Kingdom of Righteousness

February 2, 2012 in Bible Study, Hosea 2:19-20 with 0 Comments

This is the start of my study on Hosea 2:19-20 as posted previously here: Study of Hosea 2:19-20

This subject of righteousness is enormous in its entirety and will take some time breaking it down to reveal the many aspects that it beholds. This study will barely scratch the surface, as it will not be exhaustive.  I will do my best to create small sections in relation to the different aspects of righteousness.

The Kingdom of God will be the starting point for this study.  For it was Jesus that said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His RIGHTEOUSNESS (Matt 6:33).”  There are some other similar passages from the Bible like, “Seek the LORD” and “Seek righteousness (Zeph 2:3)” and, “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD (Isa 51:1).”

The kingdom of God and righteousness go hand in hand; you cannot seek His kingdom without getting righteousness!  Not only is it mind-blowing to seek this all out, but most of all, He loves those who pursue righteousness (Prov. 15:9)!

Here is a short list of descriptions that are typically associated with an earthly kingdom but are mere reflections of the reign of Jesus’ kingdom, as you will see by the related Scriptures (These descriptions are another study within themselves, I did my best to stay on subject :)

• KING; the male ruler of an independent state, esp. one who inherits the position by right of birth: This goes without saying.  Jesus is referred to as the Lord of lords and King of kings all throughout the Bible.  The Father installs His Son, Jesus Christ the righteous, as King upon His holy mountain while giving the nations over to Him as His inheritance (Psa. 2:6-8). 
As far as being a righteous King it states in Hebrews that Jesus is directly linked to the mysterious “order of Melchizedek” which translates “my king of righteousness”.  The prophecy from Jeremiah clearly affirms the coming of our Righteous King, “Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth (Jer. 23:5).”

• THRONE; used to signify sovereign power:  “Righteousness is the foundation of His throne (Psa. 89:14, 97:2).” (Prov. 16:12)

• CROWN; a symbol of authority:  “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing  (2Tim. 4:8).”

I believe that Jesus is wearing a crown of righteousness too as we are called to co-reign with Him.

• SCEPTER; a symbol of sovereignty: “A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (Psa. 45:6)”

• COMMANDMENTS/LAW; an authoritative order: “For all Your commandments are righteousness (Psa. 119:172.).” (Deut. 4:8, Rom. 7:12)

 • ARMY; an extension of the king’s rule in the land by way of soldiers: “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this (Is. 9:7).”

He will use His host of heaven to help with this but most of all He will use His men and women on earth to bring forth His purposes on earth as it is in heaven.

• KINGDOM; a country, state, or territory ruled by a king: “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17).”

Every earthly kingdom has or will pass away, but the kingdom of God and His righteousness is everlasting (Psa. 111:3, Psa. 112:3, Psa. 112:9, Psa. 119:142, Is. 51:6, Is. 51:8, 2Cor. 9:9). Misty Edwards has a song called Servant Of All (Relentless CD) and there is a hook that says, “It’s the inside outside upside down kingdom, where you lose to gain and die to live.”  This Kingdom has a King that made a way for ALL to freely enter into this righteousness (1Pet. 2:24) and He simply wants to have a real relationship with us today so that we may enter into His gates.

 Please let me know what you think.  I would love to hear your feedback.

In the next section I will be focusing on some of the righteous men and women found throughout the Bible.  Remember, there is no righteousness without God.

 

 

 

Study of Hosea 2:19-20

December 21, 2011 in Bible Study, Hosea 2:19-20 with 0 Comments

I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in loving-kindness, and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD. Hosea 2:19-20

I am starting my new study on this passage.  I am going to break it down into 5 topics.

  1. Righteousness
  2. Justice
  3. Loving-kindness
  4. Compassion
  5. Faithfulness

I came across this passage and it grabbed me because it made me realize that each word description is a guide to knowing the LORD on a deeper level.  Each word carries volumes of revelation on Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I came to the conclusion that the message of righteousness and justice is rarely spoken of in the Body of Christ.  Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of His Throne and I believe that these two characteristics are something that we, as Christians, need to have a greater understanding of.  It seems like the righteousness and justice message has been lost in this generation, due to lack of understanding, fear, laziness, and deceit.

I feel like I have heard the love, compassion, and faithfulness of God taught on more heavily, but I am excited to pursue  understanding on all of these topics.  I hope you guys will enjoy this study and if you have any input I would love to hear from you.

I will be starting the study on Righteousness….

The Meaning

November 14, 2011 in Bible Study, Revelation with 0 Comments

•The Meaning

 Rev. 4:9-11 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created.”  (Emphasis mine)

What is the meaning of it all???  HE CREATED ALL THINGS AND BECAUSE OF HIS WILL WE EXIST AND WERE CREATED, THEREFORE HE IS OUR WORTHY LORD AND OUR GOD AND HE ALONE DESERVES ALL GLORY, HONOR, AND POWER!!!

I really do not want to dissect this passage because I believe it speaks volumes the way it is.  I would like to encourage you to read the previous verses of chapter 4 to start understanding the splendor, beauty, and glory of our Lord and our God.

Thanks for reading and partaking of my Beauty Realm Series!

 

If you really want to hear some great teaching on the Beauty Realm, check out Mike Bickle’s 8 sessions on it right HERE


Beauty Realm 4:6-8

October 25, 2011 in Bible Study, Revelation with 1 Comment

GO TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS STUDY

* The Mysterious Ones

Revelation 4:6-8  “And in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.  The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.  And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

I love this passage because it completely magnifies the Creator of all creation!  This picture displays the worth of Christ and why He is deserving of incessant worship!  The four living creatures: lion, calf (ox), man, and eagle.  They are full of eyes and each of them has six wings; can you even picture this?  It reminds me of a scene out of The Chronicles of Narnia or something.

The passage gives us a pretty clear picture of WHAT is going on and with the similar passages from Isaiah 6:1 and Ezekiel 1:10 we get some more insight.  These magnificent burning ones are worshiping Him day and night as the One and Only Holy Lord of Hosts, Almighty; whose glory fills the entire earth!  But why are they doing this? One of my favorite Bible teachers, Stephen Venable shares,

“The Seraphim and the larger angelic host who are enraptured with ministry to Him have never had a single sin forgiven, never an ailment healed, and never a financial need met and yet their testimony is that His unending glory warrants their unending praise.” (Stephen Venable -The Worth of Christ and Incessant Worship)

Most of the time we come to Him in worship because we want Him to heal us, increase our wealth, or because we are in desperate need of forgiveness.  These amazing creatures worship Him 24/7 365 because He alone is worthy and deserves glory and praise!!!  Mike Bickle says in his book, Passion for Jesus,

“The community of God on earth is to live as the community of God lives in heaven….The church on earth is also to be a passionate, worshiping community existing to give ourselves wholly to the son of God.  The purpose of both God’s community in heaven and God’s community on earth begins and ends with worship around the throne.” (page 141)

These living beings are full of eyes because they are beholding the One that is forever full of glory.  They are receiving fresh revelation time and time again and it never gets old, they are beholding Him anew every moment!  Corey Russell says,

“God gave them all those eyes to look at Him….why don’t they stop day or night?  Because He never stops breaking in with fresh revelations.  Hitting them again and again and again, short circuiting all those eyes. Stunning them….because they have never seen Him like this before.  It doesn’t get old.  You think you could talk those seraphim out of that room? You think they get bored?  …You could strap a chain to one of them seraphim legs or wings with a 747 going the other direction and you couldn’t pull them out of there.” (Corey Russell – Gazing on Jesus)

These beings are the closest to the Throne of God, in the center and around the throne.  They are not competing for position; they are not causing division by having certain believers in heaven follow them.  There is no competition between these 4 creatures or any other angelic host in heaven, they all give glory to God.

 Why lion, 0x, man, and eagle?

Some say they show four different faces of God in redemption; as a lion (warrior with courage), calf or ox (a servant persevering in the mundane), man (dignity of relating to and ruling with God), and the eagle (soaring in the Spirit).

Adam Clarke’s commentary says:

To John is attributed the EAGLE; to Luke the OX, to Mark the LION, and to Matthew the MAN, or angel in human form.

Day and night they do not cease to say,

“HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”

 ”This worship does not change the atmosphere in heaven it does not bring revival…nothing is going to happen because of their worship to their personal vocation or calling or ministry.” Stephen Venable

Day and night they sing and worship because He is God.  That is enough. Why do we worship God?  What are we expecting to receive back from Him?  Is giving Him glory enough?  Let us learn much from these living creatures as to why they are worshiping 24/7 before the Throne of God.  Remember what King David said?

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD…. Psalm 27:4

I believe we could all learn how to better behold the beauty, radiance, and glory of the Lord.  There is a reason that seraphim means burning one.  We can only be burning ones if we spend time with the One that burns….“For our God is a consuming fire” Hebrews 12:9

 

The Tongue of Disciples

August 25, 2011 in Thoughts with 6 Comments

“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.”  Is. 50:4

(PIC SOURCE)

This is Jesus telling us that the Father had given Him the tongue of disciples! What does that even mean? Other translations use the words: instructed, learned, and well taught in place of disciples.

 The root word in Hebrew is limad, which means: To exercise in or to learn as well as skilled in and trained.

I came across this passage and it stopped me in my tracks.  I want a tongue of disciples!  I want to know how to sustain the weary one with a word!  Jesus was skilled in using His tongue or words to bring nourishment to the faint and famished.

Have you ever caught yourself using your tongue or in this day and age your “postings” to spread lies, divisiveness, slander, deceit, perversion and division? I know I have!  But I realized it is not only damaging to one’s self; it causes hurt, confusion, frustration, and insult to others.

The Bible gives a clear description of an ill tongue.

The book of James covers the power of the tongue in chapter 3.

  • It is small yet boasts big things.
  • It is the very world of iniquity.
  • It is a restless evil and full of deadly poison.

King Solomon touches on the topic of the tongue in Proverbs.

  • Liars pay attention to a destructive tongue. (Prov. 17:4)
  • A lying tongue is for but a moment. (Prov. 12:19)
  • Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Prov. 18:21)

The Psalms speaks on it as well.

  • You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue. (Psa. 52:4)
  • Let your mouth loose in evil, And your tongue frames deceit. (Psa. 50:19)
  • Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. (Psa. 34:13)

Peter tells us to refrain the tongue from evil and speaking guile (1Pet. 3:10) while Jeremiah compares a deceitful tongue to a deadly arrow (Jer. 9:8).

I want to bring refreshing words when I encounter believers and non-believers.  Even more so I want to talk good of people when they are not in my midst.  I want my tongue to build up and encourage as well as pull out the gold or the best in someone.  I want my blogs, comments, posts, and emails to bring life and clarity to those that may read it.

Naturally, the tongue is probably the strongest muscle in the body.  Spiritually, it can be used to bless or to curse.  It can be used to build up or to tear down.  It can be used to praise God and at the same time curse men who are made in the very likeness of the One being praised.

I pray that the tongue in the Body of Christ would no longer be used as a divisive weapon but that it would be used to speak righteousness and justice.  That it would be guarded and used with wisdom and discernment.  I pray that it would be used to bring healing to the land and to the people.  And that it would be used to give praise and adoration to the King of kings and Lord of lords!

Let us imitate Christ and carry a tongue of disciples.  In order to sustain the weary with our words we must listen to Him and listen as a disciple of Him.  We must let Him open our ears, we must be obedient, and we MUST NOT TURN BACK!

“The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. The Lord GOD has opened My ear; And I was not disobedient, Nor did I turn back.” Is. 50:4-5

 


 

Beauty Realm 4:6

June 28, 2011 in Bible Study, Revelation with 1 Comment

*The Meeting Place

4:6 “And before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal.”

Remember that this is all happening around the Throne of God, look back on the previous posts to keep things in perspective.

1. Sea of Glass (transparent, clear, like crystal, sparkling): This Sea of Glass laid out before the throne is the great meeting place for all His saints.  This is a sea that has a huge role in the future of every believer!

A. The mystery of this “sea” is slowly revealed to us through out the Bible and is first described by Moses in the book of Exodus (1500 BC).

  • Ex. 24:10 “And they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity.”

For those of you who do not know, sapphire is the color blue.

This was the great meeting place between God and His people.  However at this time they only saw His feet as they briefly worshiped and ate  before Him.  There were 74 men present including Moses and this occurred just before he was called into the presence of God for 40 days.

B. Ezekiel describes it when he encounters a heavenly vision (600 BC).

  • Ezek. 1:22 “Over the head of the [combined] living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, looking like the terrible and awesome [dazzling of shining] crystal or ice stretched across the expanse of sky over their heads.” (AMP)

Ezekiel also saw a blue (sapphire) colored throne above the firmament in verse 26.

C. Then John tells of it twice in the book of Revelation (90 AD).  We really see the progression as it goes from pavement (Moses) to firmament (Ezekiel) to sea (John).  I believe John was able to describe it with more accuracy because he was able to see a fuller picture of it.

  • Rev. 4:6 “Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
  • Rev. 15:2 “And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God.”

 

The word sea is used over 300 times in the Bible and it is not just used to describe the oceans or bodies of water, it is used to relate to a variety of things.

I am almost certain that this Sea of Glass is very peaceful, but I do not question that it could cause one to tremble at its intensity.

In the passages below we see the differences between a calm and troubled sea.  I cannot imagine the Sea of Glass being troubled or thrashing around in the presence of One like Jesus.

  • Mark 4:39“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.“
  • Is. 57:20 “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.”


Glass was very rare in the NT times; crystal clear glass was unheard of!  For John to use clear glass as a description spoke volumes.

Paul uses glass (or a mirror) to describe how we see things in this day.  Glass back then was dark and dim.

  • 1Cor. 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

This passage has a whole new meaning to me.

•••

So we have a sparkling crystal-clear sapphire like Sea of Glass that is mixed with fire before the One and Only Throne of God! Not only that but the victorious saints get to stand on it!  Better yet, we get to see Jesus face to face!  Moses saw His feet and His back, but we will see Him in the fullness of ALL HIS GLORY!  Thank you Jesus!

I cannot help to think about the story of Jesus walking on water.  Of course He can walk on water, His throne is surrounded by a massive sea!  Ok so that was just my humor taking off.  But I was reminded of how Peter got distracted and took His eyes off of Jesus and it caused Him to fall into the sea.

I believe the only reason we will be standing on the Sea of Glass in victory at the end of the age is by having a fixed gaze on our King and Leader, Jesus Christ the Son of God.  We cannot look to the left or to the right, we cannot look at the crashing and swirling going on around us. We MUST keep our eyes on our beloved in order to come out as a victorious bride.

Are you ready to stand in front of the Man Christ Jesus face to face?  Are you ready to stand on the Sea of Glass before the Throne of God?

What do you want to hear from Him when you get there?  Do you want to hear what Jesus said to Peter when he fell into the sea?

“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Or

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

I know that we all want to hear the latter!

 

Any thoughts?

Blessings!

 

 

 

 

Defending Doubting Didymus

June 14, 2011 in Thoughts with 1 Comment

What is Thomas the disciple of Jesus known for?

“Doubting Thomas”

I would say nine times out of ten, the answer would be that he is known for initially doubting that Jesus was seen after His death.  I believe that it is true to a certain degree.  Thomas said in John 20:25, “I will not believe” even after the 10 of his fellow disciples, alleged that they saw Him!

I would just like to point out that the rest of the disciples are just as guilty of doubting until seeing Jesus and His wounds in His resurrected body.

Let’s look at  the account found in Luke 24:37-39

“But they were startled and frightened and thought that they were seeing a spirit.  And He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’”

The rest of the disciples needed some heavy convincing just as much as Thomas!

The account from John 20:20 states that the disciples also needed to see His hands and His side to get 20/20 vision that it was Jesus!  Once they saw the wounds, then they rejoiced.

I would like to say that Thomas should not be known for his doubting, we all doubt. What about his courage? I would like to point out his boldness to follow Jesus unto death in a story also recorded in the book of John.

Jesus had recently fled from the Jews in Judea that attempted to stone Him.  Then news that His friend Lazarus died led Him to go back to see His friend that was not far from the City of Judea.

But the disciples said, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” (11:8)

Thomas said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.” (11:16)

So let’s give Thomas some credit!  He was willing to go into Judea with Jesus even if it meant that he would be stoned by doing so!

I have my own thought on why I think Thomas said, “I will not believe” when the disciples gave their accounts.

I think that just like most of the disciples before Jesus ascended into heaven, Thomas did not understand the death, resurrection, and ascension that had to take place before His final return. I could be wrong but maybe Thomas would not believe because he was remembering the words that Jesus spoke to them concerning His second coming.

Mark 13:21 “Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.”

Maybe Thomas thought his friends were speaking of the return of Jesus Christ and not resurrection.  I do not believe Jesus rebuked Thomas for not believing until seeing because his doubt did not cause him to flee from his fellow friends and followers of Christ.

The good news is all the disciples including Thomas believed because they physically saw Him. The good-er news is Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

And hopefully sooner than later we will all say to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” as Thomas did.

 

Note’s on Thomas:

Thomas in Hebrew (or Aramaic) means “the twin.” Didymus in Greek means “the twin.” It is possible that Thomas had a twin.

Thomas went on to spread the gospel as far as India.  He might have been the only one of the original disciples to take the gospel outside of the Roman Empire.

It is said that he was martyred in 70 A.D. by being pierced with spears.

 

Song of Songs: Final

June 12, 2011 in Bible Study, Song of Songs with 2 Comments

My final assignment for my Song of Songs class is to grab a piece from the Shulammite’s walk that best relates to where I am at with my Beloved today and why.

We have been reading the Song of Songs in a 8 week course with the spiritual interpretation; as Mike Bickle puts it, “This is a symbolic interpretation to see the spiritual truths in our relationship with Jesus behind the natural love story.”

Finding one specific portion of the story has been rather difficult, due to the fact that I feel like I have found myself in bits and pieces throughout the entirety of this epic journey.  I may jump from here to there at times only because this year has been one like never before.  Hopefully in the end it will make sense.

At the beginning of last year I strongly sensed that the Lord was calling me (and family) to a deeper place of intimacy.  This caused me to look at my own vineyard (heart) and my words were similar to the Shulammite when she said, “But I have not taken care of my own vineyard. (1:6)”

I had realized that I had gotten weary with running in ministry (1:4) that I had gotten off track and was no longer saying, “Draw me after you.” You could say that I was putting ministry for the Lord before intimacy and ministry with the Lord.

So, I stepped back and had a year of asking Him to sustain me and refresh me. I was surrounded by my family and was able to enjoy the fruits of a loving family. It was a good season in those regards.  However, I still felt like I could not find Him in the deeper place!

Then “the day” came at the beginning of this year.  You can read it in chapter 2:10-13. The time has arrived for pruning the vines! Yikes!  To my knowledge I feel like I followed Him when He said, “Arise and come along!” I don’t believe that I turned Him away, I hope not.  I know I have in times past. But there is a joy and an understanding that has been coming with this call.

The reason I can say I feel like I followed Him is because it has not been easy and it has pulled me completely out of my comfort zone!!! Plus this pruning has been cutting out stuff that I have asked to be removed in past seasons.  I am not saying it has been easy, but I know it is strengthening me.

After reading the song more than a few times my heart connected the most with the Shulammites cry after He beckons her from her comfort zone.

Song of Songs 2:14

“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

In the secret place of the steep pathway,

Let me see your form,

Let me hear your voice;

For your voice is sweet,

And your form is lovely.”

Why… I have seen and heard Him in different times and seasons, some stronger than others.  But for some reason this cry to see and hear Him is stronger than ever before.  This verse is actually the bridegroom talking to the bride, but I have felt that in my stepping out I am longing to see and hear Him in the secret places.

O my dove… speaks of Jesus being the one thing. Christ being the all in all. A dove only has one mate its entire life and they also do not have peripheral vision; so their eye’s are fixed on what is before them.  I have fixed my eyes on Christ, as my one true passion.  I know without a doubt that He is my One thing.  In my walk today I am constantly reminding myself to fix my eyes on Him no matter the circumstances.

 

In the clefts of the rock… speaks of His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross.  It is in His wounds that I am even able to approach Him in all His glory!  By His stripes I am healed! It is His humility and passion towards me that allows me to say: He is my Dove, my Beloved, and my Bridegroom!

I know He conquered death and is like a roaring lion, but even John in Revelation 5:6-7 it told to “behold, the Lion” but he turns and sees a Lamb, as if slain take the scroll from the Father. I never want to forget what He did for me on the Cross. I have found myself looking closer at the sacrifice that Jesus took for me and mankind.

Just like when the Shulammite said earlier in chapter 1:13, “My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh which lies all night between my breasts.” For those of you that need an interpretation here it is.  Jesus is our beloved and a pouch of myrrh symbolizes His death, because myrrh was used for burial in those days.  So she is saying I am constantly meditating in my heart on the love Jesus’ has for me and all that He accomplished as He endured the myrrh of the Cross.

In the secret place of the steep pathway… speaks of the inner communion that we are to have with Him on the journey.  Yes, it is steep and there is a cost but the reward is greater than the cost.  Jesus was constantly in holy communion with the Father, even on His way up the steep path to the hill of Golgotha.  I too want to have this strong communion with Jesus in the secret place, even though it may not always be easy.  In this season I am longing and feeling drawn to that secret place.


Let me see your form…and your form is lovely… Well I think this part speaks for itself.  Didn’t Moses say this same thing?  Lord show me Your Glory. It is because the work of the Cross that we can actually see Him in His fullness, the veil has been torn.  If I can see Him rightly, then I can see myself rightly and if I am created in His form, then I too am lovely.  Currently I have been gazing on my beloved.  There are some very powerful scriptures that describe the beauty of this Man.

Let me hear your voice, For your voice is sweet… I love hearing His voice.  I cannot live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord!  His voice gives direction and reflects emotion. At the beginning of the story the Shulammite says “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth (word)”. His Words sustain me, they bring a deep level of intimacy.  While reading about His form I am also reading His Word, the two really go hand in hand.

•••••••

So I hope that this makes sense. I know it is by His work on the Cross that I am being saved and set free.  It is not by my work or by my own efforts.  But I also know that there is that good work of laying it all down at the feet of Jesus and ministering to Him in the secret place like Mary did with her costly perfume (Mark 14:1-9).  It is here that I am finding myself asking Him, LET ME SEE YOUR FORM, LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE; FOR YOUR VOICE IS SWEET AND YOUR FORM IS LOVELY!

 

• If you have not read Song of Songs I would encourage you to!  I would also recommend that you go through the FREE series with Mike Bickle HERE.

••Let me know what you think.  And if you have read Song of Songs, let me know where you think you are in the story right now.

 

Blessings.

 

 

 

Beauty Realm in the Natural

June 10, 2011 in Bible Study, Revelation with 2 Comments

I just wanted to share some photo’s from the Chile Puyehue Volcano eruptions last week. I saw some similarities to the descriptions of the throne room that we have been looking at.  The flashes of lightning and the glowing fire like red really stands out to me.  It is hard not to see Him in His creation :)

(Picture Source)

(Photo Source)

I also found some stuff on the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God found in Revelation 4:5

The number seven represents perfection and completion. So this could be a description of the fullness and perfection of the Holy Spirit.  We see the Seven Spirits of God found 3 other times in the book of Revelation: 1:4, 3:1, and 5:6.

Mike Bickles notes from his Revelation study guide says that they, “speak of the Holy Spirit in His sevenfold perfection with His many divers manifestations (Isaiah 11:2)”

 

The diverse manifestations in Isaiah 11:2

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and strength,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”

1. The Spirit of the Lord 2. The Spirit of Wisdom 3. The Spirit of Understanding 4. The Spirit of Counsel 5. The Spirit of Strength 6. The Spirit of Knowledge 7. The Spirit of the Fear of the LORD

Hope you guys are all doing well! I am looking forward to touching on the sea of glass and the four living creatures NEXT.

START AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS BEAUTY REALM SERIES

Beauty Realm 4:5

June 2, 2011 in Bible Study, Revelation with 6 Comments

*The Magnificent

4:5 “Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.  And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”


1. Flashes of lightning: Hebrew’s strong Definition; Luminary (in every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.)

a primitive root; to be luminous (literally and metaphorically):—x break of day, glorious, kindle, light, set on fire, shine.

You ever see a good lighting storm?  In the natural it illuminates the entire night sky.  You can’t miss a flash of lightning; it captures the attention of your eyes.  It often instills a sense of awe and wonder.

In the Old Testament we see often see lightning used in a way to describe the appearance of God.  Of course we see the entire first sentence of verse 5 in Exodus when Moses and the Israelites witnessed God descend upon Mount Sinai

  • Exodus 19:16 “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. “
  • Job 36:30“Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him”
  • Psalm 97:4 “His lightnings lit up the world”
  • Dan. 10:6 “His body also was like beryl, his face had the appearance of lightning”

  • Ezek. 1:4 “As I looked, I saw a great storm coming toward me from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light. The fire inside the cloud glowed like gleaming amber.” (NLT)

Flashes of lightning were also used as a metaphor for a shining sword or spear.

EX:

  • Ezek. 21:15 “That their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter.”

In the New Testament lightning is used to give a description of the return of the Lord.

  • Matt. 24:27 “For just as the lightning comes from the east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”

  • Luke 17:24“For just as the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day. “

 

2. Sounds (or Voices): “Sounds” carry a wide variety of possibilities.  But just as the lighting captures the eyes, sounds capture the ears.

It was in the Garden of Eden when it was said that Adam and Eve heard the sound of the LORD God. (GEN 3:8)

In the OT there are sounds of the horn, sounds of war, sounds of singing, etc..  This could be the voices or sounds of the Lord Himself.  It could also be the saints, creatures, and angels lifting up voices of praise to the Most High.

 

3. Peals of Thunder (To Roar): In the OT, thunder was often seen as a form of judgment.  Peal in the Hebrew means to tumble or to crash.

Moses brought forth thunder and hail as one of the plagues upon Egypt

  • Ex. 9:23“And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.”
  • Is. 29:6“From the LORD of hosts you will be punished with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, With whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a consuming fire.”

James and John were given the name, “Son’s of Thunder” (Boanerges) by Jesus.

The voice of God is also described with the word thunder.  Here is a great verse that has all three of the words used from verse 5.

  • Job 37:4 “After it, a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice; And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.

John Wesley’s Notes:

Verse 5. And out of the throne go forth lightnings—Which affect the sight. Voices—Which affect the hearing. Thunderings—Which cause the whole body to tremble. Weak men account all this terrible; but to the inhabitants of heaven it is a mere source of joy and pleasure, mixed with reverence to the Divine Majesty. Even to the saints on earth these convey light and protection; but to their enemies, terror and destruction.

 

I did not have time to touch on the seven lamps of fire aka the seven Spirits of God.  If you have any thoughts or opinions on the topic feel free to share.

 

••• I am sure we have all seen lightning and heard thunder as well as “sounds”, but I know the words that John used for this description hardly scratch the surface! Try and put yourself in this place, it is not easy, but I hope that you can at least feel the reverence that comes with standing before the Great and Mighty Throne of God.  Let us stand in awe of our God.  I encourage you to use the Beauty Realm of Revelation 4 and 5 to keep things in perspective.

King David gives another description that causes great wonderment in Psalm 97:1-6

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; Let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Fire goes before Him, And burns up His adversaries round about.
His lightnings lit up the world; The earth saw and trembled.
The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory.

 

Go to the beginning of this Beauty Realm Bible Study

Page 1 of 3123»