountains.”   Song of Songs 4:12-15
  

"He who believes in Me (Jesus), as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"  John 7:38

The “family” shared a satisfying filling meal with the groom.

References

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20

“I am the bread of life.  No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again.   Those who believe in me will never thirst” John 6:35

The Father then asked the bride’s mother to dance with the groom and that she did gracefully with no utterance.


This dance, reminds me Jeremiah 31.

"This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt.  They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the LORD.  But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days," says the LORD. "I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.  I will be their God and they will be my people.  And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying 'You should know the LORD.'  For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already," says the LORD.  And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins." Jeremiah 31:32-34


For how could God not remember their sin? A sacrificial animal offering was to cover skin but it wasn't forgotten but to be forgotten they must put their faith in God's Son, Jesus Christ who was the sin offering for all humanity and of all the ages of man.  For not only would their sin not be remembered by God, but they too would be given the Holy Spirit who puts God's instructions deep with them and they we know the LORD. 


It is as it is written: "And I will give you a new obedient heart.  And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command."  Ezekiel 36:26-27


In dream the groom gently took hold of the wife's soft hand and put his other hand around her petite frame.  The mother exuded warmth, peace, purity and unfading beauty in her quiet persona, which I cannot accurately describe..... For one would have to dance with her to experience such things. And this experience has encouraged me to seek God to take on some of her honorable attributes in Spirit.  She did not wear fancy clothes but a simple dress and long sleeve blouse or shirt.  She was of natural beauty.  She was earthy in the good sense.  She wore no jewelry and had her long straight auburn hair tied back in a simple ponytail.

The mother is probably Judaism.  Judaism is where Christianity comes forth from- for Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews and Gentiles.  Jesus is the Savior.

For Jesus said, "You Samaritans know so little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews."  John 4:22 

The mother, petite, is like Israel who small but beautiful and precious in God’s sight.  And those who listen to God will “dance” with the Son of God- Jesus Christ who is the lasting covenant with God's people.
   

References

The mother was all that 1 Peter 3:1-4 speaks of:

“Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.  Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

 “As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:24

At the end of the dream there was no wedding. There was no banquet of great celebration. The groom did not sleep with the bride.  He loves the bride and she loves Him.  The groom did not sleep in the family’s house but stayed right outside on some high platform were He kept watch- for a sign perhaps.

Reference

“Before the dawn comes and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.  You are so beautiful, my beloved, so perfect in every part.” Song of Songs 4:6

The dream ends there.  Bride of Christ is waiting for her Lord to come with anticipation and every ounce of her being.  She is looking forward to being united with her Lord but as she does so, she is also waiting for the God's will to be done.

 
It reminds me of these verses:

“First I want to remind you that in the last days there will be scoffers who will laugh at the truth and do every evil thing they desire.   This will be their argument: ‘Jesus promised to come back, did he?  Then where is he?  Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created’. They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth up from the water and surrounded it with water.  Then he used the water to destroy the world with a mighty flood.  And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment when ungodly people will perish.  But you must not forget, dear friends, that a day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think.  No, he is being patient for your sake.  He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief.  Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and everything in them will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be exposed to judgment.” 2 Peter 3:3-10

And then we know why Spirit emphasizes this verse…

“Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the swift gazelles and the deer of the wild, not to awaken love until the time is right.”  Song of Songs 3:7

May God be given praise. 

The Soul Thirsts

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How many times have I seen and read the ancient text of Psalm 42?

 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?”

This week alone I have come upon this verse at least half a dozen times, once in a book by A.W. Tozer, another in a morning devotional, once in a Sunday morning sermon and several times from radio bible teachers.

This sudden repeated occurrence of such verses in such a short time has made me take heed… has made me evaluate… has made me meditate… has made me ponder…    

God knows all my days.  He knows what will be included in those days? He knows what my eyes will see and my what my ears will hear.  He knows the thoughts and intents of my heart.   God… does He not cause all things to work together to bring something to my attention?

“As a deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.”

Pants… What does it actually mean in the Hebrew?  It means to desire, long for, to cry out for (Joel 1:20).  The root of pants is "to flee" or be "untamed".  

What are some of the physical effects of one who pants?  What do their muscles do?  Where do their eyes search?  What is the beat of their heart like?  What are the thoughts within their head?In what sense are they untamed?  Are they untamed to the world or God?  To whom do they cry out and long for?  Why do they pant and what has caused them to pant? 

Do they pant because of a lifestyle of  “self” such as self-sufficiency, self-governing, self-pity, and self-centeredness? Do they pant because of the emptiness in their own life?  Do they pant because they are afraid and weary?  Do they pant because of heartbreak? Do they pant because they thirst and hunger for justice? (Matt 5:6) Do they pant because they have found themselves at the dry wick of complacency? Do they pant because they are hounded, intimidated, manipulated, hunted?   Do they pant because they feel as if something is trying to dampen, cheapen, gray and cool the coals of their faith?

“Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down to the pit.”  Psalm 143:7

Do they pant because of sin?

Do they pant because no matter where they look in this uncertain world, they find nothing in which their soul can rest? 

Have they become distracted or side tracked? Have they put their eyes on people and the opinions of people more then on God? 

Have they found their faith has turned into some kind of religion of rote, rule, routine and law?

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”  Psalm 51:10

Have they forgotten to REVERE and FEAR God and in doing so have fallen into the muddy worldly ruts of  “This is the how things are to be done.”?  I say where is the Spirit and Truth in that?  

I say where is the “dynamis” that Paul spoke of:

“For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true.”

Think about it....  going about things in a routine religious manner... is that open to our God who is unorthodox and is unorthodox in ways?  He says there is a narrow door to which we can enter heaven and that is through His SON, Jesus Christ.   This is God who is ONE God but three people in one- He is Father, Son- Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  This is God who spits in the dirt and puts it on a blind man's eyes and cures his blindness and raises the dead with by just the words of His mouth.     

He works beyond our own reasoning does He not?

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.…" Proverbs 3:5-6

Acknowledging Him had very little to do with leaning on our own understanding.  In fact when we lean on our own understanding, I find we shut Him off.

Do they pant and thirst because they have tasted the Lord is good?

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” Psalm 136:1

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.” Psalm 34:7-8

Do they pant because He knocked on the door of their heart and they opened it to find a new revelation of GOD?
  

“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits— Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!”

Psalm 103:1-5

Souring!  Souring because God is fulfilling the thirst in their soul.

To they pant because they are stubborn in their ways?

"Son of man, listen to what I say to you.  Do not join them in being a rebel.  Open your mouth, and eat what I give you." Ezekiel 2:8

Does the soul pant in a world that is not it’s home? Does it pant to know God more intimately?   Does it pant to live in the purposes God had intended and ordained - for they have heard personally the words of the Lord in their soul, things such as:

“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me”?

 As a Christian there are many experiences that cause us to pant for the Lord.  Even though these thirsts differ and greatly, I have found one hunger and thirst always necessary as we live here in these earthly bodies.   That is a hunger and thirst for the Lord.  He is the love we can’t do without. 
  

"Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.”

-Augustine of Hippo

“For it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth.  The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” -A. W. Tozer

He made us for Himself and it’s in Him our soul is satisfied.

“For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”  Psalm 107:9

 (Read this Psalm sometime.  It’s beautiful.)

SURRENDER

“The strongest position one can be…

 is complete surrender unto God.”

Do you believe COMPLETE surrender unto God is our strongest position?

If this quote doesn’t find a place in our heart then we must ask ourselves why don’t we agree with such a statement?  And we must also ask what then echoes in the catacombs of our heart?

This quote finds or does not find a place in our heart based on the understanding of LIFE and who is LIFE.   For the one who is LIFE transforms our heart and creates a LIFE.

Our existence is like a written journal we keep tucked underneath our armpit as we walk the streets and a tower that chime the hours of our days.  This weathered volume we try to keep safe and hid, is held by the deficiencies of human frailty. And one day we will drop it.   Down it will fall to the cold pavement, its worn leather cover will unsnap, the pages will quickly fan and spill from it’s tattered bindings.  The pages will be trampled… scattered into the wind… memories and thoughts will drift into reflective puddles where the ink will bleed from them.  The perfume scent will leave them and they will be as important as Sundays discarded paper in Monday morning’s garbage.

“Lord, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah.  Surely every man walks about like a shadow; Surely they busy themselves in vain; He heaps up riches, And does not know who will gather them.” Psalm 39:4-6

“It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2

Like the bar fly is able fool many people we can’t fool God and what is really written in the secretive pages of our life.

We walk physically as well as spiritually.  We physically speak but we spiritual speak as well.  We mentally think as well as spiritually think.  There are landscapes in which we physically live and spiritual landscapes in which we live as well. 

One might spiritually walk streets where fear, anxiousness, depression and doubt thrive.  Another might walk the same physical streets but spiritually live where there is resurgence, renaissance, hope, peace, enthusiasm, clarity that comes from the warm tangible assurance of God’s governing love. 

One might live under a spiritual dictator of slavery of hate, addiction, lies, deceit, slander, and blind self- ambition.  Another might live in God where there is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  NOTE: Galatians 5:19.

One might have a poor side of town and rich part of town in their soul.  One might have unstable “spiritual” currency while another has a stable “spiritual currency no matter what the times or season.

19th century American writer Henry David Thoreau, wrote "It is not what you look at that matters.  It's what you see."  

Reminds me of that U2 song entitled "Beautiful Day".

 

Ever honestly ask what are the landscapes of my heart? How do they affect how I see the experiences in life?

I don’t see a city in my heart. I see a secluded private place.  I see long golden wheat grasses bathed in the warm of the sun.   I see tall green thick bark trees where great eagles nest and softly chant.  I see the most perfect mountain in the spring topped with snow.  And amongst all this majestic scenery stands a lowly cabin signaling a warm welcome meal from its stone chimney for the occasional friend and guest.  Does the challenging experiences affect my landscape? Do they change my landscape... I am certain they have and do at times.. some for the better and some for the worst, that is why I and everyone else need God. The bible says, "And he (God) is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.  Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need."  Acts 17:25 

 I find experiences come and go... they can't be our temporary god in which we look at life.

Here are some of the verses that have helped me lately keep such a landscape in my heart... 

“Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

“A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh but envy makes the bones rot.” Proverbs 14:30

Who gives me a tranquil heart? Jesus says, "I give you peace, not as the world gives.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27 

Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.  When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.” Proverbs 23:4-5

“God bless those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.” Matthew 5:3

“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8

"And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you." 1 Thessalonians 4:11

I have found living in the quiet moment at a task with the the peace of God as your guide is much better then trying to imagine what is next moments ahead will be... especially when they are a bit "Trying".

Along with asking, "What are the landscapes of my heart?, other questions to ask ourselves, are... "Why did I pick those particular landscapes?"  Was I being honest with myself when I choose the things in my landscape.   And if I was being honest, what subconsciously drove me to pick those things for my landscape? 

-->IS God transforming those landscapes of my heart?  WAS God transforming the landscapes of my heart and has He stopped?  What changed?  What got between me and God?" 

If God has not transformed the landscapes of your heart….  then you may be standoffish, cold and hold what I share as… fiction.  But just because one doesn’t want to believe something is true doesn’t make it untrue.   

What is your typical perspective and response on the things of God?  Do you throw all things “god” and “God” in the same organizing bin?  Are you cynical or indifferent?  Do you regard the things of God as old fashioned, religious, cultish, ritualistic and just plain creepy and weird?  Are you curious?  Are looking in the windows of “this” and “that” hoping to get a glimpse of God?  Are you hoping He is for you and not against you?  Are you one who says, “If I can’t see it, I can’t believe it.”? Well you can’t see air or the wind and yet it is there and all around us. 
 

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I have found our feelings and opinions keep us restricted from God.  It is only when we surrender ourselves to Him can He awaken and transform our heart.
  

In the book of Ezekiel God says:

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” EZEKIEL 36:26-27

In the book of Revelation God says:

“So I advise you to buy gold from me--gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.” REVELATION 3:18

In other words we have “invested” or “entrusted” our soul to God, to became a “new” person… a new creature…to see things differently ... because God is now living inside of us.  It wasn’t about “us” but Him living "in us".  And God's word has been like refined gold  proven in the trials of this life. 
  

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did.  And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him.  2 Corinthians  5:18
 

We have all walked in those dark spiritual landscapes but God is willing to change the landscapes of our heart if we let him.

“Through you I am saying to the prisoners of darkness, ‘Come out! I am giving you freedom!’  They will be my sheep, grazing in the green pastures and on the hills that were previously bare.  They will neither hunger nor thirst.   The searing sun and scorching desert winds will not reach them anymore.  For the LORD in his mercy will lead them beside cool waters.” Isaiah 49:9-10

--> Jesus, who knows all hearts, knew there would be many who would not come out of darkness, for they loved the darkness more then the light who is God.  I tell you don’t be like them who condemn their own soul by not surrendering to God.  Your life is but a vapor and shadow.  Note: John 3:19 

“For God says,  ‘At just the right time, I heard you.  On the day of salvation, I helped you.’   Indeed, God is ready to help you right now.  Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 

 If Jesus, who created your soul, has a plan for your life, aren't you missing the point of your life if you aren't giving it to him to guide?

 
Jesus said, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it." Matthew 16:25
 
We in our own means are reckless and careless with our "short" existence on earth.   We in our own human understanding give little care for our soul which is eternal.

Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

 But to have what God wants to give us we must give ourselves back to the one who created us and this is not just a once type of thing but a daily and sometimes and hourly thing.  
 

The strongest position one can be…

 is complete surrender unto God.

 

And The Soul Felt It's Worth

  A Christmas Message
By Jeff Johnson
 

I would like to thank you in advance for reading this message.  I know a lot of our schedules seem to not only be FULL to the brim at this time of year but running out of minutes before the celebration of the Savior’s birth.

This year there has been one hymn with one verse that has been resonating in my soul for not just myself but others as well.

Most of us hear this song and even sing this song every Christmas season but we don’t often “really” hear the lyrics, we see but we really don’t see…
And isn’t that true of a lot of hymns- if we get a chance to listen, meditate, study them, their authors and the God who inspired them we find them deep and rich with spiritual wisdom and nourishment.

Oh Holy Night,
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Think about it….”Oh yonder breaks a new and glorious morn because He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth.”  How often do we try to receive worth from our fellow man and our accomplishments?  How often do we pine away and seek meaning in the things that are only temporary?

We see and hear of individuals who seem to have everything… they have fame, fortune, glory, and yet they do the imaginable and take their lives.

Why do they do this? Do they put their worth and sanity in the “temporary”.  Man… the ways of man… and things of man, which are just as “temporary”.

In their idolatrous thinking, have they surrendered their souls to mere mortals and things?  What things do they forfeit their precious soul?   

Jesus said in “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37

In the book of Jeremiah God said, “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh is strength, And whose heart turns away from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5

Edward Mote wrote: “ My hope is built on nothing less then Jesus blood and righteousness.  I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name.”

CHRISTMAS! And the soul felt it’s worth!

In all the disappointments in life is God on the throne in your heart or something else? Is there a thrilling hope knowing JESUS, was born of a virgin to show us our worth?

And the soul felt it’s worth…

Extraordinary to think that GOD became a baby boy- who became a man and even while growing and seeing all our faults saw worth in our soul and took upon himself the cross for our sins… that who shall believe in Him shall have life and eternal life in heaven.

And the soul felt it’s worth…

That we might realize this… and seeing this put our worth where it truly belongs, in HIM.

Some of you say “BUT I have messed up, I haven’t been living right. I can’t seem to get my life straight to come before Him.”

Do you still have breath in your body by the grace of God?  Then it’s not too late.  Come just as you are…. Turn to HIM.  Trust in HIM.  Give yourself to Him who gave Himself to you.     

Some of you say, “I have been told and showed I am not worthy by people’s words and actions.”

Are they God who created you? Did those people come down from heaven for you? Did they die on the cross for you?

And the soul felt it’s worth…

Not everyone wants a relationship with you.  Not everyone wants you on his or her team or side.  Not everyone understands you.  BUT the GOD who created you DOES!

And the soul felt it’s worth…

And God wants you to know His voice.  He wants you to live in the assurance of His love, that you may know your worth to Him in amongst this temporary experience we call life but is really an opportunity for us to come to know HIM who is LIFE!

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

That we may trade our weariness for a lasting REAL HOPE and rejoice in our soul of knowing Him- who came and gave it all for us!

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you.   Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your soul.”  Matthew 11:29

And the soul felt it’s worth…

We were all born with this need for the real and eternal God but it is up to us to turn to Him or the faulty things that never satisfy.

Jesus said “ God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.”  

So when you see the images of a baby in a manger this Christmas… remember it was God that came down from heaven.  Remember it was to show you your worth to HIM.

John wrote this about Jesus, “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.  So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:11-14

And the soul felt it’s worth…

I hope realizing this wonderful truth you will see more deeply the worth of yourself and in others this Christmas season and throughout the coming new year.  Turn to Him.. Thank Him.. Appreciate Him…and live and learn in Him. May it continue to be a new and glorious morn for you as your remember the real gift of Christmas- Jesus!

Oh Holy Night,
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Merry Christmas

Living in God's Intended Love

We read these words in 1 Corinthians 13

" Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

We hear them at church, in our devotional time and sometimes at wedding ceremonies and sometimes at memorial services. 

We are told God is love in 1 John 4:8

⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Love makes harmony.  It is the oil that keeps everything working and functioning properly for without it everything would freeze up and go dry.  Harmony can only be accomplished in ourselves and with each other when we submit to the Spirit of God.  

Love does not demand its own way or stubbornly stand in how we think it should be or point fingers but is yielded to God's will who knows what is best.  

If we believe this is true then we will allow God's work to be done according to how he has determined it.  And this should give us peace in all occasions and circumstances to live encouraged in God's unfailing love.  He is our strength and confidence.

 

Are You Practicing the Art of Joy that God Intended for You?

The Turquoise Pillar

I recently had some dreams where everything was black and white except for a single column or pillar, which was turquoise in color. 

(This pillar was long and rectangular.  I wasn't fluted and did not have a fancy top.  It was simple in all aspects except it's turquoise color.)  

I came under the conclusion that I was only to pay attention to what this turquoise pillar meant.

So I sat down and began to dig quietly with God’s spirit as my guide. 

·       A pillar is a witness….  Genesis 31:52

Have you ever heard the saying, "They are pillars of the community"?   We as Christians are to be pillars...  We are to be ambassadors of God and children of God.   We are witnesses to the world of God's love and the real "hope" he gives us.   

We are not colorless as the world- where we believe in the false of hopes of the world that soon fade making us indifferent to everything!!!   


We once were indifferent, lost and hopeless as the world.... we didn't have anything to stand on and we know only by God’s goodness, grace and mercy that He saved us from that hopeless colorless hole that once entrapped us.  We called out to him in all sincerity and he went beyond our expectations in rescuing us.   He not only pulled us out of that hopeless bit but he set us
"upright".
  

·   A pillar is something that is set "up-right".
   

Like a caring parent God heard our sincere cries.... he came and picked us up, lovingly embraced us, brushed and washed the burdening hurts off our spiritual scrapped knees and elbows and in doing so gave us a new understanding of His love.
  
"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." Ezekiel 36:25-27

This new understanding by His Spirit set us upright in His love.   Faith began to grow from that once hard seed that had laid dormant when our soul was created.   We had a new realization of God.   
  

“For the LORD is righteous, he loves righteousness; the upright will behold his face.”  PSALM 11:7

It is amazing to think this all started when faith and God collided.  

As the scripture says "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him."
 
Jesus... through all things were created made this possible for us.   He was the gift to the world. He is the true gift,  a gift not given because we earned it or because we were good enough but because we are loved.   But like all gifts it has to be accepted.   Can anything be more profound then that? 

Jesus speaking of himself said:

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.  There is no judgement awaiting those who trust him.   But those who do not trust have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.  Their judgment is based on this fact:  The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved darkness more than light, for their actions were evil.  They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness.  They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.  But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants."  JOHN 3:16-21

 Jesus Christ, the gift to the world, is what brings our life upright.  From gray ashes to a crown of beauty.  

  
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  JOHN 14:6

And without Jesus "this" pillar (you and I) cannot stand.  For God is the source of our strength. 

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  PSALM 28:7

He is our firm foundation.  He is our rock in which we can stand.  

A relationship with Him gives us inner strength to endure. 

Have you ever noticed a pillar and the enormous loads it carries?  And how many times have we gone into a building and totally overlook the pillars and just see everything else?      

Sometimes I look at these pillars in some of these buildings and I wonder how can they hold up so much weight?  

Sometimes we overlook individuals in the church who are pillars.  Sometimes we look at other people's lives and think how in the world can they handle all that is happening in their life and still have peace?  

Again I am reminded only submission to God's love can we accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope for.  And the acknowledgment of God's love in our lives brings glory to Jesus Christ.  
   

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” HEBREWS 4:16

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” EPHESIANS 3:12

We are a witness of God.   God is our life… for without Him we do not have life but everything that is opposite of what God wants for us. 

God's everlasting love- empowers and encourages and enlightens us.   

Paul wrote: "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  and may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high and how deep his love really his is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in the Christ Jesus forever and ever through the endless ages Amen."   EPHESIANS 3:16-21

A relationship with God gives us hope "color", inner strength, but also shapes and molds us. 

TURQUOISE

Did you know the turquoise stone is easily shaped and polished?

Reminds me a bit of what happens as a Christian matures in Christ.

"And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God." 1 PETER 2:5


Turquoise also represents the tribe of Judah/ Yehudah in the priest's breastplate.

Judah means "Give praise to the Lord." Yehudah in Hebrew means: to submit, the center of the Divine, the Way, humility inspired by submission to the divine, gratitude, thanks, and kingship.

Once again we see.... "the Way."  Who is the Way? Jesus Christ.

I have found this true as well... through humility inspired by submission to the divine, come wisdom, and gratitude. 
 
Judah also is represented by the symbol of the "lion".

WHO do we know as the LION OF JUDAH and King of kings?

That's right... Jesus Christ.  

"Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." REVELATION 5:4

"On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords." REVELATION 19:16


And we as Christians belong to Jesus Christ,  the LION of JUDAH and KING of kings!

You might be asking, so does this turquoise pillar represent Jesus Christ?  This pillar is a witness of Jesus Christ.

Let us conclude with this scripture.

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.  Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  REVELATION 3:8-13